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| Overlooking one of the few ice-free
harbors in Isle Royale (now Cape Breton Island), the Fortress of Louisbourg
defended the valuable north Atlantic cod fishery and the strategic approach to New France
via the St. Lawrence River. Twice the citizenry and under-strength garrison defended the town against besieging New England and British troops, in 1745 and 1758. But in both cases the fortress fell when help failed to arrive from France. |
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An uninhabited ruin for two centuries, the Fortress of Louisbourg became the site of a massive excavation and reconstruction project from 1959 to 1979. One-quarter of the old town has been rebuilt, accurately furnished, and populated with costumed bilingual interpreters. This "Williamsburg of the North" is now Canada’s preeminent historical park and a world-class cultural site. |
The park’s archaeological collections, which include several million artifacts, comprise an invaluable research tool available for study by visiting scholars. Summer training programs are offered in historical conservation and preservation (contact Tom Rendall: trendall@caper2.uccb.ns.ca ). |
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| For more
information on the Fortress, link to: http://fortress.uccb.ns.ca/ To read about the history and archaeology
of the Fortress of Louisbourg, see: Les modes de vie à Québec et à Louisbourg au milieu du XVIIIe siècle à partir de collections archéologiques, tome 2, Louisbourg, by Paul-Gaston L’Anglais, La collection Patrimoines, Dossier 86 (Quebec, 1994). The Cod Fishery of Isle Royale, 1713-58, by B.A. Bascom (Environment Canada, Ottawa, 1984). The Summer of 1744: A Portrait of Life in 18th-Century Louisbourg, by A.B.J. Johnston (Environment Canada, Ottawa, 1991). Louisbourg Portraits: Life in an Eighteenth-Century Garrison Town, by Christopher Moore (Macmillan, Toronto, 1982). Family Life in 18th-Century Louisbourg, by Kenneth Donovan. Manuscript Report 271 (Parks Canada, Ottawa, 1977).
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