RoadNotes: Lost in Time, the 1740’s

Sydney, NS – September 6 & 7, 2012 - Our Current Location

A problem many RV’ers experience is the lack of campgrounds in or near large cities. Unfortunately Sidney is no exception. Oh there are several around 20 miles out of town, but that doesn’t make much sense for us as we need a central location for our excursions. So once again we rely on Camp Walmart.

We try to keep a low profile by not putting out the slides until dark and while we’re gone during the day, it looks like we’re just parked there shopping like anyone else. Or so the fantasy goes.

We’ve been hearing lots of good things about the Fortress of Louisbourg, with it's period actors and totally reconstructed buildings, so on Friday we go there to spend the day. The French Fortress, built in the 1720s, was completely destroyed by the British 1760. In 1960, the Canadian government decided to rebuild the fortress as it would have looked in 1740, which was the heyday of Louisbourg.

Over 750,000 documents and drawings were used to painstakingly recreate the fortress. Even though modern technology was used to meet current building codes, many items had to created by hand using black smiths. The early 1960s was also a time when many of the coal fields in Nova Scotia were closing. Many who were losing their jobs were trained by the government to give them the skill sets necessary to build the fortress.

The fortress is now a National Park (got to use our passes again) and is staffed with knowledgeable people who are in-character for the time of 1740. It was a pleasure talking to all of them from the guards at the entrance, the ladies in the kitchens, the fisherman and blacksmith and others.

The fort is only accessible to the public by park busses. You're dropped off at the main gate and warned that if you're English the French guards will let you in, but they may not let you out. Since the fort was destroyed by the British you can understand the possible animosity even if it is playacting.

Once past the gate, you are greeted by a very funny French fisherman in his house where he spins yarns and gives a brief overview of the rules of the Fortress.

From there we go to see the bakery, but all they had left were a few loaves of bread.

In the blacksmiths shop we watched him make nails.

Many houses were open and staffed by characters in costume and it was interesting to listen to their stories set in the 1740s. In one of the houses EJ was fascinated by one of the housekeepers making lace.

We also went into the church and the governors quarters which were a bit upscale from the locals, but still pretty rough living.

At an ale house we listened to a fiddler and a passerby who just happened to have his 10 string tiple with him. They played and we all joined in the merriment.