Our Story
est. 1971
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Born and Bred in Nova Scotia
Vision and small beginnings
We have been developing communities and building homes and cottages on pristine lake lands across the province, working closely with people and families to realize their property dreams. The Cottage Country philosophy ensures that all communities are created with the least impact on the land and forest. Our concept has always been to create homes and cottages built with quality products including energy efficient designs and materials. Our homes combine the timeless beauty of natural wood and the strength and durability of conventional and timber beam construction. We offer custom built homes as well as a variety of home and cottage plans, with styles from historic 1800’s to modern contemporary.
Vision & Small Beginnings: The story of Cottage Country® begins on March 10th, 1971, when a local resident by the name of Bruce McDow acquired a parcel of land in New Ross, Nova Scotia. He began receiving inquiries asking if he was interested in subdividing the property for people to build cottages. "I was only planning to build a home on it, so I certainly didn't need all 154 acres for myself", he recalls. "The first year I sold a few lots, and in the second year there was more demand. I realized there was an opportunity that could work into a full-time business."
A Household Name in Building Dreams
To this day, Cottage Country® has developed 56 communities, over 5,500 properties, and built more than 1,500 homes and cottages. Our employees are made up of dedicated Nova Scotians - all living in the surrounding rural communities. Both employees and their families depend on this company for their livelihood.
These include construction workers, craftsmen, project managers and labourers; most of whom have been here from 10 to 20 years. Apart from our employees we also work with local contractors and suppliers, including forestry workers, sawmills and hardware stores. Cottage Country® has a strong commitment to the future. 2020 is the start of our 50th anniversary and now has 3 generations of family involved in the business. Angela McDow, Bruce McDow’s daughter, is focused on strategically innovating the company from a people, technology and marketing perspective to support the needs of the future. We are developing strategic partnerships where we can create and realize new shared opportunities.
From our family to yours: We truly care about our client’s vision, and we custom build their dream. Realizing these dreams has, and always will be, the cornerstone of our business.