I used to live a walk from the sand bar - or barachois in Acadian French - near North Rustico, PEI which is now being claimed by someone as ownable land. Funny until you remember the bit that is not covered by the tides twice a day is a nesting site for rare plovers. Thank God we can rest easy knowing the top guns are on the case:
Lewie Creed is the deputy minister and says something will be done, he just hasn't decided yet what that will be.Beautiful. I have found this handy map and I think the area in question is that identified as "Dune Bar" above Anglo Rustico - that is the bit known locally as the barachois.
It is interesting to note the absence of South Rustico on the map as well as Rusticoville (not to mention Rustico Cross but we won't get into that one) and the Hunter River is known as the Clyde River at that point of the flow. Hence the name Hunter-Clyde Watershed Group. Hunter River PEI and Hunter Valley Australia, home of plumy reasonably priced red wines, share a common history in that the same group settled each area and one named itself after the other (but I can't recall which way it went).
Comments
Wayne - January 27, 2004 12:10 PM
I have been told by reliable sources that "Barachois" refers to the body of water that is separated from the sea by a dune, not the actual dune itself. Kinda like a saltwater marshy area. You can see one as you exit the Confederation Bridge(the one that links the Mainland to PEI)on the Mainland side, approximately .7k to your immediate right. Maybe various clans of Acadians differ in their definition? (The map above was probably the work of somebody in Toronto).
Alan - January 27, 2004 12:26 PM
Well, I think that is the issue as the "bar" is part of a marsh area where I have seen 30 herons feeding in a small space. The bar itself may or may not yet be something that actaully exists as a new separate island. I recall it is littered with drift wood indicating it is below some high tides and therefor owned by HRH, residence Buckingham Palace.
Alan - March 9, 2004 11:04 AM
Big update on the sand bar land claim on CBC PEI. One question: why doesn't the provincial government go rip down the shack if it takes the position that there is no validity. Seems odd to legitimize the wacky wacky by kowtowing in any way.