the battle hill maple tree story

8/2/2019 The Battle Hill Maple Tree Story

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The Story of the Battle Hill Maple Tree

Everyone has a favourite roadside tree. One that

you look forward to seeing every time you drivepast. For a few folk near Windsor, that tree wasthe Battle Hill Maple. Im sure that most of thepeople going by probably never noticed it, but for afew, the maple growing on the side of Battle Hillwas a sight that they took care to admire on every

trip.

Battle Hill, for those who are not familiar with it, isan odd rise of land, just past the Ste. Croix river inHants County. Some 250 years ago there was asmall Acadian settlement on the fertile soils below

it. The hill got its name in 1750, when a troop ofBritish soldiers were sent from Fort Sackville toPiziquid. At the Ste. Croix River they met with aband of Mikmaq & Acadians who, due partly totheir advantageous position on the hill, were ableto hold the British at bay for three days.

Time passes and all things change. The Acadiansettlement has been gone for many years. The 101highway was installed and the maple tree of Battle


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Hill, previously known only to a few farmers andpicnic goers, became a favourite roadside feature.


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Photo Credit: Mrs. Gloria Gates, Ardoise.

Then came the decision to twin the 101 and thetree was doomed.

The maple, when it was cut, measured over 3 feetin diameter. The center was gone all but theouter 9 inches had rotted away.

Those 9 inches held 100 rings. There is no way toknow for certain, but in all probability the Battle HillMaple was witness to its namesake battle.

Last October, Jon Oulton published a letter in the

local paper, advising people to enjoy the tree whileit still stood. That edition of the paper came outtwo days after the tree was felled. The maple treeof Battle Hill was only a memory for travelers and apile of firewood for the farmer whose land abuttedthat section of the highway.


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As it happened, that farmer, Harley Ross is agentleman and a good neighbour. For the price ofa mornings labour on his farm, he gave away asmall trailer load of the nicest burls. Those weredistributed to the artists whose work is on display

in this gallery. Every item of wood on display herewith a label reading Art and Memories Project isfrom that tree.

On Sunday, August 2nd, at 2:00 p.m.

sharp, all of the carvings, bowls andother artwork from the Battle Hill Maplewill be sold here in a charity auction.The net proceeds from that auction willbe divided equally between the HantsCommunity Hospital Foundation andthe Hants County Arts Council.

When all is said and done, its nice to be able tohelp a few local organizations, but the Art and


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Memories Project is really about memories. Theworld changes. People, trees, places and thingscome and go. Sometimes its a comfort to be ableto hold on to a reminder of the better things. For

help with that, we can thank the artists who withtheir paintings, photographs, words and evencarvings or sculptures, give us something tangibleto help hold on to our memories.

the battle hill maple tree story

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