page_title: Waterloo, Nova Scotia
section_title: Natural resources and economy
hierarchical_section_title: Waterloo, Nova Scotia / Natural resources and economy
caption_attribution_description: English: Wild blueberries in Nova Scotia are not "cultivated". Their natural required growing conditions are encouraged when canopies are removed maximizing sunlight exposure.
context_page_description: Waterloo, Nova Scotia is a small rural community in western Lunenburg County, Nova Scotia. The community extends approximately 10 kilometers from Route 210 to the Queens County line and is 20 kilometers from the commercial hub of Bridgewater. The Waterloo Road runs through the community providing a picturesque alternative to Route 210 when travelling between Newcombville and Greenfield.
context_section_description: In an 1894 interview, Michael Wile refers to his wheat, a crop not planted in recent times. Michael and the other first farmers were first preoccupied with producing bread with their own flour since the cost of imported wheat was prohibitive.  Michael Wile said that the first flour he used in the settlement was from his own wheat (According to the c.1881 Ambrose Church Map, Waterloo had two gristmills). The growing of wheat in the county was a difficult undertaking since the climate often didn't permit proper ripening and the quality of the crop sometimes yielded low quality flour.  In 1845, a large setback to wheat-growing occurred with the scourge of wheat midge Thecodiplomis mosellana Gehin.  The larvae from this microorganism destroyed the grain kernels as their developed (Martin, 1974).
  Michael also refers to tapping maples "easily get[ting] three barrels of sap out of one large maple ... ma[king] two hundred pounds of maple sugar in a season."  This tradition has been continued by Michael Wile's ancestors.
  Wildlife was especially plentiful in the early days of the settlement—especially moose. Michael Wile identified the land as "great moose country" where the community hunters killed upwards to 10 in a season—some of which weighed 800 pounds (Desbrisay, 1895).
  Since the mid-20th century wild blueberries have been cultivated on the Isaac Wile Hill and Balsam Fir Christmas trees have been grown in various parts of the community. After the first three autumn frosts which set the needles, the trees are traditionally cut in November. Research is currently being done in Truro, Nova Scotia to develop a tree which will not drop its needles after being cut. This is key to an industry which exports 80 percent of its product to the USA—a market that is steadily become interested in artificial trees that don't drop needles.
  Much pulpwood and timber has been harvested from the community especially since the Mersey Pulp Mill was built in 1929 in Liverpool, Nova Scotia (Bowater, 2007). Red Spruce, Black Spruce and Balsam Fir are the most common species harvested after it matures in approximately 30 to 40 years. In most cases, the shallow layers of topsoil and grey clay layers beneath the forest do not support a tree's long term growth or promote good drainage in the local area. The community is rich in shale which when blasted and crushed provides various grades of road and building materials.
caption: Wild blueberries are not "cultivated"  but grow naturally on drumlins.  These berries require the proper growing conditions to be successful.  This usually involved removing any canopy that interferes with direct sunlight exposure.
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