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
Fortress of Louisbourg
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
Off The Beaten Track: The Old Roads, Trails and Footpaths of Cape Breton, 1713 – 1758
Thomas Davies, "vue du pont de la rivière du Sault a la Puce pres de Quebec, au Canada, prise en 1790." Although depicting a scene outside of Québec City, the road and bridge seen in this painting would have been similar to some of the ones built by the French on Cape Breton Island. English … Continue reading Off The Beaten Track: The Old Roads, Trails and Footpaths of Cape Breton, 1713 – 1758
Podcast Episode 07c – The Chevalier de Johnstone: From Culloden to Cape Breton
The finale of our three part series on the life and times of James Johnstone. Follow the Chevalier de Johnstone's escapades in Cape Breton from 1756 through to 1758 and see how this Scotsman's memoirs tell the long forgotten stories of Cape Breton's past. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MWOqYsSQjLg&t=169s SHOWNOTES - MUSIC: Concerto Grosso for Strings “Palladio”: Allegro … Continue reading Podcast Episode 07c – The Chevalier de Johnstone: From Culloden to Cape Breton
Podcast Episode 07b – The Chevalier de Johnstone: From Culloden to Cape Breton
Travel back in time to the year 1753 and see Cape Breton Island through the eyes of Scottish exile the Chevalier de Johnstone. We will also bridge two very different eras in Cape Breton's past - the French colonial period of the early 18th century, and the era of Scottish migration that took place in … Continue reading Podcast Episode 07b – The Chevalier de Johnstone: From Culloden to Cape Breton
Podcast Episode 07a – The Chevalier de Johnstone: From Culloden to Cape Breton
The Chevalier de Johnstone is one of the most colourful personalities to have come through Cape Breton in the 18th century. A Scottish exile who was involved in the 1746 Jacobite Rebellion, Johnstone was likely one of the only - if not the only - Scotsmen in Cape Breton during the time of Louisbourg. He … Continue reading Podcast Episode 07a – The Chevalier de Johnstone: From Culloden to Cape Breton
Podcast Episode 06 – Allemands and Rouillé: The Mira River’s Lost Settlements
Near the shores of the Mira River halfway through the 18th century sat two small villages now lost to time - Village des Allemands and Village Rouillé. Though existing for only six short years, the stories these villages tell reflect the greater challenges that typified the Canadian maritime region during the 1750s. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sn3ucFG4CA0 SHOW NOTES: MUSIC - Violin … Continue reading Podcast Episode 06 – Allemands and Rouillé: The Mira River’s Lost Settlements
Podcast Episode 05 – The Lost Harbour of Saint Esprit
For centuries, Cape Breton Island has seen waves of settlers come ashore from many different parts of the world. The ebb and flow of peoples spurred on by the effects of war, by enterprise or by the simple desire to put food on their table has shaped the cultural fabric of the island for hundreds … Continue reading Podcast Episode 05 – The Lost Harbour of Saint Esprit
Podcast Episode 02c – Helen Creighton and the Mystery of “Louisbourg’s Lament”
Note - Since the publishing of this podcast, historian Éva Guillorel from the University of Rennes in France has done significant research into the origins of “La Complainte de Louisbourg.” She has uncovered evidence that this Acadian folksong is based on an older French song written about one of the sieges of Philippsburg. Her findings … Continue reading Podcast Episode 02c – Helen Creighton and the Mystery of “Louisbourg’s Lament”
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
The Lost World of Cape Breton Island 