Episode #7: Cape Breton Island

Cape Breton Island has a rich and fascinating history, shaped first by the Mi'kmaq Nation and later by centuries of French and British colonial struggles. Explorer John Cabot is believed to have made landfall here in 1497, although historians still debate whether he first reached Newfoundland or Cape Breton. During the early 19th century, tens of thousands of Scottish Highlanders settled on the island, making Gaelic the dominant language in many communities. Later, Cape Breton became an industrial powerhouse, with coal mining and steel production driving the economy through the 19th and much of the 20th centuries.

Prior to the opening of the Canso Causeway in 1955—a 4,544-foot fixed link connecting Cape Breton to mainland Nova Scotia with a two-lane highway and a single railway track—travel to and from the island relied on vehicle ferries, train barges and passenger boats. While the causeway was a tremendous boost to trade and tourism, it also brought significant changes. Ferry-dependent communities lost jobs, and the complete closure of the former waterway permanently altered the marine ecosystem. Migrating groundfish populations took decades to adapt by finding routes around Cape Breton, and the lobster fishery has never fully recovered, with catches remaining well below historical levels.

We chose Adventures East Campground, near Baddeck, as our home base while exploring the island.

Grocery shopping while on vacation is so much fun!!

Our first outing was especially memorable. We met up with friends from our boating days at Mimico Cruising Club—Frank and Eleanor—who now spend their summers at Inverness Campground. We hadn't seen each other in over twenty years, yet it felt like no time had passed. We enjoyed a wonderful lunch together at Route 19 Brewing Company, followed by a visit at their beautiful fifth-wheel RV. Eleanor and Frank have stayed in touch with many former Mimico members, and we spent a delightful afternoon sharing stories of boating adventures, RV travels and mutual friends.

Eleanor & Frank's 5th Wheel

Frank & Eleanor 

Cape Breton's Gaelic and Celtic culture remains one of the island's defining characteristics. Scottish Highland immigrants brought with them the Gaelic language, storytelling traditions, fiddle and pipe music, ceilidhs (kitchen parties), square dancing and a strong sense of community. Today, much of that heritage is carefully preserved. Many road signs are bilingual in English and Gaelic, and institutions such as The Gaelic College in Englishtown, the Highland Village Museum in Iona and the annual Celtic Colours International Festival continue to celebrate these traditions.

One of our favourite experiences was attending the nightly Baddeck Gathering Ceilidh at St. Michael's Parish Hall.

("Ceilidh" is pronounced kay-lee.)

The hall was packed with locals and visitors alike, all eager to enjoy traditional Cape Breton fiddle music accompanied by piano. Before each tune, the musicians explained its history and significance, making the evening even more enjoyable.

At the Ceilidh

Ceilidh Fiddle Player

What makes Cape Breton fiddle music unique?

• It is an informal, energetic style of Scottish Gaelic folk music performed primarily for community gatherings.
• The musicians perform entirely from memory, having learned the tunes by listening to earlier generations rather than reading sheet music.
• The fiddle playing features rapid embellishments—cuts, rolls and trills—that imitate the sound of the Highland bagpipes.
• The piano provides a lively, syncopated accompaniment that acts as the rhythmic engine for the performance.
• Rather than playing individual pieces, musicians string multiple tunes together into continuous sets that gradually build in speed and excitement.

At intermission, coffee, tea and traditional Scottish oatcakes were served. We were also treated to two audience members who simply couldn't resist the music and got up to dance. Their impromptu performances brought enthusiastic applause from the entire audience.

While at the Ceilidh, we met Jeanne, from Pugwash, Nova Scotia, and Kristen, from Alberta. They are retired teaching colleagues holidaying in Cape Breton and were clearly enthusiastic fans of traditional fiddle music. The following morning we unexpectedly ran into them again at the excellent Highwheeler Café & Bakery, where we enjoyed another wonderful conversation.

Jeanne and Kristen at the Highwheeler Café

During our chat, we learned that Pugwash proudly calls itself "World Famous for Peace."

The town earned this distinction through the 1957 Pugwash Conferences on Science and World Affairs, which brought together scientists, scholars and public figures from around the world to reduce the threat of nuclear war and improve global security. Philosopher Bertrand Russell and physicist Joseph Rotblat were the principal founders, while industrialist Cyrus Eaton financed the first conference at Thinkers' Lodge, now a National Historic Site.

The conferences became an invaluable unofficial "back channel" during the Cold War, allowing scientists from the Western and Soviet blocs to continue dialogue even when governments could not. Their work helped influence several landmark agreements, including:

• the 1963 Partial Test Ban Treaty
• the 1968 Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty
• the 1972 Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty

In 1995, Joseph Rotblat and the Pugwash Conferences were jointly awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for their efforts to reduce the role of nuclear weapons in international affairs.

One particularly fascinating fact was that Rotblat had worked on the Manhattan Project but resigned in 1944 after concluding that Germany would not succeed in building an atomic bomb. He devoted the remainder of his life to nuclear disarmament.

Although we didn't visit Pugwash on this trip, learning its remarkable history left us feeling proud that such an influential movement began in a small Nova Scotia community. It's definitely on our list for a future visit.

The Highwheeler Café & Bakery

Of course, no visit to Cape Breton would be complete without driving the famous Cabot Trail.

This spectacular 289-kilometre scenic loop, named after John Cabot, was first conceived in 1923. Much of it was built by hand during the Great Depression using little more than picks and shovels. The road connected previously isolated fishing villages and transformed the economy of northern Cape Breton. The establishment of Cape Breton Highlands National Park in 1936 helped fund the remaining construction, and by the late 1930s the route was complete. Following further improvements after the Second World War, the Cabot Trail became one of Canada's premier scenic drives while preserving the island's Mi'kmaq, Acadian and Scottish Gaelic heritage.

We were fortunate to enjoy spectacular weather for our full-day drive around the Cabot Trail. We chose to travel in a counter-clockwise direction because most of the scenic pullouts are on the right-hand side of the road, making it much easier—and safer—to stop for photographs.

The scenery is absolutely breathtaking. Rugged cliffs plunge into the Atlantic Ocean, forests blanket the mountains, and every few kilometres another panoramic vista appears. One could easily write an entire book about the geology that shaped this extraordinary landscape.

Cape Breton—and especially the Cabot Trail—deserves a place on everyone's bucket list.

Neil's Harbour (notice how high that break wall is!!

Cape Breton Highlands National Park

The west shore

There is far more to see on Cape Breton. When we explored the island by boat in 2016, two highlights stood out.

Fortress of Louisbourg is an extraordinary reconstruction of an 18th-century French fortress, complete with costumed interpreters who bring the history of New France vividly to life.

The Alexander Graham Bell National Historic Site in Baddeck goes far beyond Bell's invention of the telephone. The museum explores his work with the deaf, his experiments with hydrofoils, aviation, kites and many other innovations, providing a fascinating glimpse into one of history's greatest inventors.

Cape Breton continues to exceed our expectations. Between its dramatic scenery, vibrant Celtic culture, welcoming people and fascinating history, it has become one of our favourite destinations in Atlantic Canada.

Our Airstream rig looks pretty small next to this enormous 5th wheel and truck. This couple has two large Harley Davidson motorcycles they load into a toy hauler compartment at the rear of the trailer.

Next Up: Nova Scotia's rugged east and south coasts.

Episode #6 – Prince Edward Island

Confederation Bridge

Tug'n crossing "The Bridge"

Prince Edward Island—originally known as Abegweit—was home to the Mi'kmaq people for thousands of years before French explorer Jacques Cartier arrived in 1534. France claimed the island in the early 1700s, renaming it Île Saint-Jean. Following the Seven Years' War, Britain seized control, expelled most of the French and Acadian settlers, and renamed it St. John Island.

The British then divided the entire island into 67 lots and granted them to a small number of absentee landlords. Tenant farmers were forced to pay high rents, creating land ownership disputes that dominated the island's politics and economy for nearly a century.

During the 19th century, waves of Scottish immigrants settled on the island, and in 1799 the colony officially became Prince Edward Island.

In September 1864, delegates from the British North American colonies gathered in Charlottetown to discuss the possibility of uniting the Maritime colonies. An uninvited delegation from the Province of Canada (present-day Ontario and Quebec) unexpectedly joined the discussions, broadening the scope of the conference and laying the groundwork for Canadian Confederation.

When Confederation became reality in 1867, PEI chose not to join. The proposed terms did little to address the island's land ownership problems or its mounting debt from an ambitious railway construction program.

PEI finally entered Confederation on July 1, 1873, after the federal government agreed to assume the railway debt and later passed the Land Purchase Act of 1875, helping tenant farmers purchase the land they had long worked.

Workers pulling "ice boats" across Northumberland Straight to deliver the mail in the late 1800's

Being an island, PEI was naturally isolated. To persuade it to join Confederation, the federal government guaranteed "continuous year-round steamship communication to the mainland." Delivering on that promise was no easy task. Early winter crossings were dangerous, with mail carriers rowing specially designed wooden iceboats through open water and hauling them across ice floes by hand. Over time, icebreaking steamships improved the service, followed eventually by Marine Atlantic ferries. Even then, winter ice frequently interrupted travel.

The challenge was finally overcome with the opening of the 12.9-kilometre Confederation Bridge on May 31, 1997. Stretching across the Northumberland Strait from New Brunswick to PEI, it remains the world's longest bridge over ice-covered water. Its gentle curves help keep drivers alert, while high side barriers reduce crosswinds. At the time, the bridge generated considerable debate. Critics feared it would erode the island's unique culture and overwhelm it with tourism, while supporters believed it would provide the economic stability PEI needed.

Ten years ago, while cruising the East Coast in our boat "Tug'n", we passed beneath the Confederation Bridge. This summer we crossed it again—this time in our GMC Sierra EV, towing Tug'n, our Airstream. Experiencing the bridge from both the water and the road made it especially memorable.

A pic of Confederation from our boat in 2016

Holiday Haven Campground, just outside Charlottetown, became our home base for exploring the island.

Our GMC EV truck with Tug'n and John & Teresa's Tesla and Airstream at Holiday Haven Campground

Our first morning was spent wandering through downtown Charlottetown. As PEI's licence plates proudly proclaim, this is the "Birthplace of Confederation." The city has done an outstanding job preserving its historic character through careful architectural restoration, pedestrian-friendly streets, adaptive reuse of 19th-century buildings, vibrant cultural programming, and beautifully maintained streetscapes.

St. Dunstan's Basilica

Victoria Row

Sitting near Province House, Charlottetown

Charlottetown's City Hall

Beautifully maintained antique fire engine

Historic Beaconsfield House

Beautiful grounds of Beaconsfield House

There is no shortage of historic landmarks, including Province House, St. Dunstan's Basilica, Beaconsfield Historic House, Victoria Row—with its pedestrian-only cobblestone street lined with shops and restaurants—and the attractive waterfront parks and boardwalks.

Lunch was at one of Richard's Seafood restaurants, famous for its lobster rolls. It did not disappoint.

Richard's Seafood

Divine lobster roll. If you think we are eating our way across the east coast, you may be correct...

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Who is this?

• An orphaned young girl
• Red hair in braids beneath a straw hat
• Headstrong and imaginative
• Forever finding herself in youthful adventures and mishaps
• The heroine of a 1908 novel that has never gone out of print

Anne of Green Gables, of course—arguably Canada's most beloved fictional character. I knew you'd guess it.

We visited Green Gables Heritage Place near Cavendish. This famous farmhouse inspired the setting for Canadian author Lucy Maud Montgomery's classic novel. Montgomery herself grew up with her grandparents on a neighbouring property, while Green Gables belonged to cousins of her grandparents. She visited frequently, drawing inspiration from the house and surrounding countryside.

Green Gables

Gardens at Green Gables

Green Gables Kitchen

Anne's bedroom

Nearby woodlands became the basis for places she called Lover's Lane and the Haunted Wood. Although many locations were inspired by real places, much of Avonlea sprang from Montgomery's remarkable imagination.

Various actresses who played Anne 

Montgomery spent the first 37 years of her life in PEI before moving to Ontario after her marriage. Her connection to the island remained profound—19 of her 20 novels are set on Prince Edward Island.

Touring the house and grounds felt surprisingly familiar after seeing various movies, plays and television adaptations over the years. Parks Canada has done an exceptional job preserving both the property and the interpretive centre. It was truly one of the highlights of our visit.

Lucy Maude Montgomery

Another day took us to Orwell Corner Historic Village, an authentic living history museum depicting rural life in the 1890s. Original buildings include a fully stocked general store, one-room schoolhouse, church, blacksmith shop, community hall and working farm. Costumed staff demonstrate traditional skills such as butter churning, bread baking, ice cream making and horse-drawn wagon rides.

Serving up churned ice cream to visitors

Washing machine (I think)

Blacksmith's shop

The General Store

One room schoolhouse 

A few facts really stood out:

• In 1901, PEI had approximately 14,000 farms. By 2001, that number had fallen to about 1,800.
• Around 1900, daily life was powered by horses, lit by kerosene and heated with wood.
• Cash was scarce, but families produced most of what they needed to survive.
• The work was relentless and physically demanding.

The interpretive centre features photographs and personal recollections from Islanders who lived through that era, offering a fascinating glimpse into the realities of small family farming at the turn of the 20th century.

Lunch that day was at the Tipsy Farmer in Souris, where we enjoyed outstanding seafood chowder and fresh fish and chips. Finding the best seafood chowder on Canada's East Coast has quietly become one of our travel missions.

Tipsy Farmer Restaurant

Another Seafood Chowder contestant...

Continuing northeast, we stopped briefly at Singing Sands Provincial Park. The beach gets its name from its unusually high silica and quartz content, causing the sand to squeak—or "sing"—beneath your feet.

Unfortunately, the beach was so popular that day, with swimmers, families and children leaping from the footbridge into the warm, shallow water, that hearing the famous singing sand proved impossible. It was however and extremely beautiful setting.  

Singing Sands Provincial Park

For the young and young at heart

We also toured the Elmira Railway Museum. PEI constructed its railway system between 1871 and 1875 to overcome poor overland transportation. Eventually stretching 434 kilometres from tip to tip of the island, with numerous branch lines, the railway served Islanders well for nearly a century. Ironically, the enormous construction costs nearly bankrupted the colony, helping push PEI toward Confederation.

Rail lines and stations in PEI

Rail traffic declined rapidly after the 1970s, and the last train ran on December 31, 1989. Today, much of the former railway corridor has been transformed into the Confederation Trail, a wonderful network for walking and cycling.

At the island's eastern tip stands the East Point Lighthouse, a graceful 64-foot wooden structure originally built in 1867 by a local farmer, his two sons and a blacksmith.

East Point Lighthouse - beautiful setting

It has actually been moved twice. The first relocation came in 1885 after the wreck of HMS Phoenix revealed that marine charts showed the lighthouse in the wrong location. It was moved again in 1908 as shoreline erosion threatened its foundation.

Remarkably, it is the only surviving wooden lighthouse built in 1867. From its observation deck, visitors can watch the fascinating wave patterns created where the tides of the Gulf of St. Lawrence, Northumberland Strait and Atlantic Ocean meet.

The waters just offshore are also famous for giant bluefin tuna. The largest ever caught weighed an astonishing 1,486 pounds and it was hooked just off East Point.

Fortunately, the weather cooperated, and we could clearly see Cape Breton Island on the distant horizon.

On our return to Tug'n, we stopped at Greenwich Beach in Prince Edward Island National Park.

Boardwalk across the sand dunes to Greenwich Beach

The all important grasses to help protect the sand dunes

Greenwich Beach

The park protects 60 kilometres of spectacular north shore coastline featuring red sandstone cliffs, white sand beaches and ever-shifting dunes. Established in 1937, it is divided into three sections: Cavendish, Brackley-Dalvay and Greenwich.

The boardwalk provides excellent views across the fragile dune system before opening onto an expansive white sand beach.

The interpretive centre highlights several vulnerable marine species found in the area, including great white sharks, leatherback sea turtles, Atlantic wolffish and winter skate, while explaining the environmental challenges they face.

We have been fortunate to visit a number of Canada's National Parks over the years. Their purpose is to protect representative landscapes from each of Canada's 39 terrestrial natural regions while maintaining ecological integrity and providing opportunities for Canadians to experience and appreciate these remarkable places.

Today the system includes 37 national parks and 11 national park reserves, representing 31 of Canada's 39 natural regions.

These parks are truly national treasures. Parks Canada, working closely with Indigenous partners, continues to incorporate Indigenous knowledge, respect ongoing land claim agreements and tackle growing challenges such as climate change and invasive species. It is an enormous responsibility, and one for which we are deeply grateful.

Departing PEI for Nova Scotia

Next up: Nova Scotia's unique and spectacular Cape Breton Island.