Aulac, New Brunswick
Encyclopedia
Aulac is a Canadian
community in Westmorland County
, New Brunswick
.
Aulac is situated upon the Aulac Ridge, a prominent rise running west-east across the Tantramar Marshes
on the Isthmus of Chignecto
, approximately 2 kilometres west of the Missaguash River
which forms the southern part of the inter-provincial boundary with Nova Scotia
.
Aulac became strategically important for French military forces during the 18th century after ceding what is now peninsular Nova Scotia to Britain
in the 1713 Treaty of Utrecht; the words describing the boundary of Acadia
(then including all of Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Cape Breton Island
, Prince Edward Island
, the Gaspé Peninsula
, Anticosti Island
and part of eastern Maine
) were sufficiently vague as to permit France to establish the Missaguash River as the boundary between Britain's new colony and New France
. During Father Le Loutre's War
, British military forces constructed a log stockade on the Fort Lawrence Ridge, 3 km to the south of Aulac, naming their facility Fort Lawrence
, which was promptly answered by the French construction of Fort Beauséjour
at the western end of the Aulac Ridge, overlooking the Cumberland Basin of the Bay of Fundy.
After falling to Britain during the Seven Years' War
, the Aulac area became part of the Tantramar farming district in the township of Sackville. The Intercolonial Railway constructed its mainline connecting Moncton, New Brunswick with Truro
, Nova Scotia in 1872, with the railway line curving around the ridge below the fort.
In the 20th century, roads across the marshes passed up and over the Aulac Ridge, as did a road running the length of the ridge toward Port Elgin
. These roads were upgraded in the 1960s as part of the Trans-Canada Highway
project, with the Moncton-Amherst
, Nova Scotia section being numbered Highway 2
and the Aulac-Port Elgin (and thence Cape Tormentine
) section being numbered Highway 16
.
A cluster of highway service businesses established in Aulac, including a truck stop, several gas stations, motels and stores and the hamlet became a popular stopping point for highway travellers. During the 1990s, Aulac was bypassed when Highway 2 was upgraded on a new 4-lane alignment several hundred metres to the east. Only the truck stop, a motel, and several businesses have remained, although it is still well-patronized, especially the Schnitzel Haus, a popular German restaurant
.
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
community in Westmorland County
Westmorland County, New Brunswick
Westmorland County is located in southeastern New Brunswick, Canada. The county contains the fast-growing commercial centre of Moncton as well as its northern and eastern suburbs...
, New Brunswick
New Brunswick
New Brunswick is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the only province in the federation that is constitutionally bilingual . The provincial capital is Fredericton and Saint John is the most populous city. Greater Moncton is the largest Census Metropolitan Area...
.
Aulac is situated upon the Aulac Ridge, a prominent rise running west-east across the Tantramar Marshes
Tantramar Marshes
The Tantramar Marshes is a National Wildlife Area on the southern part of the Isthmus of Chignecto, which joins Nova Scotia to New Brunswick and the Canadian mainland. It is the site of the historic Battle of Fort Beauséjour, the final chapter in the long battle for Acadia by the British and French...
on the Isthmus of Chignecto
Isthmus of Chignecto
The Isthmus of Chignecto is an isthmus bordering the Maritime provinces of New Brunswick and Nova Scotia which connects the Nova Scotia peninsula with North America....
, approximately 2 kilometres west of the Missaguash River
Missaguash River
The Missaguash River is a small Canadian river that forms the southern portion of the inter-provincial boundary between Nova Scotia and New Brunswick on the Isthmus of Chignecto...
which forms the southern part of the inter-provincial boundary with Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the most populous province in Atlantic Canada. The name of the province is Latin for "New Scotland," but "Nova Scotia" is the recognized, English-language name of the province. The provincial capital is Halifax. Nova Scotia is the...
.
Aulac became strategically important for French military forces during the 18th century after ceding what is now peninsular Nova Scotia to Britain
Kingdom of Great Britain
The former Kingdom of Great Britain, sometimes described as the 'United Kingdom of Great Britain', That the Two Kingdoms of Scotland and England, shall upon the 1st May next ensuing the date hereof, and forever after, be United into One Kingdom by the Name of GREAT BRITAIN. was a sovereign...
in the 1713 Treaty of Utrecht; the words describing the boundary of Acadia
Acadia
Acadia was the name given to lands in a portion of the French colonial empire of New France, in northeastern North America that included parts of eastern Quebec, the Maritime provinces, and modern-day Maine. At the end of the 16th century, France claimed territory stretching as far south as...
(then including all of Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Cape Breton Island
Cape Breton Island
Cape Breton Island is an island on the Atlantic coast of North America. It likely corresponds to the word Breton, the French demonym for Brittany....
, Prince Edward Island
Prince Edward Island
Prince Edward Island is a Canadian province consisting of an island of the same name, as well as other islands. The maritime province is the smallest in the nation in both land area and population...
, the Gaspé Peninsula
Gaspé Peninsula
The Gaspésie , or Gaspé Peninsula or the Gaspé, is a peninsula along the south shore of the Saint Lawrence River in Quebec, Canada, extending into the Gulf of Saint Lawrence...
, Anticosti Island
Anticosti Island
Anticosti Island is an island at the outlet of the Saint Lawrence River into the Gulf of Saint Lawrence, in Quebec, Canada, between 49° and 50° N., and between 61° 40' and 64° 30' W. At in size, it is the 90th largest island in the world and 20th largest island in Canada...
and part of eastern Maine
Maine
Maine is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the east and south, New Hampshire to the west, and the Canadian provinces of Quebec to the northwest and New Brunswick to the northeast. Maine is both the northernmost and easternmost...
) were sufficiently vague as to permit France to establish the Missaguash River as the boundary between Britain's new colony and New France
New France
New France was the area colonized by France in North America during a period beginning with the exploration of the Saint Lawrence River by Jacques Cartier in 1534 and ending with the cession of New France to Spain and Great Britain in 1763...
. During Father Le Loutre's War
Father Le Loutre's War
Father Le Loutre’s War , also known as the Indian War, the Micmac War and the Anglo-Micmac War, took place between King George's War and the French and Indian War in Acadia and Nova Scotia. On one side of the conflict, the British and New England colonists were led by British Officer Charles...
, British military forces constructed a log stockade on the Fort Lawrence Ridge, 3 km to the south of Aulac, naming their facility Fort Lawrence
Fort Lawrence
Fort Lawrence was a British fort built during Father Le Loutre's War and located on the Isthmus of Chignecto .-Father Le Loutre's War:...
, which was promptly answered by the French construction of Fort Beauséjour
Fort Beauséjour
Fort Beauséjour, was built during Father Le Loutre's War from 1751-1755; it is located at the Isthmus of Chignecto in present-day Aulac, New Brunswick, Canada...
at the western end of the Aulac Ridge, overlooking the Cumberland Basin of the Bay of Fundy.
After falling to Britain during the Seven Years' War
Seven Years' War
The Seven Years' War was a global military war between 1756 and 1763, involving most of the great powers of the time and affecting Europe, North America, Central America, the West African coast, India, and the Philippines...
, the Aulac area became part of the Tantramar farming district in the township of Sackville. The Intercolonial Railway constructed its mainline connecting Moncton, New Brunswick with Truro
Truro, Nova Scotia
-Education:Truro has one high school, Cobequid Educational Centre. Post-secondary options include a campus of the Nova Scotia Community College, as well as the Nova Scotia Agricultural College in the neighboring town of Bible Hill.- Sports :...
, Nova Scotia in 1872, with the railway line curving around the ridge below the fort.
In the 20th century, roads across the marshes passed up and over the Aulac Ridge, as did a road running the length of the ridge toward Port Elgin
Port Elgin, New Brunswick
Port Elgin is a Canadian village in Westmorland County, New Brunswick.Port Elgin is situated near the Nova Scotia border at the mouth of the Gaspareaux River where it empties into Baie Verte.-History:...
. These roads were upgraded in the 1960s as part of the Trans-Canada Highway
Trans-Canada Highway
The Trans-Canada Highway is a federal-provincial highway system that joins the ten provinces of Canada. It is, along with the Trans-Siberian Highway and Australia's Highway 1, one of the world's longest national highways, with the main route spanning 8,030 km...
project, with the Moncton-Amherst
Amherst, Nova Scotia
Amherst is a Canadian town in northwestern Cumberland County, Nova Scotia.Located at the northeast end of the Cumberland Basin, an arm of the Bay of Fundy, Amherst is strategically situated on the eastern boundary of the Tantramar Marshes 3 kilometres east of the interprovincial border with New...
, Nova Scotia section being numbered Highway 2
New Brunswick Route 2
Route 2 is a major provincial highway in the Canadian province of New Brunswick, carrying the main route of the Trans-Canada Highway in the province...
and the Aulac-Port Elgin (and thence Cape Tormentine
Cape Tormentine, New Brunswick
Cape Tormentine is a Canadian rural community in Westmorland County, New Brunswick.The community derives its name from a headland of the same name which extends into the Northumberland Strait, forming the easternmost point in the province.-Railway:...
) section being numbered Highway 16
New Brunswick Route 16
Route 16 is a secondary leg of the Trans-Canada Highway . The 51 kilometre-long route goes from an interchange with the mainline TCH near the Nova Scotia border in Aulac, to the Confederation Bridge at Cape Jourimain, connecting New Brunswick to Prince Edward Island...
.
A cluster of highway service businesses established in Aulac, including a truck stop, several gas stations, motels and stores and the hamlet became a popular stopping point for highway travellers. During the 1990s, Aulac was bypassed when Highway 2 was upgraded on a new 4-lane alignment several hundred metres to the east. Only the truck stop, a motel, and several businesses have remained, although it is still well-patronized, especially the Schnitzel Haus, a popular German restaurant
German cuisine
German cuisine is a style of cooking derived from the nation of Germany. It has evolved as a national cuisine through centuries of social and political change with variations from region to region. The southern regions of Germany, including Bavaria and neighbouring Swabia, share many dishes....
.