Historian Brenda Dunn to speak about Fort Anne

Historian and author Brenda Dunn will speak about Fort Anne during a presentation hosted by Annapolis Royal’s Friends of the Library on April 22 at 2 p.m. as part of a day of special programming at the Academy.

Dunn will reach back into historic documents starting in 1854 when the last garrison left Fort Anne, and explore the years leading up to its creation as Canada’s first “Dominion Park.”

Dunn has immersed herself in the history of Fort Anne for the majority of her career with Parks Canada, and has discovered and shared the history of this place with countless individuals through many presentations, research reports and her book Port-royal – Annapolis Royal 1605 to 1800.

Dunn studied at Acadia and Ottawa University before embarking on a career with Parks Canada that began at Louisburg, and eventually led her to Halifax where she delved into the stories of the Citadel, Green Gables, Grand-pré, and Castle Hill National Historic Sites.

“Parks Canada and we at Fort Anne in particular have been blessed with the knowledge and generosity of Brenda’s time for over 25 years – both while she was employed with Parks Canada, as a contractor and as a volunteer,” Parks Canada’s Lillian Stewart. “She has contributed to projects too numerous to mention, and her work has helped with key decision-making for management planning, exhibit development, and new programming – including detailed research that supported the design of the Fort Anne Heritage Tapestry.