Grand-Pre National Historical Site - Museum

(Delayed posting. Visited during summer 2024) 

French colonists, called Acadians, settled the area that is now called Grand-Pre in 1682 and remained here until their deportation, by the British, in 1755. The Grand-Pre National Historic Site and museum provide a look at this point in history. I have always been drawn here as I wonder what might have been if history was different.

In 73 years of habitation, the dykes built here created 2745 acres of farmland between the mainland and Long Island. This was maintained by the English and Scottish settlers who arrived here after the Acadian expulsion with help from the Acadians who were allowed to return.

The museum has a lot of information about the settlement and Acadians who lived here with special displays on important parts of its history. There are also items or reconstructions of things that were made or created here at Grand-Pre.

For the Acadians, the Mi'kmaki First Nation peoples were extremely important for their knowledge and for trade. It is important to recognize their past, present, and continuing future in the Maritime provinces and Gaspe peninsula of Quebec.

There are great models of the community as it likely would have been based on records and archeology.

Here is an example of what one of the dykes would have looked like with details of how it would operate.

There is also a theatre with a very good film on Grand-Pre with reenactors. This part is only the museum. My next post will be about the grounds around the museum.