Belliveau Cove (French: ) is a historical
Acadian
The Acadians (french: Acadiens , ) are an ethnic group descended from the French who settled in the New France colony of Acadia during the 17th and 18th centuries. Most Acadians live in the region of Acadia, as it is the region where the de ...
community in the
Canadian province of
Nova Scotia, located in the
District of Clare in
Digby County settled in 1768 on un-ceded Mi'kmaq territory. A major centre of wooden
shipbuilding in the 19th and early 20th century, Belliveau Cove built the second largest wooden ship ever constructed in Canada, the ''
County of Yarmouth'' in 1884. It is now a mixed community of citizens with diverse backgrounds, including Acadians.
Belliveau Cove was established in 1768 and is located on the west coast of the Nova Scotia peninsula on the
St. Mary's Bay. Like many of the small Nova Scotia coastal port villages, Belliveau Cove was known for their wooden shipbuilding, shipping industry, and attendant services. All of the Belliveau family ships were built on the beaches just north of the north wharf along with ships for the Theriault family and other interests.
The wooden pepper-shaker-style lighthouse on end of the north wharf was established in 1889 and existed until 1973; its foundation had much deterioration and a storm caused the lighthouse to fall in the ocean. A replica lighthouse was built at the same location in the 1980s by the community and is maintained as a private navigational aid. The harbor is still used today by a small number of pleasure craft and small fishing boats. Due to the high tides, the harbor can only be used for 4 to 6 hours at a time on the rising and falling tides.
Situated in the bay of St. Mary's, the village experiences the majestic
Bay of Fundy
The Bay of Fundy (french: Baie de Fundy) is a bay between the Canadian provinces of New Brunswick and Nova Scotia, with a small portion touching the U.S. state of Maine. It is an arm of the Gulf of Maine. Its extremely high tidal range is the hi ...
tides that have an amazing 28 foot range. When the tide is out, Belliveau's Cove is a popular
clamming area.
The Joseph and Marie Dugas Municipal Park, named after the first Acadian couple to arrive in the area in 1768, has a wharf, lighthouse, and a 5 km nature trail bordering the shoreline and freshwater wetlands. At Major's Point, the first Acadian cemetery dating from 1755 and The Little Chapel or "La petite chapelle" can be visited. Also at Major's Point, remnants have been found of an Indigenous garden, and a sitting area where they waited for the tides to turn.
Report
ceaa-acee.gc.ca Retrieved May 10, 2023
The village also has a summer Farmer's Market every Saturday between 10 am and 2 pm from May to September at the Joseph and Marie Dugas Municipal Park.
The municipal park hosts the Beaux Vendredis supper on Friday nights. This music celebration features fresh lobster
Lobsters are a family (biology), family (Nephropidae, Synonym (taxonomy), synonym Homaridae) of marine crustaceans. They have long bodies with muscular tails and live in crevices or burrows on the sea floor. Three of their five pairs of legs ...
, clams, and crab, as well as local Acadian music. Through Tide Kite, the beach at the wharf has also become an attractive spot to fly kites.
References
External links
Municipality of ClareBaie Sainte-Marie, Nova Scotia's French Acadian Shore
{{coord, 44, 22, 48.68, N, 66, 4, 9.75, W, name=Belliveaus Cove, Nova Scotia, display=title, region:CA-NS_scale:100000
Communities in Digby County, Nova Scotia
General Service Areas in Nova Scotia