Albro Lake, Nova Scotia

Albro Lake, Nova Scotia
Neighbourhood
Location within Dartmouth
Location within Nova Scotia
Coordinates: 44°41′3″N63°34′53″W / 44.68417°N 63.58139°W / 44.68417; -63.58139 [1]
Country	Canada
Province	Nova Scotia
Municipality	Halifax Regional Municipality
Community	Dartmouth
Community council	Harbour East - Marine Drive Community Council
District	6 - Harbourview - Burnside - Dartmouth East
Area [2]
• Total	1.47 km2 (0.57 sq mi)
Elevation	60 m (200 ft)
Postal code	B3A
Area code(s)	902, 782

Albro Lake is a neighbourhood in the North End of the community of Dartmouth in Nova Scotia's Halifax Regional Municipality.

The neighbourhood includes the Highfield Park and Crystal Heights. A newer development Lancaster Ridge is built on the former Department of National Defence housing lands. Albro Lake is bounded by Leaman Drive to the west, Lancaster Ridge to the east, Highway 111 to the north, and Albro Lake Road to the south.

The streets are named for aircraft used by the Royal Canadian Air Force. ^[3]

History

Albro Lake takes its name from the shallow freshwater lakes of the same name located in the area. The lakes were named for the brothers John and Samuel Albro, who used the stream that flowed from the lakes to operate a nail factory and tannery on their property near St. Paul's Church on Windmill Road. The area was first settled during the 19th century. ^[4]

During World War II, the navy established a radio communications centre in the area and built housing for its operators and their families. ^[5] The station operated until 1968. This land was subsequently used to develop Highfield Park.

The housing in the neighbourhood is a mixture, ranging from high-density low-rental apartment buildings in Highfield Park built during the 1970s and 1980s, to small single-family houses, duplexes, townhouses and small apartment buildings. The socio-economic indicators for the neighbourhood show that it comprises mostly low-to-middle income households.

Neighbourhood amenities

Parks

• Albro Lake Park
• Golden Acres Park

Natural areas

• Albro Lake
• Little Albro Lake
• Martin Lake

Sports facilities

• Grey Arena

Schools

• John MacNeil Elementary School
• John Martin Junior High

Community facilities

• Dartmouth North Community Centre

Memorials

• Halifax Explosion memorial
  • Located at the intersection of Albro Lake Road and Pinecrest Drive, this memorial is dedicated to the victims of the Halifax Explosion. Part of a large-calibre surface defense gun from the French ship Mont Blanc landed adjacent to the memorial site, 1.5 kilometres from the explosion centre.
• Jason MacCullough Memorial Park
  • Memorial park dedicated to the victim of an unsolved murder in the neighborhood.

References

1. "Albro Lake". Geographical Names Data Base . Natural Resources Canada.
2. "Halifax Regional Municipality Urban Forest Master Plan" (PDF). halifax.ca. Government of the Municipality of Halifax. Retrieved 14 July 2021.
3. Google Maps
4. Chapman, Harry (2001). In the wake of the Alderney : Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, 1750-2000. Dartmouth Historical Association (2nd ed.). [Dartmouth, N.S.]: Dartmouth Historical Association. p. 380. ISBN   1-55109-374-X. OCLC   48398897.
5. Chapman, Harry (2001). In the wake of the Alderney : Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, 1750-2000. Dartmouth Historical Association (2nd ed.). [Dartmouth, N.S.]: Dartmouth Historical Association. p. 380. ISBN   1-55109-374-X. OCLC   48398897.