On the waterfront, Pickels and Mills

Pickels and Mills was a commercial partnership. Operating a sail loft, as well as lumbering, shipbuilding, shipping and retailing services, it was the heyday of Annapolis Royal's importance as a port. Before being by-passed in favour of Digby, the Town was the terminus of the Dominion Atlantic Railway connecting it with the provincial capital, Halifax.

Now Joann’s Chocolate Shop, a new incarnation for a heritage building on Lower St. George Street, in the Town.

It is said that when it comes to real estate, the three most important things are location, location, and location. In a shipping town on a river with a 27 foot tidal range, the need for a high water wharf made the Pickels and Mills building ideal.

"Tide's out, dirt's in." Pickels and Mills building, view from near the bottom of the Annapolis River at low tide.

As with all the highwater wharves along the waterfront, save one, the wooden cribwork has disappeared over time leaving just the stones as a reminder of the way things were.

A self-guided walking tour of the Town includes this building, built circa 1870, which now is home to a small cafe and chocolate-making enterprise.