{{Short description|Rural community in Nova Scotia, Canada}} {{Use Canadian English|date=January 2023}} {{more citations needed|date=January 2013}} {{coord|44|44|17|N|63|18|38|W|region:CA-NS_type:city(3217)|display=title}} {{Use mdy dates|date=February 2026}} {{Infobox body of water | name = Porters Lake | image = Porters Lake.jpg | caption = Porters Lake in the Fall of 2016. | image_bathymetry = | caption_bathymetry = | pushpin_map = Canada Nova Scotia | pushpin_map_caption = Porter's Lake in Nova Scotia | location = Halifax County, Nova Scotia | coords = {{Coord|44|43|40|N|63|18|00|W|region:CA_type:waterbody}} | type = Glacial Lake | inflow = East Brook, West Brook | outflow = Rocky Run | catchment = | basin_countries = Canada | length = {{convert|19|km|mi}} | width = {{convert|1|km|mi}} | area = N/A | depth = | max-depth = {{convert|30|m|ft}} | volume = | residence_time = | shore = | elevation = {{convert|0|m|abbr=on}} | islands = several small islands in the south part of the lake | cities = Porters Lake, Nova Scotia }} '''Porters Lake''' (2021 population: 3,716)< https://porterslake.ca/community/>[http://www.gov.ns.ca/finance/communitycounts/dataview.asp?gnew=&table=table_d2&acctype=0&chartid=&mapid=&dcol=&sub=&ptype=geo&group=&group1=&group2=&group3=&group4=&range=&gview=6&glevel=com&gnum=com935 Population Counts]</ref> is a rural community in the Eastern Shore region of the Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, between Trunk 7 and Route 207, 27.8&nbsp;km from Halifax. The residents mainly commute to jobs in Dartmouth, Burnside Industrial Park or in Downtown Halifax. The community is built around the lake from which it takes its name.

==The Lake== Porters Lake is 19&nbsp;km long, but never more than a kilometre wide and is in the shape of a crescent. The depth of Porters Lake varies significantly from the north end to the south end; the south end is approximately 5 metres deep on average, but the north end averages around 12 metres deep, with one part of the lake reaching 30 metres in depth.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/Library/53413.pdf |title=Oceanographic Survey of Porters Lake, N.S. LIB |access-date=January 6, 2015 |archive-date=April 2, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402134431/http://www.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/Library/53413.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref> It is one of the most popular lakes for recreational boating in the region. The Lake is connected to the Atlantic Ocean near Lawrencetown Beach, because of this, the lake varies in salinity from almost completely fresh water at the north end to nearly that of ocean water at the south end.

The Lake also features a man made canal that connects the lake to the Atlantic east of Rocky Run<ref>{{Cite news |date=1 December 2014 |title=Porters Lake Canal future in doubt |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/porters-lake-canal-future-in-doubt-1.2855681 |work=CBC News |archive-date=September 21, 2021 |access-date=February 8, 2026 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210921205834/https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/porters-lake-canal-future-in-doubt-1.2855681 |url-status=live }}</ref>, the Department of Fisheries began construction in 1911 hoping to create a transportation corridor for raw materials, taking advantage of preexisting infrastructure for the local fisheries at Fisherman's Reserve in Seaforth, however construction was halted at the outbreak of the first world war and it was never developed for its intended purpose<ref>{{Cite web |last=Butts, Labrecque. |date=February 2, 2014 |title=Porters Lake Canal, Highway 207, Seaforth/Three Fathom Harbour |url=https://legacycontent.halifax.ca/council/agendasc/documents/150414ca81.pdf#:~:text=The%20Government%20of%20Canada%20acquired%20land%20and,construction%20of%20the%20Porters%20Lake%20Canal%2C%20circa }}</ref>, only building out to 5 meters of width at its widest and narrowing as it nears the lake, but is navigable by small crafts such as canoes. In 2014 the Department of Fisheries still owned the land and the federal government briefly had it up for sale as surplus land, as the construction of local highways and for a time the railroad made the project redundant nearly a century before ownership was transferred to the Halifax Regional Municipality. Today it is operated by the Atlantic View Trial Association.<ref>{{Cite news |date=June 1, 2018 |title=HALIFAX DISTRICT 2 COUNCILLOR'S COMMUNIQUE JUNE 2018 — ISSUE #247 |url=https://cdn.halifax.ca/sites/default/files/documents/city-hall/districts-councillors/June%202018%20hendsbee.pdf |archive-date=June 13, 2024 |access-date=February 8, 2026 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240613195522/https://cdn.halifax.ca/sites/default/files/documents/city-hall/districts-councillors/June%202018%20hendsbee.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref>

The communities which surround Porters Lake include, Porters Lake, Middle Porters Lake, West Porters Lake, East Lawrencetown, Three Fathom Harbour and Seaforth. Crowell Road and West Porters Lake Road, run along the west side of the lake. [https://web.archive.org/web/20140202114540/http://parks.gov.ns.ca/parks/porters.asp Porters Lake Provincial Park] is located off West Porter's Lake Road along the west side of the Lake. Hwy 107 crosses over the Lake and Hwy 7 runs north of the Lake. Hwy 207 runs south of the lake until just past Three Fathom Harbour, where there is limited access to the Lake by road on the east side as the highway and residential communities run along the Atlantic Ocean coast.

==Parks== *Porters Lake Provincial Park<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.novascotiaparks.ca/parks/porters.asp |title=Nova Scotia Provincial Parks - Porters Lake |access-date=April 1, 2013 |archive-date=February 28, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130228022214/http://www.novascotiaparks.ca/parks/porters.asp |url-status=live }}</ref>

==2008 fire== On June 13, 2008, a forest fire broke out destroying two houses, damaging more than 20 others and burning almost 4,800 acres. More than 5,000 residents were evacuated from their homes and several major roads were closed for 3 days.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.mineville.ca/docs/Mineville-firereport.pdf |title=Citizens Review of the porters Lake-Lake Echo 2008 Fire |access-date=April 1, 2013 |archive-date=July 19, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110719080731/http://www.mineville.ca/docs/Mineville-firereport.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref> The fire was believed to have been caused by a camp fire, though the Royal Canadian Mounted Police laid no charges. It was determined that residue from Hurricane Juan fueled the fire, which was the largest fire in an urban area of Nova Scotia, and the largest fire overall, in 30 years.

== This Street, That Street, and The Other Street == '''This Street''', '''That Street''', and '''The Other Street''' are three streets located in Porters Lake. The trio of streets became an Internet meme during the late 2010s due to their unusual names,<ref>{{Cite web |last= |first= |date=October 16, 2018 |title=Canadian town runs out of creative street names |url=https://www.dailysabah.com/life/2018/10/16/canadian-town-runs-out-of-creative-street-names |access-date=July 31, 2023 |website=Daily Sabah |language=en-US |archive-date=July 31, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230731170547/https://www.dailysabah.com/life/2018/10/16/canadian-town-runs-out-of-creative-street-names |url-status=live }}</ref> being posted on multiple social media sites, including Reddit,<ref>{{Cite web |last=bipolarcyclops |title=This Street, That Street, The Other Street: When A Town In Nova Scotia, Canada, Runs Out of Street Names |url=https://www.reddit.com/r/OakIslandDiscussion/comments/x59e8f/this_street_that_street_the_other_street_when_a/ |access-date=July 28, 2023 |website=Reddit |archive-date=July 31, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230731165606/https://www.reddit.com/r/OakIslandDiscussion/comments/x59e8f/this_street_that_street_the_other_street_when_a/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Tumblr,<ref>{{Cite web |last=Roads of Nanimo |date=January 1, 2014 |title=Jingle Pot Road and other oddities |url=https://roadsofnanaimo.tumblr.com/post/71876746561/this-street-that-street-and-the-other-street-in |website=Tumblr |access-date=July 31, 2023 |archive-date=July 31, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230731165607/https://roadsofnanaimo.tumblr.com/post/71876746561/this-street-that-street-and-the-other-street-in |url-status=live }}</ref> and Twitter. They were first discussed in a 2013 Huffington Post article,<ref>{{Cite web |date=November 26, 2013 |title=Most Confusing Street Names Ever? |url=https://www.huffpost.com/archive/ca/entry/funny-street-names_n_4344595 |access-date=July 28, 2023 |website=HuffPost |language=en}}</ref> then shared in a list of the 41 weirdest street names in the United States posted on Mental Floss.<ref>{{Cite web |date=July 15, 2015 |title=41 of the Weirdest Street Names Across the U.S. |url=https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/66000/15-weirdest-street-names-across-us |access-date=July 28, 2023 |website=Mental Floss |language=en-US |archive-date=July 31, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230731165606/https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/66000/15-weirdest-street-names-across-us |url-status=live }}</ref> ''Narcity'' also included them in a 2019 list of the 9 most unusual street names in Canada.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Leggett |first=Colin |date=October 16, 2019 |title=9 Canada Street Names That Are So Weird And Funny But Actually Exist - Narcity |url=https://www.narcity.com/9-canada-street-names-that-are-so-weird-and-funny-but-actually-exist |access-date=July 28, 2023 |website=www.narcity.com |language=en-ca |archive-date=July 31, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230731165605/https://www.narcity.com/9-canada-street-names-that-are-so-weird-and-funny-but-actually-exist |url-status=live }}</ref>

==Demographics== *Total population: 3217<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.porterslake.com/community.html |title=Porters Lake Community |website=www.porterslake.com |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080227090307/http://www.porterslake.com/community.html |archive-date=February 27, 2008}}</ref> *Total dwellings: 1286 *Total land area: 91.573&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup>

==See also== * Porters Lake Airport * Porters Lake Water Aerodrome

==References== {{Wikivoyage|Porters Lake}} {{reflist}}

{{Geographic location | Centre = Porters Lake, Nova Scotia | N = | NE = | E = Head of Chezzetcook, Nova Scotia<br />Musquodoboit Harbour, Nova Scotia<br />Sheet Harbour, Nova Scotia<br />Via {{jct|state=NS|Trunk|7}}<br />To {{jct|state=NS|Route|224}} | SE = West Chezzetcook, Nova Scotia<br />East Lawrencetown, Nova Scotia<br />Via {{jct|state=NS|Route|207}} | S = Middle Porters Lake, Nova Scotia<br />Via W Porters Lake Rd<br />To Nova Scotia Route 207 | SW = | W = Lake Echo, Nova Scotia<br />Dartmouth, Nova Scotia<br />Via {{jct|state=NS|Trunk|7}}/{{jct|state=NS|Hwy|107}} | NW = }} {{Halifax Regional Municipality}}

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Category:Parks in Halifax, Nova Scotia Category:Communities in Halifax, Nova Scotia Category:Lakes of Nova Scotia Category:Unincorporated communities in Nova Scotia