Canada’s history begins in Nova Scotia, where, after enduring a harsh winter, French settlers founded Port-Royal in 1605, establishing the first permanent European settlement in North America. Despite an ongoing state of war between France and England, the colony developed progressively along the shores of French Bay through 1755, giving birth to a proud, resilient and courageous people: the Acadians.
British authorities, in collusion with the Governors of New England, ultimately ordered the deportation of the Acadian people, in the interest of taking ownership of these very desirable lands. Thousands of Acadians were captured during what is known as the Deportation, with homes, farms and belongings destroyed, families separated, and the Acadian people transported to far flung corners of the globe.
Today, there are at least 3.8 million descendants of these Acadians all around the world: 500,000 in the Atlantic Provinces, 1 million in Louisiana, 1 million in New England, 1 million in Quebec and approximately 300,000 in France.
Nova Scotia’s Acadie is defined not only by 12 designated regions but also includes the men and women that contribute to the development of the Acadian community in order to preserve its language and culture.
To learn more about the fascinating life of the Acadians of Nova Scotia before the Deportation, visit https://sentieracadie.ca/en/