Above, the Annapolis River Control Dam. Below is the shuttered Annapolis Royal Tidal Generating Station.
The anticipated federal funding for this alternative energy project influenced the decision to construct the Annapolis Royal facility. Additionally, it was prompted by the provincial Department of Transportation’s need to replace an aging steel truss bridge that spans the river between Annapolis Royal and Granville Ferry.
Allains Creek is a picturesque stream situated near the village of Lequille, flowing into the Annapolis River just north of Annapolis Royal. This creek not only enhances the local landscape but also carries historical significance, as it is home to early Acadian dykes built in the 1600s for land reclamation in the marsh areas. These structures highlight the ingenuity of the Acadian people and their efforts to transform the environment for agriculture and habitation.
This is Nme’juaqnek—place of bountiful fish. For the Mi’kmaq, this place where two rivers meet has traditionally been an important fishing area and a central gathering place.
In the 1600s and 1700s, this was the centre of early European colonization and settlement in an area called Mi’kma’ki by the Mi’kmaq, Acadie by the French, and Nova Scotia by the British.
One of the most contested places in North America; this has always been Mi’kmaw territory. Both the French and the British held military control here at times and fought for it at others.
Guarding this rich history as well as the remains of both French and British fortifications, Fort Anne is the first operated national historic site in Canada, designated in 1917.
The Dominion Atlantic Railway Bridge over Allain Creek was constructed in the early 1890s. The bridge is currently inaccessible, so I used a drone to capture some images and video.
The bridge features a lightweight through truss center section, along with steel girder approaches on either end. Overall, the bridge spans approximately 600 feet in length, with the truss section measuring about 175 feet.
The fishing vessel Trout King IV outboard of Charles Edward
A. Seagull, in Yarmouth, Nova Scotia
The fishing boats Sea Wolf 24 and Ho Bo Go Go in Yarmouth, Nova Scotia
The fishing boat Lady Gabrielle and Sea Wolf 24 in Yarmouth, Nova Scotia
Fishing boats in Yarmouth, Nova Scotia
Gus was born in Florida around 1922 and spent his early years at the Ross Allen Reptile Institute in Silver Springs. The exact date of his hatching is unknown, but his birthday is celebrated in August.
In 1942, he was purchased for five dollars by Don Crowdis, the director of the Nova Scotia Provincial Museum. Crowdis returned Gus to Nova Scotia, where he began living at the Nova Scotia Museum of Natural History.
Gopher tortoises typically only live to be around 60 years old, and Gus’s longevity is attributed to a lack of external threats. He has been said to be the world’s oldest living gopher tortoise.
