Today we're highlighting a beautiful modern rendition of "La Complainte de Louisbourg", or "Louisbourg's Lament", performed by the award-winning Québecois folk group Le Vent du Nord. The lyrics chosen for this rendition come directly from Anselme Chiasson's "Chansons d'Acadie". Canadian folklorist Helen Creighton first recorded this ballad in Saint-Joseph-du-Moine, Cape Breton Island in June 1944 … Continue reading Le Vent du Nord – “Louisbourg”
Year: 2021
Podcast Episode 03 – French Explorer La Pérouse and the Shores of Cape Breton, 1757
Jean-François de La Pérouse was one of the most renowned mariners and explorers of the 18th century, but in 1788 he and his expedition disappeared without a trace, leaving behind a mystery that would take decades to unravel. La Pérouse visited Cape Breton Island several times during his early years at sea - this episode … Continue reading Podcast Episode 03 – French Explorer La Pérouse and the Shores of Cape Breton, 1757
Sharing our Sources – John Dunmore’s “Where Fate Beckons: The Life of Jean-François de La Pérouse”
Hello everyone, Today we're highlighting the masterfully researched biography "Where Fate Beckons: The Life of Jean-François de La Pérouse" by the award-winning historian John Dunmore. Jean-François de La Pérouse was one of the most renowned mariners and explorers of the 18th century, but in 1788 he and his expedition disappeared without a trace, leaving behind … Continue reading Sharing our Sources – John Dunmore’s “Where Fate Beckons: The Life of Jean-François de La Pérouse”
Podcast Épisode 2 (part. 2) – Helen Creighton et le mystère de « La Complainte de Louisbourg »
La deuxième partie de l'épisode 2 analyse les paroles de « La complainte de Louisbourg » afin de voir si la chanson décrit fidèlement les événements de la chute de Louisbourg en 1745. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ub3xTlHvVj0 Recherché et écrit par JM Bourgeois, narration et production, JR Bourgeois Crédit vidéo : “Louisbourg Under Siege” – Agence de production … Continue reading Podcast Épisode 2 (part. 2) – Helen Creighton et le mystère de « La Complainte de Louisbourg »
Podcast Episode 02b – Helen Creighton and the Mystery of “Louisbourg’s Lament”
The second part of episode 2 analyzes the lyrics of “Louisbourg’s Lament” in order to see how it holds up against the historical record of the fall of Louisbourg in 1745. Note - Since the publishing of this podcast, historian Éva Guillorel from the University of Rennes in France has done significant research into the … Continue reading Podcast Episode 02b – Helen Creighton and the Mystery of “Louisbourg’s Lament”
Podcast Épisode 2 (part. 1) – Helen Creighton et le mystère de « La Complainte de Louisbourg »
Dans la première partie de notre deuxième épisode, nous examinons la chanson traditionnelle acadienne « La complainte de Louisbourg », une chanson qui semble provenir d'un témoin oculaire du siège de Louisbourg en 1745. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=giL5viUcG2c Recherché et écrit par JM Bourgeois, narration et production, JR Bourgeois -- Crédit vidéo : Songs of Nova Scotia - … Continue reading Podcast Épisode 2 (part. 1) – Helen Creighton et le mystère de « La Complainte de Louisbourg »
Podcast Episode 02a – Helen Creighton and the Mystery of “Louisbourg’s Lament”
In the first part of our second episode, we examine the traditional Acadian song “La Complainte de Louisbourg”, or “Louisbourg’s Lament”, a song believed to have originated with an eye-witness to the 1745 Siege of Louisbourg. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7iPMhPJ1kD0&t=12s Video credit: - Songs of Nova Scotia - Producing Agency: National Film Board of Canada Photo credit: - … Continue reading Podcast Episode 02a – Helen Creighton and the Mystery of “Louisbourg’s Lament”
Podcast Episode 01 – John Montresor’s Overland Trek from Louisbourg to the Bras d’Or Lakes, 1759
In our first episode, we introduce the Lost World of Cape Breton podcast series. We also follow John Montresor, an engineer in the British army, overland from Louisbourg to the shores of the Bras d'Or Lakes as he embarks on an "inland scout" in the months following the fall of Cape Breton Island to the … Continue reading Podcast Episode 01 – John Montresor’s Overland Trek from Louisbourg to the Bras d’Or Lakes, 1759
What’s Left of the French Presence on Cape Breton Island Today?
LAST UPDATED NOVEMBER 22, 2025 As a general rule of thumb, once the earth has been formed or shaped by people, it keeps that shape for a very, very long time. An example of this can be seen at Fort Ticonderoga (Carillon), where the trenches dug by French soldiers during the Seven Years War are … Continue reading What’s Left of the French Presence on Cape Breton Island Today?
“The Worst Place There is in the World”: Bonnie Prince Charlie’s Aide-de-camp in Louisbourg – part 2
Having miraculously survived an apocalyptic 66-day North Atlantic crossing, the Chevalier de Johnstone arrived in Louisbourg on the 13th of September 17501 aboard L'Iphigénie, a merchant ship owned by Louisbourg businessman Michel Rodrigue2. She limped into Louisbourg harbour a shell of her former self, dismasted and carrying a desperate assortment of tattered worn-out canvas. During … Continue reading “The Worst Place There is in the World”: Bonnie Prince Charlie’s Aide-de-camp in Louisbourg – part 2
The Lost World of Cape Breton Island 