The Fortress of Louisbourg (French: Forteresse de Louisbourg) is a National Historic Site of Canada and the location of a one-quarter partial reconstruction of an 18th-century French fortress at Louisbourg on Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia. Its two sieges, especially that of 1758, were turning points in the Anglo-French struggle for what today is Canada.
Jacques Cartier needed a safe place to winter his two large ships, Grande Hermine and Petite Hermine, in the winter of 1535-1536. He found a harbour which he named Sainte-Croix, where the Saint-Charles and Lairet rivers met near Stadacona, the Iroquoian Village. One hundred years later, this became the site of the first settlement of…
Signal Hill overlooks the Narrows, which is the only entrance to the harbour and city of St. John’s, NL. Steeped in history, with a visitor centre, trails, and amazing views, Signal Hill is one of the most iconic destinations in Newfoundland for visitors and locals alike. Image at top: cc by sa Tango7174, Wikimedia
In August 1896, gold was discovered on Rabbit Creek, later named Bonanza. When word reached the outside world, the Klondike Stampede began in the Yukon. Over 100,000 people started out for the Klondike goldfields and some 30,000 actually reached Dawson City in the summer of 1898. At this time Dawson City was the largest centre…
Billy Barker’s legendary gold strike on Williams Creek triggered a multi-billion dollar industrial revolution that literally built a province. Today, the extraordinary historic town of Barkerville stands as a living testament to BC’s golden beginnings. With its unique streetscape of more than 125 heritage buildings, period displays, satellite museums, restaurants and shops there is still…
Cape Breton Island is an island on the Atlantic coast of North America and part of the province of Nova Scotia, Canada. The 10,311 km2 island accounts for 18.7% of Nova Scotia’s total area. Although the island is physically separated from the Nova Scotia peninsula by the Strait of Canso, the 1,385 m long rock-fill…
Sable Island (French: île de Sable) is a small island situated 300 km southeast of Halifax, Nova Scotia, and about 175 km southeast of the closest point of mainland Nova Scotia in the Atlantic Ocean. Notable for the Sable Island horse, the island is protected and managed by Parks Canada, which must first grant permission…