Grandique Ferry, Nova Scotia

Grandique Ferry is a former community in Richmond County, Nova Scotia.

Currently classed a "locality" by the provincial government, it is situated on the northern shore of the Lennox Passage near Louisdale, opposite Grandique Point on Isle Madame.

The name "Grandique" is derived from the French meaning for "big ditch" or "big bank".

History

Grand Digue Ferry was a mission of Arichat in the early 1800s. There is a Grandique on Isle Madame, which claimed they had the mission. It was Grandique Ferry that had the mission according to Bishop John Cameron,in an article in the May 22, 1969, edition of the Antigonish Casket. It was about the History of L'Ardoise Parish. He wrote that the idea was eventually when a cleric was available to establish a parish to administer to the people of St. Peters Bay area from Grand Digue Ferry to L'Ardoise. [http://lardoise.netfirms.com/historyparish.htm Pages 6-7 in the May 22, 1969 edition of the Antigonish Casket.] The Diocese was in Arichat from 1844 to 1886. The seat of the diocese was transferred to Antigonish around 1886 and it happened under Bishop John Cameron.

According to mission records Grandique Ferry had population of 76 in 1821. There were 44 adults and 32 children. River Bourgeois had a population of 58 in 1821. [ Johnson, Angus Anthony. A history of the Catholic Church in eastern Nova Scotia. Antigonish, NS: St. Francis Xavier University Press, 1960. Page 203.] This wouldn't be the back road of Grandique on the Island. River Bourgeois was an established community since the late 1700s.

In the summer of 1827, news that a new road was about to be built between the Grandique Ferry harbour on the Lennox Passage and the Ship Harbour road. The Harbour in 1827 was known as the Grandique Ferry . Travel to Arichat, the Gut of Canso and points west would soon become more tolerable. [http://archiver.rootsweb.com/th/read/NS-CAPE-BRETON/2001-08/0997202297 "JOURNEY THROUGH A CAPE BRETON COUNTY" Pioneer Roads of Richmond County, by Arthur J. Stone, 1991. page 24.]

According to the 1861 census, there were 13 polling stations in Richmond County, Nova Scotia. Grandique Ferry (Louisdale) had no polling station. It was in with D'Escousse, because all of route 320 was in this polling station. [http://web.syr.edu/~elgalvin/gen/de/1861.pdf Richmond County Polling Places 1861. Page 3.] D'Escousse had a population of 1173 in 1861. [http://web.syr.edu/~elgalvin/gen/de/1861.pdf D'Escousse population 1861 Census. Page 4.] In 1881, D'Escousse had a population of 1492. [http://web.syr.edu/~elgalvin/gen/de/1881.pdf Population of D'Escousse in 1881 Census.] In 1956, it was only 228. In 1956, they counted the population of Louisdale and other places on route 320 separate. Louisdale had a population of 736 in 1956. The combined total of seven other places on route 320 had population of 937 in 1956. Louisdale's (Grandique Ferry) population was added with all the route 320 places in the 1800s.

According Marriages from the Nova Scotia Board of Statistics compiled by the Nova Scotia Government, there was a church in Grandique Ferry in 1886. Maude Fixott and Nicholas White from PEI were married in Grandique Ferry on September 7 , 1886. [http://web.syr.edu/~elgalvin/gen/de/Civil4.pdf Nova Scotia Board of Statistics(marriages)]

Sealed tenders addressed to the Postmaster General, were received at Ottawa on Friday November 2, 1888, for the conveyance of Her Majesty's Mails. One of them was between Grand Anse and Grandique Ferry six times per week each way. It stated that they would get the contract four years from January 1, 1889. This was in 1893. [http://www.littletechshoppe.com/ns1625/nshist12.html Mail Contracts October 13, 1888.]

hipwrecks

According to Nova Scotia government records there were several shipwrecks near Grandique Ferry. The "Richmond" burned and sank on June 22, 1885. It was a 44-ton steam ship. The ship was anchored at Grandique Ferry, the place. The location of the wreck was at the Grandique Ferry wharf. The ship was a total loss. In 1885, the harbour was called Grandique Ferry Harbour. [cite web
title = On the Rocks: Shipwrecks of Nova Scotia: "Richmond"
publisher =Maritime Museum of the Atlantic, Halifax, Nova Scotia
date = 2007-10-05
url = http://museum.gov.ns.ca/mma/wrecks/wrecks/shipwrecks.asp?ID=4025
format = asp
accessdate =2008-01-15 ]

In 1887, The "Margaret Ann" sank near Lennox Passage. It sank on December 29, 1887. This was a 50-ton schooner. The cause was bad weather. The ship was coming from Port Hawkesbury. It was stranded according to records. [cite web
title = On the Rocks: Shipwrecks of Nova Scotia: "Margaret Ann"
publisher =Maritime Museum of the Atlantic, Halifax, Nova Scotia
date = 2007-10-05
url = http://museum.gov.ns.ca/mma/wrecks/wrecks/shipwrecks.asp?ID=3109
format = asp
accessdate =2008-01-15 ]

On October 27,1890, The Kate was stranded near Bernards Island, Lennox Passage, north side. This would put it near Grandique Ferry. It was a 131-ton schooner. It was heading for St. Pierre and Miquelon , France. The voyage was from White Head, Nova Scotia , Canada. It was registered at Shelburne, Nova Scotia , Canada. The cause of the disaster was ajudgement error. [cite web
title = On the Rocks: Shipwrecks of Nova Scotia: "Kate"
publisher =Maritime Museum of the Atlantic, Halifax, Nova Scotia
date = 2007-10-05
url = http://museum.gov.ns.ca/mma/wrecks/wrecks/shipwrecks.asp?ID=2570
format = asp

accessdate =2008-01-19 ]

The "Wild Briar" sank in 1891 at Grandique Ferry beach, Lennox Passage. The harbour was still called The Grandique Ferry in 1891. It was an 80-ton Schooner. It sank on June 17, 1891. The cause of the wreck was a leak and it foundered, which means sank. They ditched it on the shore. The voyage was from Sydney, Nova Scotia. It was going to Chatham, New Brunswick. It was registered in Miramichi, New Brunswick. This ship had $250 worth of cargo it lost. [cite web
title = On the Rocks: Shipwrecks of Nova Scotia: "Wild Briar"
publisher =Maritime Museum of the Atlantic, Halifax, Nova Scotia
date = 2007-10-05
url = http://museum.gov.ns.ca/mma/wrecks/wrecks/shipwrecks.asp?ID=4872
format = asp
accessdate =2008-01-15 ]

In 1917, the ship "New England" sank near Dog Island Shoal, Lennox Passage. The voyage was from Sydney, Nova Scotia and it was going to Charlottetown, PEI. It was registered in St. John's, Newfoundland. Its number was 85634. [cite web
title = On the Rocks: Shipwrecks of Nova Scotia: "New England"
publisher =Maritime Museum of the Atlantic, Halifax, Nova Scotia
date = 2007-10-05
url = http://museum.gov.ns.ca/mma/wrecks/wrecks/shipwrecks.asp?ID=3579
format = asp
accessdate =2008-01-15 ] Dog Island borders the Grandique Ferry Harbour and Lennox Passage.

Early 20th century

In the early 20th century, Grandique Ferry was still a separate settlement in Richmond County, Nova Scotia. In the Journal of Education book by the Nova Scotia Department of Education in 1905, they mention the places with schools in Richmond County. No.18. was Grandique Ferry. The next one was No. 21 Basin. There was no Barachios St. Louis or Louisdale. [cite journal |title=Journal of Education |author=Nova Scotia Department of Education |publisher=Dept. of Education, Province of Nova Scotia |location=Halifax |year=1905 |issn=0022-0566 |pages=p. 141] In the Journal of Education book by the Nova Scotia Department of Education in 1908, they mention the list of schools in Richmond County. They had No. 18 Grandique Ferry and No. 19 was Louisdale. [cite journal |title=Journal of Education |author=Nova Scotia Department of Education |publisher=Dept. of Education, Province of Nova Scotia |location=Halifax |year=1908 |issn=0022-0566 |pages=p. 42]

The Louisdale area was known as Barachois St. Louis. The name was changed by act of the provincial legislature on April 7,1905. The Act stated, " The settlement or district in the county of Richmond, now known as Barachois, St. Louis, shall hereafter be known and designated Louisdale". [cite journal |title=The Statutes of Nova Scotia |author=Nova Scotia |authorlink=Nova Scotia |location=Halifax |issn=0708-3386 |year=1905 |pages=p. 190]

References

External links

*http://www.realhistorylouisdale.piczo.com
* [http://content.lib.washington.edu/cdm4/item_viewer.php?CISOROOT=/fishimages&CISOPTR=35425&REC=9 (Picture taken in 1903 from Lennox Passage near Bridge. Heading Grandique Ferry - Isle Madame. Image from Freshwater and Marine Image Bank.)]
*http://www.atl.ec.gc.ca/epb/sfish/maps/ns/high/ns90203.jpgMap with Grandique Ferry on it.
*http://museum.gov.ns.ca/mma/index.html
*http://www.littletechshoppe.com/ns1625/nshist00.html
*http://archiver.rootsweb.com/
*http://web.syr.edu/~elgalvin/gen/
*http://lardoise.netfirms.com/index.html#L'Ardoise%20index
*http://www.atl.ec.gc.ca
*http://www.gov.ns.ca/