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East and West branches, and five smaller tributaries. The West Branch is now also called the
Franklin River. The East Branch lies almost entirely within Annapolis County. The East Branch was once well known as a salmon river. One of the lakes in the watershed, now called Charlotte Lake, was at one time known as Salmon Lake. The East Branch flows out of a granite upland plateau about 7.2 kilometres (4.5 mi) south east of Mulgrave Lake, (formerly Big Lake and East Bear River Lake). The East Branch flows about 21.7 kilometres (13.5 mi) to its confluence with the West Branch. Beginning around 1950, hydroelectric power has been produced by impounding water in the upper watershed. Mulgrave Lake has been dammed and two additional dams now form head ponds for the Gulch Power Station in Bear River. Franklin River (Bear River West Branch) has its source at Lake Franklin located about 16 kilometres (9.9 mi) southeast of the village. The 4 kilometres (2.5 mi) long Lake Jolly is situated along the river course.
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The river is fed by several streams but even so, at low tide the mud flats, grasses and reeds are very visible. However, at high tide, the salt water from the basin flows in and fills the river to a height of up to 26 feet. There are two main tributaries which converge at the tide head, known as the
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The river forms part of the boundary between
Annapolis and Digby Counties. The steep forested slopes and natural environment, particularly in the lower reaches, have led to the nickname "The Switzerland of Nova Scotia" being applied to the river valley area. The deeply cut valley, hewn from the
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at the mouth of the river (which drains into the
Annapolis Basin), approximately 6 km from the community. The second is located in downtown Bear River and connects the two halves of the village together. There are several shorter bridges further inland.
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In addition to the railway bridge, built in 1912 and demolished in late 2011, there are two primary highway bridges which span the Bear River. The longest is the Bear River Bridge located on
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at the start of the seventeenth century. Samuel de
Champlain called it Rivière St. Antoine (St. Anthony's River) on his first map, but the name did not survive. In 1609 it appeared as
329:, Nova Scotia Museum. As the river is forty kilometers long today and Digby Gut lies about 6 kilometers across the Annapolis Basin, the river was effectively shortened by 15 percent.
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is a minor river in western Nova Scotia, Canada. Flowing from south to north, it is 40 kilometres (25 mi) long from its headwaters to its discharge into the
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137:(which today calls itself "The Tidal Village") is situated near the head of the tide where shipbuilding took place in the nineteenth century.
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Bear River passes under Nova Scotia
Highway 101 and an abandoned railway bridge as it discharges into the Annapolis Basin (right).
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The river lies within an area long-occupied by native Mi'kmaq people, embodied today by members of the
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340:"A Good Place to Grow Up (Or A River Runs Through It – Nova Scotia Version)"
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contact between slate bedrock on the west and granite on the east, is a
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who still reside on the river. The native name for the river is
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Bear River First Nation
Heritage and Cultural Centre
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922:Landforms of Annapolis County, Nova Scotia
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16:For the community named Bear River, see
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927:Landforms of Digby County, Nova Scotia
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286:Place-Names and Places of Nova Scotia
251:"The River: From the Land to the Sea"
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282:"Bear River" and "Bear River East"
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249:Bear River Millyard Recreation,
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370:Pictures of the railway bridge
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211:List of rivers of Nova Scotia
73:Physical characteristics
184:forms the northern extreme.
101: • elevation
23:River in Nova Scotia, Canada
89: • location
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269:Bear River Board of Trade
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515:West River Sheet Harbour
490:East River Sheet Harbour
297:Travel and Transitions,
231:North American Gazetteer
150:habitation at Port Royal
237:April 26, 2005, at the
142:Bear River First Nation
115:40 km (25 mi)
40:Bear River, Nova Scotia
18:Bear River, Nova Scotia
758:Middle River of Pictou
736:Gulf of Saint Lawrence
467:Little Sackville River
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932:Rivers of Nova Scotia
745:Northumberland Strait
438:Rivers of Nova Scotia
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753:East River of Pictou
280:C. Bruce Fergusson,
174:drowned river valley
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167:Gulch Power Station
612:Shubenacadie River
505:Musquodoboit River
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882:Canard River
819:Sydney River
773:River Philip
722:Tusket River
659:River Hebert
654:Maccan River
640:River Hebert
607:Salmon River
599:Cobequid Bay
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567:Bay of Fundy
543:Mersey River
538:Medway River
533:LaHave River
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833:Minas Basin
525:South Shore
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338:Ray Riley,
198:Highway 101
67:Nova Scotia
916:Categories
851:Avon River
842:Avon River
799:Aspy River
768:River John
589:Bear River
500:Mira River
384:65°40′52″W
381:44°37′05″N
217:References
135:Bear River
123:Bear River
29:Bear River
844:Watershed
642:Watershed
178:Digby Gut
176:of which
106:sea level
343:Archived
323:Archived
302:Archived
254:Archived
235:Archived
205:See also
146:L'sitkuk
62:Province
46:Location
192:Bridges
180:on the
51:Country
875:Others
792:Others
715:Others
668:Others
112:Length
83:
55:Canada
131:Digby
79:Mouth
121:The
440:by
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430:e
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