English Harbour Heritage Society
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Fortress of Louisbourg
National Historic Site of Canada
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Lieu historique national du Canada
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LOUISBOURG & LOUISBURG
The 18th-century French spelling of the community was Louisbourg. This changed in the 19th century to Louisburg and the Town was incorporated in 1901 with that spelling. Increased awareness of the historical significance of the community led to the Post Office reverting to the French spelling in the early 1950s and the Town Council following suit at about the same time. Unfortunately, the Town Hall fire of 1982, and the resulting destruction of the Minute Book for that period, means that the record of Council's decision is lost. The name was changed officially by an act of the Nova Scotia legislature on 6 April 1966.
Prior to 1713, Louisbourg was called the English port or English Harbour. The earliest reference to this name is the log of the Hopewell, Charles Leigh, Master, which visited Cape Breton and sailed into this harbour on 7 July 1597.