Introduction

The following paragraphs present material that might be worthwhile to consider when designing tourist attractions for the Parrsboro Shore. The material is part of the information that I have accumulated during my years of researching the history of the Parrsboro Shore and includes my fieldwork on the salt marshes at Apple River, Advocate, Fox River, and Diligent River.

The Parrsboro shore has a rich human history that stretches in time from the end of the last Ice Age and the arrival of the peoples of the First Nations to the present. The settlers in the region included the Acadians, Planters, Loyalists and immigrant families from the British Isles and other parts of the world. They contributed to the prosperity of the region which saw a Golden Age of Sail when vessels built along this shore were among the finest to sail the seas at the time.

In addition to the peoples of this area, the Parrsboro shore has fascinating geological formations. The great variety of geological features found on this shore are well documented in the "The Last Billion Years, A Geological History of the Maritime Provinces of Canada"published in 2001. The coastal landscape in this area contains large, easily-accessible beaches, salt marshes with tidal ecosystems, high cliffs and banks offering spectacular views. These natural geological formations, extending along the north shore of the Minas Channel and the Minas Basin, provide the basis for the development of a possible Eco-Tourism.

The Landscape

Several natural physical features of the Parrsboro Shore may influence the development of this coastal area for tourism and recreation. Two of these natural features, the “raised outwash terrace” and the estuary (a tidal mouth of a river), occupy a major portion of the costal area and, in my opinion, they will determine where development will take place. They will influence the selection of site locations and the layout plans for parks, interpretive signs, walking trails, picnic sites and observation sites. As well, the story of how these features came into being provides material that may form one of the topics for presentation during walking tours.

These major physical features should be considered in the management of the area’s development. It is important to promote regional economic development but environmental protection, the preservation of the identity of the local people and the preservation of beaches and wetlands must also be taken into account.

The raised outwash terrace, situated between the shore and Cobequid Hills (see Fig.1), was formed as a result of a complex process that took place when the ice melted at the end of the last ice age. Examples of these flat stretches of land can be seen on the drive from Parrsboro to Wards Brook. The flat top of the terrace is prominent just outside Parrsboro and at Dilligent River. The terrace becomes visible again as you approach Fox River and it continues all the way to Wards Brook. Notice that dissection, the term used by geologists, has taken place at Dilligent River, Fox River, Ratchford (Port Griville) River and at Wards Brook. Large portions of the terrace are missing at each of these locations and each missing section of terrace has been replaced by tidal wetlands that form an estuary. These wetlands offer possible locations for a combined conservation site and the establishment of a park.

The estuaries along the Parrsboro Shore (see Fig. 2) were created when the rivers originating in the Cobequid Hills cut through the raised terrace. These estuaries consist of a gravel coastal barrier situated at the mouth of the estuary, a tidal lagoon (tidal flat when the tide is out) located behind the barrier beach, and a salt marsh found high up on the estuary. As well, the boundary between the salt marsh and the raised terrace is a steep forested hill (see Fig.7, Fig 8, Fig. 9, and Fig.10) that defines the edge of the estuary.

Estuaries are productive ecosystems that form nurseries for coastal food chains as well as habitats for fish, insects and birds. Estuaries are also attractive locations for Parks. To accommodate the conservation needs of the ecosystem and the park, trails and walk ways likely should be confined as much as possible to the periphery of the estuary. That is, restricted to the barrier beach and the forested hills that form the rim of the estuary.

The bank along the stretch of beach that extends from the Fox River estuary to site of the former Wagstaff and Hatfield Shipyard appears to the untrained eye to be just a high gravel bank. This bank is, however, a cross-section through the raised terrace and as such it displays, in the form of strata, several formation stages that took place as the ice sheet melted and retreated after the last ice age. When visible (sometimes gravel from the top of the bank rolls down the bank face and covers the strata) the strata make a suitable topic for a walking tour. Stratified gravel banks are found at several locations along the Parrsboro Shore and Fig.3 shows the strata at East Advocate.

Fig.3: Taken from the article “A Raised Fluviomarine Outwash Terrace, North Shore of the Minas Basin, Nova Scotia”, by Donald J. P Swift and Harold W. Borns, Jr., Journal of Geology, V 75, 1967, p 693

After the expulsion of the Acadians in 1755 the English Governor and Council in Halifax (both were established in 1749) created several Townships. Settlers, called “Planters”, were then recruited from New England and granted land in the “Townships” that were formed on the lands vacated by the Acadians. Fig.4 shows these townships as well as a coastal region extending from Advocate Harbour to Five Islands labeled Parrsborough Township. This township was part of Kings County until 1840 and except for a small area surrounding the present day town of Parrsboro (incorporated in 1889), it did not receive settlers until after the end of the American Revolution (1776-1783).

Fig.4: A portion of an 1827 geological map of mainland Nova Scotia. This map is located in the Nova Scotia Museum of Natural History.

The Parrsboro Township land grants fronting on the coastal region from Advocate Harbour to the western edge of the town of Parrsboro were issued circa 1784. Fig. 5 shows the grants issued in the Fox River area.

Fig 5: Fox River Grants issued circua1784. Copies can be obtained from the Crown Land Information Management Centre in Halifax.

The map below shows the property division on the Fox River salt marsh.

Section 1:
Photographs showing the Fox River barrier beach and the nature of the boundary between the Fox River estuary and the raised terrace.

Section 2:
Images Taken from the Viewing Spots Marked on Fig.10

Viewing Spot A:
An old dug way road runs from the Hatfield road down to this viewing location.

At least one vessel was built at viewing location A. (From the Robert Cochran Collection, Date Unknown). The posts of the large fox River dyke can be seen off the stern of he vessel.

Section 3:
Images of a Possible Acadian Dyke

The Acadians are known to have settled as close as possible to their dyked salt marshes. The following photographs show a small piece of upland that is only a few feet above the marsh that is enclosed by the dyke that is postulated to be Acadian.