Acadia on the Atlantic coast of Nova Scotia

The Acadians on the Atlantic coast of Nova Scotia

Their story is tragic: the Acadians of Nova Scotia got between the fronts in the 18th century when the clashes between the English and French over the rule over this part of the New World came to a head. The Akadians themselves were successful farmers who wrested fertile land from the sea through an ingenious method and thus obtained lush pasture land for their cattle. They created so-called "Aboiteaux", dykes with wooden lock gates that allowed rainwater to drain away the lush soil in the tidal regions on Nova Scotia's coasts from salt. At the same time, they blocked the salt water that came in from the sea and made the agricultural use of these lands possible. They were not interested in the political turmoil for rule on the American continent.

Some Akadians brave the expulsion from Nova Scotia

Still, their quest for impartiality did not help them much, for both the French and the English wanted to harness them for their purposes. Their refusal to swear allegiance to the English crown eventually led to the expropriation of all Akadians in 1755 and their expulsion from their lands on the Atlantic coast in Nova Scotia. Most of them were dispersed to the English colonies in the south or fled to French Louisiana, where their descendants - the Cajuns - still live in the swamps around New Orleans. Small groups of Acadians managed to endure in remote regions of Nova Scotia and to live under English rule in their ancestral home, although they have not made the required vow of allegiance to the crown of England until today. If you ask them about their French relatives in Quebec, they weigh them down: after all, their unattainable demands were the reason for the expulsion of their own group. They prefer to stay among themselves and stay out of the affairs that go beyond their own interests. One of these settlements is the village of Pubnico on the southwest coast of Nova Scotia, where it has preserved its traditional way of life on a narrow peninsula that stretches south like a finger from the Atlantic coast of Canada.

Visiting the Acadians on the Atlantic coast of Canada

In the open-air museum of Lower West Pubnico, on a journey through the Atlantic Ocean, those who are interested can experience first-hand what life on the farms of the Acadians looked like: Volunteers are full of enthusiasm to bring the way of life of these people to life. in the Village Historique Acadia In Lower West Pubnico, old farmhouses have been grouped into an authentic Akadier village, where life takes place as was customary in the Acadian families. The women were responsible for the care of the household and the education of the children. They baked, cooked, embroidered, knitted, and cared for the house, and made sure that their children lived a godly and simple life, as they had themselves learned from their parents. The tasks of the men were to provide the cattle with fresh food, suspend even built lobster traps and drive out with small rowing boats for fishing to provide the family with sufficient food. The life of the Akadians was a peaceful and peaceful farming life, and not much has changed to this day.

Music is a constant companion in the life of modern Acadians. Groups like Blou or Grand Derangement Singing from the sea, dancing, young girls, the hunter in the forest and of course the Great Expulsion. It is worthwhile to listen to this music, where you learn a lot about the way of life of the Akadians.

The Village Historique Acadien is open to visitors during the summer months and shows in the visitor center and the farmhouses rebuilt here, what life in an Akadier village looked like. A visit can be well planned on a trip along the Lighthouse Route on the south coast of Nova Scotia from Halifax to Yarmouth. You should bring several hours of time for the visit.

Le Village Historique Acadien
Lower West Pubnico,
Nova Scotia
Canada B0W 2C0
T: (902) 762-2530
Great free: 1-888-381-8999

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Do you already know:

• Village Historique Acadien Caraquet
• Acadians in New Brunswick - then and now
• Acadians on the Cabot Trail in Cape Breton Nova Scotia
• Most beautiful lighthouses of the Lighthouse Route
• Which rain jacket is the best?

Source: own research on site

Text: © Monika Fuchs, TravelWorldOnline
Photo © Copyright Petar Fuchs, TravelWorldOnline