Lake Echo - Preston

East Preston is an expansive rural Black Nova Scotian community located in Halifax Regional Municipality. East Preston remains an important source of African Nova Scotian history and culture, with many of the current residents descendant of Black Loyalists who were relocated to the area by the British following the American Revolutionary War. The local recreation centre and Baptist church play a very important role for many families in the community.

North Preston is a rural community in Halifax Regional Municipality. The community is populated primarily by Black Nova Scotians, is the largest Black community in Nova Scotia by population, and has the highest concentration of African Canadians of any community in Canada. The community traces its origins from several waves of migration in the 18th and 19th centuries. The American Revolution brought Black Loyalists to the Preston area. The 1790s brought a different group of Black settlers to the regions, the Maroons from Jamaica. While many Maroons later left for Sierra Leone, a number stayed in Preston and Guysborough County. These groups were joined shortly after by a third migration starting in 1813, of Black refugees from the War of 1812. The Black Refugees came to Nova Scotia mostly from the Southern US states, bringing with them a strong Baptist tradition.