The last part of our Eastern Canada swing was in southern Nova Scotia, an area that has both impacted and been impacted by history, generally played out by the four groups who lived there over time — the indigenous Mi’kMaw people; the French; the Acadians (sort of French); the English; and as special guests, British colonists from New England. Of course, many of the diverse combinations of these groups took place over a hundred years, but I think it is fair to say, most of the interactions were unpleasant. And, of course, as often happened related to colonies, most of the controversial decisions were made in Europe and the unpleasantries played out locally.
After another fantastic ferry ride from New Brunswick (3 restaurants, 2 movie lounges, kids play areas, and even a truckers’ lounge), we stopped off in Digby, one of the early concentrations of Loyalists who had to leave the US after the Recolutionary War. It appears that while displaced from their home country, the did quite well for themselves in their new home.
We then took a bit of a detour and headed over to Bear River, an artist colony along the banks of the Salmon River. While still mostly closed for a few more weeks, we spent some time with a local gallery owner who turned out to be quite a character. He regaled us with local lore as well as the challenges of supporting a family as an artist.Our main stop for the day was in Annapolis Royal, a beautiful little town, with well-restored old buildings hoisin all manner of inns, restaurants, galleries, swag shops, etc. But the real draw is Fort Anne, a partially restored British fort that alternatively protected southern Nova Scotia from raiding French and Indians (sometimes with the aid of New England settlers), served as a one-time capital over Nova Scotia, and oversaw the expulsion of the Acadians (more on that later). Ultimately, Fort Anne became Canada’s first national historic park.
The next day, we headed up to Wolfville, the site of the Grand Pre UNESCO World Heritage Site, as well as the Acadia University, and a burgeoning wine region. We spent a fair amount of time at Grand Pre — the site of a major Acadian settlement and, ultimately, the location of their expulsion from British-controlled Canada. I guess I had never really appreciated the history of Acadians, who came from France, but tried to remain neutral between the on again – off again power struggles between the English and French. They had mastered a way of building dykes that could turn salt marshes into fertile farm land and they were very successful at growing/selling agricultural products and cattle to English and French alike (spurring questions of loyalty from both sides). It came to a head during British rule over Nova Scotia and the governor declared the Acadians traitors, took over their lands, burned their villages, and expelled them. The story of the Acadian diaspora is long, complicated, and painful, but worth a read. Longfellow captured the sorry story in his poem “Evangeline.” I had heard of the poem, but never knew what it was about. All in all, it was a truly impactful visit.The last part of our Eastern Canada swing was in southern Nova Scotia, an area that has both impacted and been impacted by history, generally played out by the four groups who lived there over time — the indigenous Mi’kMaw people; the French; the Acadians (sort of French); the English; and as special guests, British colonists from New England. Of course, many of the diverse combinations of these groups took place over a hundred years, but I think it is fair to say, most of the interactions were unpleasant. And, of course, as often happened related to colonies, most of the controversial decisions were made in Europe and the unpleasantries played out locally.After another fantastic ferry ride from New Brunswick (3 restaurants, 2 movie lounges, kids play areas, and even a truckers’ lounge), we stopped off in Digby, one of the early concentrations of Loyalists who had to leave the US after the Recolutionary War. It appears that while displaced from their home country, the did quite well for themselves in their new home.
From there we went over to the east side of southern Nova Scotia to visit Mahone Bay and Lunenburg (another UNESCO World Heritage Site). Both communities got their start through a group is settlers who had been marketed (read: sold a bill of goods) back in their home countries. This time, it was not only England, but also Germany, Switzerland, etc. Specifically related to Lunenburg, settlers on the ship had to pick a card out of a deck of cards to see what parcel of land they had gotten. You see, this was a totally planned community, with tightly packed home sites. But in addition to your home site, you also got a garden parcel a bit out of town and a forest parcel (for lumber) even further out. Sort of like Pictou, these people had promised homes; what they got was raw land and some trees with which to build a house. Anyway, both communities are strictly regulated from a historical look perspective (especially Lunenburg). Having said that, a number of the buildings really need work and, while there appeared to be crews out there working, the backlog is significant (job security!). In addition to walking around the neighborhoods and visiting the old Anglican Church and the home of a merchant, we spent some time at the Fisheries Museum. While the aquarium was somewhat underwhelming, the exhibits were really fantastic, especially the story of the Bluenose, a fishing/racing schooner that along with its captain became an icon in Canada. In fact, if you ever have your hands on a Canadian dime, look on the back — that is the Bluenose! There also was an opportunity to tour a couple of old fishing boats — one a Schooner and one a traditional fishing trawler. What made this particularly interesting is that the docents were former captains and/or crew. Talk about sea stories!
Of course, being in this area, we had to visit the world famous Oak Island Money Pit, a shaft that treasure hunters have been searching (and some dying) since the 1850s. Several books have been written about the mystery as well as multiple seasons of The Curse of Oak Island on the History Channel. Even a 27 year old Franklin Delano Roosevelt hunted here for a while. Personally, I think it is hocum, but Deb believes and, by judging the reactions of many of the visitors to the museum, this is something akin to visiting Mecca!
Anyway, as with all trips, this one had to end and it was a good one! We met a lot of people, learned a lot of history, got in some good hikes, and ate one hell of a lot of seafood! The weather didn’t always cooperate, but we would rather take a little cold, rain, and out-of-season closures than face the crowds that come here in the summer. Until next time!
This entry was posted in Canada, Nova Scotia, Travel
I am a traveler and sometimes clay sculptor, following a long career working in consulting. My work allowed me to travel the world extensively and I was hooked. Today, I travel with my wife/best friend to explore new places, meet new people, and learn new things.
