LIEUX HISTORIQUES NATIONAUX DU CAPE-BRETON

NATIONAL HISTORIC SITES CAPE BRETON

Vol. 2, No. 6, October - Octobre, 2000

Luncheon with the Lieutenant-Governor

Carol Whitfield and Andrée Crépeau had lunch with the Lieutenant-Governor, the Hon. Myra Freeman on Friday, October 6, 2000 in Halifax at Government House. Louisbourg gave 10 pieces of blue and white

reproduction porcelain to Government House National Historic Site for display. Government House was declared a National Historic site in 1982 and officially plaqued in 1992.

CNEHA Conference

Andrée Crépeau, Charles Burke, Rebecca Dunham, Julie Smith and Heidi Moses all attended the Council for North East Historic Archaeology Conference held in Halifax from October 5^th to

October 8^th 2000. Charles is a member of the Executive and on the organizing committee of the conference. Andrée presented a paper on the Chinese porcelain along with retired Parks Canada porcelain expert, Ron Waite. Julie Smith chaired one of the sessions.

La Veuve de Saint Pierre - Follow up News

The Making of Canada: A People’s History

Many of you may remember the Millennium Project undertaken by CBC to illustrate the history of Canada

through a 30 hour television documentary in French and English. Numerous segments of this series were filmed here at Louisbourg using Fortress staff and volunteers. The series began on Sunday, October 8 at 8 p.m. with a 2-hour special on the making of the program. The following is the schedule for the airing of the entire series:

1. When the World Began Sun. Oct.22, 8-10

2. Adventurers & Mystics Sun. Oct.29, 8-10

3. Claiming the Wilderness Tues.Oct.31, 8-9 p.m.

4. Battle for a Continent Sun. Nov. 5, 8-10 p.m.

5. Rebels, Loyalist & Invaders Sun. Nov.12, 8-10 p.m

6. The Pathfinders Sun. Jan.7, 8-10 p.m.

7. Rebellion & Reform Sun. Jan.14, 8-10 p.m.

8. The Great Enterprise Sun. Jan. 21, 8-10 p.m.

9. From Sea to Sea Tues. Jan. 21, 8-10 p.m.

10. Taking the West Fall 2001/Winter 2002

11. The Great Transformation (Dates TBA)

12. Ordeal by Fire

13. Hard Times

14. World War and Cold War

15. The Awakening

16. Brave New World

Mini Encampment 2000

The mini encampment held on the last weekend in September was a great success. There was a small, but enthusiastic group of reenactors including Dank’s Rangers from New Brunswick and Fraser’s Highlanders from the mainland. They were joined by the Louisbourg Militia. Sandy Balcom stayed overnight to provide a liaison with the reenactors and Anne Marie Continho was present on site during the day.

Film Production

Director Brian Pollard and John Joe Sark of Prince Edward Island spent two days filming at Louisbourg last week as part of a film production about Mi’kmaq history which has been licensed by the Vision Channel.

Fortress of Louisbourg Volunteers

On Saturday, September 30^th, 2000 the Fortress of Louisbourg and the Fortress of Louisbourg Volunteer’s Association held a ceremony to acknowledge those individuals who contributed volunteer hours during 1999. The event took place in the King’s Garden on a sunny but windy day. During l999 over 438 members of the Association provided 10,000 hours of their time in a variety of ways. Volunteer drummers contributed over 1800 hours, while participants in the Volunteer Children’s and Apprenticeship Programs over 8,000 hours. There were 132 Volunteers that contributed to the Encampment 99 event for a total of 2890 hours. Fourteen members of the Volunteer Militia combined for a total of 1586 hours and the Board of Directors contributed 156 hours of service. Of special note this year was that two members of the Volunteer’s Association, Bruce Allen and Troy Allen, reached the 1000+ hour plateau.

Mystery Tour Over for Another Year

After l8 performances of "Cry Murder" the evening mystery tour has completed its third season. The tour was well attended by both visitors and "locals". This year’s production received countless compliments and enquiries as to whether the show would be presented next year. The troupe is looking forward to putting on a brand new production during the summer of 2001 and invites all to come and enjoy an evening of mystery.

News from AGB

Harvest Home 2000

On Saturday, Sept.16th, ABG held its 16^th annual Harvest Home special event. Main activities took place from noon to 3 p.m. followed by a tetrahedral kite workshop (33 visitors made kites) from 4 - 5:30 p.m. Attendance and response to the activities was excellent with a very pleasing local (Island wide) turnout mixing well with tourists. Visitors really enjoyed the magic, jesting and clowning of entertainers from Halifax as well as the opportunity to make a 4-celled tetrahedral that was theirs to keep. The 562 Cabot Squadron Air Cadet Band played its first set outdoors and when the rain started, moved to the Water (hydrofoil) exhibit area. Fortunately the museum worked well as we put the rain plan into place.

International New Media Festival & Awards

Baddeck will once again be the host location for the annual celebration of new media from October 19 - 21. Multi-media producers, developers, distributors, animators, broadcasters, educators, publishers, telecommunications and cable professionals, industry suppliers, film and video producers, investors and government representatives will celebrate new media and look in to the industry’s future. Now in its fourth year, the festival (formerly known as the Atlantic Digital Media Festival) attracts participants from Germany, Ireland, Scotland, South America, United States and Canada who represent players including Walt Disney, Dream Works, America on Line (AOL) TV Globo, ICTV Inc. and Peter Gabriel’s Real World Studios.

Alexander Graham Bell National Historic Site, which commemorates the life and work of a pioneer in communication technology, will be the venue for the Festival’s Opening Reception on Friday, October 19^th.

Motorcoach Visits

A record was set at AGB during the month of September on the day (the 19^th) that 32 motorcoach groups visited the Site. Regular motorcoach tour visitors were supplemented by those on land tours from the cruise ship, Splendour of the Seas, docked in Sydney that day. Heritage interpretation staff worked non-stop providing introductory talks sometimes to four individual groups at a time in different areas inside and outside the immediate orientation/reception area of the museum.

Did You Know.....

....An article about Louisbourg appeared in the most recent Colonial Williamsburg magazine. Entitled

"Louisbourg: A Canadian Williamsburg?", it was written by Ivor Noel Hume, the retired senior archaeologist at Colonial Williamsburg, who visited here during the spring. Anyone wishing to see the magazine, a copy has been left in the foyer of the Admin. Building.

....Bob Morgan, Historian and Director of the Beaton Institute at UCCB and former Senior Historian at Louisbourg is retiring October 20^th. We wish him all the best in his retirement.

....Eugene Taylor has taken up his duties as Park Warden in Louisbourg. We all would like to welcome him and his family to this side of the Island.

....Stan Troke is still off on sick leave. Frances Chezenko was the successful candidate in the Stores competition and is now working at Stores and trying to learn all she can with help from Ray Lillington from CBH.

If you would like to make a submission to the Hear Ye! Hear Ye! Newsletter, please direct same to Donna MacNeil at 733-3551 or e-mail at donna_macneil@pch.gc.ca.