French engineer Grillot de Poilly concludes his winter tour of Cape Breton and the corresponding document entitled “Plan et memoire d’un voyage fait pendant l’hiver de 1757, autour de l’Isle Roïale,” which has been transcribed and translated through parts 1 to 5 of this article series. They set off on the final leg of their … Continue reading Monsieur de Poilly’s 1757 Winter Tour of Cape Breton Island – Part 5
Author: J.M. Bourgeois
CBC Interview with The Lost World of Cape Breton Island
This week we had the pleasure of chatting with CBC's Information Morning - Cape Breton about The Lost World of Cape Breton Island Podcast. We talked about how the podcast came about, some of our favourite stories, and how we create our episodes. Be sure to listen to the segment, available here on CBC's Information … Continue reading CBC Interview with The Lost World of Cape Breton Island
Podcast Episode – The Boularderies of Little Bras d’Or – Part 3
In this podcast, follow Antoine de La Boularderie and his family through the most difficult years of Cape Breton Island’s history. Uncertainty, upheaval and displacement converge on the Fortress of Louisbourg in the years leading up to the town’s 1758 siege.
Falling Through the Cracks: An 18th Century Acadian Village on the Bras d’Or Lakes?
We retrace the steps of Surveyor Samuel Holland, who discovered a previously undocumented French village on the Bras d'Or Lakes in the 1760s.
Podcast Episode 09b – The Boularderies of Little Bras d’Or
https://open.spotify.com/episode/3ALYrJ3rAmkB0o6b2HmiKW?si=jTUNcRWMSlmuakjjG2LrFA In 1744 the French and English beat the drums of war, and Antoine de La Boularderie finds himself in the middle of a conflict that rages across Cape Breton Island and Acadia. In the second part of this episode, we will listen to Antoine’s eyewitness account of the days leading up to the first … Continue reading Podcast Episode 09b – The Boularderies of Little Bras d’Or
Podcast Episode 09a – The Boularderies of Little Bras d’Or
https://youtu.be/3E7_NcQyZ4A?si=Av24xFWWYBmis46- Although Antoine Le Poupet de La Boularderie and his father Louis-Simon have been designated Canadian Historic Persons - individuals who made significant contributions to the history of Canada - their story has only ever been partially told. Part of their story can be found on Cape Breton Island, another part in France, and still … Continue reading Podcast Episode 09a – The Boularderies of Little Bras d’Or
A New Page On Our Website
A new page entitled "Services for Museums & Heritage Organizations" has been added to our website. Designed for professionals working in the Cultural Heritage sector, this page provides an overview of services available to historical organizations that are seeking to craft their own unique narrative, create engaging story-driven content, and promote their collections. This page … Continue reading A New Page On Our Website
Monsieur de Poilly’s 1757 Winter Tour of Cape Breton Island – Part 4
French Engineer Grillot de Poilly arrives in Port Toulouse, present-day St. Peters, Nova Scotia and gives a thorough assessment of what he finds there. This portion of his journal contains much valuable information about the Mi'kmaq that inhabited the area at this precarious time in Cape Breton's history. In some places we've inserted a question … Continue reading Monsieur de Poilly’s 1757 Winter Tour of Cape Breton Island – Part 4
FULL AUDIOBOOK – The Acadians, by Caroline-Isabelle Caron (Narrated by J.R. Bourgeois)
https://youtu.be/CfAKFMVM0_M The audio book "The Acadians" was produced in collaboration with the Canadian Historical Association. This book is booklet #33 of the CHA’s Immigration and Ethnicity in Canada booklet series. Founded in 1922, the Canadian Historical Association / La Société historique du Canada is a bilingual not-for-profit and charitable association devoted to fostering the scholarly … Continue reading FULL AUDIOBOOK – The Acadians, by Caroline-Isabelle Caron (Narrated by J.R. Bourgeois)
Podcast Episode 08 – Christophe Chiquelier Jr: Louis XV’s Music Man in Louisbourg
As “Keeper of the King’s Instruments” for Louis XV, Christophe Chiquelier Jr’s work was endless but no doubt fulfilling. He was a master musical instrument maker, supplier of harpsichords to the Royal Family, and an instrument collector. But for a brief time during his youth, he was a soldier in Louisbourg, the capital of the … Continue reading Podcast Episode 08 – Christophe Chiquelier Jr: Louis XV’s Music Man in Louisbourg
The Lost World of Cape Breton Island 