Tapestry

We began our day visiting the only tidal power plant in North America, the Annapolis Royal Tidal Generating Station. They are celebrating their 30th year of operation on Saturday and we have been invited to attend their party where we can get a hamburger flipped by the President of Canada's Hydro  Power Company. It began as a demonstration project in 1984 to produce electricity by harnessing the tidal waters of the Bay of Fundy. 

This is Henry with the scale model of the hydro generating turbine. He obviously loved talking about the process and we learned quite a lot.

View up the Annapolis River that forms the "head pond" that flows through the generator at times of receding Bay of Fuday tides. They are able to create hydro power during two, 6-hour tidal periods a day.

Canada's oldest national historic site and a key battleground during the 17th and18th centuries when England and France were battling for the control of North America. It was a key battleground where there were 13 battles, with the Fort changing hand seven times.

The French were the first to establish a colony, Port-Royal Habitation, a fortified trading post at the mouth of the wide Annapolis River in 1605. In response to the harsh living conditions, the French established a social and dining club, the l'Ordre de Bon Temps (Order of Good Cheer), a first for North America. The decadent good times didn't last, however, as an expedition from the English colony of Virginia attacked and burned the settlement in 1613.  The French rebuilt an even more grandly fortified Port-Royal a few miles upriver, in 1636, and it became the capital of the French territory in Nova Scotia.

In 1621, King James issued a charter of New Scotland to Sir William Alexander, a favorite of the Stuart Kings. The charter was for the territories of Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island and the Gaspe Peninsula. Along with the charter, the territory was also granted its own flag and crest. But, as you know from the above, this was territory already claimed by the French. However, these Scottish settlers established their settlement, known as Charlesfort, in 1629. This settlement was abandoned to the French under the terms of the treaty of Saint-Germain-en-Alye in1632. 

During the latter part of the 1600s, more French came to settle the land in this valley and they became known as the Acadians and developed their our culture. The French Fort at Port-Royal was subject to frequent attacks and capture by British military only to be restored to the French by recapture or treaty stipulations.  In 1702, the French began building a bastion fort, designed by Vauban, the undisputed European fort design master of his time, at Port-Royal which was captured a final time by the British in 1710. The British renamed the town Annapolis Royal and rechristened the fort as Fort Anne in honor of the British Queen Anne. Under the Treaty of Utrecht in 1713, Acadia (Nova Scotia) was granted to the British. In the 1740's, the French sent three unsuccessful expeditions which involved some of the resident Acadians. 

In the run-up to the Seven Years War, in 1755, the British Governor Lawrence and his Council, ordered the deportation of the Acadians because he felt they were French sympathizers and could not be trusted. The Acadians were taken to other English colonies to the south. After deporting the Acadians, Governor Lawrence lured English-speaking Protestants to Nova Scotia with offers of fertile land. New England settlers or Planters, began arriving in 1759. Some established themselves as fishers, but most settled on the vacant Acadian farms. Most Planters who settled in Annapolis Royal are from Massachusetts. By the end of 1768, there were about 8,000 Planters in Nova Scotia. After the Seven Years War, the Acadians were allowed to return but they were not permitted to reclaim their former lands and had to settle elsewhere in the colony. 

In 1749, the political and military focus of the British was moved from Annapolis Royal to Halifax and the fort declined in importance. In 1790 there was a brief revival and the Field Officers Quarters, the only remaining building, was built. This revival was short-lived and the fort fell into decay until the 1890's when local citizens organized to save the fort.

The obligatory cannon at the entrance to Fort Anne.

The prized exhibit in the Visitor Center is The Fort Anne Heritage Tapestry. Designed by Kiyoko Grenier-Sago and stitched by over 100 volunteers, including several stitches by Queen Elizabeth, the tapestry depicts over 400 years of history in the Annapolis Royal area.

Detail from the bottom left of the 1600s panel.

There are four sections, each section representing a century. Each section was stitched in three parts that were then stitched together. 

The 1800s section. Queen Elizabeth added stitched to the portrait of Queen Victoria.

Detail of the 1800s panel showing the texture that was added to the tapestry.

The final section, the 1900s. You can see an American Flag in the lower left. During a centennial celebration in 1904 all three countries, the British, French and the United States, had a part.

Detail on the bottom corner of the 1900s panel.

One of two copies of the original Charter from King James to Sir William Alexander in 1621.

Diarama of the original Fort Anne.  What remains include well-preserved ramparts and bastions, a powder magazine and a storehouse; these two structures are underground.

Our lunch site overlooking the Annapolis River.

Next to Fort Anne is the public library.

The only remaining structure above ground, the Field Officers Quarters, built in 1790, which now serves as the Visitor Center.

The historic town cemetery located next to the Fort.  We are going for a candlelight tour of the cemetery tonight at 9:30 pm.

Another feature of the town is the Annapolis Royal Historic Gardens. This seventeen acre horticultural feature presents themed gardens representing different periods in Annapolis Royal's history. 

Sculpture is a part of the gardens. This sculpture is called, "The Dance of the Blue Herons."

There was a sign next to the sculpture that described the damage done by Hurricane Arthur in early July. A tree limb from the tree on the right, you can see the scab on the tree, fell and damaged the left wing of this crane. Previously the left wing had been raised to match the right wing.

A replica of a 17th century Acadian home, with bake oven and a partly thatched roof, surrounded by a traditional "potager" and orchard. 

The interior.

Another artist designed 33 ceramic birds and placed them in a quiet grove of trees and shrubs.

We were challenged to find all 33. 

We didn't find them all.

A portion of the pine forest.

The Scotch heather collection.

The Rock Fountain made from rock specimens indigenous to Nova Scotia.

As we learned from a Library Conservator Event, August is not an especially good time for gardens. The only colorful garden was the Victorian garden filled with curved beds filled with showy annuals that would have been rare and exotic a century and a half ago.

Colorful begonias.