Hard Times

It is not widely known that Tatamagouche played an important role in the past history of Nova Scotia. Much of the heritage of our ancestors is fading in our collective memories as time passes. Perhaps the reader of this narrative may be intrigued enough to delve further to learn about the historical significance of the area. How many people nowadays know that almost three hundred majestic wooden sailing ships were built along the Tatamagouche waterfront, or that this was the location of the Acadian village that was the first site chosen for the horrible expulsion of those early settlers from the province? How many know of the existence of Fort Franklin, or of the British vs French and Mi’kmaq naval battle that took place in Tatamagouche Bay?

Growing up in Tatamagouche in the 1940s and 1950s the author himself paid scant attention to such matters. Now he wishes that he had.