Fort Edward National Historic Site
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Welcome to Fort Edward National Historic Site. The cache is not at the posted coordinates, which will lead you to the parking area at the entrance to the site. You’ll need to solve the puzzle below to access the nearby cache.
Drivers passing Windsor on the highway may notice the unusual fortification near the road; some leave the highway to explore, and are rewarded with a beautiful gem, hidden away from traffic.
Fort Edward was a small but important military hub during the latter half of the eighteenth century, initially when Britain and France battled for control of North America, and, later, during the American Revolution. Built prior to the Seven Years War, it served as a prison during and after the deportation of the Acadians, and as a British garrison. It also functioned as a trading post as it lay on well-travelled routes long used by local Mi’kmaq. By the time of the War of 1812, it had fallen into disuse and disrepair, but fears of an American attack on Windsor resulted in a short-lived revival, and a garrison remained there till 1850. It was used during the Twentieth Century for militia training; as the original grounds for the Windsor Agricultural Fair; and during WW1 as a training depot for Canadian and British soldiers and for the Jewish Legion (which included David Ben-Gurion), as well as a camp for Annapolis Valley troops awaiting overseas deployment.
But hospital, ramparts, magazines, quarters, gardens, stables, and trading post are gone – the only surviving portion is the blockhouse that forms the centrepiece of the Parks Canada’s Fort Edward National Historic Site. It’s the oldest remaining blockhouse in Canada, and one of the oldest wooden buildings in Nova Scotia.
The site is open year round, with the blockhouse open for visits during the summer season. Informative plaques (seasonal) dot the landscape surrounding the blockhouse. There’s a lovely trail around the perimeter, also open year-round. The views are amazing. There is no admission fee.
Visit any time, but we strongly encourage you to try to do so during the summer season; the blockhouse is fascinating and the views from it are even more amazing!
The puzzle can be solved using information easily available at Parks Canada (www.parkscanada.gc.ca/fortedward) and elsewhere. During part of the year, when the information panels are on site, it can be solved while you visit. The cache is available year round, though significant snowfall may make it inaccessible.
It’s located at 44 59.ABC, W 64 08.DEF.
Checksum N=23, W=8.
THE PUZZLE
A. The second digit of the year in which Fort Edward was built.
B. The third digit of the year during which Flora MacDonald wintered at the fort.
C. The final digit of the year in which Halifax was founded.
D. Choose one of the following:
• D is 1 if the fort was built at the junction of the St Croix and Avon Rivers.
• D is 0 if the fort was built at the junction of the Habitant and Avon Rivers.
• D is 4 if the fort was built at the junction of the St Croix and Habitant Rivers.
E. Flora MacDonald wintered at the fort soon following an event. Choose one of the following:
• E is 2 if it followed the Jacobite defeat at the battle of Culloden.
• E is 1 if it followed the electoral loss of her riding, Kingston & the Islands.
• E is 3 if it followed her exile from her new home in North Carolina.
F. The fort was originally built primarily to secure the route between the old and new capitals of Nova Scotia through areas traditionally held by Mi’kmaq, and, more recently, by Acadians – the area known as Piziquid. The new capital, Halifax, remains Nova Scotia’s capital today. The old capital was (choose one):
• If Windsor, F is 2.
• If Shelburne, F is 0.
• If Annapolis Royal, F is 4.
Additional Hints
(No hints available.)