Seal Cove
A walk through Seal Cove is a walk through history itself……
Many visitors to Grand Manan Island concentrate their visit, so to speak, on the northern end of the island but there is so much to explore as well if you head south. Seal Cove is one such gem.
The buildings bounding the cove are on stilts, of course, to accommodate Grand Manan’s incredible tide.
Your stay on the Island would be incomplete without a visit to Seal Cove.
How to get there
Take Route #776 south and have it lead you through picturesque Woodwards Cove and then Grand Harbour. Keep going! At one point, the road will wind slightly and then dip, revealing the village itself, with buildings, including church spires, strewn across this hilly part of the island. Our golf course will be on your right. As you head “into town”, stay alert - you will be on a straightaway for a short while, with Red Point Road on the left, and then road will wind right and over a bridge. BEFORE that bridge, on the left, is a turn into the area of the famed smoke sheds, and you will head over another small bridge. Notice as you cross - is the tide high or low? And there you are….
Some history
The village of Seal Cove which, in 1995, was incorporated into the greater Village of Grand Manan, is a National Historic Site of Canada. It consists of approximately 54 wooden buildings which were originally smoked herring stands or sheds. They are picturesque, sadly in various stages of disrepair, and a fundamentally important part of the Island’s history and heritage.
This Village was initially established around 1870, and by the early 1880s, Grand Manan became the largest supplier of smoked herring in the world. By the 1920s, the Island produced approximately 20,000 tons of smoked herring, locally caught.
Some of the buildings are still in use, and if you stay in this part of Seal Cove for a little while, particularly in the morning, you might see fishermen tending to their lobster traps or involved in other tasks related to their trade.
We LOVE Seal Cove
Seal Cove is one of our favourite locations on Grand Manan. The sense of history and of the indomitable spirit of the local fishing community is palpable as you walk around the buildings. There is definitely a theme to the architecture but that does not mean that the buildings are identical - each has a unique spirit and markers. This is the very essence of the Canadian Maritimes.
Some of the sheds and other structures have been refurbished and turned into livable dwellings. Consider spending a few days here in the summer and experiencing this magical location. Seal Cove Sand Beach is within walking distance, as is the playground overlooking the harbour.
