Enfield is a exurban community located in the Shubenacadie
Valley on the border of Hants and Halifax counties. Specifically,
Enfield exists in both the East Hants Municipal District and the
Halifax Regional Municipality and is divided by the Shubenacadie
River.
Enfield was named in the late 19th century by Thomas Donaldson, who
emigrated from Enfield, Connecticut. The area is primarily a bedroom
community for those working in HRM or at the Halifax Stanfield
International Airport.
Situated near the halfway point between Halifax and Truro, Enfield
was once home to a prominent railway station constructed by the Nova
Scotia Railway and later the Intercolonial Railway; it has since
been demolished. During the mid-19th century, a system of locks on
the Shubenacadie River in Enfield assisted small vessels in
navigating from the Bay of Fundy to nearby Shubenacadie Grand Lake
as part of the Shubenacadie Canal.