Canard River of the Minas Basin. The river was once tidal for most of its length but a series of dykes first built in the 1600s held back the tide which is now stopped near the river's mouth by the Wellington Dyke. The upper reaches of the river are often referred to by the dykes which once spanned the river - Upper Dyke and Middle Dyke. The Canard river was known to the Mi'kmaq people as Apocheechumochwakade meaning "home of the black duck". The Mi'kmaq also used the mouth of the river for shad fishing. Acadians settled along the river in the
River Canard, Ontario the community residents include descendants of the French-speaking inhabitants who originally settled the Detroit River region; they came from France and Quebec in the 18th century. Later French-speaking migrants came in the 19th century from Quebec. St. Joseph's parish still celebrates the mass in French. Replacing earlier structures, St. Joseph Church was built in 1915; it was renovated in 2015 at a cost exceeding $1.6 million, raised in large part by its parishioners. The main sub-division in River Canard is built on property formerly owned by Thomas J. Beneteau and his son, Bernard. Thomas and Bernard were farmers who grew