Our plan for the day was to take a break after the long day up to the North Cape yesterday. Located just four miles north of the campground is the Acadian Historical Museum in Miscouche that details the lives of the Acadian families on PEI.
The trip turned out to be a true educational experience as it discussed the Acadian Expulsion from PEI after the British victory over the French at Fortress Louisburg in 1758 during the Seven Years War. After that the Acadian population on Isle St Jean had increased substantially after Acadia (Nova Scotia) was surrendered to the British and the French population forced to flee. PEI at that time was part of the French territory of Cape Breton and came under British control who expelled the 3600 French residents.
Of the 3600 approximately 1/3 died on British ships that either sank or saw epidemics break out, another 1/3 escaped to the mainland or hid on PEI until they could return, and 1/3 were exiled to France or the French territory of Louisiana.Over the next 150 years the Acadian culture on PEI was diminished to a few families who remained isolated in small communities on the Island but saw their way of life threatened by their lack of communication and growth with the modern world and the Canadian government's insistence as English as the primary language in schools after WWI.
Today the flourishing Acadian way of life reflects the efforts that have been made to establish French as a second language in local schools, observance of Acadian celebrations, and historical research of the Acadian families on the Island.We left the Museum to make a quick trip out to Lower Malpeque on Malpeque Bay,home of the Malpeque oyster. The Oyster barn at the local fishing harbor was a great place for oysters (Jeff) and mussells (Sue) and were selling oysters to go for $6.00 a dozen so Jeff took a couple dozen home for dinner.
We had dinner at the campground and then sat around a campfire with our neighbors from Ontario and Detroit watching another beautiful sunset.
