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Heritage Day Celebrates Landscape of Grand-Pré

Thursday, February 17, 2022

Grand PreFor many Acadians throughout the world, Grand-Pré remains the heart of their ancestral homeland and the symbol of the ties that unite them to this day. In 2022, the Landscape of Grand-Pré celebrates the 10th anniversary of becoming a UNESCO World Heritage site. In honour of this anniversary, the Province of Nova Scotia has selected the Landscape of Grand-Pré as the honoree for Heritage Day 2022.

Celebrated the third Monday in February, Nova Scotia Heritage Day is an annual reminder of our storied past and an opportunity to honour the remarkable people, places and events that have contributed to this province’s unique heritage.

The Landscape of Grand-Pré commemorates the area as a centre of Acadian settlement from 1682 to 1755 and the Deportation of the Acadians, which began in 1755 and continued until 1762. In addition to the Grand-Pré National Historic Site, the landscape features an exceptional traditional agricultural settlement still in use today. From the View Park, on Old Post Road, the 1,300-hectares of farm-fields, marshes and dykelands comprise the Landscape of Grand-Pré. Also rich in Mi’kmaw tradition, dramatic Cape Blomidon—which frames the dykelands—is said to harbour the spirit of the mythical watchman Kluscap, another facet of this culturally and naturally diverse landscape.

See a virtual exhibit of the Landscape of Grand-Pré to learn more.

Nova Scotians and people from around the world visit the site to learn more about Acadian history, culture, and agricultural practices, as well as taking in the breathtaking scenery of the Annapolis Valley. In 2021, Parks Canada installed eight oTENTiks in the fields south of the Visitor Information Centre at Grand-Pré National Historic Site, giving people more ways to experience this special place. 

You can join the Virtual Heritage Day 2022 Ceremony honouring the Landscape of Grand Pré World Heritage Site on Monday, February 21 at 10:00 a.m. Links to watch: