Welcome to the Town of Yarmouth
On the Edge of Everywhere
Newcomers Guide
Moving to a new place can be challenging, especially if this is your first time living in Canada. Drop by Town Hall at 400 Main St. and we'll happily answer any questions you have about your new home. Our Economic Development Officer and the Mayor would love to meet you!
On behalf of everyone here, welcome to Yarmouth!
Our Town
The Town of Yarmouth is the regional centre of southwestern Nova Scotia. The Town's population of nearly 7,000 people doubles on weekdays with the influx of workers and students from surrounding areas. Yarmouth is the financial, business, education, and lifestyle centre for the 70,000 people who live in the tri-counties of Yarmouth, Digby and Shelburne. The port of Yarmouth, located in the heart of the world's largest lobster fishing grounds, is central to Yarmouth's history and development. With Canada's most lucrative fishing industry, Yarmouth and the Acadian Shores have a culture and economy historically tied to fishing and related industries.
We're located at the southwestern tip of Nova Scotia. New Brunswick is located to the north, separated by the Bay of Fundy. Halifax is just over 300 kilometres away, while Maine, USA is located to the northwest. Our area has an oceanic climate as the maritime influences temper any major hot or cold fluctuations. There is little snow accumulation during the winters because of the mild temperature. Precipitation is significant and distributed throughout the year, while summers are relatively mild.
Checklist for Moving In
- Apply for a family doctor. Call 1 (844) 491-5891 if you're looking for a family doctor, nurse practitioner, or other primary health care service. There are also a variety of programs and services available to people without family physicians, outlined by the Nova Scotia Health Authority.
- Call for community services. By calling 211, you can get access to thousands of essential services anywhere in Nova Scotia, including refugee assistance, newcomer services, and more.
- School registration. Registering your children for school is quick and easy – to get started, go to Education and find contact information for local schools.
- Taxes and utilities. Learn how to access water, sewer, and electric services, plus resources for paying taxes.
- Update your driver's license. Head to the local Access Nova Scotia office at 10 Starrs Rd.
What You Need To Know
- Active living. Discover what you can do to stay active in your new home.
- Animal Services. How to register your dog and responsibilities as a pet owner.
- Bill payments. Where to pay your municipal taxes, water bill, and more.
- Business services. Whether you're running a business, or thinking about starting a new one, learn more on at Economic Development.
- Building and renovating. If you're making changes to your new home, you'll need to apply for a building permit.
- Culture and heritage. Learn about Yarmouth's iconic past as you become part of its future.
- Emergency services. Police, fire, and medical services are available whenever you need them. If someone's health, safety, or property is threatened and help is needed right away, call 911 right away.
- Events. Connect with your new community at civic events and festivals!
- Local media. Tune into 95.5 on your radio for CJLS or watch Eastlink TV.
- Minimum housing standards. Know your rights as a new resident of Yarmouth.
- Passport services. You can update your passport at the Yarmouth Service Canada Centre at 13 Willow St.
- Separating your garbage. In Yarmouth, we use a 2 bag system – one for paper products, the other for plastic and metal. Along with roadside collection for solid waste, we also recommend special steps for pharmaceutical waste, hazardous waste, and electronics. Learn more on our Garbage, Recycling & Composting page.
- Transportation. Yarmouth has a range of transportation services, including a transit bus, shuttles, and ferry service to the United States.
- Weather and tides. Yarmouth's temperate climate and high tides can take some adjustment. Check out the weather, tide, and pollen reports to stay on top of things.
- Winter! It can be pretty intense. Learn about our winter services, and your responsibilities as a resident, on Snow & Ice Management. Drive safe!
- See a problem? We want to hear about it! Reach out on at Report a Problem.
Neighbourhood Associations
Yarmouth's grassroots associations and organizations work hard to create their vision of what our town can be. Here are just a few groups that are making a difference:
- Community garden groups, including one at Beacon Church and two in Yarmouth's South End
- The Yarmouth Garden Club
- Community Housing Options Initiative through Collaboration and Engagement (CHOICE)
- Milton Improvement Society (to learn more, call Carol Weir at (902) 749-1617)
- Yarmouth Community Improvement Group
Let us know if you’re starting a neighbourhood association by contacting Town Hall – we'd love to hear from you!
Neighbourhood Programs
Yarmouth is being transformed by a range of neighbourhood programs spurred by the Town and the province. Housing Nova Scotia's Neighbourhood Improvement Initiative has helped revitalize our community with special grants to landlords and homeowners for exterior, street-facing improvements.
Here are some other key programs that are helping to improve our neighbourhoods:
Join our local committee for initiatives like Adopt-a-Block!
All Hands on Deck (no longer active, but its effects are still being felt!)
Yarmouth Volunteer Network
Heritage properties
Downtown Facade Improvement Program
If you want to make a donation to the Town, check out our Community Asset Donation Program. Contributions made through this program also benefit the parks, urban forests, greenspaces, the natural environment and the community as a whole.
Communities in Bloom
Working in cooperation with municipal employees, volunteer groups, businesses and individual citizens, Communities in Bloom has been successful in raising our Yarmouth civic pride. Not just because of our parks, streetscapes, and public areas, but also for the increased dialogue concerning environmental and beautification projects. Thanks to volunteers, projects ranging from litter pick-up to celebrating the Daylily have been enormously successful
The Communities in Bloom Committee receives full support from Yarmouth Town Council. Additionally, Communities in Bloom recognizes and applauds the significant achievements of some local business owners who are leading the way in innovative waste reduction projects. The Town of Yarmouth is also home to many spectacularly lovely private gardens both historic and contemporary. We take pride in the many stately first-generation trees which grace our streets and public buildings, and we celebrate the pride that our heritage homeowners take in their properties.
2006 - Yarmouth was awarded a rating of 4 blooms in the Provincial Category- 2007 - Yarmouth was awarded a rating of 5 blooms in the Provincial Category
- 2008 - Yarmouth was awarded a rating of 5 blooms and was the Provincial Winner in our Category
- 2009 - Yarmouth was awarded a rating of 4 blooms in the Provincial Category and 5 blooms in the National Category
- 2010 - Yarmouth was awarded a rating of 5 blooms in the National Category and won the Beauti-tone Heritage Conservation Outstanding Achievement Award
- 2011 - Yarmouth was awarded a rating of 5 blooms in the National Category. Winner Residential Flower Garden - Small Garden
- 2012 - Yarmouth was awarded a rating of 5 blooms in the National Category and the Art Gallery's Innovative Programs received Mention
- 2013 - Yarmouth was awarded a rating of 5 blooms in the National Category and won the Canadian Nursery Landscape Association Environmental Action Outstanding Achievement Award
- 2014 – Yarmouth was awarded a rating of 5 blooms and was the National Winner in their category with a special mention of Mayor Pam Mood’s, “All Hands on Deck Initiative”
- 2015 – Yarmouth won the Butchart Gardens Land Reclamation Project Award
- 2017 – Recognition for Canada 150 banners and “This is Us” display at Art Gallery
- 2018 – Yarmouth won the National Urban Forestry Award, from CN
- 2019 – Yarmouth hosts the National Symposium of Parks and Grounds and International Awards. This was the first time a small town hosted the national symposium.
- 2020 – Yarmouth wins a national award for Community Appearance Community Appearance includes an overall tidiness effort. Elements for evaluation are parks and green spaces, medians, boulevards, sidewalks, and streets; municipal, commercial, institutional and residential properties; ditches, road shoulders, vacant lots and buildings; weed control, litter clean-up (including cigarette butts and gum), graffiti and vandalism programs.
- 2021 - Plant and Floral Displays Award.
- 2022 - 5 Blooms-Gold rating in the Class of Champions – Medium category
- 2025 - Yarmouth won its first International Award: winner of the Class of Champions – Medium category. They received a rating of 5 Blooms - Gold and a special mention for Main Street - Street Scape during the 2022 National/International Symposium and Awards Ceremonies in Victoria, British Columbia. The Town of Yarmouth was in competition with Kingsville ON; Stettler AB and Stonewall MB. The community also received an Outstanding Achievement Award for the Scotts Turf Builder Landscape Award.
Map of Yarmouth
Town Maps can be purchased by contacting the GIS Technician.
- email: gis@townofyarmouth.ca
- phone: 902-742-1505 ext 5
Town Maps and Photocopies
| Town Map Size | Black | Colour |
|---|---|---|
| 8.5" x 11" | $ 2.50 | $ 5.00 |
| 11" x 17" | $ 5.00 | $ 8.00 |
| 17" x 22" | $ 8.00 | $ 10.00 |
| 22" x 34" | $ 15.00 | $ 20.00 |
| 34" x 44" | $ 20.00 | $ 30.00 |
You can also purchase:
An electronic copy of the stock map: $10.00
Custom electronic map: $30.00/hour with a minimum 1/2 hr. charge + stock map of $10.00
Photo copy (8.5' x 11"): $0.50
Photo copy (8.5" x 14"): $0.75
Photo copy (11" x 17"): $1.00
Library
Along with a large collection of fiction, non-fiction, periodicals, and children’s books, the Izaak Walton Killam Memorial Library offers a wide variety of community programs and services. The library features:
- Wheelchair accessible
- 4 computers with Internet and Microsoft Office
- 1 accessible computer
- 1 printer (colour)
- 1 scanner
- 1 photocopier (b&w)
- 1 microfilm reader/printer
- Fax service weekdays 10 a.m. until 4 p.m.
- WiFi Access
Events
There’s always something happening at Yarmouth’s favourite library. Check out the Western Counties Regional Library calendar for details at Western Counties Regional Library.
405 Main Street
Yarmouth, NS
B5A 1G3
Phone: (902) 742-5040
Fax: (902) 742-6920
email: yarmouth@westerncounties.ca
Hours
Sunday Closed
Monday 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Tuesday 10 a.m. – 8 p.m.
Wednesday 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Thursday 10 a.m. – 8 p.m.
Friday 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Saturday 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.
