The Bay of Fundy has the highest tides in the world, and at Grand Pré the sea comes in and out of the Minas Basin with a rush that can move the waterline across mudflats the size of a small town. Behind that shifting edge lies a broad, flat, green meadow that was not always land. The Acadians, French settlers who arrived in the seventeenth century, built earthen dykes with wooden sluice gates called aboiteaux to keep the tide out and turn salt marsh into rich farmland. The work took generations, and the dykes still protect fields today.
Grand Pré is also where one of the saddest chapters in Canadian history unfolded. In 1755, after years of conflict between Britain and France, the British authorities ordered the Acadians to be deported, and thousands were forced onto ships and scattered along the Atlantic coast and beyond. Many eventually went to Louisiana, where their descendants became known as Cajuns. Henry Wadsworth Longfellow told a fictional version of this story in his poem Evangeline in 1847, and the figure of Evangeline has become a symbol of the loss. A memorial church, a statue and gardens stand at the site, and the UNESCO listing covers the whole farmed landscape.
The ride across the Annapolis Valley is gentle, with Highway 1 and the back roads through apple orchards, vineyards and farm stands. The season matters: blossom in late May, ripe fruit and cider in September, and bright autumn colour in October. Roads are usually quiet and wide, with long views north over the basin toward Cape Blomidon, a basalt headland that glows red at sunrise. Wind off the water can be brisk, and the tide moves quickly, so keep off the mudflats.
Wolfville, only six kilometres away, has about 3,500 people and a lively main street, as it is home to Acadia University, with cafés, bakeries and the valley's wineries nearby. Kentville, 16 km off, is the larger place for fuel and supplies. The region's wine industry has grown quickly in recent years, and the cool climate suits crisp whites and sparkling styles. The long summer evening light on the dykes is the thing to wait for, and the pause here is a good one to take in quietly, as the site is a memorial as much as a view.