Our big event for Sunday June 11, 2017 was a bus tour of
Cabot Trail. We had a chartered bus from the local college and our local guide
was Paul Hanna. As we started toward the Cabot Trail, Paul gave us some
history on Cape Breton and I filled in with a bit more. Cape Breton Island is
about 190 square miles.
The island was known to Basque fishermen as early as the
15th century and was sighted and identified by John Cabot in 1497 and Jacques
Cartier in 1534. Claimed by the French as part of Acadia, it remained largely
undeveloped and unsettled, but played a minor role as a fur-trading and fishing
outpost. When the Treaty of Utrecht, 1713, ceded most of Acadia to the British,
the French retained Cape Breton, which they renamed Ile Royale. Shortly
thereafter, they began construction of the fortress of Louisbourg at a small
harbor along the southeast coast.
The Treaty of Paris, 1763, ceded the island and France's
remaining possessions in the area to the British. Cape Breton became part of the colony of Nova Scotia in
1763, but it remained largely undeveloped until 1784, when it became a separate
colony, as one of several separate jurisdictions created for the Loyalist
refugees. The Loyalists, who made Sydney the capital of their new colony, were
soon overwhelmed by successive waves of Scottish immigrants. They occupied most
of the available land along the seacoasts and around Bras d'Or Lake, and with a
few hundred returning Acadians made up the bulk of the island's largely rural
population. In 1820 the island was reunited to the jurisdiction of Nova Scotia
following almost 40 years of turbulent separate status.
The 1920s were some of the most violent times in Cape Breton. They were marked by several severe labor disputes. The famous murder of William Davis by strike breakers, and the seizing of the New Waterford power plant by striking miners led to a major union sentiment that persists to this day in some circles. William Davis Miners' Memorial Day is celebrated in coal mining towns to commemorate the deaths of miners at the hands of the coal companies. Jobs have always been a contributing factor to population
spikes and declines on the island. During the 1800’s and 2000’s there were 12
operating coal mines and 1 steel mill. Today, there is only 1 working coal mine,
which just recently re-opened. This explains why many of the younger
generations are leaving Cape Breton and heading to different cities and provinces.
Taking the bus on our 185 mile Cabot Trail tour allowed us
to relax and enjoy the spectacular coastal views. While we visited, there were
no music festivals on for us to tap our toes to some Cape Breton Celtic. The
busy season of festivals is during the summer, beginning in May with the Cabot
Trail Relay Run, and ending in October with the Cabot Trail Writers Festival,
the Celtic Colors International Festival, and the harvest-season Huckle Buckle
Festival.
The Margaree River meanders through the Margaree Valley,
leading visitors through splendid landscapes to Margaree Harbor along the Gulf
of St. Lawrence. Designated as a Canadian Heritage River for its natural,
cultural and historical value, the Margaree is popular for its salmon and some
trout fishing. Only fly fishing is allowed. The largest salmon caught was 54 pounds,
can you imagine snagging that fish while fly fishing! Fishing takes a back seat
to the "Anything That Floats Race." Which is held during the summer
festival, and has become a summertime favorite on the river. The Margaree Valley
is home to the Maritimes second oldest fish hatchery. The favorite museum on
Cape Breton is the Salmon Museum, located here. Margaree also boasts some of
the most talented quilters shop and is home to Cape Breton Clay, the resident
potter loves to talk!
We were met by the unmistakable ‘joie de vivre’ of the
Acadian people. They share their vibrant culture through food, music and song
in the beautiful French Acadian Region of Chéticamp.
St Peter’s Church, Is an Acadian parish founded in 1785,
entrusted to the Eudist Fathers in 1953 and to the Sons of Mary from 1999 to
2005. Three churches have been successively built: one in 1790, then 1810 and
in 1861, about one mile south east of the present location. The current church
was built in 1893 with stone, hauled by parishioners, from across the harbor on
Cheticamp Island. The current church construction cost about $42,000. Father
Fiset, the papal leader at this time is entombed under the present day alter.
The church’s steeple rises 167 feet.
In 1957, the church was repainted and
decorated, frescoes and stained glass windows were added. The organ, one of the
first, Casavant, was acquired in 1904 and is still in excellent condition. We
are lucky enough to have Janet Davis, a concert pianist, in our group and she
played amazing grace for us. St Peter’s Church is perched on high ground near
the harbor and can be seen from all parts of the parish and from many, many
miles away.
Across the street from the church, is home to memorials for
the Fire Department and the War Veterans.
We enjoyed a hooked rug demo by the tour guide from the museum.
The gallery features traditional antiques and contemporary hooked rugs created by local craftspeople as well as masterpieces by world renowned wool artist Elizabeth LeFort.
Both of these hooked rugs were offered to the US government and the Canadian government. Both refused the gift, which is great news for the museum!
The Cabot Trail continues along the Gulf of St Lawrence,
offering breathtaking views!
You enter Cape Breton Highlands National Park is home to over
500 square miles of magnificent highlands and coastal wilderness. The Park is
dominated by an elevated, flat-topped plateau deeply cut by river canyons.
The
world-famous Skyline Trail starts at the summit of French Mountain and follows
the ridge, which lies to the north of French Mountain high above the ravine
carved by Jumping Brook. It is a mostly level trail, with boardwalks over wet
spots, teems with wildlife (moose and eagles are almost always seen and whales
regularly feed in the waters below) and ends in a series of stairs and viewing
platforms that are so cunningly constructed that they cannot be seen from the
Cabot Trail below. The Cabot Trail winds up French Mountain around a series of
sharp curves, hugging the side of the mountain as it ascends. We climbed French Mountain, 1,600 feet in elevation.
At the MacKenzie Mountain Look-off is a story board of
whales, species of fish, their food sources, various sea birds and life on the
ocean floor. Want to go whale watching? You can actually do it from here! Keep
your eyes on the ocean—look for plumes of vapor as whales surface in the Gulf. It
is difficult to discuss the land around us without paying attention also to the
water that reaches its shores. The Gulf of St Lawrence plays a vital role in
transportation and in the migration of marine mammals. The waters are warmer
and less salty than the Atlantic Ocean. The floor in the Gulf is cut by
"troughs" (valleys) and has "shelves" (plateaus). The ebb
and flow of the Gulf currents are of great interest. Creating a nursery for a
variety of fish species, the currents also have an effect on all five provinces
that they border. One quarter of the total Canadian fish catch comes from these
waters.
We exited the park, to enjoy lunch at Mountain View restaurant
in Pleasant Bay. Pleasant Bay is recognized as one of the premier whale
watching areas on the Cabot Trail. The pilot, humpback, minke and finback are
the whales most frequently sited off the coastline of the village and its
neighboring communities. Pleasant Bay also offers visitors a unique
introduction to the world of whales at The Whale Interpretive Center. A stroll
around the harbor will reveal why this village was named Pleasant Bay. Soaring
eagles, fishermen at work and the scent of clean salt air are snapshots of
nature at its unspoiled best.
Dominated by 350-year-old sugar maple trees, the Grande Anse
Valley is one of the largest old-growth hardwood forests in the Maritimes. As
one of the most protected areas of the park, access is restricted to a short
trail, no walking for this crew … The bus stopped briefly in a no parking area
along the side of the trail, to we could view the Lone Shieling. A replica of a
Scottish crofter's hut. It is a very good example of a basic shelter known as a
‘bothran’, a seasonal dwelling traditionally used by shepherds in Scotland
during the time of year when sheep were moved to graze on the highlands, away
from the village. It is also valued for its quality stonework detailing, and
timber and thatch roofing. Professor S. Macintosh, who bequeathed the 100 acres
of land for the park, requested that a small cabin be built in the same design
as the Lone Shieling on the Isle of Skye in Scotland. The Lone Shieling is a
Recognized Federal Heritage Building because of its historical associations,
and its architectural and environmental value.
Atop North Mountain, the mountain pine beetle, killed the
Spruce Trees, this bug comes on a 75 year cycle. North Mountain rises
dramatically from the valley floor and tapers somewhat more gradually to the
north and west where it meets the coast, although many parts of this coast have
vertical cliffs rising high, most notably at Cape Split. A break occurs at
Digby Gut where a gap in the mountain ridge is filled by a deep tidal channel
separating the eastern end of the mountain from Digby Neck.
Neil's Harbor is a small fishing village just south of the
Cape Breton Highlands National Park. The area may have been originally settled
by the French. Neil's Harbor is named after a man by the name of Neil McLennan.
The first school in Neil’s Harbor was constructed in 1878. The lighthouse, in recent years, has been used as an ice cream parlor in the summer months.
Victoria Co-Op
Fisheries Ltd is Neil's Harbor's largest employer which is located in neighboring
New Haven. There are a few cottages and summer homes in Neil's Harbor, but
mostly there are local residents who work in the lobster, crab and fishing
industry. The population is approximately 300 permanent residents.
The Ingonish area is full of breathtaking coastal and
mountain scenery whether bathed in sunshine or covered in snow. In the summer, Ingonish
Beach that offers both saltwater and freshwater swimming.
The area is known as
a golfer’s paradise, as golfers from around the world flock to the famed
Highlands Links, which is considered by many to be Canada’s finest course.
Highlands Links was recently rated #1 in Canada and #51 in the world by the Top
100 Golf Course in the world, an independent website and team. Others are lured
by the abundant hiking trails that range from walks along coastal headlands to
highland ascents in the Cape Breton Highlands National Park. Hikers from North
America gather for the Hike the Highlands Festival in mid- September.
Aspy fault is a 25 mile fault crack that runs from the Atlantic
Ocean into Cape Breton Highlands National Park. The Aspy Fault is a strike-slip
fault and is often thought to be a part of the Cabot Fault or Great Glen Fault
system of Avalonia. This fault runs southward from Cape North through the
Margaree Valley. The Aspy River and the upper section of the Margaree River
follows the trace of the fault. Evidence shows movement in this fault dating
back to the Ordovician period when it was probably created when two continental
plates collided and pushed the seafloor upwards, also creating the Appalachian
Mountains. Erosion and the presence of this fault have created much of the
scenery known today as the Cape Breton Highlands.
The community of St Ann’s and her Bay wrap themselves around
the natural curve of this inlet of the Atlantic Ocean. Their Gaelic heritage
lives on in hints of their old language, in music, customs, and food. They delight
in learning from newcomers and visitors. More about St Ann’s when we spend the
day touring in the area.
We enjoyed a take-out pizza dinner from Janet’s Restaurant
& Pizza. It has been a while, since I have had pizza and it was very, very
good! We ended the evening with a happy hour and fellowship outside with the
other caravaneers.
See you tomorrow!
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