Church with a View

The Notre Dame du Mont Carmel is the spiritual home of many local Acadian families. This large Roman Catholic Church was built using 450,000 bricks, all made at a nearby brickyard. The grandeur of the church itself, which was completed in 1898, is matched by its enchanted setting on the edge of the Northumberland Strait.

The Acadian Deportation

Early Acadian settlers arrived to this island in 1720 and their population increased significantly over the next three decades. When the Island fell to the British forces in the late 1950s, the Acadians were deported. When peace was restored between France and Great Britain, Acadians began making their way back to the Island, although it remained under British rule. By this time, the island had been divided into lots and given to English notables. Acadians and other settlers became tenant farmers and had to pay rent to absent landlords, including an annual fee, a portion of their harvest and an animal from their herd.  The disgruntled Acadians “squatted'' in this area until they were able to legally acquire the land they were farming. The large Acadian community in this area is a testament to their resilience.