Small Historical Places around Grand-Pre

 (Delayed posting. Visited during summer 2024) 

On my way from Grand-Pre to Halifax, I first stopped off at smaller historical sites around Grand-Pre. First it was Horton Town, settled in 1760 by New Englanders. The colonists changed the plans and exchanged land to make larger plots for farming. The Landscape of Grand-Pre website has details on what can be seen in the area.

There was also a school in Horton Town for sons of wealthy and influential families in the Maritimes from 1852-1920, at the Acacia Villa school. Girls were also taught here from 1905. The school graduates students whom many would be important public leaders and professionals. In 1959 it blew down from a hurricane. Sir Frederic Borden and Sir Robert Borden learned here.

The Deportation Cross, a National historic site, marks the site where local Acadians were forced onto ships to be sent to other places. The cross was built and placed over a hundred years ago when local Acadians were rejuvenating their culture.

After the diaspora of Acadians, many settlers of the British empire were brought in to solidify their hold on the lands taken from the French and Acadian peoples. As of 1767 the map below shows the locations of the main efforts for settlement by the British.

The setting was lonely and atmospheric when I visited. the air was filled with swamp flies that wanted some of my slightly salty sweat. Through this I could feel a portion of the pain the Acadians must have felt looking on the land they were leaving after making it into something special and just wanting to live here in peace. The wait for each small boat to take them to British ships must have been heart-wrenching.

Across the dykelands to the North, at the end of East Long Island road, on the old Long Island, now North Grand-Pre, is a park that is know among birdwatchers. It also show the height of the dykes here.

The shoreline is nice to see.

At one time there would have been dykes to turn the land out to the island into farmland. Lack of maintenance by the now expelled Acadians meant the sea reclaimed it.

The following two pictures show the difference in terrain the dykeland and sea are from one another.

There are some amusing signs here and there warning of staying off the road because of farm machine activity.

Caution sign for protecting the local avians.

It is no wonder the sandpipers enjoy this beach and return regularly.