Historic Annapolis Valley: Rural Life Remembered

Janet Arnett is the former campus manager of adult education at Ontario’s Georgian College. She is the author of Antiques and Collectibles: Starting Small, The Grange at Knock, and 673 Ways to Save Money.

Victorians knew it as the “apple orchard of the British Empire.”
Folklorists know it as the home of Glooscap, the god who created
mountains by throwing handfuls of dirt into the sea. To Nova Scotians,
it is “the Valley,” the fertile side of their province that fronts
on the Bay of Fundy. It is a region of numerous small agricultural-based
villages, with gypsum- and peat-mining operations, Acadian traditions,
and a sea famous for the highest tides in the world.

Local histories usually focus on the limited geographic boundaries of
one municipality. With the subject thus tightly defined, it is possible
to revel in details. Often inclusiveness defines the editing strategy.
Not so with this work. By designating an entire region, including dozens
of towns and villages, as his subject, Parker is able to step back from
the tradition of including minute detail and, refreshingly, paint a
portrait of the Annapolis Valley with broader strokes.

The work introduces the geography of the region and gives an overview
of the French–English conflicts that affected it in the 1700s, before
moving on to cover transportation, industry, and agriculture. Apple
growing and its many related industries (barrel making, vinegar
processing) receive extensive coverage.

The core of the book is a collection of approximately 200 archival
photos. These, plus their extensive captions or mini-essays, give a
strong sense of what life was like in this beautiful valley, from c.
1700 to c. 1950. A local history with class.