- (902) 826-1680
- info@smbcec.org
Our Community
Home is where the heart is—and there is a lot of heart in St. Margaret’s Bay, a wonderful place for families, retirees and others to call home. Neighbours gather over food and music, children explore nature, and the entrepreneurial spirits flourishes.
St. Margaret’s Bay provides the best of both the new world and the old world. Steeped in history, long-established families and longstanding traditions provide for the deep-rooted loyalty that runs through the veins of this community. Meanwhile, entrepreneurial endeavours, sustainability efforts, and a family-friendly lifestyle inject more contemporary energy.. St. Margaret’s Bay has a widely varied demographic, from young families to retirees, from brand-new Canadians to those whose ancestors have been here for centuries, and everything in between, with a host of activities and organizations catering to all residents.
Just a stone’s throw from Halifax, residents of St. Margaret’s Bay enjoy a laid-back suburban, rural or village lifestyle with the modern conveniences and amenities of a metropolitan centre. Picturesque shorelines, sandy beaches, and dense forests make St. Margaret’s Bay the perfect place to get out and explore.
A place with open doors and open hearts, people come together and make memories here!
Community Organizations
The St. Margaret’s Bay Community Enterprise Centre believes in bringing people, organizations and ideas together. Here in St. Margaret’s Bay, community organizations provide a plethora of services, programs and partnerships, all toward the goal of making life here better for all. Community organizations are invited to list their main areas of focus here, to help serve as a clearinghouse of information for the whole community, by emailing webmaster@smbcec.org.
The Aspotogan Fitness Club is volunteer-driven, formed to provide residents of the Aspotogan Peninsula access to fitness equipment, and to help promote healthier lifestyles in our community. All individuals aged 13 and up are welcome to participate.
BayRides offers door to-door accessible and affordable transportation in the St. Margaret’s Bay area, from Hubley (Highway 103, exit 4) to Queensland and West Dover, to Yankeetown Road in Hammonds Plains. The service operates Monday to Friday, 6:00 am to 6:00 pm. Rides must be booked 24 hours in advance (48 hours when possible) to allow time for scheduling. BayRides provides service to all including: seniors, youth, those requiring accessible transportation, and individuals in the community without access to transportation.
The Seniors Association of St. Margaret’s Bay (Bay Seniors) is a not-for-profit registered society whose purpose is to help seniors in the St. Margaret’s Bay area maintain control over their lives and realize their retirement dreams; it presents opportunities for them to share their skills, interests, and experience. The association helps local seniors participate in social, community and wellness activities, and has a long-term goal to assist in developing and finding affordable accommodation in our area.
The Bay Treasure Chest is a weekly 50/50 draw that gives players an opportunity to win cash, while supporting local community service organizations. The Bay Treasure Chest Weekly Toonie Draw and Online Monthly Draw provide many benefits: winning players wins some extra, tax-free cash while helping to support Bay area volunteer service organizations; the communities and residents of St. Margaret’s Bay win with sustainable funding for scholarships, and many programs and services that benefit our people and our environment; and retail and other business supporters win with enhanced customer relations and support of the local community and the environment.
The Trust serves the community by protecting, preserving, conserving and restoring the natural habitat, watersheds and wildlife in and adjacent to the protected area.
A youth volunteer organization under the auspices Genuine Progress Index Atlantic, a charitable nonprofit. GPI Youth provides internships and volunteer intensive skills development and service experiences around the four pillars of environment, culture, economy, and civic engagement. Currently, GPI Youth has a special focus on youth creating solutions for sustainable transportation in St. Margaret’s Bay, and in how youth can connect to their community.
The Hubbards and Area Business Association is composed of business members that work diligently together to contribute to their communities.
Volunteers raise monies to assist adults and children in the area with social services and special needs, as well as local schools. Fundraisers include monthly fish fries, pancake breakfasts, bingo, crib/dart night and road tolls. Annual Christmas Toy Drives are held and hampers are prepared and distributed to families in the Hubbards area. The club owns its own building which provides a ‘safe haven’ in the event of a disaster.
One of the largest ATV clubs in Nova Scotia, with over 300 members. All activities are focused around safety-minded ATVing. The club has two certified ATV safety instructors offering training to ATV operators, with a special rate for club members. The association works to maintain existing trails and build new ones, while always respecting and preserving the natural woodlands and waterways.
The St. Margaret’s Bay Chamber of Commerce is an action-oriented business leadership organization whose core purpose is to help protect and expand the potential of our diverse business community. We stand for People Pride and Prosperity in the Bay area and proudly serve our community with a friendlier, more personal level of service.
The St. Margaret’s Bay Community Enterprise Centre (CEC), is a place where business and community come together. Whether you are an individual business owner or an employee, represent a not-for-profit organization, are part of a community group, or are someone looking for entrepreneurial help, the CEC, right in the heart of St. Margaret’s Bay, is the perfect resource to connect, engage, share experiences and expertise and, most of all, build on what is at the very heart of the CEC: “Bringing people together to create a stronger more vibrant community.”
Provides food and clothing to those families in need in the Bay area. The Food Bank operates a Thrift Store near the Tantallon crossroads.. The Food Bank is supported by schools, churches, businesses, clubs, and organizations within the Bay area, including the Lions Club and resident associations in Westwood Hills and Haliburton, who hold Christmas food drives.
The St. Margaret’s Bay Gardening Club was founded in the mid-90s as an informal group of like-minded Bay area gardeners who wanted to share their knowledge. You don’t have to be an experienced gardener to join in on informative presentations, workshops and other events about growing plants for beauty and food.
Annual fundraisers are held for seeing-eye dogs, the SMB Food Bank, Christmas Daddies, people with diabetes and other medical needs, and children with special needs. Funds are also used for student bursaries and assisting youth organizations, such as Vimy 250 Air Cadets, with operational expenses. The club also has an in-house stock of donated medical equipment to loan out, such as wheelchairs, walkers, canes, and more. Semi-annual road cleanups are also carried out.
Inspired by the natural beauty of our community, The Stewardship’s focus is to safeguard and enhance the unique quality of life in St. Margaret’s Bay. Discussions are facilitated on issues ranging from human development and planning to the environment.
The Toy Library operates out of Giant Steps Children’s Centre, French Village Station, and is a place where children learn to play together, share, and interact in a positive cooperative environment. The playgroup program is targeted toward parents and caregivers with children 5 years of age and under.
A wonderful place where children in Grade 2 and up can take part in many theatrical activities, and where young people of all ages (and their parents) can enjoy a program of excellent live theatre created especially for them. The Unicorn Theatre operates throughout the year, with two major productions a year in the fall and spring.
Out and About
Learn more about the St. Margaret’s Bay region, its businesses, services, attractions and recreational opportunities.
The Tantallon Village Farmers Market is a community gathering space where friends and families meet to enjoy life in St. Margaret’s Bay. This outdoor market runs every Tuesday, June through October, with vendors every week offering fresh produce, including berries, baked goods, artisans’ works and crafts, eco products, prepared foods, and support for community groups.
The Hooked Rug Museum of North America collects, exhibits and preserves the heritage of hand-hooked rugs and artifacts used in the making of fibre art. It researches the history of this art, presents it in an accurate manner and also encourages future development of the art.
Enjoy 32.5 kilometres of scenic, multi-use trail running from Hubley to Hubbards for resident and visitor use. The trail forms part of the South Shore 109 km Rum Runners’ Trail and connects not only to the Beechville, Lakeside, Timberlea (BLT) Trail and Hubbards’ Aspotogan Trail but the Chester Connector Trail too. Visit the website for trail map and by-law information.
The Coastal Heritage Trail is a self-guided tour of the Peggy’s Cove Coastal Region. Discover history in its natural setting. Learn about tales of great bravery, tragedy, and the triumph of the human spirit as you travel the Coastal Heritage Trail – our Museum Without Walls. Our roads and villages are full of living history. Heritage homes and historic churches are around every corner.
The Bluff Wilderness Hiking Trail is located within the Five Bridge Lakes Wilderness Area, which is located in Mi’kma’ki, the unceded and unsurrendered ancestral land of the Mi’kmaq (L’nu).
Besides the stunning natural beauty of St. Margaret’s Bay, there are a whole host of exciting activities and experiences to savour! Visit the St. Margaret’s Bay Regional Tourism Development Association website for information on hiking trails, kayaking adventures, whale watching, birding activities, golf courses, beaches and more.
This coastal festival is an early-summer celebration of the arts and the wealth of artistic talent in St. Margaret’s Bay.
Unlike so many of our coastal islands, nature has been mostly left unimpeded on Troop Island, offering a unique outdoor classroom, and an opportunity to understand and study coastal dynamics and climate change.
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