ACADIAN HERITAGE

Hants County was known to Acadians as “les Mines.” By the 1680s Acadians had settled along the Avon River, an area which they would call Pigiguit. By the middle of the 18th century Acadians had settled all along the Hants shore and this area had become one of the major settlements in the French colony of Acadie.

Acadian villages were located along tidal rivers adjacent to meadows and marshes which could be dyked, drained and and farmed. The fertile marshlands supported a prosperous agricultural economy.

The conflict between the English and the French finally led to the departure of the Acadians. In November of 1755 about 1,200 Acadians were deported from Fort Edward to the New England colonies. Although very few would see their native land again, their presence lives on. Here is some information about the Acadian heritage of Hants County.

Acadian Village Map (PDF)
Acadian Vignettes
Vignettes acadiennes
Ships of the Deportation