Parks Canada staff work hard to recover from Fiona as tourist season approaches

Post-tropical storm Fiona, which blew through the Maritimes in September, made a mess of the national historic site and surrounding area of Louisbourg, N.S.

“It was significant from the coastal roads to the buildings themselves to some of the trails on the property. The damage was extensive,” said Duggan Kennedy, with Parks Canada.

Roofs and chimneys were damaged during the storm and one of the roads to the site was washed out.

Months of repairs have been challenging at times for many reasons.

“It’s always tough on this site. We have to have stuff that’s period correct, so we have to bring in experienced tradespeople to do damages like the slate roof or the copper roofs or even some of the buildings. It’s all really detailed work and its time consuming,” said Kennedy.

The Fortress of Louisbourg is not the only tourist destination still picking up the pieces.

“There are a number still waiting for repairs and the other side of it is that many people cancelled their trips to come to the island when they heard the hurricane was coming and then when they saw some of the damage from the coverage,” said Terry Smith, CEO of Destination Cape Breton.

The rush is on now to get ready for tourists with the summer season approaching.

“We're hoping it’s going to be another strong season, and after a couple of pandemic years, it’s something we really need,” said Smith.

At the fortress, their goal is to complete most of this work before the bulk of visitors arrive.

“It’s really important to have the site period correct and open for the guests as soon as possible, and we are ready for this season, and some of the bigger pieces won't be disruptive to visitors, we will do them out of season after October,” said Kennedy.

The cost of the repairs is not yet known.

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