Nova Scotia - Granville Ferry

Nova Scotia - part 3

(sightseeing)

July 13, 2018 - July 15, 2018

We drove a relatively short distance from Grand Pre' to our campground in Granville Ferry through an agricultural area called the Annapolis Basin.


Annapolis Tidal Generating Station

Only a short distance away from our campground we discovered the Annapolis Tidal Generating Station.  It's one of only 4 in the world, the others being in Korea, France and Russia.  The desire to harness the huge power potential of the tides in the Bay of Fundy has been a long held dream. The station was built in 1984 as a demonstration plant an effort to determine if the huge tides in the Bay of Fundy could be used to generate electricity.  By any measure it's been a success but it's design (i.e. a dam) is not practical in the Bay itself.

The Power station from the parking lot.

We prepare to go down into the plant by donning hard hats, safety glasses and ear phones which will allow us to hear our guide.

The turbine is the orange device.

The Annapolis River - looking downriver from the power station.

Annapolis River - looking upstream from the power station.

As the tide comes in, water flows upstream past the dam through some sluice gates, filling in the upper reaches of the tidal basin.  That is what is occurring in the picture above.  Once high tide is reached the sluice gates are closed.  The water level on both sides of the dam are now the same.  As the tide falls on the downstream side of the dam the water levels become uneven.  Once the difference reaches 1.8 meters, the water behind the dam is allowed to flow through the turbine, generating electricity.  The generating cycle lasts about 5 hours until the water levels on each side of the dam are about equal again.   The power plant generates power twice a day as the tide rises and falls.

Since a dam on the Bay of Fundy is not at all practical, other types of systems have been looked at to harness the energy of the tides.  Many different designs have been proposed and tried. Some of the designs look remarkably like the propellers of a wind generating station.  One of the things everyone has agreed is that whatever system they decide to test, it must be easily removable from the bay itself.
Other concerns of the testing are how the turbine affects the sea life and how it affects the distribution of the silt in the water.  Tests are currently ongoing.  The video below shows one of the designs being lowered into place in the bay.

Port Royal Habitation

The Port Royal Habitation was the main reason for our visit to the area.  It is a reconstruction of a 17th century French compound, one of the earliest European settlements in North America.  It was originally built in 1605 after a disastrous attempt at another location in 1604.  This attempt was more successful but when the leader's fur monopoly was revoked, the colonists returned to France, leaving the Habitation in the care of the Mi'kmaq tribe.  In 1610 a new group of French people came to Port Royal.  They were welcomed by the Mi'kmaq tribe.  Things proceeded nicely until 1613 when the colony lost it's financial support.  The leader went back to France to seek financial backing. While he was gone and the settlers were away, an English expedition from Virginia looted and burned the Habitation.  Most of the settlers survived the winter with the help of the Mi'kmaq tribe.  When the leader returned in 1614 he found his Habitation in ruins.  His response was to transfer his land holdings and leadership duties to his son whereupon he returned to France.  It remained a ruins for over 300 years, until an amazing woman took up the cause.

Harriet Tabor Richardson is the answer to the question "what can one person do?"

Panoramic picture of the Habitation.
The area sticking out on the left is the cannon platform.  The palisade on the right is an area where guards could stand to fire.

Main Entrance

Panoramic picture of the interior from the top of the stairway.
It's basically a fort without a palisade.  Entrances to the interior are few and there are no gaps between the buildings.
Kind of a very tight "circling of the wagons." 

The entire construction is done with wooden pegs or dowels.
The timbers used were large and very heavy.

Floors, all pegged into the supports below.

A different log construction style.  Short sections placed between vertical beams.

Animal hides were used as "windows" to allow some light in.

This jig is used to saw boards.  The saw is resting on the end of the large saw horse closest to us.
A man would stand with one foot on each of the two boards laid between the two saw horses.
His job was to handle the saw from the top.
The object to be sawed would be between his legs. 
Another man would stand on the ground in order to handle the saw from the bottom.

The blacksmith was in charge of making all the necessary metal items for the inhabitants.

A few loose examples of the art of blacksmithing.

Some example of blacksmith items in actual use.
Hinge

Door handle and peep hole.

Fancy metal window "bars".

Sliding bolt latch and shutter catch.

In the carpenters shop there was a spring pole lathe used to create candlesticks, table legs, etc.

One of the rear loading cannons on the cannon platform.
Notice it's aimed toward the harbor.

Communal kitchen

Bake shop

The common room - set up as a dining area.

The chapel.

The Governors residence.
The fine woodwork over the fireplace distinguishes this from other residences.

The Governors bedroom (upstairs)

Prayer kneeler. The French were, for the most part, Catholic so prayer was an important part of their lives.

Dormitory.  To the right are areas where the sick could be isolated while they recovered. 
The sick beds were laid out next to the chimneys for warmth in the winter.

To put this settlement into perspective, it was burned to the ground 7 years before the Pilgrims landed at Plymouth Rock!  A French Settlement in what is now Canada, rebuilt because of the efforts of an American.  Who says history isn't interesting!