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Sainte-Famille Parish

First settled in the 1680s, Pisiquid became one of the main settlement areas in the French colony of Acadie. With an economy based on farming the dyked marshlands, Pisiquid flourished in the 18th century. Sainte-Famille Parish was established in 1698 and was divided in 1722 to create l’Assomption Parish.

After it became an English possession in 1713, Acadie enjoyed a period of peace and prosperity that lasted about thirty years. Then came a period marked by war and increased tensions between Great Britain and France. Perceived as rebels by the British, who coveted their fertile farmlands, the Acadians were deported in 1755.

Most of the Acadians living in Sainte-Famille Parish were deported to the British American colonies. Very few would ever see their native land again. Today, their descendants live primarily in Louisiana, Quebec and Acadie.

Sainte-Famille Cemetery

After the Deportation, Sainte-Famille Cemetery was soon forgotten. However, oral tradition had kept it alive in the memory of a few people in the area. In the summer of 1996, human remains were discovered. An archaeological dig, carried out by the Nova Scotia Museum, established the boundaries of the cemetery which contains an estimated 300 graves

Volunteers from various heritage groups and Acadian organizations met in order to preserve the cemetery and commemorate the Acadian heritage of this community. The Committee for the Preservation of Sainte-Famille Cemetery acquired the site and, with generous donations from individuals and associations and a $10,000 grant from the federal government in the year 2000, it implemented a landscape and interpretive plan.

The Committee for the Preservation of Sainte-Famille Cemetery transferred the responsibility of the cemetery to the Amis de Grand-Pré in 2015. In January 2017, Sainte-Famille Cemetery was designated a Provincial Heritage Property.