Acadian French once lived here, but the real settlement of Truro dates from a few years after the “Expulsion.”
Truro is a very pleasant inland town in which to spend a vacation. There is beautiful and romantic country on every hand, with excellent roads. The fishing round about is fair; the hunting, in season, excellent. There are many interesting places within easy reach, both by road and rail; and the town offers a pleasant social life that is very enjoyable for those who like to summer in a country town where comfort and some variety in life may be had.
On the meadow-lands traces have been found of the dykes thrown up by the Acadians. Willows planted by them have survived to this day.
The joy and pride of Truro is her beautiful pleasure ground, usually called Victoria Park; but just as often termed the Joe Howe Park, from the fact that it contains the Howe Falls, named after him, and also because it is proposed to erect a Howe memorial there later on. The park has been described as “Nature’s fairyland, . . . . with its groves, its deep ravines and its beautiful waterfall.” This is about as good a brief description as could be made. The park is so beautiful that merely to describe it as one of the best in the province is to rob it of its just due. It has really all the characteristics of a great park, deserves to be classed with the chief pleasure grounds of Canada, and is, in fact, superior in natural beauty to any of the well-known North American parks. It is surely only a question of time before excursion trains will bring people from all over to enjoy the delights of this picturesque place.
The entrance to Victoria park is at the front door of the town, for it is close to the Intercolonial Railway Station. Scarcely anything has been done here to alter the approach or surroundings. It has been left almost as found, and the result is very satisfactory. The deep ravine that runs through the park, and contributes so much to its romantic aspect, has its opening at the place selected for an entrance, and a pretty little stream winds its way in the channel thus provided. A carriage drive penetrates for some distance, but the strong feature that pleases all who visit here is the multitude of walks and romantic by-paths that lead off in every direction.