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Cape Breton Museums Network (CBMN)
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About Cape Breton / À propos de l'Île du Cap-Breton
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U'Namakika, Terre des Bretons, Bacaillos,
Isla de Cabo Bretón,
l'Isle Royale, Île du Cap-Breton,
Eilean Cheap Breatuinn, Cape Breton Island, the Island...
Navigators, discoverers, explorers / Navigateurs, découvreurs, explorateurs
Where is Cape Breton? / Où donc
se trouve le Cap-Breton?
And what about that cape, "Cape Breton", which gave the Island its name?
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It is the most easternly tip of the Island, facing the Atlantic Ocean. On any
map of Canada's Atlantic Provinces /Nova Scotia/ Cape Breton Island, look between Main-à-Dieu / Scatarie Island and Louisbourg
-- you cannot miss it, it's still there...
For centuries, this was the closest land European sailors could see on the
North Atlantic continent. The Island is on the Great Circle route, well known to navigators.
The whole Island is named
after that Cape Breton; also, the largest agglomeration (CBRM) and a county (CB County) bear that name.
For some strange
reason, Cape Breton's name has disappeared from most regional and provincial tourism maps these past years. That cape, world-wide
famous for centuries, now an undesignated area?
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Cape Breton Island is on the East Coast
of Canada (between mainland Nova Scotia and Newfoundland), by the Atlantic Ocean.
The Island
a song by Kenzie MacNeil
Over an ocean
and over a sea,
Beyond these great waters, oh, what do I see?
I see the great mountains which climb from the coastline,
The
hills of Cape Breton, this new home of mine.
Oh, we come from the countries all over the world
To hack at the forests,
to plow the lands down.
Fishermen, farmers and sailors all come
To clear for the future this pioneer ground.
Chorus:
We
are an island, a rock in a stream;
We are a people as proud as there's been.
In soft summer breeze or in wild winter
wind,
The home of our hearts, Cape Breton.
Over the rooftops and over the trees,
Within these new townships,
oh, what do I see?
I see the black pitheads; the coal wheels are turning.
The smoke stacks are belching and the blast
furnace burning.
And the sweat on the back is no joy to behold
In the heat of the steel plant or mining the coal,
And
the foreign-owned companies force us to fight
For our survival and for our rights. (chorus)
Over the highways and
over the roads,
Over the Causeway stories are told.
They tell of the coming and the going away;
The cities of America
draw me away.
And though companies come and though companies go
And the ways of the world we may never know,
We'll
follow the footsteps of those on their way
And still ask for the right to leave or to stay. (repeat chorus)
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Quelques mouvements de population, quelques
foyers de peuplement (Some of the people who have come to populate the Island) :
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Mi'kmaq (à l'Île depuis 10 000 ans)
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Whycocomagh, lac Bras d'Or, Eskasoni, Membertou
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Français, Jersiais, St-Pierrais et Acadiens d'après la Déportation
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Arichat, Petit-de-Grat (Isle Madame), Chéticamp, Fleur-de-lis Trail
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Loyalistes (des colonies de la Nouvelle-Angleterre, fuyant la Révolution américaine)
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Sydney, St. Peter's
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Écossais (des Hébrides)
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Inverness, lac Ainslie (côte ouest), Ceilidh Trail
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Irlandais
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Ingonish
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Immigrants du début du XXe siècle (cf. boom industriel : charbonnages et sidérurgie)
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Whitney Pier (Sydney) et reste du Cap-Breton dit industriel
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Européens, Américains (nouveaux venus, pour la beauté de l'Île)
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Baddeck, lac Bras d'Or, littoral
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About Cape Breton - publicly-sponsored sites:
Cape Breton Regional Municipality (CBRM) - A community of communities
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Cape Breton Island (Cape Breton Showcase)
Map of Sydney
Sydney, Cape Breton (Cape Breton Showcase)
Activities in Sydney
Cape Breton Island (Canadian Geographic)
Festivals and events for Cape Breton (Explore Nova Scotia)
This is Nova Scotia (NovaScotia.com)
Cape Breton roads (NS Transp. & Public Works)
Hiking trails of Cape Breton (Explore Nova Scotia)
National parks in Cape Breton (Parks Canada/Fortress of Louisbourg)
Cape Breton voted 2nd best naturally beautiful
place on Earth: National Geographic Traveler, "Destinations Scorecard: 115 Places Rated"
Other useful sites about Cape Breton (by individuals):
The Irishcaper
Do you have a non-commercial site about Cape Breton
which you would like to submit? Write to us with the URL of your site.
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Quick facts about the Island:
An island in Canada, 75th in size world-wide; in the
North Atlantic, at the entrance of the Gulf of St. Lawrence, 110 km (68 mi) south of Newfoundland.
An exceptional
location in the Northern Atlantic: only 50 km from the St. Lawrence Seaway route, linking it to many inland Canadian and American
ports
175 km (110 mi) long, 140 km (87 mi) wide.
Total area: 10,311 km2 (3,981 mi2)
Latitude: 59° 48' - 60° 48' N.
Longitude: 46° 20' - 45° 44' W.
Over 1,000 km (650 mi) of Atlantic coastline.
Linked to the continent (mainland Nova Scotia) since 1955 by the Canso Causeway, across the Strait (or Gut) of Canso.
Population: approx. 130,000.
Main agglomeration: Cape Breton
Regional Municipality (CBRM, created in 1995), with Sydney (founded in 1785) and surrounding towns.
Four counties:
Cape Breton, Victoria, Inverness, Richmond.
Main languages spoken: Mi'kmaq, French and
Acadian French, Scottish Gaelic, English.
Also: Italian, Lebanese Arabic, Yiddish, Polish, Chinese...
Industries:
tourism; fishing, forestry, mining, electricity production; multimedia; music, arts & crafts.
Main
freshwater features : Lake Ainslie, Margaree River, Mira River.
World-renowned attractions:
- the Cape Breton Highlands National Park (est. 1936) - 951 km2 (367 mi2),
- the Bras d'Or Lake system, 930
km2 (360 mi2) - arm of the Atlantic Ocean which - the Island wraps around, indenting deeply into CBI and stretching from West
Bay to East Bay;
- the Cabot Trail,
- the Fortress of Louisbourg Historic National Site.
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