The History of Long and Brier Islands
When European settlers arrived in the late 1700s, they landed on territory which had been home to the Mi’kmaq as well as other first nations groups for 4000 years. In the early years Mi’kmaq encampments could be found in Freeport overlooking St. Mary’s Bay. Clay fragments from one yard have dated back 2500 years. In the later years, descendants of early native peoples fished for porpoise off Flour cove on Long Island. Place names such as Petit Passage, Grand Passage and the Saint Mary’s Bay can be attributed to the French explorer, Champlain, who first visited the area in 1604.
Fishermen from New England, drawn by the fertile fishing grounds, settled on Brier Island in the 1760s. In 1783 a wave of Loyalist settlers descended upon Nova Scotia. Large groups of these displaced people went on to settle Digby Neck, Long and Brier Islands and established fishing and trading industries. Many heritage homes built by families of the first settlers still remain today.
Throughout the years from 1785 to today, the inhabitants of Long and Brier Islands have depended on the fishing industry to support their families and community. Today the many fish plants that once existed are gone but the lobster industry remains the economic backbone of the villages.
