"You know what would be good here? A bridge."

This 1878 Bird's Eye View of Annapolis Royal and Granville Ferry is remarkable for the one thing it does not show: a bridge, linking the two. The tidal Annapolis River is a natural feature which shaped the development of this part of the Annapolis Valley.

In 1891, the completion of a direct rail link between Halifax and Digby, bypassing Annapolis Royal, would end the Town’s importance as a rail terminus. Now the capital city of Nova Scotia could connect with ships from Saint John, across the Bay in New Brunswick, loading and unloading passengers and freight at Digby. Yarmouth became the primary port for the Boston service

A bridge across the Annapolis River would have to wait another 30 years, until 1921.

Bridge open to vehicle traffic with it’s swing-span locked in place.

With the Annapolis River still navigabledown the Valley to Bridgetown, the 1921 single lane bridge featured a middle span which could be swung open, allowing ship traffic.

Forty years later a causeway was constructed, carrying a two lane highway from north of the River to the South. Little did anyone suspect then that the causeway would eventually host a landmark in renewable energy development in North America.

Discover more about Annapolis County and its past here.