And part of the soil is called to wash away
In storms and streams shave close and gnaw the rocks.
Besides, whatever the earth feeds and grows
Is restored to earth. And since she surely is
The womb of all things and their common grave,
Earth must dwindle, you see and take on growth again.
~ Titus Lucretius – On the Nature of Things (1st century BC)
When Captain James Cook charted Cole Harbour on a map of Nova Scotia in the mid-1700s, it was wide and deep enough for tall ships to sail in and out. Though not as large as Halifax Harbour, it still saw its share of commercial vessels and privateers.
But over the centuries, shifting sands have narrowed the entrance to Cole Harbour. The harbour seems more like a marsh these days, leaving many residents to wonder about the exact whereabouts of Cole Harbour. Passage through the entrance is seldom undertaken by vessels of any size due to the strong currents. Though we might bemoan the recent evidence of erosion along Rainbow Haven Beach, in Cook’s time, this spit of land didn’t even exist.
Part of a Nova Scotia map by James Cook showing Cole Harbour at far right
In A Tale Of Two Dykes – the Story of Cole Harbour (1979), Margaret Kuhn Campbell explained:
A coast line so irregular seems to fling a challenge to the great energy of the ocean. It hurls itself at the indentations to remove them – tearing down headlands, filling in bays. Hartlen Point west of Cow Bay and Osborne Head on its east are two drumlins presently being eroded by the sea. At the mouth of a bay, it seeks to build a fishhook shaped spit anchored on the curved shore with its point reaching toward the other, constantly growing, until in time it may close the gap. Then the bay becomes a protected lagoon which catches silt from streams, grows grasses, and thus traps more silt to eventually become marshy to dry land. Through centuries of toil, the powerful waves compounded such a barrier part way across the mouth of Cole Harbour.
Erosion at Rainbow Haven Beach
The increased frequency of severe storms in our area means we will see more rapid changes to our shorelines in the years ahead. While some beaches will suffer erosion, others will widen. The extent to which man can halt or alter these transformations is questionable. What is inevitable is that these changes will surely affect wildlife as well as residential, recreational and business developments along our coast.
On February 17th, HRM will be hosting a Climate Change Workshop for Eastern Passage and Cow Bay residents. Details of the event can be found at Eastern Passage Online.
Flandrum Hill 
Love this, “…since she surely is / The womb of all things and their common grave”. Surely she is and we must adapt or move along to the next stage of matter. Very interesting history/geography story, with good descriptive images, Amy-Lynn.
Cindy, adaptability seems to be required more and more of us with each passing year. Nature calls the shots. We don’t. If we’ve treated her badly in the past and she is more difficult, we have only ourselves to blame.
So very true.
Very interesting and enjoyable post. But, I suspect erosion is just one of our worries when it comes to climate change.
What wonderful landscape you enjoy daily. Come to think of it we ALL could enjoy the wonders of nature every day if we’d stop sprawling all over it everywhere.
47whitebuffalo, truly, erosion is only one of several worries on our plate. The workshop noted at the bottom of the post was also to address such things as hurricanes, storm surge and forest fires.
There are beautiful landscapes and seascapes to be enjoyed in Nova Scotia. But every place does have its own unique beauty. It’s a shame that it’s so often taken for granted.
That’s a fine post, Amy-Lynn, and the last photo is painterly. I admire it very much.
Thank you Gerry. The last photo was taken last January after a tremendous storm that ravaged the shoreline. Since then, snow fences have been erected in that area to minimize future damage. There are so many textures in that image. Perhaps that’s why it looks so painterly.
There is a lot to think about in your post, Amy-Lynn. About the Nature of Things and its constant changes. About our adaptability to the dwindling of Earth and its growth. And since “she surely is the womb and grave of all things”, about the respect and protection we should grant to her. Thank you for this wonderful post and picture. Have a lovely Sunday ! Love your header.
Hi Isa, we are all going to have to find creative ways of adapting to these changes in the years to come.
Glad you enjoyed the post and the new header 🙂
I just loved your post. I am coming to Nova Scotia in a few weeks to explore it’s nautural self, with a view to retiring there in the next year. You have made me want to come and visit your neck of the woods. Cow Bay is now on the list! thank you!
Lynne, hopefully the weather will be good while you’re here. Spring came early last year but it’s usually still pretty cold and wintery in March. Will be in touch by email.
Much food for thought… I’ve seen some big changes on Cape Cod in my lifetime, too. Some day it will slip into the sea. Sometimes I wonder if we will need to move farther inland at some point, or just how fast things will change.
Barbara, people living in low-lying areas are going to face some tough decisions in the near future. It is a shame.
I never knew that Cole Harbour had changed so very much.
But I should have guessed as surges change the beach by degrees after each storm.
Thanks Amy-Lynn,
Sybil, neither did I until I read the book you loaned me 😉
We live not far from but not on the shore of Lake Michigan and often wonder why anyone would choose to build right on the shore, which is always changing from one year to the next. Oh, no, we know why–because it is so beautiful! Thank you for presenting the beauty of nature and the perilous truth of change together here, Amy-Lynn.
Pamela, I still don’t understand why anyone would choose to build right on the shore, especially in Nova Scotia where the winters can be so cold and harsh and the heating bills so high.
Nature is always in motion though it is hard to see sometimes in places, when there is a sharp boundary like water to land, it is the most profound. As are your essays about your home.
Scott, that is true about these changes being more apparent where the sea meets the earth. I hadn’t thought of that before.
And we do also tend to notice more the changes that take place on our own little patch of turf. Thanks for adding those thoughts.
Like ourselves, the land and seas are constantly in flux. But what amounts to natural change and what has been altered by human activities should be our great current concern. It’s good to see that community gatherings like the climate change workshop in your area are happening. Local voices are essential. Thanks for the thoughtful post, Amy-Lynn.
Julian, it’s so true that we, as well as our environment, are in a state of constant flux. Unfortunately, changes are happening more and more quickly and we need to learn how to adapt, and fast. The climate change workshop was an opportunity for everyone to have a voice and find out what problems we’re facing individually and as a community. Too bad more people didn’t attend, but at least it was a start.