Day One Hundred
Day 100, wow! Time is flying and we feel we haven’t even started. I think we will have to keep going for a few more years… 🤔…. Nah!
Our first day at the Bay of Fundy leads us to the town of Annapolis Royal where Fort Anne National Historic Site is located. The fort was established in 1629 by the British to protect the harbor of Annapolis Royal. The fort is more basic in comparison to other forts such as the Citadel, or Louisburg fortress, but has a history of successfully repelling attacks throughout its history. This territory was one of the most contested places in North America, even though the land was owned by the Mi’kma’ki, the French and British had military control of the area through treaties or military action between each other.
A succession of five forts were built and remodeled over a 170 year period. In 1812 was the last time it was upgraded before loosing its military importance and finally abandoned in 1854. From 1854 to 1883 the town of Annapolis Royal used the town for gatherings, farming, and ranching. In 1881 the forts lease holder demolished the 100 year-old blockhouse, and public outrage sparked a local preservation movement. In 1883, ownership was transferred to the Canadian Government and the Garrison Commission was formed to run Fort Anne as a park.
After Fort Anne, we continued to explore south towards Digby, before turning around and heading back to Port Royal National Historic Site. Port Royal was established by France in 1605 and was the country's first permanent settlement in North America. In 1613 Port Royal was destroyed by the British and France relocated the settlement north to where the town of Annapolis Royal is today.
For over three hundred years, Mother Nature retook Port Royal, until in 1925 the site was declared a historical site. In 1930 the exact location of the habitation was located. Through a series of archaeological excavations, public interest of the settlement grew. In 1939 Parks Canada rebuilt the Habitation using original designs made by Samuel de Champlain. This construction was the first large-scale reconstruction undertaken by the Canadian government. In 1941 the Habitation was completed and opened to the public.
