Remarkable Stories From the Lost Settlements of 18th Century Cape Breton

Figure 1.1 - "A plan of the island of Cape Britain reduced from the large survey made by the orders and instructions of the right honorable the Lords Commissioners for Trade and Plantations" by Samuel Holland, April 1767. To view a larger version, click here. The settlements of St. Esprit, Allemands, Rouillé and Espagnole no … Continue reading Remarkable Stories From the Lost Settlements of 18th Century Cape Breton

Podcast Episode 04 – Explorers La Pérouse and Cook Converge on Cape Breton, 1758

In the age of Pacific exploration, two men spearheaded expeditions to parts of globe previously uncharted by Europeans - Jean François de La Pérouse and James Cook. Although La Pérouse and Cook would never meet, both men would converge on Cape Breton Island in the year 1758, near the beginning of their careers. This episode … Continue reading Podcast Episode 04 – Explorers La Pérouse and Cook Converge on Cape Breton, 1758

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?

“An Inland Scout”: John Montresor’s Trek into 18th Century Cape Breton

Fort Duquesne. Quebec. Fort Detroit. Lexington. Bunker Hill. Brooklyn. Brandywine and Germantown. In a time when people generally didn't travel more than thirty miles from their homes, John Montresor, an engineer in the British Army and later Chief Engineer in America during the American War of Independence, saw more of the North American continent than … Continue reading “An Inland Scout”: John Montresor’s Trek into 18th Century Cape Breton