Park History

Although it opened in 1998, the process of establishing a provincial park at Cape Chignecto was initiated in the early 1980’s. In 1983, the Fundy Shore Development Association submitted a proposal to the provincial government to establish the park. In 1986, the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) recognized the importance of such a park and recommended a preliminary park boundary, park management and a development concept. In 1989, the Province acquired 4200 hectares (10,500 acres) for the park. DNR prepared a management plan and a Park Advisory Committee was formed in 1991. In the ensuing years a funding and development study was commissioned and a training and development program was initiated to provide labour for trail development and training for future park staff. 

The Federal and Provincial governments provided funding for capital costs in building the park infrastructure. With funding from Human Resources & Services Development Canada, a two year training program was launched for 15 local people. The program covered topics from business and life skills, to trail development and park management. The program's trainees studied about the rocks, plants, trees and animals they would encounter while creating the trail. They also learned survival skills to help them while working deep in the wilderness during some of the development. A crew spent six weeks in the forest at one stretch during trail development, because it would have wasted too much time hiking in and out of the trail each day.  From 1995 to 1997 approx. 45 km of trail were constructed along with wilderness campsites in 6 locations and construction of an entry area facility including parking and a visitor building was begun. 

In 1996, the Cumberland Regional Economic Development Association (CREDA) entered into a 10-year Management Agreement with DNR to managed and operate the Park and the community-based Cape Chignecto Management Board was formed. Cape Chignecto officially opened to the public on Saturday, July 25, 1998.

Their achievements have earned the Nova Scotia Community Economic Development Award for Excellence in Cooperation. In 1999, Cape Chignecto was one of six provincial nominees for Attractions Canada Awards and came second in Canada in the New Attraction category. In 2002 the Park also received an Attractions Canada Award as the best Natural Outdoor Site in its category in Nova Scotia. The Board also received the 2001 Gulf of Maine Council on the Marine Environment Nova Scotia Visionary Award in the Group Award category. This award is in recognition of commitment, dedication, and facilitation of a cooperative community initiative to preserve, manage and protect 4,200 hectares of unique coastal land in the Advocate area as a park and local heritage property and for creating a better economic future for the community through sustainable management of this ecosystem. The Individual Award was given posthumously to the late Walton Rector who was instrumental in the Park’s creation.

The first people to homestead in Christy's Field behind the visitor centre were the Barteaux and Barkhouse families. In 1884 Gilmore and Priscilla Knowlton purchased the site and built their modest home and subsistence farm. Here Gilmore & Priscilla raised two of their own children, as well as a granddaughter, Evelyn. The land was left to Evelyn and husband Christy Pratt and thus became known as “Christy’s Field”.

The cultural history of the area is also significant. The land as it is seen today was considered very important to aboriginal peoples. This was the land they occupied in the Summer months, growing vegetables and hunting moose and deer for their Winter provisions. The Mi’kmaq provided refuge to the French during the Expulsion of the Acadians in 1754 and from this event evolved the place names of “Refugee Cove” and “French Lookout”. Acadian dykes are visible today and protect the main street of Advocate from the sea.

According to local story-tellers, ancient sea captains sailing their barques and brigantines in the upper reaches of Minas Basin saw the tall, straight stands of Red Spruce atop Cape Chignecto and immediately wanted them to use for masts of sailing vessels. This brought commercial development to the area and in the 1870s the community of Eatonville was established with the development of a shipyard and lumber mills. In its heyday during the 1890s, over 350 people lived at Eatonville. Today, traces of former logging roads, a few abandoned fields, and several old cellars are all that remain of a once active settlement.

Cape Chignecto has also been moulded by its natural history. The geology and landforms of Cape Chignecto tell a story of the collision of continents, uplifting of mountains, massive erosion, glaciation and rebounding of the land.

In some areas the red rhyolite cliff face was deposited during violent volcanic eruptions over 400 million years ago. The raised beaches and wave-cut terraces at Squally Point were formed at sea level during and immediately following the retreat of the glaciers about 14,000 years ago. These features now stand some 35 meters (115 feet) above sea level as the land rebounded to its present elevation once it was free of the weight of the ice.

The Cobequid fault, the geographic boundary between southern and northern Nova Scotia, is revealed along the spectacular cliff escarpment of the West Advocate shore. Other evidences of diverse geological and marine processes are evidenced in the many beaches, sea caves, sea stacks, keyhole formations and exposures of many rock types.