When we left St. Peter’s, we thought we were going to sail to the north end of Bras d’Or Lake. However, once we entered the open area of the lake it became evident that this was going to be an unpleasant journey with large waves and more wind than forecast. We made a quick change of plans and headed to a quiet cove. By the time we arrived at the cove, the entire outside of the boat was soaked in spray from waves washing across the decks. We were very happy for Tilia’s protected helm which kept us completely safe and dry. The next morning, the wind had died and we got an early start for our previous day’s destination.
After a few pleasant hours, we arrived at an anchorage off of Goat Island, near the town of Eskasoni, the largest Mi’kmaq community in Nova Scotia, with about 5,000 members. The coastal area near Goat Island has been home to the Eskasoni First Nation since they were placed there by the Canadian government in 1942 through forced relocation from Digby, NS. At the time, the government provided each family with a goat (and not much else) to get them started in their new homes. When the goats became too much of a nuisance, the community placed them all on the island — hence the name.
Since 2012, Goat Island has been the home of Eskasoni Cultural Journeys, an outdoor exhibit depicting the history of the traditional Mi’kmaq way of life. Unfortunately, we did not call ahead for a guided tour from a community member, but we did enjoy walking the 2.5km trail around the island, stopping to read about the tribe at all of the informational plaques.
Our next stop was Baddeck, a small community on the northeastern shore of the Great Bras d’Or Lake. We anchored in the harbor between the town and a small island just off shore. Baddeck is on the famous Cabot Trail and is thus busy with tourism. We were told the year round population is about 800 residents, with the population swelling to about 2500 in summer months. Baddeck was a welcoming and friendly town. We enjoyed slow mornings at the local coffee shops and wandering around town looking into the various shops as they interested us. There were also a couple stand-out experiences for us.
One notable stop was the Alexander Graham Bell National Historic Site. We were a little surprised to find this up here in Cape Breton, but it turns out we knew very little about Bell or his work until we visited the site.
Bell was born in Scotland and moved to Ontario, Canada with his parents when he was 23. For several years, he split his time between teaching deaf students in Boston, and summering at the family home in Ontario. In Ontario, Bell worked on an apparatus to transmit music electrically over a distance. While teaching in Boston, he was swept up by the excitement and energy of the many scientists and inventors in the city, and began spending so much time late at night working on his experiments that his health suffered and he decided to stop teaching and focus his efforts on transmitting sound electrically. This led to the development of the telephone and the creation of the Bell Telephone Company.
A few days after the creation of the Bell Telephone Company in 1877, Bell married Mabel Hubbard. By 1885, the Bells wanted a summer home as a retreat from the busy city for them and their daughters. They liked the area of Baddeck, so they bought a parcel of land on the point across from the town and commenced building an estate which they named Beinn Bhreagh (Gaelic for Beautiful Mountain). Over time, the Bells spent more and more time at Beinn Bhreagh and became a part of the local community. At the estate, the Bells explored further interests in boats, hydrofoils, and aeronautics, including sponsoring and hosting the first powered controlled flight in the British Empire. The estate remains as a private property, but the historic site hosts many items on loan from the Bell family’s private museum.
The evening after visiting the Bell historic site, we attended a ceilidh (pronounced “kay-lee”). Cape Breton has a substantial population of Scottish Gaels who settled here between 1773 and the 1850s. For a time, people viewed Gaelic as old-fashioned and focused on learning English. In recent years, the Gaelic community has been working hard to protect and regrow its cultural heritage, leading to a rebirth of interest in Gaelic traditions, including ceilidhs. A ceilidh is a traditional Gaelic kitchen party, with family and friends joining in song, fiddle music, step dancing and storytelling. Many small towns now have nightly ceilidhs open to the public in bars, community halls and barns. Cape Breton has been so successful at reviving Gaelic culture that they are sometimes called upon to help bring Gaelic traditions back to Scotland.
