Menou d'Aulnay, Charles de National Historic Person
Annapolis Royal, Nova Scotia
Charles de Menou d'Aulnay
© Parks Canada/F. Gaudet
Address :
Fort Anne National Historic Site, Annapolis Royal, Nova Scotia
Recognition Statute:
Historic Sites and Monuments Act (R.S.C., 1985, c. H-4)
Designation Date:
1972-05-29
Life Date:
1604 to 1650
Other Name(s):
-
Menou d'Aulnay, Charles de
(Designation Name)
Importance:
Governor of Acadia (1647-50), organized colonies at Port-Royal and Saint John
Plaque(s)
Existing plaque: Fort Anne NHSC Fort Anne National Historic Site, Annapolis Royal, Nova Scotia
This eminent sea captain played a key role in the settlement of Acadia. He commanded La Hève and Port Royal in 1636, and became governor of Acadia in 1647. Over a fourteen-year period, he oversaw the construction of forts, mills and schools and ventured into shipbuilding. He drained marshes with a system of dykes and tide gates, enabling settlers to survive through agriculture. Charles de Menou d'Aulnay was one of the great architects of French settlement in Canada.