Tree For All Seasons

Shubenacadie is the home of supposedly the most photographed tree in the province: the red oak just north of the Highway 102, number 10 turn off.

Some may recall that Sheldon Benoit’s photograph of the celebrated tree was featured on the November issue of What’s Up East Hants. Those who watched the CBC presentation of the Dennis Oland story produced by Vancouver’s Seven Knot’s Media may have noticed that the Shubenacadie tree showed up a number of times in the documentary despite the story having taken place in New Brunswick (and the tree’s innocence).

The tree is estimated to be 20 metres high. It has stood as a sentinel on the banks of the Shubie River for at least 100, and possibly, 300 years.

The owner of the farmland whose land the tree calls home, Ed Versteeg, leases the land to a local farmer according to a 2017 Chronicle Herald article about the tree.

The iconic scene has been described in many ways by many people: a milestone on the way home, a wedding picture backdrop, a symbol of inner strength, a scene from Lord of the Rings, even the Joshua Tree.

Photo Credit: Mark Hirsch