Mader's Cove is a community in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia, located in the Lunenburg Municipal District in Lunenburg County . The current area is mostly along the Mader's Cove Road along the waters of Mahone Bay and includes Westhaver Beach. It is bounded on the west by the old railway, now part of the Bay to Bay Trail, that runs along the old number 3 Highway.
Before the British settlements, there was a small French settlement at Mader’s Cove and even earlier there were First Nations encampments. British-sponsored founders of the cove were of German/Swiss descent. On A.F. Church's 1883 map of the area surnames in the area included Mader, Strum, Smeltzer, Deal, Westhaver, Eisenhauer, Crooks, Roast, Ernst, Hyson, Loy, Zwicker, Wynook, Slaunwhite, Hebb, Ham, and Pickels. Most of these surnames were still there in the 1931 Canadian Census; Mader, Strum, Knock, Ernst, Westhaver, Hyson, Deal, Smeltzer, Nauss, Hubley, Langille, Knicle, Sawlor, Rost, Eisner, Joudrey, Schwartz, Whynot, Slauenwhite, and Hamm. Most of the families were farmers with a few fishermen. Many were machinists or carpenters who worked at the Strum door and sash manufacturing plant in the Cove until it burnt down in the 1970s. (Maritime Manufacturing and Construction Company).
According to information found at the Mahone Bay Founder's Museum George “Bernard” Mader (Meeder) (1747-1797) was one of the original land grantees in Maders Cove. He came with his father from the Palatinate area of Germany at 4 years of age in 1752 on The Gale.
Bernard received a Township land grant of 65 acres in Mader’s Cove on June 30, 1784. The Cove was likely named after him. Phillip Smeltzer (Schmeltzer) (1729-1814) also came aboard the Gale in 1752 and his family was also one of the original grantees of Mader’s Cove. It is likely that "Smelt Cove" was named after the Smeltzers, not the fish.
Mader's Cove is a census area and is recognized for Nova Scotia property assessments. Residents use the Mahone Bay Postal Code B0J 2E0. Along Mader's Cove Road, the area includes Kinburn Acres, a 1967 subdivision, Ringer Road, Whitetail Lane, Westhaver Road, Langille Road, Cove Road, and a bit of Herman's Island Road, along the Number Three Highway, from the border with the Town of Mahone Bay to Martin's Brook, it includes Great Ridge Road, Masons Road, Whynot's Road, Tanner Road, and part of Smeltzer's Road.
Westhaver Beach is located along Mader's Cove Road and in 1992 was designated under Subsection 5(1) of the Nova Scotia Beaches Act. According to the Nova Scotia Lighthouse Preservation Society, Westhaver Island has had a lighthouse since 1882. Although it has had many iterations over the years and is no longer manned, the newest one was installed in 2022. Keepers through the years were: Edward Strum (1882 – 1885), J. Peter Strum (1885 – 1888), James Alfred Strum (1888 – 1916), D. Slaunwhite (1916), J.S. Weinant (1916), James Joudrey (1916 – 1921). According to the Mahone Bay Museum, The Strums were loyalists and came to Mader's Cove in about 1774.
In the 2024 provincial assessment rolls Mader's Cove had approximately 162 sites with a building on it.
