Ken's Journal
No. 6 - Summer 2007

Baddeck, Nova Scotia
August 6-11, 2007 - Days 22-27 on the road. Part IV.

Nova Scotia is steeped in history and has played a pivotal role in the early formation of the United States. Nova Scotia has been fought over by the French and the British since the first settlement. Louisbourg was central to those conflicts. Located near the Cabot Strait, Louisbourg guarded the only navigable approach to Quebec in the early 18th Century. Louisbourg was located beside the principle route for ships sailing between America and Europe, the port attracted ships from Quebec, the British American Colonies, the West Indies and France. Louisbourg was an integral part of France's overseas possessions. It provided France with a vital Atlantic port and was a central asset for French trading and fishing. The fishing grounds of the Grand Banks were fertile and provided ship after ship of salted cod products for the French economy. The North Atlantic fisheries were considered by Europeans to be as valuable a resource as any in North America - right behind the silver mines of Mexico.

In 1713, France lost possessions in Newfoundland and peninsular Nova Scotia to the British Crown. They retained rights to Cape Breton and soon established a presence at Louisbourg (Map here). It's a long story, but to make it short, Louisbourg traded hands between the French and the British a couple times until in 1760, the British demolished the fortifications as a precaution. By the Treaty of Paris in 1763, "New France," including Nova Scotia and Cape Breton passed forever to the British Crown.

In the early twentieth century Canadian interest in preserving historic sites led the government to start purchasing the land around the former fortress. Louisbourg was declared a National Historic Park in 1928 and in 1961 the decision was made to reconstruct the former French colonial town and fortress. After extensive excavation and historical research, it was decided to reconstruct 20% of the original settlement.

At that time, coal mining in Nova Scotia was declining and many coal miners were out of a job. The government decided to employ most of these unemployed miners in the reconstruction effort. The fortress was rebuilt from the ground up. After the British leveled the fortress, much of the original stone used by the French - some of it ballast carried in sailing ships calling at the fortress - was carried off to be used as construction of local homes and businesses. There was enough stone left to reconstruct the 20% of the town that would become the historical site. Interestingly, the window glass used in the reconstruction was brought from the glass manufacturer in France who provided the original glass in the 18th century.

Anyhow, Louisbourg was one of my favorite stops on this trip - - - I think it is the equal, maybe better, than Williamsburg, VA. It certainly is less commercial.