Travel Blog: Cape Breton Island

Since this trip began, the weather’s been cooperative. Most days have been in the mid-20s, with rarely a cloud in the sky. It seems like fate caught up with us in Cape Breton, though, as it rained nearly consistently throughout the weekend. It seemed appropriate given the atmosphere, however, that our three-day visit to the island would be met with what seems to be typical Maritime weather for this time of year.

Louisbourg

If anything, the dreary weather added some fantastic atmosphere to our explorations, especially upon arriving in Louisbourg. The town itself is unspectacular; it’s a small village of less than 1000 inhabitants, and is becoming progressively run-down as a result of the closure of the fish factory, the area’s primary industry. Now, it’s merely a collection of a few streets full of closed shops and untended front yards, dotted with a handful of well-kept bed & breakfasts that cater to those like us, who come to visit the fortress.

This whirligig contraption rests upon the mantle of the engineer's house, rotating a succulent roast on a rotisserie.

To get there, you have to park at the visitors’ centre, then take a bus around the bay. I assume this is to preserve the site’s historical aesthetic, and distance it from the roar of traffic—though I doubt that in a coastal town as remote as Louisbourg, that’s rarely an issue. Upon arrival, guests are greeted by a surly French colonist who does a spot-on job of setting the mood of the entire fortress, all in character. From there, the group breaks off into guided tours, or like us, independent exploration.

Upon passing over the moat and through the walls of the fortress, it’s understandable why such effort is taken to preserve and distance the site from modernity: the sheer size of the fortress covers acres of land, and houses within it some amazing artifacts, most recreations, but with some originals as well.

The tourist brochures recommend at least three hours to see the fort, but this is most assuredly a minimum. Due to plethora of items, buildings, and sights to see, visitors could easily spend an entire day, especially taking into account a geekish love of history like mine.

Acadian geese prove to be especially troublesome.

The fortress is laid out in near-replica to the original (though notably, in the 18th century, it was even bigger than the one today), and as such, is conveniently divided into districts that allow visitors to take in different parts of residential, commercial, and industrial life, all while getting a sense of just how heavily social class played a role in colonial European culture. Lunch consisted of some delicious historically accurate soup, cod, and hot rum, all served in simple pewter dinnerware, and only with a spoon (the working class utensil). Class was everything in Louisbourg: I learned from a lengthy conversation with a British officer/prisoner of war that due to his class and rank, he was allowed to roam freely about the fortress, and receieved even better treatment than the French soldiers themselves.

As an aside, the man offered another phenomenal in-character performance, only breaking away from it briefly when one of my questions referred to events after the fortress’ period, and could be best answered from a historian’s context. To further digress, it’s worth noting for any interpretive geeks (hi Kelsey!) that most of the interpreters followed this pattern, but some weren’t so into their roles. A handful switched in and out of character to the point that it was sometimes difficult to follow whether they were referring to themselves or their persona, while a number of others didn’t even bother with characters, instead offering tour guide-style accounts in modern vernacular. They’re all knowledgeable enough that this isn’t necessarily a black mark on the fortress—just don’t be caught off-guard if you’re expecting a flawless dramatic presentation.

The King's Bastion overlooks the fortress and can be seen across the bay from the Louisbourg town site.

The rain continued to pour heavily through the afternoon, covering the unpaved streets in mud and puddles as we made our way up the hill to the King’s Bastion. Like Halifax’s Citadel Hill, Louisbourg stages a daily ceremonial cannon firing for the sake of everyone who loves explosions. After some further exploration of the governor’s posh amenities within the bastion and an obligatory stop at the gift shop for some historically accurate trinkets, our time in Louisbourg came to a close.

The Cabot Trail

They say that the Cabot Trail, which encircles the northern penninsula of Cape Breton Island, is among the best drives in North America. I’m not sure exactly who “they” are, but they know what they’re talking about. A straight drive around the trail takes just over three hours, but it’s best to account for stops—it’s home to a number of smaller Acadian and Gaelic communities with a certain Maritime charm that can’t be found as readily elsewhere in the province. While I could spend another 800 words attempting to detail the drive, it’s probably best if I drop a few thousand in the form of photos instead:

A rocky ocean view just south of Cheticamp, where the winds can reach upwards of 100km/h.

A lush green valley hundreds of meters deep overlooking the ocean. Showing more adventure than foresight, dad decided to leap the barricade, nearly tumbling down the rocky slope before I reminded him (in so many words) that it would likely lead to yet another injury that he couldn't walk off.

Looking north from the western shore, just as the trail enters Cape Breton Highlands national park.

We said our farewells to Louisbourg, Baddeck, and the rest of the island yesterday, then departed for Prince Edward Island. I’ve only had a few brief hours to explore Charlottetown since, but I’ll have another update on the next leg of our trip soon.