A Town with Many Faces

Souris has always been a friendly seaside town.

The Mi’kmaq enjoyed Sqolijwe’katik (frogs’ place), now known as Souris, as a seasonal fishing ground long before the first French and Acadian settlers came to the area in 1720. In 1758 the Acadians were deported by British colonial forces and the British divided the Island into lots. Lot 45, on which Souris stands, was given to two Englishmen who did not settle the land. Some Acadians managed to return to the area, and they successfully claimed squatters’ rights to become landowners for the first time. The Souris River and the abundance of tall trees made Souris an ideal shipbuilding centre which led to a booming local economy during the 19th century.