Cape Breton, Halifax
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Things to Do in Halifax: Cape Breton tips and photos posted by real travelers and Halifax locals.
Cape Breton
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• 11 Reviews
on August 25, 2002
Cabot Trail
The northern part of the Cape Breton Island is encircled by the spectacular and winding Cabot Trail. This name perhaps leads one to believe a link with the discoverer John Cabot alias Giovanni Caboto (sailing under the English flag), but historians doubt if he set foot on land here during his voyage of discovery in 1497. The first colonists were French, who under Samuel de Champlain, built Port-Royal (today’s Annapolis Royal) and called the area Arcadia. Then in the 1720’s the Scots immigrated to the area and they called it Nova Scotia. The closeness of these two groups was the source of continuing British – French conflict. The unhappy highlight of the British-French conflict was in 1755 when the majority of the Arcadians were deported. Many went to Louisiana where their French-speaking descendants still live in the Cajun country (Cajuns = Acadians). Almost for one day to the other there were no French-speaking people in Nova Scotia. It is said the poet Longfellow told the story of the exodus of the French speakers in his ballad “Evangeline”. In Cheticamp there is the “Artisanale de Cheticamp” with a museum about the Acadian culture. Once out of Cheticamp the countryside becomes desolate and mountainous and you are in the Cape Breton Highlands National Park. There is an information centre at the entrance, which gives good information about the fauna and flora of the area. There is also a souvenir shop with a good selection of books and cassettes etc about Atlantic Canada. The Cabot Trail follows the steep coast of the St. Lawrence and the views are marvellous. If you are lucky you can see whales on a clear day.
on May 29, 2003
on August 25, 2002
on August 25, 2002
on February 22, 2004
on July 7, 2005
