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LOUISBOURG 2013
The 300th
Anniversary Of The Founding Of Louisbourg | Le 300e Anniversaire De La Fondation
De Louisbourg
LOUISBOURG 1713
THE FRENCH ARRIVE AT LOUISBOURG
The French came to Louisbourg in 1713, at the end of the War of the Spanish
Succession, when they had to surrender title to their holdings in
Newfoundland and on mainland Nova Scotia. Initially Louisbourg was a base
from which the French exploited North America's lucrative cod fishery. In
1745, after three decades of peace and prosperity, a combined British and
New England force attacked and captured Louisbourg. An occupying army took
over the town, and its residents were removed to France. Three years later
Britain returned Cape Breton to France through a treaty. In 1758 Britain
took Louisbourg a second time, and in 1760 demolished much of the
fortifications.
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1913 CELEBRATIONS
While the immediate cause for the revival of the Band is
not on record either, it may have been connected with the last-minute
attempt, in the fall of 1913, to organize a Bicentennial Celebration for the
founding of 18th-century Louisbourg. The Sydney Daily Post for September 6,
1913 reported the arrival in Cape Breton of the author Beckles Willson who
was planning to spend some time in Louisburg with Reverend T. F. Draper ...
In the interview, Willson chastised the Town of Louisburg and the residents
of the Island for failing to have an appropriate celebration to mark the
200th anniversary of the taking of possession of Cape Breton by the French
on September 2, 1713.
This comment sent minor shock waves through certain
segments of the Cape Breton community. There was a hurried meeting held in
Mayor Gunn's office, in Sydney, followed by invitations to Prime Minister
Borden, Premier Murray and Sir Georges Garneau, the Chairman of the National
Battlefields Commission, for celebrations planned for Louisburg on September
20. After these meetings were held and commitments made in the press, the
Mayor of Louisburg, W. E. McAlpine, was consulted by the organizing
committee for the event. McAlpine agreed in principle with the proposal for
a celebration and promised to bring the matter before the Louisburg Council.
But it was obviously too late to do anything substantial and none of the
hastily-invited guests were able to attend on such short notice. Nor does it
seem that the Louisburg Council felt it was able to undertake a last-minute
celebration.
To salvage a potentially embarrassing situation, a number
of the Sydney citizens' committee, led by J. S. McLennan, organized a branch
of the Canadian Club in Sydney on September 19th to assist in the promotion
of the Anniversary. The full extent of the Bicentennial Celebration, was an
inaugural address to the newly formed Canadian Club delivered by McLennan,
before a gathering of 200 people in the County Courthouse the next day ...
While Louisburg was unable to respond to the event in any
tangible way, it is possible that the "Bicentennial" did give rise to some
activity in the Town. There is no specific evidence but Councillors Wylie
Stacey and Fletcher Townsend may have taken the opportunity to rally the
former members of the Citizens' Band in the event that activities would be
held in Louisburg ...
[Report/Rapport © Bill O'Shea: William A. O'Shea, "The
Louisburg Brass Bands", in Heritage Notes Series, William A. O'Shea,
editor (Louisbourg Heritage Society, February 1991) - ISBN 0-9694720-1-3 at
../Search/band2.html ]
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2013 CELEBRATIONS
The 2013 schedule of events is available at ... Future
Link
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INTERESTING READINGS
1713
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Future Link |
2013 Please click on
an image (© Parks Canada) Future Image
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