Volume 1: Number 1

Hear Ye! Hear Ye!  

Welcome to the first issue of a newsletter for the five national historic sites in the Cape Breton Field Unit. We hope that you will find this newsletter a way to keep up with all that is going on and that you will learn something about the other national historic sites. The objective is to have two issues a month during the summer and then monthly ones for the rest of the year.

Last week, Aubrey Harris, Jimmy MacIsaac, Kevin LeBlanc, John Johnston, Bill O'Shea, Peter Chiasson, Sandy Balcom, Lionel Wadden, Tim Reynolds and Carol Whitfield, all participated in a classification course. They were randomly chosen as part of a group of 380 employees who are helping to refine the new classification system for Parks Canada. This group was so good they finished the course in 3 days instead of 3 and a half days!

Carol Whitfield

Encampment '99

In just a little over a month, Encampment '99 will be going full swing. The re-enactors will start arriving on Wednesday, July 21 in order to set up and get prepared for the big July 23-25 weekend.

There are 2,200 re-enactors registered for the event. They will represent Cape Breton Island and 6 provinces, 26 U.S. states, England, France and Germany. The re-enactors are all volunteers, taking their vacations to come here and eager to be at Louisbourg for this end-of-the-century event. If 1995 is any indication they will be a fine group of people, family-oriented and interested in the history that we interpret.

Encampment '99 celebrates the 250th anniversary of the return of Louisbourg to the French in 1749. The new governor, Charles des Herbiers, arrived in Louisbourg on June 29 and sent officers De

Gannes and Loppinot into the town with letters to the English governor, Peregrine Hopson. The following day the French ships sailed into the harbour and exchanged artillery salutes with the shore batteries. For the next three weeks the administrative work involved in returning the town to the French was completed. Then, on July 23, 1749, Governor Des Herbiers and the French troops marched into the town and received the keys from Governor Hopson. The French flag was raised again and the English withdrew. On August 3, a Te Deum was sung to celebrate the return of peace.

We have been working on the Encampment for almost 2 years. During that time many people have been involved. Brian Harpell chairs the operational committee which includes: Sandy Balcom, Lionel Wadden, Peter Chiasson, Anne Marie Coutinho, Doug Pearl, Peter Pickup, Karen Camus Rose, Heidi Moses, Derek Desveaux, J.R. Bourgeois and Wayne Moug. We are expecting Greg Joyce back in a week or so.

John Johnston and Rose Anne Poirier are co-ordinating media for the weekend. Anne O'Neill is spearheading the sponsorship drive and has developed the marketing strategy.

Dr. George Burns, former employee at the fortress, will return for the weekend as our resident physician. Dr. Glen Worth has also volunteered to provide medical assistance if it is required.

We are working with the Louisbourg committee headed by Lloydette King. Gary Peck is the contact with the Merchants Association. The town is planning a series of events beginning with a Natalie MacMaster concert on the grounds of the Han Beck fish plant on Thursday, July 22. For the rest of the weekend, there will be entertainment and refreshments on the boardwalk.

For those concerned about traffic congestion, we have spoken with the Cape Breton Regional Municipality Police and the RCMP and they have the situation well in hand. The CBRM police have established overflow parking in the town and will direct the traffic. Buses from Metro Transit will travel on a regular circuit from the Visitor Centre through the town to pick up visitors who park there. As a result, there will be an orderly flow of traffic all weekend.

Eighty-seven people from the industrial area have volunteered to lend a hand during the weekend. They will help set up and take down the period camp which will consist of over 800 tents, work with media and visitors, act as drivers and do registration, answer telephones and help direct the re-enactors who are not familiar with Louisbourg. If you would like your name added to the list of volunteers, please call Peter Pickup or stop him in the street if you see him.

I encourage you to look forward to this event and enjoy the enthusiasm of the re-enactors who look upon Louisbourg as the ultimate living history site. If you have any questions, don't hesitate to ask Brian or me.

Bill O'Shea

Encampment Media Details

CJFX will be broadcasting live on Friday, July 23. CBC-Radio will be doing the same thing on that date, with three separate shows. The Chronicle-Herald will have a reporter and a photographer throughout the weekend. ATV and ASN will have crews here; so will CPAC (the Parliamentary channel) who will be doing a documentary. Scottish Television Enterprises will be here to capture some battle footage they can use in a documentary they are producing.

Two French-language crews will be on site during the Encampment weekend. Les Productions R. Charbonneau will be getting footage to produce a 30-minute program called CHEZ NOUS 99 airing on the national SRC-CBC during the summer. Also, a second group from the SRC-CBC will be filming mostly period scenes with La Milice de Chambly for a project called, GROUPE HISTOIRE DU CANADA.

Folkus Atlantic will be producing a documentary of the entire weekend, which will become a video for sale. Then there will be news coverage from various newspapers and other media, but we do not yet know exactly who will be coming or when.

John Johnston

CAT PROMOTION IN BOSTON, May 14 - 16, 1999.

Parks Canada representatives travelled along with 50 private sector operators, partners from the Governments of Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island, Bay Ferries and ACTP on the CAT from Yarmouth to Boston. Docked at the Charlestown Navy Yard in Boston National Historic Park, the CAT hosted a travel trade show visited by over 18,000 visitors. Along with dockside entertainment and animation, consumers were given the opportunity to browse through the trade show discovering all Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island have to offer to New England visitors. Parks Canada's participation included a group of 8 animators from the Fortress of Louisbourg, Highlanders from the Citadel and Samuel Champlain from Port Royal. The Marketing Managers from both Cape Breton and the Mainland participated in the consumer trade show. In addition, various media and VIP guests attended a series of special events providing all participants the opportunity to meet these groups. The promotion met and even surpassed all expectations.

Rose Anne Poirier

Encampment Sponsorship

Last year the Fortress launched a corporate sponsorship campaign to seek funding and services in support of Encampment >99. This campaign has resulted in a number of companies, institutions and government agencies becoming involved through contributions and co-operative efforts in media and marketing along with the provision of vehicles, equipment, services and direct financial contributions. Our two major "Flagship" sponsors are ATV/CTV and the Fortress Volunteers. Other contributing sponsors include Nova Scotia Tourism, Tourism Cape Breton, ECBC, CBRM, the Royal Bank, Maritime Beer, Marine Atlantic and Budget. We are still willing to accept any contributions, so if you have friends in high places......

Anne O'Neill

If you would like to make a submission to the Hear Ye! Hear Ye! Newsletter, please direct same to Wendy Bryan at 733-2280, Extension 3109 or e-mail at wendy_bryan@pch.gc.ca.  

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