LaHave, Nova Scotia
Encyclopedia
LaHave was once the capital of Acadia
Acadia
Acadia was the name given to lands in a portion of the French colonial empire of New France, in northeastern North America that included parts of eastern Quebec, the Maritime provinces, and modern-day Maine. At the end of the 16th century, France claimed territory stretching as far south as...
/ Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the most populous province in Atlantic Canada. The name of the province is Latin for "New Scotland," but "Nova Scotia" is the recognized, English-language name of the province. The provincial capital is Halifax. Nova Scotia is the...
and is now a small scenic village located on Highway 331
Nova Scotia Route 331
Route 331 is a collector road in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia.It is located on the province's South Shore, connecting East Medway at Highway 103 with Bridgewater at Route 325.-Communities:*East Port Medway*Vogler's Cove*Cherry Hill*Broad Cove...
at the mouth of the LaHave River
LaHave River
The LaHave River is a river in Nova Scotia, Canada, running from its source in Annapolis County to the Atlantic Ocean. Along its way, it splits the communities of LaHave and Riverport and bisects the town of Bridgewater flowing into the LaHave River estuary .The river and various spots in the area...
in Lunenburg County, Nova Scotia
Lunenburg County, Nova Scotia
Lunenburg County is a county located on the South Shore of the Canadian province of Nova Scotia, It ranges from Hubbards to the east and Vogler's Cove to the west.-History:...
, across the river from Riverport
Riverport, Nova Scotia
Riverport is a charming community, surrounding the fairhaven of Ritcey's Cove, situated beautifully at the end of the LaHave River in Nova Scotia, Canada. Settled in 1754, the harbour, free from shoals, and in which marine craft are safe from every wind, is one of the finest in North America...
and approximately 15 kilometres from the town of Bridgewater
Bridgewater, Nova Scotia
Bridgewater is a town in Lunenburg County, Nova Scotia, Canada, at the navigable limit of the LaHave River. It is the largest town in the South Shore region. While the majority of the South Shore's economy is based upon the tourist trade, Bridgewater is more a commercial and industrial centre and...
.
French Colony
LaHave was the capital of AcadiaAcadia
Acadia was the name given to lands in a portion of the French colonial empire of New France, in northeastern North America that included parts of eastern Quebec, the Maritime provinces, and modern-day Maine. At the end of the 16th century, France claimed territory stretching as far south as...
from 1632, when Isaac de Razilly
Isaac de Razilly
Isaac de Razilly was a member of the French nobility appointed a knight of the Order of St. John of Jerusalem at the age of 18. He was born at the Château d'Oiseaumelle in the Province of Touraine, France. A member of the French navy, he served for many years during which he played an important...
settled on a point of land at the mouth of the LaHave River, until his sudden death in 1636. Razilly established a colony of 300 and built Fort Sainte-Marie de Grace,. Razilly report that the fort was capable of standing against all enemy action, and that he had the military supplies necessary to withstand a six-month siege. There was also a chapel, a store and houses for the workmen in the village. Within twelve months of Razilly's arrival, La Heve was a thrviing trading post, the centre for a small farming community in the area, and a major port of call for the large fishing fleet. At one point there were five hundred transient fishermen in the settlement. (The site of the fort was designated a National Historic Site in the 1920s.) Upon de Razilly's death, the new Governor Charles de Menou d'Aulnay
Charles de Menou d'Aulnay
Charles de Menou d'Aulnay was a pioneer of European settlement in North America and Governor of Acadia .-Biography:D'Aulnay was a member of the French nobility who was at various times a sea captain, a lieutenant in the French navy to his cousin Isaac de Razilly, and Governor of Acadia...
moved the Acadians from LaHave to Port Royal, Nova Scotia
Port Royal, Nova Scotia
Port Royal was the capital of Acadia from 1605 to 1710 and is now a town called Annapolis Royal in the western part of the Canadian province of Nova Scotia. Initially Port Royal was located on the north shore of the Annapolis Basin, Nova Scotia, at the site of the present reconstruction of the...
.
In 1652, LaHave was still an trading post and was raided by Emmanuel Le Borgne
Emmanuel Le Borgne
Emmanuel Le Borgne was the governor of Acadia 1657–67 and was the claimant to the estate of Charles de Menou d'Aulnay who had governed Acadia at a previous time....
.
Ship building
It was, at one time, the economic centre of fishing, trade and shipbuilding for the surrounding area. The many vessels built in the area include a famous clipper, the barque StagStag (barque)
Stag was a barque built in Nova Scotia which was renowned for her speed. Designed by a pioneering Canadian naval architect named Ebenezer Mosley, Stag was built with a dramatic "Aberdeen bow"...
.
In 1874 LaHave Light Station was built and assisted ships navigating into the LaHave River until the 1950s, when a new lightkeeper
Lighthouse keeper
A lighthouse keeper is the person responsible for tending and caring for a lighthouse, particularly the light and lens in the days when oil lamps and clockwork mechanisms were used. Keepers were needed to trim the wicks, replenish fuel, wind clockworks and perform maintenance tasks such as cleaning...
's house was built to replace the aging light station
Lighthouse
A lighthouse is a tower, building, or other type of structure designed to emit light from a system of lamps and lenses or, in older times, from a fire, and used as an aid to navigation for maritime pilots at sea or on inland waterways....
. The light was decommissioned in the 1960s and replaced by a mechanical light on the opposite side of the river. In 1969, the Lunenburg County Historical Society was established to manage this historic site and turned the vacant lightkeeper's house into a community museum
Museum
A museum is an institution that cares for a collection of artifacts and other objects of scientific, artistic, cultural, or historical importance and makes them available for public viewing through exhibits that may be permanent or temporary. Most large museums are located in major cities...
and gift shop. In 2006, the society completed a Renaissance Project, which included the construction and attachment of a new building resembling the original 1874 LaHave Light Station, to the lightkeeper's house. The new museum is heated and cooled by a geothermal
Geothermal
Geothermal is related to energy and may refer to:* The geothermal gradient and associated heat flows from within the Earth- Renewable technology :...
system, one of the first museums in Canada to utilize this technology. The Museum hosts many community events during the year, including the Acadian
Acadian
The Acadians are the descendants of the 17th-century French colonists who settled in Acadia . Acadia was a colony of New France...
Mi'kmaq Festival, the LaHave River Folk Festival and a wide range of artistic exhibits.
Lahave River cable ferry
Since the late 19th century, LaHave has been connected to East LaHaveEast LaHave, Nova Scotia
-East LaHave: East LaHave is part of the Riverport District, a community in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia, in Lunenburg County on the shore of the LaHave River.Much of the rural infrastructure for East LaHave is centered in Riverport, Nova Scotia...
, located on the opposite side of the LaHave river, via a cable ferry
Cable ferry
A cable ferry is guided and in many cases propelled across a river or other larger body of water by cables connected to both shores. They are also called chain ferries, floating bridges, or punts....
.
Today LaHave is home to a 12 car cable ferry that crosses the Lahave River from Lahave to East Lahave. The Ferry is Operated by The Province of Nova Scotia and costs $5.00 for a one-way ticket. The trip lasts about five minutes one way.
Services
A volunteer Lahave and District Fire Department provides fire and first responder service to LaHave and the surrounding areas. A federal post office, Saint James Anglican Church and LaHave Seafoods are all located in LaHave.A longstanding turn of the 20th century riverside chandlery
Chandlery
A chandlery was originally the office in a medieval household responsible for wax and candles, as well as the room in which the candles were kept. It was headed by a chandler. The office was subordinated to the kitchen, and only existed as a separate office in larger households...
landmark, has in recent years become the Lahave Bakery, which operates as a year-round bakery and cafe. The bakery houses a Craft Co-Op during the summer, where local artists sell their crafts. It is also home to a small custom manufacturer, Homegrown Skateboards.
Further down Highway 331, one will find Crescent Beach, a 2 kilometer long beach (only beach in NS that allows you to drive your car on the sand the length of the beach as if it were a road), the LaHave Islands and Risser's Beach Provincial Park.
The LaHave Islands Marine Museum (c. 1913), located on the LaHave Islands, is on the Canadian Register of Historic Places.