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Holiday, Vacation & Tour
Hello From Nova
Scotia – Driving On The Evangeline Trail From Annapolis
Royal To Yarmouth
I had really enjoyed my breakfast at the
Garrison House B&B in Annapolis Royal, but my second day
of explorations had begun and no time was to be wasted.
I had a big drive ahead of me and my first quick stop
was at Fort Anne where I met Alan Melanson, the Parks
Canada Ranger and expert historian who had guided the
entertaining and informative Candlelight Graveyard Tour
last night.
He had promised me yesterday that he
would show me the Fort Anne Heritage Tapestry, a
collect...
Canada, Nova Scotia, Evamgeline Trail,
Maritime, Mi\'kmaq, Acadians
I had really enjoyed
my breakfast at the Garrison House B&B in Annapolis
Royal, but my second day of explorations had begun and
no time was to be wasted. I had a big drive ahead of me
and my first quick stop was at Fort Anne where I met
Alan Melanson, the Parks Canada Ranger and expert
historian who had guided the entertaining and
informative Candlelight Graveyard Tour last night.
He had promised me yesterday that he would show me
the Fort Anne Heritage Tapestry, a collective effort of
more than 100 volunteers who brought 4 centuries of
history to life. 95 different colours of Persian wool
were interwoven and stitched to form a historic tableau
that is unique in Canada. It is about 18 feet long and 8
feet high and even Queen Elizabeth herself, on one of
her travels to Canada, made a few official stitches in
this tapestry. Alan himself, as a 9th generation
Acadian, added to the artwork by stitching a few drops
of red blood in the section on the Acadian deportation.
Pressed for time I thanked Alan and made my way to
another unique facility in Annapolis Royal: the Tidal
Power Generation Station. Les West who works in the
tourism office located on the main floor of the power
plant, gave me a quick half hour introduction to the
only tidal power generating plant in Canada, one of only
two in the world. Les explained that Nova Scotia uses a
variety of electricity generating methods, including
oil, gas, hydro, wind and tidal power. Its topography
with its low-lying hills is not perfectly suited for
hydro generation, so during the 1970s, when oil prices
were really high, the government devised plans to take
advantage of tidal energy.
The Annapolis Royal
site was chosen due to its high tides and a permanent
causeway was built across the Annapolis River. A
stainless steel straight-flow turbine was installed by a
Swiss engineering firm and from 1980 onward tidal energy
was taken advantage of. Today the Annapolis Royal Tidal
Generating Plant produces enough energy for about 4500
homes in the area. More power is brought in as back-up
when the tidal power plant does not produce enough
energy.
Les also explained that the construction
of the power plant and the permanent barrier in the
river has had significant effects on the eco-system in
the Annapolis River: the river has silted up
considerably and sediment builds up at a rate of about 6
inches a month. Because of the significant ecological
consequences of this construction it is unlikely that a
similar project will be built in the future. However,
electricity-generating projects that do not create
permanent barriers may still be considered in areas of
strong tidal current flows. Lessons have been learnt
from the realization that even though tidal power in
theory is a renewable, green source of energy, the
design of the power plant can still have a major effect
on the local environment.
It was time to say
goodbye to Annapolis Royal after an interesting 20 hours
or so in this historic region and make my way westwards
towards the Bear River Heritage and Cultural Center
where I would receive an interesting introduction to
Nova Scotia’s Mi’kmaq culture (written up in a separate
article). I set off on my coastal drive through rolling
green hills whose colours were just changing. Tidy
little villages such as Upper Clements and Clementsport
were flying by until I turned northwards into the Bear
River reserve for my visit at Bear River Cultural and
Heritage Centre.
After my two hour introduction
to native culture in Nova Scotia I set off again on my
westward drive and enjoyed the beautiful views along the
meandering Bear River. I linked up with the coastal road
again and slowly made my way into Digby, a local fishing
town and a major settlement in the area. I parked my car
and decided to take a quick stroll through Digby on a
beautiful sunny and warm afternoon.
Digby was
settled in 1783 by the United Empire Loyalists under the
leadership of Sir Robert Digby. The town’s economy is
based on two major industries: fishing (Digby is famous
for its scallop fishing fleet) and tourism. As early as
the late 1920, a big resort called The Pines was built
on the outskirts of town, and to this day Digby is a
popular tourist destination. One of the major
attractions in the area are the world’s biggest tides in
the Bay of Fundy. Digby also hosts an annual Scallop
Days Festival which introduces tourists to the history
and heritage of the town.
I strolled along the
waterfront and noticed the many waterfront restaurants
that specialize in so many of Nova Scotia’s marine
delights including lobster, crabs, shrimps, scallops and
various types of fish. I had a quick soup and salad at
the Shoreline Restaurant and enjoyed my lunch with a
nice view of the waterfront. Less than an hour later I
hopped back into my car to continue my journey to
Yarmouth.
The coastal road turned into a highway
which I exited at St. Bernard where one of Nova Scotia’s
biggest stone churches is located. I had entered the St.
Marys Bay area which ended up being the final settlement
area for many of the Acadians, French settlers who had
been deported as part of the Great Expulsion in the mid
18th century. After having been deported all over North
America, many Acadians returned to Nova Scotia over the
following decades. Although they did not settle in their
original agricultural farming areas, as they had been
assigned to English settlers, many Acadians located
their permanent residences along the northwest shore of
Nova Scotia and became fishermen.
The Acadian
settlers were devout Catholics and many villages boast
magnificent churches, many of them made from wood. One
of the finest examples is St. Mary’s Church at Church
Point, the largest wooden church in North America. Its
bell tower is an impressive 56 metres (185 feet) high.
The Centre Acadien de Université Sainte-Anne is located
right next to this church, and it is Nova Scotia’s only
French language university, right in the heart of
Acadian culture.
The entire region is called
Clare and denotes the Acadian heritage area. Acadian
culture is celebrated every year in August when the
world’s oldest festival, the Festival Acadien de Clare,
celebrates Acadian heritage, traditions, food and music.
The Musique de la Baie festival takes place every year
from April to August and celebrates Acadian culture and
folklore.
Further south, the village of
Mavillette boasts a special attraction: a 2 km long
sandy beach that attracts swimmers, surfers and
sunbathers. Boardwalks across the grass-covered dunes
provide access to Mavillette Beach which offers a great
view of the Cape St. Mary’s fishing wharf and
lighthouse. A bird-watching platform provides a good
view of various indigenous and migratory birds.
As the late afternoon sun was starting to cast long
shadows I made my way further south and drove along the
rocky, sparsely treed coastline and decided to follow a
curvy road without knowing exactly where it would take
me. Fog was rolling in and the sky was becoming more
ominous. As the road came to a dead end I realized that
I had arrived at the Cape Forchu Lighthouse, with its
rare apple core design, which is situated on a dramatic
coastline with interesting rock formations.
The
first lighthouse was constructed here in 1840 in order
to protect vessels entering the Yarmouth Harbour and
today the complex is a historic site. The little museum
and gift shop were closed and the lighthouse appeared
rather lonesome on its rocky outcropping. The dense
blanket of fog gave it a very mysterious appearance.
It was starting to get dark and it was time to drive
into the town of Yarmouth where I would be able to
settle in comfortably for the evening at the
MacKinnon-Cann Inn, a unique historical property. Time
to check in…
Hello From Nova
Scotia – Local History Discovered At The Yarmouth County
Museum
On a
dull drizzly morning I got a good start to my day with a
filling breakfast and an interesting interview with the
innkeepers of the MacKinnon-Cann in, followed by a tour
of the four historic heritage properties that they own.
In addition to last night’s walking tour of Yarmouth, I
had now got a good idea of Yarmouth’s Victorian
architecture. Now it was time to delve deeper into
history, so I embarked on my visit of the Yarmouth
County Museum and Archives.
Nadine Gates,...
Canada, Nova Scotia, Chebogue River, Maritime,
Yarmouth, Museum
On a dull drizzly morning I got
a good start to my day with a filling breakfast and an
interesting interview with the innkeepers of the
MacKinnon-Cann in, followed by a tour of the four
historic heritage properties that they own. In addition
to last night’s walking tour of Yarmouth, I had now got
a good idea of Yarmouth’s Victorian architecture. Now it
was time to delve deeper into history, so I embarked on
my visit of the Yarmouth County Museum and Archives.
Nadine Gates, the curator, welcomed me and gave me a
personal tour throughout the facilities. As an overview
she explained that the Yarmouth County Museum is a good
representation of Yarmouth’s past. The town’s seafaring
history is a major focus of the museum which features
the third largest collection of ship portraits in
Canada. More than 120 different ship portraits
illustrate Yarmouth’s historic importance in
shipbuilding and navigation.
The Yarmouth County
Historical Society was founded in 1967, and the museum
opened in 1969 in a former church building. Beautiful
wooden beams across a high vaulted ceiling demonstrate
the former ecclesiastical use of this building. The
museum has been expanded twice in 1999 and 2004. The new
wing we were standing in is called the Education Wing
and hosts a variety of Historical Society meetings,
talks and lectures, music recitals and other events and
is open to the public. At the present time it is hosting
a stained glass exhibit that features local artists.
From the Education Wing we entered the main section
of the museum which is an impressive space with a very
high ceiling. The main exhibit area (the former church)
still exudes a solemn atmosphere. Nadine took me to an
area called “Families at Sea”. Throughout seafaring
history, particularly at the beginning of the previous
century, entire families would be living on tall ships,
and souvenirs from their trips all over the world were
displayed here along with photos and letters of the
various family members whose permanent residence was a
wooden vessel on the ocean. A certain Catherine Ladd,
for example, spent the first twelve years of her life
living on a ship, and her artifacts are available for
viewing.
Nadine also gave me a general
explanation of Yarmouth’s history. The town was founded
in the 1700s as an Acadian settlement whose residents
were deported in the mid 1800s as part of the Grand
Expulsion. Some Acadian settlers tried to escape
deportation and hid in the forest with the Mi’kmaq
native tribe. United Empire Loyalists were then assigned
the land, and their economy focused on ship-building.
This was the Golden Age of Sail, the Age of the Tall
Ships. Today’s economy is based on fishing, and in
particular lobster fishing. Interestingly, Nadine
pointed out that years ago lobsters were only eaten by
poor people and often they were used as cheap fertilizer
in local gardens. How tastes change….
One area of
the museum also features nameplates of ships. The most
prominent and well-known one is the nameplate of the
“Samson”. This ship was the closest ship to the sinking
Titanic during the cold April days of 1912, and she
heard the mayday calls of the sinking ocean liner. But
because the Samson had been illegally fishing in the
waters off Eastern Canada, the crew chose not to answer
the distress call and left the area. We will never know
how many more people could have been saved if the Samson
had responded to this distress call. She was later
renamed the “New York City”, a name that is still
visible on the other side of the nameplate.
The
Yarmouth County Museum is located right in the heart of
Yarmouth’s Collins Street Heritage District. In addition
to being a heritage property itself, the museum is
surrounded by dozens of large homes owned formerly by
wealthy sea captains and merchants. The Pelton-Fuller
House next door was built as a summer home between 1890
and 1895 as a mansion for Alfred Fuller, a wealthy
merchant, and was donated by one of his descendants in
1995 together with all its contents. Today it is part of
the museum complex and an example of Victorian living.
The Yarmouth County Museum has another off-site
satellite location: the Killam Brothers Shipping Office
is Canada’s oldest shipping office. In 1788 John Killam
built his first schooner and started a family business
that would span 203 years and five generations of the
Killam family. The property was also donated to the
Yarmouth County Historical Society, and the 19th century
setting gives visitors an idea of a commercial office of
the 1900s.
One of the highlights of the Yarmouth
County Museum is the lens of the Cape Forchu Lighthouse
which dates back to 1908. The lens weighs approximately
3300 pounds and has 360 prisms. It was built in Paris,
France, at a cost of $38,000 and was lit with kerosene.
The job of a lighthouse keeper was very strenuous since
a heavy tank of kerosene had to be carried up the narrow
winding stairs of the lighthouse every night. The
original Cape Forchu Lighthouse dating back to 1838 was
replaced in 1962 at which time the lens was replaced and
donated to the Yarmouth County Historical Society.
A Victorian room features a variety of historical
customs and dresses as they would be worn by people
about 120 years ago. Types of dress of first class,
second and third class passengers were on display and
speak to a time of great social divisions and class
distinctions. A temporary exhibit features the
silhouettes of Victorian fashions.
On the lower
level of the museum various rooms display an early 1900s
kitchen, a bedroom, and a nursery / toy room. These
rooms provide good insight into late Victorian home
life. The next room features industrial exhibits and
machinery: a transmitter from a radio station, a coffee
grinder and a printing press illustrate the evolution of
mechanical equipment. A brass steam whistle from the
Cosmos Cotton Mills is an example of industrial
equipment that was used to call employees to work.
A room with various Nova Scotian wildlife scenes is
followed by a forge. The blacksmith used to be one of
the most important people in the village and his work
environment is featured along with other implements such
as a yoke (the contraption fitted around a draught
animal’s necks where the plough would be attached). An
early Acadian loom is testimony to the craftsmanship
that existed here a few hundred years ago. A tool room
features a foot-powered jig saw. Today we can hardly
imagine an existence without electricity. Our ancestors
were well-versed in the application of human or animal
power to propel various types of equipment.
Several glass cases display antique glass and china
collections while Mi’kmaq artifacts and arrowheads
provide insight into native history and craftsmanship.
Back upstairs we had a look at the antique musical
instrument collection of the Yarmouth County Museum.
Nadine demonstrated the Olympia Music Box, a device from
1898 that uses zinc disks for each song. A barrel with
teeth plucks the various notes, propelled by a
spring-loaded mechanism.
The musical instruments
section was a real highlight of the museum and Nadine
mentioned that usually they demonstrate three of the
instruments to visitors. A Concert Roller Organ from
1902 is an example of some of the mechanical instruments
that were used long ago. This device, patented in 1887,
is operated by cranking the external handle. The
internal bellows, tuned reeds, valves and a roller
produce organ-like tones. The Square Grand Piano dates
back to 1874 and a Player Organ from 1890 is also on
display.
My favourite instrument was the Pianola
Player Piano, manufactured in 1902: the rectangular box
is pedal-operated, and a set of tiny hammers at the back
strikes the keys of a Guild “Square Grand” piano made in
Boston in 1874. The Player Piano could simply be pushed
up to any piano, and even a person who had never played
the piano before could make beautiful music. All they
had to do was to push the foot pedals up and down.
Nadine played the 1920s tune “The Entertainer”, the
music itself is recorded on perforated paper rolls which
actually looked rather fragile to me. The foot pedals
operate a bellows system that operates the little
hammers that play the tune on the piano behind it. What
an ingenious invention….
A small display area is
dedicated to the Yarmouth militia, attesting to
Yarmouth’s history as a military training ground during
World War II. All throughout this wing of the museum
numerous ships portraits depict impressive tall ships of
years gone by. The ship owners would commission these
paintings because once these ships were built and
commissioned, they hardly ever came back to town, and in
many cases the owners would never see the ships again.
We ended our tour in the new section where there is
a collection of stage coaches, bicycles and other
vehicles. One of the highlights in this area is the 1921
electric car of a certain Minnie L. Lovitt, who was the
first female driver in Yarmouth. She must have turned a
lot of heads at the time. My guided tour had come to an
end and I thanked Nadine for sharing her knowledge with
me and got ready for my trip along the famous Lighthouse
Trail where I would experience a significant incident
that helped me gain important insight into the local
mentality.
Hello From Nova
Scotia – The Garrison House Bed And Breakfast In
Annapolis Royal
After last night's entertaining and informative
Candlelight Graveyard Tour I had a wonderful night of
sleep at the Garrison House. In the morning before
breakfast I was already able to log onto the wireless
network to check all my messages, conveniences that a
writer on the road always enjoys. At 7:30 I was ready
for a hearty breakfast and I went downstairs into one of
the dining rooms. I requested one of the friendly
waitresses to put me in touch with the owner because I
alw...
Canada, Nova Scotia, Garrison House
Maritime, Bed and Breakfast, Halifax
After last
night's entertaining and informative Candlelight
Graveyard Tour I had a wonderful night of sleep at the
Garrison House. In the morning before breakfast I was
already able to log onto the wireless network to check
all my messages, conveniences that a writer on the road
always enjoys. At 7:30 I was ready for a hearty
breakfast and I went downstairs into one of the dining
rooms. I requested one of the friendly waitresses to put
me in touch with the owner because I always like to
learn about the people behind the destinations.
I
had just ordered my delicious breakfast: homemade
organic granola with berries and yogurt, when Patrick
Redgrave, the Garrison House’s owner, joined me at my
table. Patrick first filled me in on the history of the
Garrison House: it was built in 1854 on the former
grounds of the Lieutenant Governor. Annapolis Royal is
one of the most historic towns in Canada and served as
Nova Scotia’s capital until 1749 when Halifax took over
that role.
The property became the “Temperance
Hotel” from 1854 to 1870 when it was turned into the
“American House” from 1870 to 1920. Then it was
purchased by a physician with a large family who
converted it into a medical practice until 1970 when
another individual turned it into a bed and breakfast.
Patrick finally bought it in 1980 and spent more than a
year renovating the entire property and brining it
up-to-date. This meant completely rewiring the building,
redoing the plumbing and modernizing the seven bedrooms
and the common areas that today make up the restaurant.
The Garrison House finally opened in 1982 and since
then the property has undergone minor transformations on
a regular basis. Most recently a porch has been turned
into a screened-in veranda, providing a beautiful
open-air dining space with a perfect view over Fort
Anne.
Patrick himself is not from Nova Scotia. I
was surprised to hear that he actually hails from
Oakville, Ontario, and spent his early years in Toronto
where he went to school. He later attended university in
Kingston, Ontario, to study history and political
science. His original intention was to become a lawyer,
but during one of his trips to Europe, Patrick worked in
vineyards and as a waiter, and fell in love with French
wine. After his return to Toronto in 1977 Patrick
connected with individuals who were opening the first
wine bar in Toronto and, enthralled with this business,
Patrick decided to get into the wine trade and became a
wine merchant.
Of his move to Nova Scotia in 1980
he says that it has been a wonderful experience. In his
words, the people of Nova Scotia are a “throwback to the
old values of civility, friendliness, openness and
helpfulness. People here are self-reliant and
multi-talented.” Patrick’s love for his chosen home town
and its people shines through.
He went on to say
that the tourist season here consists primarily of
summer and fall. Accordingly, the Garrison House is open
from early May to late October. During the past few
winters Patrick has been traveling a lot and he has
visited places as far away as Burma, Cambodia, Laos,
Vietnam and Thailand. He has fallen in love with these
places and feels that in many way people’s mentality in
the Far East is similar to that of Nova Scotia.
As far as food is concerned, Patrick is a consummate
chef and his restaurant has garnered various awards.
Fodor’s has recommended the Garrison House Restaurant as
the best place to eat in the area. I certainly enjoyed
my dinner last night where I had a chance to speak with
the other chef, Norah Folks, who has been working with
Patrick now for the last 20 years.
His trips to
Asia give Patrick new inspiration for his own
restaurant. Patrick loves Asian street food and refers
to his culinary experiences as an “assault on the
senses”. He indicates that the richness of Asian cuisine
and the opportunities to learn about cooking are
extensive in Asia and could in theory be compared to the
Caribbean. However, the cost of an extended stay in Asia
is much less expensive than that of the Caribbean.
So during the last few years Patrick has chosen the
Far East to recharge his batteries and to come back to
Nova Scotia with fresh ideas for his restaurant. Along
the way he has not only learned about Asian cuisine, but
has also gained a good understanding of the various
South East Asian countries, their history and current
state of development. He recounts visiting a French
colonial town in Laos, which is just starting to develop
its tourist infrastructure. There he found some of the
best French baguettes in the world. He also told me
about a French fusion cooking school located in Laos.
Obviously Patrick is committed to continuously
innovating his cuisine.
Of his home in Nova
Scotia he says that a lot of new people are moving into
the area. Many people from the British Isles and the
European mainland are moving here and buying a lot of
properties. When speaking of his personal choice to
become a bed and breakfast owner in Annapolis Royal he
said that you definitely do not come here to get rich,
but you get rewarded in so many other ways. Patrick has
discovered a unique historic area with special people
and a special mentality.
I would soon have a
chance myself to see more of this special region by
continuing my drive along the Evangeline Trail down to
Yarmouth. So I thanked Patrick for his time and
hospitality, packed my car and set off on a new day of
discoveries…