Located in Southwest Nova Scotia, approximately 300 km from the city of Halifax, the Municipality of Clare is situated on St. Mary’s Bay. It is home to more than 25 small villages between the municipalities of Digby and Yarmouth. Clare has a population of more than 8,000 inhabitants.
Given its proximity to the Atlantic Ocean, the economy of the region is influenced by the sea. Despite that, Clare's economy is quite diversified and offers professional opportunities in health care and social services, education, wholesale and retail trades, as well as other professional and commercial services.
Renowned for its joie de vivre, the Acadian community of Clare is proud to display its colours. With the cradle of Acadia, Grand-Pré, in relatively close proximity, the Clare region was populated by Acadians in 1768, following the Deportation. Today, it boasts plenty of community activities and sporting events, including the Festival acadien de Clare—the oldest Acadian festival in existence—and Gran Fondo Baie Sainte-Marie, the biggest cycling event in Atlantic Canada. The region will also host the Congrès mondial acadien (CMA), a cultural event of international scale, in 2024.
The Municipality of Clare remains focused on bringing growth and vibrancy to the community by investing in its public spaces, implementing a housing strategy and investing in high-speed Internet in the region. It is also home to the main campus of Université Sainte-Anne, the only French language post-secondary institution in Nova Scotia. The community is motivated to welcome new faces to benefit from and be part of this growth.
In 2019, the Municipality of Clare was chosen among 13 other Francophone minority communities across Canada as a welcoming Francophone community. Communauté francophone accueillante de Clare is a partnership between the Municipality of Clare and La Société acadienne de Clare. The $697,887 project over three years aims to contribute to making the community of Clare more welcoming for all and to ensure that all members of the community have a positive attitude towards new immigrants, including those who wish to settle in French.