Amherst

Amherst, NS, incorporated as a town in 1889, population 9717 (2011c), 9505 (2006c). The Town of Amherst is located near the border with New Brunswick, 15 km east of Sackville, NB. Settlement began in the 1830s, but it was not until shortly before WWI that Amherst became an important regional centre. It boasted a railway-car factory with 2000 workers and an engineering company with an international reputation, as well as factories making woollen goods, enamel products, footwear and pianos. Its population was almost as large in 1914 as it is today. After WWI, the town's economy collapsed along with that of many Maritime centres as a result of economic policies that favoured central Canada. In the 1920s thousands of Amherst residents left in search of work in New England and Western Canada.

Present Day

Today Amherst is a service centre for the surrounding agricultural community and supports a growing industrial base, including manufacturers of plastics, telephone and telecommunication equipment, aerospace components, rechargeable batteries and lighting ballasts. Tourism is important, and many visitors take advantage of Amherst's location as a gateway to Nova Scotia.