Trout Point Lodge

In an age filled with constant noise and busyness, enter a world where nature envelops and nurtures you. The sounds you’ll hear are rustling leaves and whispering wind, and the sights you’ll see are as ancient as the stars. Trout Point Lodge is a lush haven for adventurers searching for both authenticity and luxury.

Trout Point Lodge offers luxury adventure travel, guided stargazing and other ecotourism vacations from its secluded location in the heart of the Tobeatic Wilderness in southwestern Nova Scotia, Canada, 40 mins from Yarmouth (daily ferry service from Bar Harbor, Maine), 1.5 hours from Digby (2 daily ferry services from Saint John, New Brunswick) and 3 hours from cosmopolitan Halifax.

A quintessential wilderness lodge & nature retreat, this unsurpassed eco destination lets you enjoy the Canadian backwoods easily accessible on Canada’s east coast. Member of Small Luxury Hotels of the World, every hotel room, suite, and cottage boasts stunning river views.

Recommended for stays of at least two nights, a Trout Point vacation allows you to forget the cares of the outside world, perfect for a relaxing getaway and to celebrate special occasions.

An award winning wine list compliments chefs who feature fresh, local market cuisine in the renowned Trout Point dining rooms. The enchanting location & spacious Nova Scotia accommodations make for a secret hideaway that will rejuvenate and inspire!
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​You will savour beautiful Nova Scotia river country at the Lodge, a unique refuge offering superb outdoor recreation, outstanding cuisine, & engaging culinary experiences in a spot so wild there is no cell phone coverage!

An unparalleled place for relaxation & enjoyment of the outdoors, this 5-star resort’s 100 acre wooded estate borders the remote Tobeatic Wilderness Area & the scenic waters of the scenic Tusket & Napier Rivers, yet lies an easy drive from scenic French Acadian villages, historic seafaring ports, stunning beaches, & Bay of Fundy seacoasts. The Lodge is electric vehicle friendly, with 2 charging stations, one for Tesla vehicles.
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Enjoy canoeing & kayaking, expert-guided star gazing, geo-tours, forest bathing, cooking classes, an outdoor barrel sauna & wood-fired hot tub, swimming refreshing river water, hiking trails, & nature walks amidst wilderness splendour.

A true eco-lodge, Trout Point follows leading sustainable tourism practices, recognized by the Parks Canada Sustainable Award and the National Geographic Society.

Guests enjoy a daily-changing gourmet 4-course Chef’s Menu dinner featuring the freshest, local ingredients — so just arrive in our serene world and unwind.

Elegant public areas with wood-burning fireplaces compliment spacious & comfortable lodging–no tent camps or “glamping” here–in yet a stone’s throw away lies wilderness as pristine as anywhere Canada has on offer!

Accommodation
If you are looking for a unique place to stay in Nova Scotia, Trout Point Lodge is a great choice. We are the only 5 star hotel in Nova Scotia that combines luxurious accommodations in a remote pristine wilderness, exquisite fine dining cuisine, and unique outdoor experiences such as stargazing, forest bathing and more!

Our riverside wood-fired hot tub and outdoor barrel sauna are unlike anything else and not to be missed! Trout Point Lodge offers various accommodation options in three buildings set in 100 acres.

The Main Lodge offers seven roomy junior suites and one spacious premier suite. Beaver Hall is about 7 minutes walk away from the Main Lodge and offers three junior suites. The Lakeside Cottage is a fully equipped cottage with two bedrooms, suitable for guests who require more privacy and may wish to self-cater.

In addition to belonging to the prestigious Small Luxury Hotels of the World, Trout Point’s suites and cottage are rated 5-star by Canada Select, the national accommodation rating agency: “A 5 star property is luxurious at a world standard, offering outstanding facilities, guest service and amenities.”

Trout Point has since 2008 been annually inspected and recommended by Conde Nast Johansens, “the most respected name in travel.”

As a member Trout Point participates in a comprehensive inspection program, maintains top consumer reviews, and offers the amenities and services required for a superlative guest experience.

Excluding extra beds, Trout Point can accommodate 13 couples or 26 people at Trout Point, with double occupancy. For exclusive use and house party events, with sharing of extra beds and roll-away beds, this number can be increased to 34 guests.

Trout Point Lodge is generally an adults-only property and only children aged fourteen years or older are permitted to stay at Trout Point in order to preserve the tranquil & mature atmosphere. All children are welcome at the lodge whenever the entire property is booked by a single group.

Trout Point offers unique accommodations and experiences that go beyond cookie-cutter concepts of luxury. ​There is no cell phone coverage for the perfect idyllic retreat!

Main Lodge
Each room was designed and decorated to be distinctly different, but with a common Haute Rustic theme. Appointed with original art, memorabilia and antiques, the guest rooms provide a comfortable and subtly luxurious atmosphere.

All spacious guest rooms in the Great Lodge feature log walls & beam ceilings and full amenities. Many have hand-cut stone fireplaces and porches or patios, as do the Great Room and the two dining venues.
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There are seven roomy junior suites and one spacious premier suite in the riverside Main Lodge featuring a variety of services.

Each guest room is distinctly individual, well-appointed with eclectic décor and local Acadian handmade log and twig furniture, private bathroom with bath tubs, hairdryer and features Frette linens and L’Occitane en Provence amenities. Staff member is available 24 hours.

Deluxe Junior Suites
Our Deluxe Junior Suites are both on the top floor of the Main Lodge.

Burlwood Junior Suite has half-cathedral ceiling with lots of windows above the 1/2 log walls, including in the bathroom. Natural-colour wool carpeting compliments the handcrafted V. Cottreau furniture such as the 2 double beds, desk, and love seat.

The bathroom has hard-fired Italian tile, pedestal sink, and 5′ bath tub. Windows look to the river, lodge gardens, and forest.

​Wildwood Junior Suite rests on the top floor Natural-colour wool carpeting, rugs, and handmade V. Cottreau furniture including 2 queen beds, love seat, and desk.

It has long views of the Tusket river, Lodge gardens, and pine forest with lots of windows under the half-cathedral ceiling. The bathroom has hard-fired Italian tile, pedestal sink, and 5′ bath tub. Log walls extend to the start of the windows.

Luxurious Beaver Hall Accommodations
On The Bank Of The Tusket River
An exclusive riverside compound located at a bend in the Tusket River, Beaver Hall offers three guest rooms and its own grand public area with a soaring cathedral ceiling and massive stone fireplace. There is a flatscreen TV with cable and a large selection of DVDs to choose from.
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All suites have their own outdoor sitting areas. Beaver Hall itself features a boardwalk to the river and lush landscaping, as well as a dock in the Tusket River, with Muskoka chairs. Beaver Hall is home to:

• A Forest Fireplace Junior Suite with river-view balcony and spacious bathroom with separate tub & shower, double sinks, large walk-in closet, fireplace, handcrafted writing desk and queen bed.
• Red Maple King Suite with a stunning 4-poster king bed, writing desk, comfortable armchair and sofa, and outdoor sitting area; river views.
• Island Meadow Junior Suite with 2 handcrafted double beds, writing desk, comfortable arm chairs, and outdoor sitting area.

2-bedroom Black Bear Cottage at East Meadow Lake
Located downstream from the Main Lodge on scenic East Meadow Lake, Black Bear Cottage provides unique Nova Scotia vacation experiences including spacious accommodations, a lovely wood-burning fireplace, TV with DVD player, direct dial telephone, WiFi, full kitchen, BBQ, ample decks, fire pit, and comfy living areas. The cottage receives daily maid service and evening turn-down service. There is a 2-night minimum stay for Black Bear Cottage.

​Black Bear Cottage has 2 bedrooms that feature our unique handcrafted furniture. The downstairs has a queen bed, closet, and en-suite bathroom. The upstairs has a very spacious room with 2 double beds, an en-suite bathroom, closet, and comfortable chair.

There is a living room with a wood-burning fireplace, large leather sofa, CD player, and writing desk. A full kitchen, BBQ, deck, and sun porch complete the scene! Black Bear Cottage is pet-friendly!

Atlantic ​Fine Cuisine
​Creative, Authentic Nova Scotian Dining & Wine… informed by sense of place
Canada’s freshest seafood & meats, fresh mineral waters, as well as vegetables, greens, edible flowers, and herbs selected from extensive on-site gardens allow Trout Point Lodge’s kitchen to deftly create food brimming with flavour and subtlety.

Each dish is made from scratch and every ingredient hand-picked (you will never see a foodservice company truck parked outside Trout Point Lodge).

Trout Point’s exquisite Atlantic Acadian cuisine is distinguished by the finest regional products, intertwining local seafood, organic ingredients, wild woodland delicacies, and produce from the gardens to create an unforgettable dining experience founded on principles of sustainability.

Winner of an Award of Excellence from Wine Spectator magazine since 2009 for its wine list, suggested wines are offered every night.

Luxurious breakfast is included in all suite rates booked directly with Trout Point. Lunch options are available between 12 pm to 4 pm with options for our gourmet packed lunch ($30/person) if you are out hiking, kayaking or fishing, or indulge in our delicious lunch menu in our Great Room or terrace!

Trout Point offers our signature gourmet 4-course Chef’s menu dinners that changes daily based on the day’s freshest produce from our gardens and our local farmers.

We also offer a 3-course gourmet dinner for guests who wish for something lighter and a decadent 5-course for guests who wish to indulge on their vacation! The menu may be limited for guests with dietary restrictions.

A complete vegetarian meal option is always on offer. We endeavour to satisfy requests for gluten-free diets. Food allergies and religious diets are always accommodated with at least 48 hours notice before arrival.

Our signature gourmet 4-course dinner is CAD $122/person (approximately USD $93/person). 3-course dinner is CAD $105/person and 5-course dinner is CAD $140/person. 16% resort fee is added to all meal prices. Seating in the dining venues is limited, and reservations are required for dinner.

• Breakfast : 8 am to 10 am
• Lunch : 12 pm to 4 pm
• Dinner : 6.30 pm to 8.30 pm

Note: Due to our intimate size, Room Service is available after breakfast and outside of dinner service between 12 pm to 4 pm, and after 10 pm. Reservation is required for dinner on the night of arrival at the Lodge.

​Trout Point’s unpretentious Atlantic cuisine is distinguished by the finest regional products, intertwining local seafood, organic ingredients, wild woodland delicacies, and produce from the gardens to create an unforgettable dining experience founded on principles of sustainability.

​A leading member of the Sustainable Restaurant Association, Trout Point has won a coveted 3-star rating in what the London Guardian has termed the “Michelin stars of sustainability” as well as the inaugural Green Restaurant Award from the Restaurant Association of Nova Scotia.

Our Dining Rooms
Experience different enchanting dining venues and a 170+ selection wine list amidst the nourishing purity of the Acadian Forest. Trout Point offers 2 distinct dining venues for our signature gourmet 4-course Chef’s Menu dinners:

• Chez la Forêt. An intimate venue for couples, panelled walls, hand-hewn bar and a red stone fireplace.
• Bois et Charbon. A larger and cozy room with haute rustic decor and beautiful handcrafted furniture, blue granite walls, black slate floors, log beam ceiling, and flanking fireplaces.

Both venues offer great views of La Riviere Tousquet and create the perfect stage for a romantic gourmet retreat or that special celebration with family or friends. In the summer time, outdoor dining by the river is available on beautiful nights when the weather is great.

Dinners in all venues are always candle lit with table linens, silver cutlery and crystal stemware for an exquisite dining experience. Venues may be requested but is subject to availability for that evening.

We proudly feature the same gourmet 4-course Chef’s Menu for dinner in all our dining venues!​ Acclaimed for friendly service, dining at Trout Point occurs in an elegant but informal atmosphere.

Business Dinners
Impress your clients and business associates with an exquisite gourmet 4-course dinner created by our Executive Chef Andreas Preuß at our intimate fine-dining restaurant Chez la Forêt or our larger dining room Bois et Charbon.

Winner of an Award of Excellence from Wine Spectator magazine since 2009, select from our 170+ selection wine list and dine amidst the nourishing purity of the Acadian Forest. Private dining is available for groups.

Retreats and Meetings
Break the mold of stuffy, uninspired hotel meetings and meeting spaces. Your business or corporate event deserves a space as rejuvenating and memorable as the content of your meeting or event.

Trout Point Lodge of Nova Scotia is perfect for small corporate meetings, team retreats, board meetings, and team building exercises. A variety of meeting space options exist, as does the possibility of booking the entire facility.

At the Lodge, your event will benefit from attentive staff, and an elegant, the Haute Rustic atmosphere, and acclaimed foodservice, not to mention abundant recreational opportunities–a perfect amount of necessary diversion. Life is about balance, after all!

​Trout Point will help your team unwind, relax, and then get down to business. This is a true retreat that allows your team to focus without distractions – there is no cell phone coverage and no televisions in guest rooms.

You can connect to the outside world to the degree desired – telephone, WiFi, satellite television and high speed internet are all available. Trout Point is a perfect place for couples, where spouses can canoe, kayak, hike, or take cooking lessons while those less fortunate attend meetings or presentations.
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Guest suites are designed for double occupancy, with some additional capacity available. Trout Point recommends groups sizes of from fourteen (single occupancy) to thirty persons.

Trout Point can provide state-of-the-art audio visual platforms to accommodate presentation and classroom-style meetings. Assistance is available for large screen presentations, video, DVD, powerpoint, slides, and teleconferencing, which keeps meetings running smoothly. Options for Meeting Spaces:

• Medium-sized room with natural light, conference table for up to 12 persons, bathroom
• Principle dining room: large room with natural light and a variety of seating options, including for up to 30 persons.
• Beaver Hall: Large meeting space with both informal “living room” type seating, and conference tables

Your Luxury Wedding Resort Awaits
Dreaming of an unforgettable wilderness destination wedding for your special day? Trout Point Lodge offers a secluded, luxury setting for your wedding ceremony in Nova Scotia.

​With 100 acres of pristine wilderness and accommodations for 2 to a maximum of 34 guests, we offer a special wedding experience unlike any other.

Customize your dream luxury wedding from our list of services or select one of our specially curated small wedding packages or a complete wedding buy-out at our luxury wedding resort for 28 to a maximum of 34 people.

​Our intimate size allows for a high degree of customization and our team of expert wedding consultants specialize in planning your dream wedding and ensuring that every detail is perfect.

• Wedding in the forest at our luxury resort
• Wedding ceremony in the forest by our foot bridge
• Natural Luxury for Your Wedding Ceremony
• Where a love for nature and luxury come together.

​Trout Point Lodge sits amidst old-growth forests carpeted by soft moss and rushing rivers in the heart of UNESCO Southwest Nova Scotia Biosphere. Our wedding resort lies next to the Tobeatic Wilderness Area – the largest protected wilderness area in Atlantic Canada.

Our 100 acres of pristine wilderness offer multiple locations for your ceremony venue. Say “I Do” on one of our beautiful decks by the Tusket River, under the shade of our forest, on our riverside patio or veranda or at our panoramic stargazing platform.

After your ceremony, relax and enjoy a romantic mini honeymoon. Allow our attentive team to pamper and celebrate your special day with you at our luxury wedding resort.

Wilderness Paradise: The Tobeatic
Where the Tusket & Napier Rivers converge
Spanning parts of 5 counties, the Tobeatic Wilderness Area remains the largest wild area in the Maritimes. Unique barren and semi-barren landscapes with outstanding undisturbed glacial landforms characterize the area, including esker fields, moraines, kettles and outwash plains.

It protects remote and undisturbed wildlife habitat, protects expansive wetlands, pockets of old-growth pine and hemlock forest, and the headwaters of 9 major river systems flowing to both the Atlantic and Fundy coasts.

Taken together with the neighboring Kejimkujik National Park and Historic Site the Tobeatic Wilderness Area forms the central core of an expansive protected landscape within interior southwestern Nova Scotia. The Tobeatic Wilderness Area contributes significantly biodiversity protection in Nova Scotia.

An historic refuge for wildlife, today the Tobeatic Wilderness Area protects native biodiversity, with undisturbed wildlife habitat for many species, including a small but provincially significant remnant native Nova Scotia moose population, healthy and abundant black bear, and a re-introduced population of American marten.

In late 2014, the Tobeatic became the core area of North America’s first certified Starlight Reserve and Starlight Tourist Destination, now known as “Acadian Skies & Mi’kmaq Lands.”

Due to its privileged lack of light pollution, and an inland climate with clear skies, the Reserve met strict criterion set by the UNESCO-backed Foundation and the Canaries Astrophysics Institute.

This included scientific measurements of sky brightness (at night) that rivals nearly anywhere on earth. Trout Point guests can enjoy guided star gazing using the Lodge’s own telescopes & binoculars.

A Brief History of the Tobeatic by Andy Smith

In the late 1930s, Chief Sanctuary Warden, Chester Gray of Kemptville, Yarmouth Co., led Burton Spiller, a writer for the American magazine Field & Stream, on a 10-day fishing trip into the newly created Tobeatic Game Sanctuary. In his account of the trip, Spiller described portaging his canoe in the area of Siskech Lake:

“I was struggling along . . . when I suddenly heard a great organ playing. The sound came from somewhere before me and I went on eagerly, for organ music has a strange power to stir my soul. Presently I found myself in a great cathedral.

Towering hemlock trunks rose all around me, stretching upward of fifty – sixty – seventy feet to where the lofty and interwoven branches barred the sunlight. Among these branches the winds stirred, and the effect was one of celestial music.

Soft, resonant, deep, it sang of a time when God walked in the cool of the forest. Then as the wind played upon muted pipes, the chorus rose, full, swelling, triumphant, a mighty diapason of sound that held me breathless.” [Burton L. Spiller, Fishin’ Around, New York: Winchester Press, 1974, p. 53.]

Daily Cooking & Wine Classes 
Cooking Classes in the main lodge kitchen are held on alternate days on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays, usually starting at 11 a.m. and lasting for 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Wild foods walks (Foraging through the Forest) also take place on a regular basis (see the video below).

Themes for the classes change depending on the day, and popular topics include gourmet lobster culinary class (only available with our Cook, Wine and Dine package), Acadian cuisine, and dessert-making with our pastry chef! Classes are available to the general public as well as Trout Point guests. Please call 902-761-2142 for inquiries and bookings.

Classes and forays are taught by professional Trout Point Lodge kitchen staff, with lessons planned by the Executive Chef. Cooking classes take place in the newly-equipped GE Monogram kitchen, with the same appliances used in the Top Chef Canada Food Network series.

Lobster Experience
The Nova Scotia Seafood Cooking School at Trout Point Lodge offers an unsurpassed lobster cooking adventure!

Lodge chefs will teach you to perfectly cook local Nova Scotia lobster alongside shellfish like clams & mussels. Participants also receive an informative and fascinating look at the biology of lobster, and how to choose the best specimens.

Learn proper storage methods and requirements; advice on the care and handling of live lobster, and much more. Trout Point Lodge has offered seafood culinary classes since 2000.

Offering more than just instruction in how to boil lobster, the Lobster Experience will offer tips on a variety of ways to use lobster in cooking, including steaming and grilling techniques, advice on proper shucking, and how to avoid overcooking.

Lobster Fishing Area 34 in Southwest Nova Scotia covers 8,500 square miles (21,000 km2), an area the size of New Jersey. It has the largest catches of Canada’s 41 lobster fishing areas, accounting for 40 percent of the country’s catch and 23 percent of North American landings.

Local fishermen pride themselves on harvesting cold-water lobsters with a hard shell. As luck has it, Trout Point Lodge lies in the centre of it all, just inland from Yarmouth, Shelburne, and Digby.

There is simply nowhere else in the world to enjoy better lobster! The chefs at Trout Point will make the most of this local delicacy in their daily cooking. While many people boil lobster, local fishermen in Southwest Nova Scotia steam their lobster (often in seawater) to maintain its delicate texture and delectable flavours!

Stargazing Platform
​Our Stargazing Platform is located in a riverside meadow away from the surrounding forest, allowing for nearly unobstructed 360-degree views of the sky.

​We sit under the darkest skies in North America and together with our platform, advanced telescopic equipment and knowledgeable staff astronomer, offer the ideal conditions to experience the night skies like never before!

In late 2014, Trout Point Lodge received certification as the World’s first Starlight Hotel from the Starlight Foundation, the organizational arm of the international Starlight Initiative supported by UNESCO.

Trout Point Resort offers guided solar and stargazing from the Lodge’s vantage as among the best places for astronomical observations in North America, with dark & clear night time skies.

Guided stargazing excursions with a staff astronomer as well as daytime interpretation of the sun using a solar telescope are available. Learn about the ancient origins and makeup of our solar system, our galaxy, and the universe itself.

Check out major constellations and the magnificent Milky Way like you’ve never seen it before. The stargazing resort lies within the core zone of the new Acadian Skies & Mi’kmaq Lands Starlight Tourist Destination, and immediately adjacent to a certified Starlight Reserve: the Tobeatic Wilderness Area.

The views are breathtaking and can at times include amazing meteor showers as well as glimpses of the aurora borealis.

Using the Lodge’s new Meade 10″ telescope, astronomical binoculars, portable Celestron SkyProdigy 130 mm, and Coronado 60 mm solar telescope brings heavenly bodies into even greater clarity. An astronomical laser pointer and Sky Quality Meter will enhance the experience.

Ice & Geology Excursions
Led by knowledgeable guides, Trout Point’s geo-excursions reveal and connect geology, natural history & human history in Kemptville, the local village.

Through interpreted hikes on the land, you’ll learn about how this unique landscape was shaped by geologic forces, the power of ice, and man’s part within this ecosystem. The local landscape tells many stories.

Rock and glacier made the place, determining the practices, stories, and struggles of local living. These educational, hands-on, and entertaining excursions illuminate the often subtle world of rock and ice.

Glacial Wonderland
As ancient glaciers retreated from Nova Scotia during the last Ice Age, sculpting the landscape thousands of years ago, they scrubbed the land around the Tusket River to the bedrock, creating innumerable creeks and lakes scattered amongst rocky barrens.

Glaciation of Nova Scotia spread from local ice caps, reaching a climax of 3km thick 20,000 years ago. Retreat of the ice began 18,000 years ago, and lasted for 6000 years. Poorly sorted glacial deposits, known as till, are found scattered over the province.

Ground moraine, drumlins, eskers, outwash plains and erratics are all topographic features attributable to the action of the ice sheets. The geology and vegetative features of the main Tusket River extend only for short distances into the eastern portion of the watershed near the historic village of Tusket.

However, the upper reaches of three branch rivers (East Branch, Cold Stream and Quinan) serve as waterways into a dramatically different and beautiful landscape. Two secondary branches bearing names from the colonizers and the Mi’kmaq, the Napier and the Muskpauk, also form part of this eastern route.

The upper East Branch and the Napier River around Trout Point Lodge drain an extensive elevated plateau (400 + feet) known as the Granite Barrens. The Shelburne Barrens along Hwy. 203 has a gently undulating topography, with no drastic relief or steep slopes.

The irregular ridges are cut by a large number of swales, bogs and swamps throughout the area. The Flintstone Barrens are strewn with boulders and poorly drained, with a number of irregular lakes. The granite barrens in the north are at a higher elevation than the surrounding lands, which lie on Meguma rocks.

As the name implies, the bedrock is granite with a thin cover of loose, stony granite glacial till. The landscape surface here and descending southward to Trout Point displays huge boulders. Large areas of exposed bedrock can be found.

Poor drainage created streams that flow between shallow irregular lakes, bogs, swamps and swales. On the border of the watershed, some lakes have beaches of white granite sand. The glaciers also formed long prominent eskers which are said to be the longest in the Maritimes.

This land is part of the Tobeatic Wilderness Area (1000 square kilometres / 386 square miles), the province’s remaining pristine wilderness.

The head waters of the East Branch north of Trout Point are but a canoe portage away from the Shelburne River, the most remote wilderness river in Nova Scotia. This “Canadian Heritage River” links the Tusket watershed with Kejimkujik National Park.

Southwestern Nova Scotia was created as part of a continental shelf and turbidities (underwater landslides) of Meguma, a section of Nova Scotia originally formed as part of the modern day continent of Africa.

The Meguma Terrane consisted of very dense deposits of accumulated sediments. During the continental collision (the Silurian age) between Avalonia & Meguma, the region was heavily deformed into immense geological folds roughly 380 million years ago through processes of melting and fracturing.

These folds run southwest to northeast and are referred to as the South Mountain batholith. The granite rocks which run from Musquodobit to Yarmouth are outcrop examples of this time. These can be found in Blue Rocks, Point Pleasant Park in Halifax and throughout Yarmouth County.

During the collision massive mountains were created, remnants of which form part of today’s Appalachian mountain range. Through geological processes of uplift and erosion, much of the rock was eroded during a period lasting roughly 10 million years.

Fascinating examples of related geo-history surround Trout Point, allowing guests to see & explore geophysical features and remains dating back millions of years. Many fault lines and shear zones have brought together different geologic zones within walking or kayaking distance of Trout Point.

Only a little over ten years ago, scientists working for the Department of Natural Resources first recognized abundant boulders of massive quartz and quartz breccia along the lower reach of the Napier River (Fig. 1), just north of the main lodge.

The quartz-kaolin and mica mineralization of this area is typically located in shear zones within the Meguma Terrane of the Canadian Appalachians and specifically the Goldenville Formation.

The Goldenville Formation is believed to be Late Cambrian or early Ordovician in age as it grades conformably into the Halifax Formation which is of Tremadoc age or earliest Ordovician.

A blanket of Pleistocene glacial till from the last Ice Age, 1 to 15 metres thick covers this area of the Province. The linear course of the Napier River strongly suggests it follows a northeast-trending fault or fracture system. The presence of these boulders indicates that a fault controlled, silica-kaolin deposit are present there.

In the past century or so, the Kemptville area has has witnessed tin, gold, and silica white rock mines. Just a few kilometers from the Lodge, lies the remediated Rio Algom tin mine, an endocontact zone of a granite pluton.

The mineralized zone occurs within an extension of the south-west end of the 300 x 60 km South Mountain Bathotith, which has been termed the Davis Lake monzogranite or pluton (see above). When it was operating, it was the largest primary tin mine in North America.

During this time, geologists discovered a wide variety of minerals including one new mineral to science – mcauslanite. The mine is also only the first reported locality in Canada for triplite, and the second for childrenite-eosphorite.

The White Rock Mine is also a site of kaolinite. Kaolinite, an alumina-silicate clay mineral, and other clay minerals are formed through the alteration of the feldspars in the granite by hot fluids, leaving quartz, residue micas, and other minerals.

Access to hot circulating fluids was provided via the pathways created by the shearing along the Tobeatic Shear Zone. Hydrothermal alteration of the deposit is similar to that of the Cornish type clay deposits of England and Dam, France.

The core of the shear zone is occupied by a 20 to 100 metre wide zone of high purity brecciated quartz. The quartz breccia zone width is generally between 50m and 100 m, but locally narrows to 20 or 30 metre in width. In general, the quartz breccia is massive. The colour varies from snow white to whitish grey to transparent.

Gold in Kemptville
The Kemptville gold deposit is related to massive hydrothermal alteration along a major, ductile shear zone. Gold was discovered at Kemptville in 1881 and mining began in 1885 from two sites: the Kempt workings on the shore of Kempt Back Lake and the Cowan workings a short distance to the west (see above).

A large swampy area separates the two mine sites, but it was always believed that both exploited the same vein system, which is likely connected under the swamp.

Most mining took place between 1885 and 1888 but production continued intermittently until 1918, by which time 3,134 oz. of gold had been won from 4,418 tons of quartz.

A Natural Resources geologist concluded that this hydrothermal deformation and alteration occurs over a very extensive area and represents a northeasttrending, ductile shear zone that originates somewhere in the South Mountain Batholith northeast of the former East Kemptville Tin Mine and continues southwest through the villages of Kemptville and Carleton to intersect the north-northeast-trending Deerfield Shear Zone (see map).

The structure has a minimum strike length of 30 km and a width varying from 200 to 300 m.

Acadian culture & heritage
Trout Point is the Perfect Location from which to Experience the longest continuously settled Acadian French culture region in Atlantic Canada . . . with the world’s best seafood & hardshell lobster.

The storied region of Southwest Nova Scotia surrounding Trout Point on all sides boasts numerous historic sites, stunning beaches, and lively Acadian French culture. Experience the history of colonial North America at places like Port Royal in nearby Annapolis County.

Port-Royal was one of the first European settlements in North America, leaving a lasting legacy on the area that can still be felt today.

Port Royal Habitation
Trout Point guests can also discover Clare and la Baie St. Marie, home to a wonderful Acadian interpretive centre at Universite de St. Anne, stunning Mavilette Beach and Smuggler’s Cove parks, art galleries, and experiences like Le Petit Bois Guided Walks!

Bon Temps . . . toujours acadienne welcomes you! A Nova Scotia tourism region boasting fantastic culinary offerings, outdoor adventure, great golf, and engaging museums.

The Bon Temps . . . toujours acadienne region is home to the largest Acadian French speaking population in Nova Scotia and is also the only region of continuous Acadian culture and settlement since the early 17th century. You’ll experience genuine hospitality and the most authentic French culture this side of Quebec.

In 1653, Charles de La Tour gave to Philippe Mius d’Entremont the choice to settle wherever he would like. He chose what was then known to the Indians as Pobomcoup, meaning “a place where holes have been made through the ice to fish”.

Charles de La Tour founded the place as a barony, the first ever constituted in Acadia, and the second in all Canada. He gave to Philippe Mius d’Entremont the title of Baron. The center of the barony was located on the east side of the harbour, not far from its head.

It was in this same year, 1653, that Philippe Mius d’Entremont came to live here, with his wife, Madeleine Hélie, and their daughter Marguerite, who was born in France and was to become the wife of Pierre Melanson, the founder of Grand-Pré.

While Grand Pré is today an important historical monument, “Pobomcoup” or Pubnico remains a vibrant Acadian community, along with scenic communities with names like Ste. Anne de Ruisseau, Wedgeport, Tusket, East Kemptville, Belleville, Argyle Head, Quinnan, and Surette’s Island.

This web site is your guide to unique vacation experiences shaped & informed by this rich Acadian history.

Bon Temps also pays tribute to the spirit of l’Ordre du Bon Temps (Order of Good Cheer), North America’s first culinary society, founded by Samuel de Champlain in 1605.

At the time it was believed that “land sickness” (now known as scurvy) was caused by idleness, so Champlain organized the Order to include not just food, but also entertainment.

The first meeting, which took place on November 14, 1606, included a theatrical performance called “Le Theatre de Neptune en la Nouvelle-France”. The play told the story of sailors travelling to the New World, only to encounter Neptune, god of the sea on the way.

The Baron de Poutrincourt, Intendant to the King of France in North America, had been on an expedition on the Atlantic coast to the coast of present-day Maine, and, on the occasion of his return to the fort at Port-Royal, the Order was founded at a glorious reception, the preparations for which reportedly involved all those remaining at Port-Royal.

The feasting of the Order occurred weekly and continued throughout the winter until the last of March only to recommence annually in the Fall.

Indeed, the Bon Temps region continues the tradition of good cheer with superlative food and festivity drawn from the local land and sea! Use the navigation bar above to plan your next holiday in Bon Temps . . . toujours acadienne!!!

Website: www.troutpoint.com

Rooms: 11

Price: from 305 EUR per night