NATIONAL HISTORIC SITES OF CAPE BRETON
LIEUX HISTORIQUES NATIONAUX DU CAPE-BRETON

Vol. 6, No.4
April 2004 -avril 2004 

Memo to All Staff

Last winter when the new government came in, it was announced that salary and wage expenditures in 2004-05 were to be held at the level of 2003-04. Since then we have learned that these instructions apply to Parks Canada and that there is no allowance for increments or other salary adjustments. Furthermore Parks Canada has been told that there is no adjustment possible for new positions that were created late in 2003 -04, where the Agency was given new funding - such as for the creation of new national parks or improvements in our management of ecological integrity.

Accordingly, all field units, service centres and directorates in the national office have been instructed to reduce their salary and wage expenditures for 2004-5 by 2%. In order to implement this direction in the Cape Breton field unit we are doing the following:

1. Protecting the employment of all indeterminate employees;

2. Carrying out a detailed analysis of all the staffing changes between last year and this year so that we can get a solid forecast on proposed expenditures;

3. Limiting overtime to situations where assets or human beings are at risk or to providing coverage for statutory holidays (with all overtime requiring prior approval by the cost centre manager); and

4. Requiring the field unit superintendent's approval on all staffing actions (other than normal seasonal recalls).

It is our hope that we will be able to identify the requisite reductions as soon as possible so that we can determine what extensions or new staffing can proceed.

It is important to underline that the employment of all indeterminate employees is guaranteed for the length of time indicated in their letters of offer.

Carol M. Whitfield

Field Unit Superintendent

April 14, 2004

Nominations Requested for Most Environmentally Conscientious Person/Section

The Green Committee is instituting the GAEA (pronounced jee-ah) AWARD for the person or section who practices good environmentally friendly habits, or who comes up with an innovative way of reducing waste and being environmentally friendly. The Gaea Award will be handed out at the beginning of each month. To nominate an individual or section, please contact Sandy Anthony at 3426, or by e-mail by the last Friday of each month.

Exhibit - LaRochelle - Louisbourg

An exhibit project entitled ALouisbourg, citadelle rêvée de la Nouvelle-France@ is being planned by les Archives départementales de la Charente-Maritime.

The main idea of this exhibit is to focus on their archive collection of the Amirauté de Louisbourg papers which were deposited in La Rochelle after the last fall of the fortress. These documents were never put on display and are unknown by the general public. Even more unknown is the place where they were produced and the way they travelled from one port to another, across the ocean.

We will be sending them Louisbourg images to include in their exhibit.

News from AGBNHSC

The following is an excerpt from a letter, April 22, 1894, written at Beinn Bhreagh by Mabel Bell to her mother in Washington DC (Letter Books, Binder 85, pages 24 & 25). This would be the Bell's first spring in their new 37 room house, Beinn Bhreagh Hall, on the point of Red Head peninsula.

My darling Mamma:

I suppose you are out at Twin Oaks now. How lovely the country must be with the trees starting into full leaf and the wild flowers in all their glory. I feel so sorry I must miss the Washington spring, it is the most delicious weather ... It has been impossible to stake out the roads, we began but the last heavy snow storm buried the ground so deep that it was impossible to do anything, and until the ice went we could not decide about our wharf. Mr. McInnis and I went down yesterday morning to see about it, but we found the lake ... all blocked up with floating ice around the rocks, so we couldn't do anything. In the afternoon there was no sign of ice and Alec, Mrs. Kennan, Mr. McCurdy and I rowed all along the shore for hours and hardly felt need of our wraps ... Today I have been out without any coat on and felt perfectly warm. To be sure my homespun dress is perfectly thick, but it is really very mild. The snow has lain so uninterruptedly on the ground all winter that the frost could not extend far into the ground, so we can plough earlier than usual ... and I find my rhododendrons have come through in good shape and have large buds on many tips.

Improvements

Electrical and heating system improvements continue at AGB and assurances are given that all will be in order for our first day of fee collection on May 3^rd. During the month of May we are open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily.

Students

The hiring process is well underway at AGB for 3 student positions under the FSWEP program. This is the first time this site has used this program and this is in keeping with the goal of getting the best return on every dollar spent.

Training

Heritage presentation training begins on May 3^rd. During training this year there will be two days which will include staff from Marconi and Canso Islands at AGBNHSC. On these days all staff will receive compliance training, basic first aid and pertinent Parks Canada information

Marconi Day

International Marconi Day was celebrated on Friday, April 23^rd starting at 9 p.m. until Saturday, April 24^th at 9 p.m. This event is held each year on the Friday and Saturday closest to Marconi's birthday. Radio operators from around the world contact several designated radio stations significantly related to the early history of the development of Marconi's technology.

Getting to know our Parks

As you will recall Peter Milliken, Speaker of the House of Commons, was in Louisbourg for a quick visit last month. He has a special interest in historic sites as he is the Honorary Commander of the Fort Henry Guard. I thought this site would be a good park to discuss for this month's issue of Hear Ye! Hear Ye!

Fort Henry National Historic Site located in Kingston, Ontario is one of Canada's premiere historic attractions, and has been designated by the Government of Canada as a place of national significance. It is part of the Family of National Historic Sites, one of more than 800 places across Canada which help define the important aspects of Canada's diverse but common heritage and identity.

Fort Henry was originally build between 1832 and 1837 to replace an existing fortification from the War of 1812. This fort protected the naval dockyard of Point Frederic, the entrance of the Rideau Canal and the town of Kingston. During World War 1 Fort Henry was used an as internment camp for political prisoners. It was once again used as a Prisoner of War camp for enemies during World War II. It was reopened in l948 and it has seen millions of visitors since that time.

This site offers guided tours, scenic views and musical performances from a military band and military and marching demonstrations by the Fort Henry Guard.

Further information on the National Historic Sites Program can be found at the Parks Canada website.

Condolences

Sincere sympathies are extended to Judith Romard on the death of her father-in-law, Joseph Sampson of River Bourgeois who passed away April 4, 2004. Mr. Sampson was also an employee of St. Peter's Canal who retired in 1982.

Sincere sympathies are also extended to Gary Pierrard and family on the death of his father, Sonny Pierrard on April 24, 2004.

Anyone wishing to submit an article to the Hear Ye! Hear Ye! Please forward to Donna MacNeil at donna.macneil@pc.gc.ca  or telephone 733-3551.