Fortress of Louisbourg -- National Historic Site of Canada

 

Remember the man Leo met at the Chatterbox Cafe in Pugsley, NS?  Fortress of Louisbourg was at the top of his recommendation of places we should visit. So visit we did.

What I thought was the coolest part was that as the coal mines in the area slowly closed between the 1960s and 80s the Canadian Gov't put up the money to rebuild this fort into what it was like in 1744 , and employed Louisbourg residents and former miners.  Today this National Historic Site of Canada  is the town's dominant economic engine, employing many residents and attracting thousands of tourists every year.

This is no paper-thin Hollywood stage, but a real city of hewn beams and stone. Re-enactors relive the story daily in dozens of buildings that visitors can wander freely. There are no souvenir stands or Pepsi machines. Food is served by authentic serving women in metal bowls much as the diner would find in 1744. English and French speaking guides from the actual town of Louisbourg nearby interpret the fascinating tales of the difficult life in colonial Nova Scotia. It’s a dreamland for history buffs since each room in each building is so carefully rebuilt.

Unfortunately, when we were there, there was no power and so none of the buildings were open and therefore there was no roleplaying going on.  The good news was they also didn't charge their normal fee and they did provide a guide like this one pictured above who gave a great tour of the entire town.

So what was Louisbourg? 

The French came to Louisbourg  when they lost their land in Newfoundland and Acadia in the War of the Spanish Succession around 1719. Because of the fishing industry, Louisbourg quickly became France's most important stronghold and seaport in what is now Atlantic Canada. The fort was built to protect this important fishing community. What we quickly learned in visiting this part of the country, land seemed to constantly shift back and forth between the French and the English.  So  in 1745, the English attacked and took over the fort and nearly 4,000 French citizens of the city were shipped back home. The fortress was systematically destroyed by British engineers in 1760 to prevent its future use by anyone.

Houses in the city outside the walls of the fort.  These were the houses that weren't open when we were there.

 We were told that this "horse" was used to punish soldiers.  I guess you need to be a man to immediately understand how sitting on this with weights on your feet could be real punishment. I had to asked the docent.

Imagine sleeping in a row with  a bunch of other guys.