Old Louisbourg road to Gabarus should be resurrected, petition says

A Cape Breton highway once travelled by soldiers at the Fortress of Louisbourg,but was closed nearly 50 years ago,is at the centre of a petition urging that it beresurrected.

The road was one of the oldest in the province when it was shut downin 1966.Parks Canada had argued the movewas necessary so it couldpreserve the archeological integrity of theLouisbourghistoric site, which was being restored at that time.

The road closure means travellers coming up the eastern coast of Cape Breton do nothavea direct route to the Fortress ofLouisbourg National Historic Site.

Instead, they face a50-kilometre detour from Gabarus up to Marion Bridge and past Sydney.

Bill Fiander, who was brought up in Louisbourg, wants to see the old road reopened andhas started a Facebook siteand online petitionthat now has nearly 800 signatures.

"When the French first landedhere in 1713 they used the road to travel back and forth," he says. "Then when the French were defeated in 1758 it was used as a roadup until the early60's when the fortress was being rebuilt."

He sayshe understands the road could be reopened for about $20million, according 2008 report. Itwould be a good strategy to build tourism, given visitor numbers at the fortress have not been what they should be, he says, and he's confident ahighway link would boost those numbers.

"Reasons for it are mostly economic, not cultural or emotional," he says.

He pointsto a2008 surveyof 1,700 tourists done for the Cape Breton County Economic Development Authority. It found60 percentwould drive up eastern Cape Breton onthe Fleur-de-lisTrailif the link was re-established between Gabarus and Louisbourg.

Fiandersays since it's a coastal road, drivers would be treated to beautiful ocean vistas along the way.

He plans to forward his petitionto Cape Breton Canso Liberal MP Rodger Cuzner and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.