Truro, NS, Town, pop 11 457 (2001c), 11 938 (1996c), 11 683 (1991c), area 37.62 km2, inc 1875, is located 100 km NE of Halifax on Cobequid Bay, MINAS BASIN. A land grant including the area was awarded in 1689 by Louis XIV, and ACADIANS were present as early as 1701, finally leaving in 1755 in the turbulent year of the expulsion. The town received its name in 1759 from New England settlers and likely honours Truro in Cornwall, Eng. Transports of settlers arrived in the 1760s and further development of the town began.
A major railway centre since the days of the INTERCOLONIAL RY, Truro is a terminus for people travelling to most parts of NS. Metal foundries, machinery, printing and lumbering have bolstered the economy. The Brookfield Dairy Co, located here since 1920, is a major employer. Stanfield's Textile Mills, established 1868, still operates. In addition, Crossley Karastan Carpet Mills Ltd, Polymer International (NS) Ltd and Andres Wines Atlantic Ltd are located in Truro. Always a thriving farming area, Truro is home to the Nova Scotia Agricultural College, the one agricultural college in Atlantic Canada.