The Fort Anne Heritage Tapestry

Fort Anne National Historic Site

The Fort Anne Heritage Tapestry is a large wall tapestry handcrafted by the community to commemorate 400 years of local history in Annapolis Royal, Nova Scotia.

The heritage tapestry

The tapestry includes four panels. Each panel presents one century of European settlement in the Annapolis Royal area, roughly from the beginning of the 17th century to the end of the 20th.

The subject matter includes not only Fort Anne (and its long history) but also early settlement along the river and the town of Annapolis Royal.

Events are not depicted in chronological order but as they relate to the various elements of the landscape, which, although stylized, remain easily recognizable.

A closer look at the tapestry

Two people cooking over a fire in front of a wigwam, the Habitation in the background.

Three people sharing a meal together at the Habitation.

An Acadian settlement being destroyed by fire.

Soldiers directing people onto a ship during the Great Upheaval, when the early British forcibly deported Acadian settlers.

Stitches in Time

Stitches in Time provides more detail about the stories included in the tapestry. The booklet features 50 pages of colour photographs and detailed anecdotes of Annapolis Royal's history.

The official Parks Canada publication is available for purchase at the Fort Anne gift shop.

A Community-based project

The Annapolis Royal tapestry began as an idea for a community-based project to celebrate the centennial of the Canadian Parks Service system in 1985.

Many people were involved in the design and creation of the tapestry. The actual fabrication of the tapestry involved a great deal of work on the part of many volunteers.

Interesting facts

More than 100 volunteers donated 20,000 hours of time to this project
The correct technical term for this piece is canvas work
The tapestry is a stitched textile, using 12 mesh-to-the-inch canvas and two-ply Persian wool
The tapestry measures 5.5 metres (18 feet) across and 2.5 metres (8 feet) high
There are 3 million stitches, with 95 shades of wool including 16 shades of green
The main work is in diagonal tent stitch or basket weave, and there are an additional 35 decorative stitches to create texture
As well as Persian wool, the tapestry contains cotton and cotton thread, linen and linen thread, metallic rayon thread, metallic threads, silk thread and cord, angora wool, organdy, ultra suede, leather, kid leather, handmade bobbin lace, gold braid and ribbon, tassels, porcupine quills and beads

Queen Elizabeth II

Queen Elizabeth II personally contributed to the tapestry during her visit to Halifax, Nova Scotia, on Saturday, August 13, 1994.

The Queen agreed afterward it was her toughest task of the day. "Easily," the Queen of England and the Commonwealth drolly told Canadian Heritage Minister Michel Dupuy. "I can't see and I can't sew."

First, she put on her glasses. Then she peeled off one white glove, following with the other less than a minute later.

"I don't do tapestry," the Queen warned about a dozen onlookers Saturday afternoon at Government House. But with just a little coaching from project co-coordinator Pam Lunnon, she gamely put two basket-weave stitches in the brooch of a portrait of her great-great-grandmother, Queen Victoria.

When her work was completed, the Queen added her "Elizabeth R" to the Tapestry's Book of Volunteers.

The Chronicle Herald of Monday, August 15, 1994