The Tantramar Marshes are on the southern part of the Isthmus of Chignecto, which joins Nova Scotia to New Brunswick and the Canadian mainland. The marshes penetrate inland from the Bay of Fundy for 10 kilometers. Acadians, who called the region Beaubassin, built dykes in the early 1700s to stop the tidal influx of salt water, creating rich agricultural land on the deep sedimentary soils. The name Tantramar is derived from the Acadian French "Tintamarre", meaning 'din' or 'racket', a reference to the noisy flocks of birds which nest there. The marshes are an important stopover for migrating waterfowl such as semi-palmated Sandpipers and Canada Geese. In the past, the Tantramar marshes have been called the "World's Largest Hayfield". The hay was shipped for commercial sale along the Eastern Seaboard and Europe.. As a salt marsh, with its rich, sticky, red mud and soil, the hay grown there is high in iodine. In a world where food additives were not yet being used, iodine-rich hay made the Tantramar a valuable source for healthy, high quality fodder. The following rivers drain from and around the marshes * Aulac River* LaPlanche River* Missaguash River* Tantramar River.

Sydney, located on the northeastern coast of Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia was incorporated as a town in 1886. There were already several French inhabitants in Sydney, in 1752. With the arrival of the railroad, the town became more important in the naval transport industry, especially for the coal which is still mined in the area.