Acadian Dyke Building Along the Bay of Fundy

The first settlers of Port Royal must have been aware of the extraordinary fertility of the immense salt marshes that surrounded them The height of the wild grasses alone would have been a clear sign of very productive soil. Until the movement of water through the flat, wet marshlands was controlled, the fertility would remain untapped. Not only would the ground be too damp for cultivation, but the salt content would prevent the growth of essential crops like wheat and barley. This became even more evident as they moved further into the Valley region as far as Minas Basin and Grand Pré., The area became known as "l'Acadie” and the French speaking settlers became known as "Acadiens". There are a few versions of the origin of this term with the most likely being a derivation of the Mi'kmaq term ‘algaty' meaning a camp or settlement, or, 'akade' a place where something abounds. The "Acadians” began to develop their own identity from the 1630s onward, having grown more and more independent from France and becoming very good at adapting their lifestyles to their new environment. Their dyke-building skills, which they brought with them from France, were now being put to good use in an attempt to reclaim rich fertile lands that were flooded by the Bay of Fundy tides., Choosing to settle on the lowlands rather than clear the forests on higher ground, families, neighbors, and friends worked together to build dykes like only they could fashion. The dykes, many of which are still standing after all these years, reclaimed rich farmlands from the Bay of Fundy's highest tides. No other group that colonized North America developed settlements based on the reclamation of salt marshes or perfected the techniques of dyke-building. The term "aboiteaux", which designates the wooden clapper valve that controlled the flow of salt water on the marshes, has no equivalent word in English or modern French. It is inextricably linked to a specific cultural context. By the end of the 17th century, the Acadians were very proficient builders of dykes and aboiteaux. Team work was necessary in order to build and maintain the dykes. Beginning with smaller dykes, the Acadians eventually built larger ones that spanned much of the area around Minas Basin.,