Experts Debunk Myths of 18th Century Nova Scotia Tide-Millers

A recent Facebook post has sparked interest by claiming that 18th-century “tide-millers” in Nova Scotia ingeniously harnessed the power of the Bay of Fundy’s extreme tides. The post, which garnered over 1,000 reactions, depicted wooden water wheels built in narrow inlets that supposedly ground grain, saw lumber, and powered small forges. However, historians have challenged the accuracy of these claims, stating that the tide mills operated differently than described.

The post, shared on September 2, 2025, suggested that a community of tide-millers utilized the Bay of Fundy’s tides, which can reach heights of up to 15 meters, to create a continuous power source. It included an image of a large water wheel fixed to a rock face, along with a fictional character named Angus MacLeod who was described as a “master of the mill.”

Daniel Samson, an associate professor of History at Brock University, clarified the historical context surrounding tide mills in Nova Scotia. “The post is suggesting that they make use of the tidal energy. They don’t,” he explained. Instead, these structures typically operated on small streams, utilizing a dammed pond behind the mill. As the tide came in, water would fill the pond through sluice gates, and the internal gate would regulate the flow of water to turn the water wheel, relying on gravity rather than tidal forces.

Samson emphasized the impracticality of harnessing tidal energy as suggested in the post. “It would be an incredibly elaborate structure,” he noted, adding that managing such a system would be cumbersome, requiring constant attention to the fluctuating tides. The sheer force of the Bay of Fundy’s tides, which can reach speeds of up to 18 kilometers per hour, poses challenges even for modern tidal energy projects, many of which have faced financial and regulatory issues.

While the Facebook post presented a captivating narrative, it lacked historical verification. The Canadian Press found no records of an Angus MacLeod associated with tide mills in the 1700s. “There were no doubt dozens of Angus MacLeods, but none that I know of associated with tidal mills, real or imagined,” Samson stated in a follow-up email.

The image shared in the post also raises questions about its authenticity. Photographic technology did not exist during the time the tide mills were purportedly operational, leading experts to believe that the image was likely generated by artificial intelligence. Tools designed to detect AI-generated content indicated that the image had an 87.7 percent probability of being artificially created.

The account, known as Old American Life, has a history of posting similar content filled with AI-generated images and unverified historical claims. It is operated by Being Master LLC, which has previously faced controversy for sharing AI-generated portraits of Holocaust victims.

As misinformation continues to spread, even advanced technologies like Google’s AI can inadvertently promote inaccuracies. A Google search for “tide millers Bay of Fundy” returned results that referenced the Facebook post’s claims, thereby legitimizing the false narrative. Google has included a disclaimer stating that “AI responses may include mistakes.”

This incident highlights the importance of verifying historical claims against credible sources, especially in an age where misinformation can travel rapidly through social media. As Daniel Samson noted, the legacy of tide mills in Nova Scotia is significant but should be understood through a factual historical lens rather than sensationalized myths.