Voices of the People

Nova Scotia House of Assembly Petitions and Correspondence

29 November 1806

Petition of James Eager and others settled on the Annapolis-Lunenburg road. "That with great satisfaction, We have the Honor to inform your Excellency, and Honors, that the Road leading from Annapolis to Lunenburgh, is not cut open, that is to say, the Timber cut down, and cleared off, 16 ½ feet wide; The land capable of accommodating many valuable Setlers, provided proper measures are adopted, to encourage and facilitate the settlement of this important Road. That the sum of five pounds only, per mile, has been expended for the bare cutting of the Road, which is well known to the whole country, to be exceedingly less than was ever expended to accomplish so great an undertaking; when so much faithful labor, or large extent of Public Road was accomplish’d at so small a price." Importance of encouraging farmers to settle on the new road as a means of populating land "capable of yielding all sorts of Grant, which hitherto has remained a pathless wilderness from the Creation of the World." They suggest that "unless speedy measures are taken to form the settlement of this Road; that the labor already bestowed in cutting it out, will be completely lost to the public, as the young growth of wood, will soon spring up, and cover it from one end to the other." They therefore pray "That Your Excellency and Honors will be pleased to allow a sum of Money sufficient for the purpose of repairing the Road, by making causeways over Sloughs, and levelling the rough parts of the Road, that is included or comprehended between the out settlement of Nictaux, on the Road leading to Lunenburgh, and to a Brook on the said Road, known by the name of Mill-brook; about 23 Miles from the settlement of Nictaux." Signed with 21 names.

Reference: Nova Scotia House of Assembly Nova Scotia Archives RG 5 Series A volume 13 number 72