Long & Brier Island Population
The Ups and Downs
The Mi’Kmaq were living, hunting and fishing on our Islands first. They had been here for over 4000 years. There is no way to have a count on how many, as there was no records to track. The tribe was known as Souriquois, they became known as Micmac. The correct term is Mi’Kmaq. They left around 1894, only to return for a few months in the summer.
From the First Settlers:
Geography & History of Digby County by Isaiah W. Wilson
In 1769 David Welch Senior settled on Brier Island, he was a fisherman and a native of Maine. He was accompanied by his wife and children.
The first settler known to have lived on Long Island was Nathaniel Bates. It is not known how long he had been settled at Grand Passage, Long Island (later named Freeport). It may have been for a considerable time as he evidently knew the waters to the Annapolis Basin.
A Couple of Poems About our Islands
“Long Island”
The Belle of the Bays
Digby Courier; 1908
How Brier Island Came To Be
“Brier Island”
Digby Courier; Oct. 28th 1932
The Nova Scotia Census records prior to 1871 do not include individual family members. Until 1861, they include heads of household only.
1838 Census: ( Heads of Family Only)
Tiverton (Petit Passage)/Central Grove:
Families= 32
Population=190
Freeport:
Families=53
Population=303
Westport:
Families=71
Population=415
Totals for Long & Brier Island 1838:(Head of Families Only)
Families=156
Population=908
1861 Census: (Heads of Family Only)[Tiverton not Counted in this Census]
Long Island: (Freeport, Central Grove )
Families=131
Population= 954
Westport:
Families=124
Population=678
Totals for Freeport/Central Grove & Brier Island: (Head of Families Only)[Tiverton not Available in this Census]
Families=255
Population=1632
First Census for Dominion of Canada
1871 Census (Full Families)
Westport:
Families=141
Population 563
Freeport/Central Grove:
Families=132
Population=701
Tiverton:
Families=75
Population=390
Totals for 1871 Long & Brier Islands:
Families=348
Population= 1654
1901 Census:
Freeport/Central Grove:
Families=171
Population= 1050
Westport:
Families=161
Population=722
Tiverton:
Families=118
Population=542
Total for 1901 Long & Brier Islands:
Families=450
Population=2314
Digby Courier; April 11th 1902
1911 Census:
Freeport:
Families=186
Population=806
Westport:
Families=163
Population=657
Tiverton/Central Grove:
Families=128
Population=606
Total for 1911 Census Long & Brier Island:
Families=477
Population=2069
1921 Census for Long & Brier Islands:
Freeport:
Population=708
Westport:
Population=561
Tiverton/Central Grove:
Population=522
Totals for 1921 Census of Long & Brier Islands:
Population=1791
Census returns taken after 1926 are in the custody of Statistics Canada and disclosure of personal information from these records is not permitted. The only exception is for individuals who require information about themselves. Census are only available after 100 years.
The Tiny Tattler, Thursday, July 29, 1937
Long Island:
Did you ever stop to think how up-to-date Long Island really is? Here we find most everything that modern towns have, including a modern theatre, large general stores, banks, barber shops, ice cream parlors, hotels, large schools, excellent churches, daily mails, taxi service, dance halls, lodges, including I.O.O.F., Masonic and Rebekah, canning factories, fish plants, garages, milk and cream delivery, meat paddlers, etc. We also have here a large number of Fox Ranches and a number of sawmills.
Some people that say that they could never live on Long Island, but if they should happen to get stranded here they would find that they would not do so badly after all.
Islands Population 1961
Digby Courier 1966
Report on Petite Passage Crossing; A consultants report released today by Highways Minister Stephen T. Pyke says the original cost of the bridge, across Petite Passage would be approximately $3,882,000. He estimated that to recover the capital cost and necessary financing, the vehicle toll would have to be of the order of $18.50 per trip, which is obviously prohibitive.
There was no cost estimate on a causeway. In regard to the causeway the report says it would interfere with the fish movement, but better harbor facilities, permanent crossing would have an expansion industry facilities which are protected for the area. Living standards as well as social services would be improved and would have an effect on future population increase. It is reasonable to conclude that some of the population decline is a resolve of people moving from Long Island and Briar Island because of the transportation facilities between the Islands and the Mainland. Population in 1911 was 2000, in 1961 population was 1300. Despite decline in population ferry usage has been increasing each year. In 1950 they were 9500 vehicles crossing, 1961 they were 29,000 vehicles. The maximum annual capacity at petite passage is 50,000 vehicles with the existing ferry and that would be reached after 1970. A larger scow or second scow would be needed.
With regard to this proposed, Mr. Pyke said he felt certain that the province would be quite willing to consider the possibility of incorporating a highway crossing in any permanent structure which might be designed with a view of creating a useful harbor the creation of a harbor is not, as pointed out by Mr. Pyke, a responsibility of the province.
According to this consultants report of 1966, our population was 1300.
From a Book “Freeport Now and Then” Compiled by Annabel (Elliott) Outhouse, she compiled a Census of Freeport for 1989.
The population of Freeport at the end of 1989 was 424 people, adults 337 and children 87. There was 131 cars, 4 vans, 2 campers and 51 trucks.
I am very grateful to David and Judy Teed for allowing me to add this information to my population of Long & Brier Island.
Armchair Census of the Islands – A Snapshot in Time – March, 2020
By David & Judy Teed
You may recall in the Feb. 2018 issue of Passages we published an Armchair census of all communities on Long & Brier Islands.
It’s now March 2020 and it is time to update this census again to see how things have changed in the past two years. A special thanks to Dawn MacKenzie for doing the census of Westport and Michael & Susan Outhouse for doing the same in Central Grove & Tiverton. Thanks to everyone who answered our questions and helped in any way to update this information.
Island Census 2020 Westport Freeport Central Grove Tiverton Totals
Adults 169 217 52 125 563
Children 28 41 13 28 110
Census Totals 197 258 65 153 673
Vacant Houses 17 34 9 22 82
Seasonal Residents 51 36 2 63 152
Island Census 2018 Westport Freeport Central Grove Tiverton Totals
Adults 162 214 51 126 553
Children 29 45 18 28 120
Census Totals 191 259 69 154 673
Vacant Houses 18 31 13 24 86
Seasonal Residents 53 43 2 70 168
Island Census 2016 Westport Freeport Central Grove Tiverton Totals
Adults 170 211 48 124 553
Children 31 52 19 36 138
Census Totals 201 263 67 160 691
Vacant Houses 17 39 15 29 100
Seasonal Residents 49 50 3 73 175
Island Census 2014 Westport Freeport Central Grove Tiverton Totals
Adults 175 216 46 135 572
Children 31 55 20 46 152
Census Totals 206 271 66 181 724
Vacant Houses 18 35 14 27 95
Seasonal Residents 56 38 3 71 168
Island Census 2012 Westport Freeport Central Grove Tiverton Totals
Adults 176 209 53 138 576
Children 30 58 17 49 154
Census Totals 206 267 70 187 730
Vacant Houses 15 42 8 32 97
Seasonal Residents 43 34 4 54 135
Island Census 2010 Westport Freeport Central Grove Tiverton Totals
Adults 177 213 50 139 579
Children 44 45 19 45 153
Census Totals 221 258 69 184 732
Vacant Houses 21 45 8 36 110
Seasonal Residents 31 31 5 21 88
Now with the current census complete we can compare present-day populations with those of our past thanks to the efforts of Donald Outhouse in his book “Glimpses of the Past from Long & Brier Islands” and Annabel (Elliott) Outhouse in her book “Dwellers & Dwellings”. In Donnie’s book he published the populations for 1871, 1901 and estimated populations for 1997 saying the population for 1997 is about half that of 1901. Annabel did a census from Boar’s Head to Donnie Crocker’s in 1980 (Hattie Allbright’s home today in Central Grove).
Now for some eye-opening comparisons:
1871 1901 1980 1997 1998~ 2018 2020
Long Island 1091 1372 482 476
Tiverton n / a 542* 355* 292* 154 153
Freeport n / a 830 n / a 452 259 258
Central Grove n / a n / a n / a 69 65
Brier Island 641 724 n / a
Westport n / a 353 191 197
Totals 1732 2096 1048** 1097~ 673 673
* Central Grove figures were included with Tiverton. / ~ Figures from Digby Courier 1998.
** Donnie estimated population half of 1901.
In the case of Annabel’s figures for 1980, the population of 355 in Tiverton (included Central Grove) compares to 218 in March. 2020; there, of course, may be a margin of error but it gives us a snapshot of our populations in 2020 to years prior.
The overall population of these Islands as of March 2020 has remained the same at 673 from Jan. 2018; this is noteworthy given current unemployment levels, the global economy, the younger population leaving to find work and recent graduates going off to University or Community College and deaths etc. As noted in the data, from which the population was calculated, there have been many changes in terms of property ownership as new surnames surface and old familiar ones disappear. Overall, a good news story for the Islands.
Overall comparisons between Jan. 2018 & March 2020:
Overall population remained the same at 673
Adult Population increased by 10 / Child Population dropped by 10
Vacant Dwellings decreased by 4 / Seasonal Residents decreased by 16
You can read the comparisons for your own community and see how things have changed.
If you compare the inventory of 82 vacant houses in March, 2020 to 110 in Jan. 2010, when we started this Armchair census on both islands, properties are in much better condition than in previous years. Congratulations!
A BIG THANK YOU and WELCOME goes out to all the new residents & neighbors who NOW SHARE the Islands and to all the work everyone has invested in their respective properties to improve the overall appearance.
We hope the new residents of the Islands enjoy learning a bit about the history of the Islands population and appreciate the efforts put forth by everyone who has contributed to the gathering of this information.
David & Judy Teed
The CBC came to our Islands, September 6th 2002 to make a documentary of life in Canada from coast to coast.
A Day in the Life of Canada
All of the images you will see in this wonderful documentary were recorded on September 6, 2002. You will meet Canadians from all walks of life, in every province and territory. One day, 50 cameras and six time zones. The sights and sounds of the people, the landscape and the country. Viewers stalk a musk-ox in Canada’s North, gather the harvest on the prairies, watch open-heart surgery, chase a suspected criminal through backyards and alleys, watch an assembly line in high gear, dance with senior citizens, greet a brand new Canadian – born on September 6th – and much, much more. Dozens of locations from coast to coast to coast are included, reflecting the daily activities of Canadians everywhere. First aired on September 29, 2002.
Great information. My husband’s mother was a Gower, Beulah, her father was Randolph Gower, and we still have relatives on the Island. How do we join this group.