Tag: History

The small village of Orangedale may have gained much fame with Celtic music lovers who are familiar with the song The Orangedale Whistle by the Rankin Family but not many people know where it is located or that it is even located in Nova Scotia.  Well, it is in fact located in Nova Scotia almost right in the center of Cape Breton Island. The roads leading to Orangedale are distinctly rural; mostly gravel roads through thick forest with the odd stream or field thrown in the mix.  In “Downtown” Orangedale, old buildings line the main street and this is where […]

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Louisbourg is probably the most visited town on Cape Breton Island because that is where a famous, reconstructed French fortress lies at the end of town.  The reconstructed version of The Fortress of Louisbourg is only a very small fraction of the original fortress that stood in the 18th century but it is still big enough to require at least an entire day to see the whole thing!  There are guides in period costume and you can choose to avail of one of these guides for a guided tour or you can explore the fortress on your own.  The grounds […]

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I often call the Southern part of Cape Breton the neglected part of the island.  Isle Madame, L’Ardoise, Grand River and Framboise are just some of the small villages located in this part of the island that few people think to visit.  I’m not sure why that is; the area is vastly different from other parts of the island but the rugged and serene beauty rivals anywhere else in Cape Breton.  Framboise is most popular with locals as a fishing and hunting destination but it is also a great place to spend the day if you love being, quite literally, […]

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Mabou is a small village in Western Cape Breton, not far from the town of Inverness.  The village is surrounded by rolling hills and forest and the ocean not very far away.  Mabou is mostly known across North America for being the hometown of the famed musical group, The Rankin Family.  The main street in the town is lined with little shops and restaurants including the famous Red Shoe Pub which is actually owned and operated by several members of The Rankins.  Live entertainment by well-known and emerging artists, delicious homemade meals and desserts, friendly staff and a down-home atmosphere […]

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Industrial Cape Breton is made up of a number of communities but visitors often only visit the city of Sydney before heading to the Northern portion of the island.  Lingan is one of the communities located about twenty minutes from downtown Sydney and although it is very small, is a great little village to visit. The first thing that people will see when approaching Lingan is the massive coal generating station that supplies power to hundreds of thousands of people.  The plant’s days are numbered and gradually, this type of power will be replaced by more environmentally-friendly power sources.  This […]

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Cape Breton Island Overview Just a little bit east off the Coast of mainland Nova Scotia in eastern Canada is the tiny island of Cape Breton. While the island belongs to the province of Nova Scotia and is a part of Canada, it is nothing like any other place in the country … or in the world for that matter. It is hard to know where to begin in telling you what the island has to offer because there is so much. The culture, the history, the scenery, the beaches, the hiking, the food, the nightlife! One can travel to […]

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No trip to Cape Breton Island will be complete without taking in two sites that are close to the city of Sydney. They are easily accessible from Sydney’s airport and harbour and are well worth the drive over from the island’s famed Cabot Trail. Just a 30 minute drive from Sydney, Fortress of Louisbourg National Historic Site of Canada, is a reconstructed, fortified French colonial town that provides a day-long living historical experience. Louisbourg played a very important role in the evolution of French settlement in North America. It was the site of two sieges in wars between the English […]

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Founded in 1753 as the second community in the British colony of Nova Scotia, Lunenburg was settled by immigrants from Germany, Switzerland and France. The influence of the early Germanic inhabitants is still felt today as the town draws many tourists from Europe. The current inhabitants of Lunenburg are very proud of the fine ensemble of buildings dating from the late 1700s and the 19th century. Everywhere you look there are brightly coloured, often massive wooden homes, churches, commercial buildings and warehouses. They are still in use, some having been transformed to luxurious inns, bed and breakfasts and restaurants. The […]

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Kejimkujik National Park, located in the south centre of Nova Scotia, is a natural preserve and recreational park as well as a national historic site. The park, affectionately called Keji by its enthusiasts, is 174 km (106 mi.) from Halifax and 86 km (53 mi.) from Digby. Visiting a park of the magnitude of Keji without staying overnight is to miss a lot of the outdoor experience. The camping facilities in the park are excellent. At Jeremys Bay Campground there are three beaches, an internet station, interpretive programs, a playground and a walking trail joining the campsites to the shores […]

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 Exploring colourful towns in Nova Scotia. Lunenburg is a colourful town with a colourful history and you can see it the minute you arrive. Georgian and Victorian style buildings in reds and blue-greens stand up along the hillside from the bay below. I instantly got a sense of a long and proud, seafaring tradition from the tall ships in the harbour to the many marine-related businesses around its shores. The fresh salt air, blue sky and sunshine immediately invite you for a walk around town. Established in 1753, Lunenburg was the first British Colonial settlement outside of Halifax. Many of its buildings […]

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