Municipality of Victoria County

The Municipality of the Victoria County was created in 1879 when the Nova Scotia government passed the County Incorporation Act, the forerunner of the later Municipal Act. Twenty-four rural municipalities were created on the basis of the existing sessional boundaries of twelve counties and twelve districts in six divided counties. The new municipalities were run by elected councils. Generally, the rural municipalities assumed all of the local government powers of the Sessions, which included: poor houses; licences for intoxicating liquor; ferries, wharves, and markets; paying for the administration of justice; tax collection; contracts; salaries; presiding officers; and general supervision. When the County Incorporation Act was replaced by the Municipal Act, the basis of county administration remained very much the same. The town of Baddeck has served as the seat of municipal government.