Figure 1.1 - Map of Isle Royale, 1749 by Robert de Vaugondy. This map of Cape Breton Island is recognizable to us today, but a closer look helps us to appreciate just how different Île Royale was from the Cape Breton Island that emerged during the late 18th and early 19th centuries. Certain French place … Continue reading The Lost Settlements of 18th Century Cape Breton – St. Esprit, Allemands, Rouillé and Espagnole
Île Royale
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
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 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 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 Worst Place There is in the World”: Bonnie Prince Charlie’s Aide-de-camp in Louisbourg – part 1
The Chevalier de Johnstone was a miserable man - cynical, critical and abrasive. No doubt he was a miserable man well before the more disappointing moments of his life, but the hardships of his later years surely exacerbated a bitterness that was already malignant. He is known to have at one time escaped imminent danger … Continue reading “The Worst Place There is in the World”: Bonnie Prince Charlie’s Aide-de-camp in Louisbourg – part 1
Voices Long Gone: Chéticamp’s “La Complainte de Louisbourg” – part 2
(October 7, 2022 – Since the publishing of this article, 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. … Continue reading Voices Long Gone: Chéticamp’s “La Complainte de Louisbourg” – part 2
Voices Long Gone: Chéticamp’s “La Complainte de Louisbourg” – part 1
Chéticamp, Nova Scotia in the early 1900s (October 7, 2022 - Since the publishing of this article, 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 … Continue reading Voices Long Gone: Chéticamp’s “La Complainte de Louisbourg” – part 1
The Lost World of Cape Breton Island 