It's not a True Cape Breton Summer without at least one Visit to the Fortress...or Two!

Many years ago, when I first moved back to Cape Breton, my family started a tradition of going to the Fortress of Louisbourg every Canada Day.  This year, we thought about doing something different for a change and we did.  But before the day was done, we ended up at the fortress like we always do.

The day started off with some indecision on everyone's part.  At first, I was going to go to Ingonish to attend a concert at Cape Smokey.  When no one else wanted to travel that far, we thought it might be nice to stay close to town and take my little nephew to some festivities at Colliery Lands Park. 

 We did end up at the park and it turned ok.  Little Liam was nervous of the crowd at first but he warmed up to it and took a liking to the duck pond area.  We stayed there for about an hour or so and when Liam got tired and cranky, him and his mom headed home, leaving me and Dad wondering what to do next, if anything. 

It's like the car knew just where to go because we ended up in Louisbourg. There was a good crowd and the weather was decent.  We walked around the fortress, took some pictures, watched some musket firings and wandered around some of the buildings before heading back home.  

Some summers, I don't get the chance to visit the fortress a second time but I did end up back there again in late July when my other sister was home visiting from Alberta. Her boyfriend is from Quebec so the whole French aspect of the Fortress and its history is of particular interest to him.  

There was a lot going on that day at the fortress!  We got there at a good time to see many demonstrations.  We got to watch a public shaming of a thief, some musket firings, some cannon firings and a lively dance. And we had time leftover to walk around and explore the grounds a bit more. 

 

 

 

A Year of Firsts...Firsts for Missing Out!

The Covid-19 pandemic certainly messed up everything for everyone!  Things are slowly starting to get back to normal here on Cape Breton Island but this past summer was a strange one for me.  It was the summer of "missing out" as I call it.  This is because many of the things that I do every didn't happened.

I was celebrating a big Christmas gathering with friends at our community hall when I first heard about the Corona Virus. No one was taking it seriously back than.  In fact, jokes were being mage about it.  We hugged and sat close to one another at the table. We gathered around a letter that arrived in the mail from Louis in Portugal who had found my father's message in a bottle on a beach in the Azores. We gathered closely around the tree as the children opened their presents. Little did I know it would be my last such gathering for a very long time.   

While enjoying all my usual activities in the summer of 2019, there was no indication of what was to come in just a few short months and how it would upend the lives of everyone around the world.  How we take things for granted when the unknown is lurking in the shadows waiting to pounce on the unsuspecting. I have a lot of catching up to do when this is all over!

My whole life, I've had a strong connection to the Fortress of Louisbourg.  My mother worked there as a guide in the 70s and I have French-Acadian heritage on her side of the family.  Every single year, 39 years straight, I visited the fortress at least once. As a child, I ran around the open grounds of the courtyard, hung out with the farm animals and climbed the fortress walls.  Although I hated the sound of the cannon firings, I looked forward to this part of my visits when I got older.  Sometimes I went to the fortress several times a year but always tried to get there for the Fete de St. Louis Day where they had 18th century military demonstrations and old fashioned fireworks similar to what was used during that period. Recently, I had been attending the Canada Day festivities every year. It's been two years since I've been there. 

The Fortress of Louisbourg, Cape Breton, Nova Scotia

 

 

 

 Baddeck is my kind of town and one that I always visit numerous times each summer but I didn't even drive through it this year.  It didn't occur to me until the end of the season that I hadn't been there.  I was working all summer and was always in a hurry to get to the beaches on the west coast so I bypassed the exit to the pretty little town on several occasions. I was only able to travel around the island on weekends and the idea of trying to navigate the large crowds that congregate in Baddeck on summer days kept me away.  The monthly festival that had been taking place for the past few summers didn't take place this year so that was another reason I never went.    

 

 

Every fall since I moved back home in 2011, there's one event I look forward to all year round and that's the Celtic Colours International Festival.  The concerts, the guided hikes, the markets, the galleries, the community meals.....how I miss all of these things!  Sure, I can watch the festival online, but it's just not the same as being there in person.  

Even my trips to the Cape Breton Highlands National Park were scaled back this year.  I usually make a trip up there at least once every two weeks.  I only went once this summer and once just a few weeks ago when the leaves were changing colour. I can't imagine a year without going to the Cape Breton Highlands; of all the places on Cape Breton Island, that's my number one favourite area. Cape Breton weather can be hit or miss and it was a bit of a miss this year with most of the rain and adverse weather happening on weekends, which happened to be the only time I could go anywhere. 

Visits from family who live away, missed events and festivals and two years spent mostly close to home.  Once someone who used to love going on multiple road trips a week, I'm now used to staying close to home and have learned to love the things my own backyard has to offer.  With the price of gas, this's probably best.  My older, high-mileage Hyundai is certainly appreciating the break!  

Despite missing out on some yearly traditions, I found new places to explore around Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, ate at some new places, spent lots of time with family and dreamed of a future free of this virus so I can get back on the road....exploring near and far and not caring about whether or not I'm standing six feet away from a stranger or if I forget my mask in the car.  Well actually, I might hold on to the mask. I haven't had a cold or any sickness since the pandemic began!

The old railbed that passes near a trail in Gardiner Mines, Cape Breton Island.

Events at the Fortress of Louisbourg

While the Fortress of Louisbourg is open every day during tourist season for tours, there are many other events that happen each year at the fortress including guided tours by candlelight, dinner theatres and concerts.  These events tend to book up fast so if you're planning to travel to Cape Breton in the future, make sure to check for events happening at the fortress and book your spot as early as possible!

The first event I went to outside of regular fortress hours was a candlelight walking tour of the grounds.  The fortress is much different under the cover of darkness and this tour was fantastic.  If I remember correctly, there was music and 18th century snacks. 

The Fortress of Louisbourg - A Must see on Cape Breton Island

The Fortress of Louisbourg is quite a distance away from the Cabot Trail but it's just as much an absolute must-see for anyone visiting Cape Breton Island.  I've gone to the fortress at least once every year since I was born.  I have a family connection to the Fortress since my mother worked there for quite a few years and I have French ancestry.  Although Covid-19 prevented me from getting out to the fortress so far (summer is not over yet!), I miss it and not getting there will leave a huge void in my summer plans.

The grounds features a reconstructed 18th-century French fortress and the site saw two major battles in the 1700s. Although only a small fraction of the original fortress was reconstructed, the site today is quite impressive.  Staff in period costumes, a restaurant serving 18th-century meals and building interiors fashioned in the way they would have been almost 300 years ago.  

Throughout the year, special events are held at the fortress and occasionally, world-renowned reenactments and grand encampments are held where costumed volunteers participate in mock battles that simulate the original ones. 

A reenactment at the Fortress of Louisbourg

Participants in period costumes getting ready to go to mock battle