Kentville, Nova Scotia

Charming and Picturesque

A Breath of Fresh Air on Canada’s East Coast

In the heart of Nova Scotia’s beloved Annapolis Valley lies the charming town of Kentville, a picturesque community brimming with tradition and opportunity. With a brand that promises “A Breath of Fresh Air,” Kentville is planning for growth while maintaining its friendly, close-knit atmosphere.

“Kentville is a small town in Nova Scotia that is on the cusp of exponential growth in multiple areas,” shares Community and Economic Development Coordinator, Lindsay Young. “We have a very active and engaged population of residents and business owners who all work together on the betterment of the town in general. There’s a great small-town community feeling here, and it’s a wonderful place to spend time.”

A Downtown Revitalization

With its wide sidewalks, friendly faces and plenty of spaces to gather, downtown Kentville  is thriving. From long term anchor tenants to up and coming entrepreneurs, the town core boasts a blend of boutique shops, family-owned businesses, and quality of life amenities that make it an inviting destination for residents and visitors.

“Chances are when you go into a store in Kentville, you may be waited on at the counter by the person who owns not only the store, but probably the building that it’s in,” depicts Young. Although the town has nearly reached capacity in its downtown spaces, Kentville is not landlocked, and is actively seeking development to support growth in this area.

“Right now, our downtown is bustling. It’s vibrant, it’s active. We host a myriad of amazing events all through the year that bring people in. And our downtown really does support our tourism efforts as well,” Young touts.

Preparing for Growth and Preserving Community

Kentville also plans to expand opportunities in the town’s west end, which is earmarked for future commercial and residential developments. This coincides with the construction of the Donald E. Hiltz connector road, a 3.8-kilometer thoroughfare that will unlock 300 acres of land for development.

“Similar to a lot of communities, particularly in rural Nova Scotia, we’ve seen substantial growth, with people looking for a different version of a lifestyle that maybe has more balance than what they’re used to in really highly urbanized areas,” says Strategic Initiatives Coordinator, Alisha Christie.

Upcoming residential developments in Kentville are expected to include a mix of single-family homes, multi-unit buildings, and affordable housing options, designed to meet the diverse needs of Kentville’s growing population. “There’s a focus, similar to all communities around, on how to protect our existing housing stock as well as increase the housing stock for our community,” Christie asserts. “There’s definitely development interest in our areas, with various developments in front of the council on what our community could look like moving forward.”

The area around the Donald E Hiltz connector road will potentially feature a mix of housing types, including two-unit, three-unit, and multi-unit buildings, along with single-family homes.

Recreation and green spaces are also top of mind, as Christie expands, “We do have an existing very large recreational park that comes close to our downtown, and that already goes up to this area, that will be opened up. So that recreational space can be accessed both ways, and the road itself will come with more active transportation routes to really build out our active transportation plan within the town of Kentville and further connect those routes.”

Kentville is also prioritizing infrastructure improvements to support growth and expansion sustainably. Project Engineer, Ahmad Kadri discloses plans to upgrade stormwater systems, sharing that the town is taking a proactive approach to manage the impacts of climate change.

“We are having a company design and also work on a stormwater management master plan for the town wide,” he explains. “This would include existing and future development and also provide us with forestry areas and retention ponds and storm water management techniques.” To prepare for the challenges of increasing rainfall, he says efforts are underway to upgrade existing infrastructure. Developers are also being required to include stormwater management in their plans to prevent flooding and avoid overwhelming the current systems.

Tourism and Year-Round Community Spirit

With stand out events like the Annapolis Valley Apple Blossom Festival, with roots tracing back to 1932,  and the annual Kentville Pumpkin People Festival,  the town welcomes tourists from the region and beyond.

“Kentville is very, very good at festivals,” boasts Young. “We are great at bringing people in, showing them a great time and then sending them along their way. The awesome thing about Nova Scotia is that it’s really easy to travel within the province. Once you get here, you can kind of be-bop around and feel fully immersed in Nova Scotia culture.”

With this in mind, Kentville has carefully crafted its tourism offerings to appeal to a variety of interests throughout the year. “Once winter hits, it’s a very specific type of traveler that we would be hosting, and those would be all in the category of outdoor enthusiast,” details Young. She adds that outside of winter, Kentville sees three main types of visitors, outdoor enthusiast, arts and culture enthusiast, and “foodies”, and the town has built in ways to draw in and appeal to each of these.

Building Partnerships for Long Term Success

Kentville’s growth and progress are fueled by partnerships with organizations like Build Nova Scotia, the Valley Regional Enterprise Network—whose primary focus is bringing investment opportunities to the region—and the many local businesses and organizations that help move the community forward.

“We do have a really strong standing recreation department, and all of their programming tends to be done in partnership or collaboration with nonprofits or community groups. We have a strong relationship with post-secondary institutions, particularly Acadia University, and their students, supporting the work that we do, or research, or sometimes co-op students internally,” Christie elaborates. She underscores the importance of the Kentville Business Community, who are essential to the success of the town’s various festivals, events, and public art and mural initiatives.

“A lot of what we offer is done in partnership. We are lucky to have a very motivated community,” Christie notes. “I think this speaks to the Annapolis Valley as well. We’re so interconnected that one community benefits from the work of another. We don’t shy away from that. We try to celebrate each other as we move through and work together.”

A Vision for the Future

Looking ahead, Kentville’s priorities remain on intentional growth, enhanced recreation, and strengthened infrastructure. Christie emphasizes, “In the next 18 months, there’s a lot of focus on strategic planning, where we are going and how we can best support our community.”

Kadri outlines, “From the engineering perspective, our aim is to have accessible sidewalks and also be able to increase our accessibility around town. We’re also trying to look into having infrastructure upgrades to be able to meet the demand of the new development and the growth that we’re expecting.”

The efforts also include ambitious recreational goals, including the possible introduction of a racquet sports facility and a multi-purpose recreational space.

“We have hosted some national sporting events, we’ve had the Canada Cup here the last few years for mountain biking. But this new recreational facility, if it were to come to fruition, would really increase our ability to go after bids of that nature and of that size,” recounts Young. In tandem, Kentville is working to meet the needs of an expanded visitor base. “If we attract all of these folks, and if we attract and get these bids for these large-scale sporting events, where do we put them and where do they stay when they get here?” remarks Young. “I would hope that with all of the growth that we’re seeing in the area, and as we get going on some of this stuff, that the hotels will start knocking. Right now, we’re kind of getting our ducks in a row to set up for that.”

Overall Kentville will focus on maintaining its distinctive identity as it embraces growth. From new housing and commercial spaces to community-driven events, Kentville is not just a place to visit but a place to belong. As Young says, “Our goal is to create a safe, inclusive community where everyone feels comfortable and welcome.”

Showcasing the beauty of rural Nova Scotia, Kentville is a town that’s looking towards a vibrant future, and truly is, a breath of fresh air.

AT A GLANCE

Kentville, Nova Scotia

What: A town embracing growth and possibility

Where: Annapolis Valley Region of Nova Scotia

Website: www.kentville.ca