Loss of a community: Cap Rouge and the formation of a new cultural identity

Abstract

In 1936, Parks Canada and the Nova Scotia Government announced that there would be a new national park in Nova Scotia. The Cape Breton Highlands National Park was established, and work on the park ensued quickly. Besides the beautiful and picturesque landscapes in the park, a dark history lies behind the shadows. The Acadian community of Cap Rouge was removed to serve the tourism-hungry government at the time. Many aspects and influences caused this removal when building the park, such as the government's tourist agenda and Nova Scotia's need for an identity. This thesis contains the different oral histories of Cap Rouge. Participants were interviewed in person and shared information on what they witnessed or heard from others. The participants were asked the same questions to gain a consensus on what Cap Rouge was like before, during and after the expropriation. This study is primarily focused on their oral histories. A timeline of events that happened pre-expropriation explains the park's reasoning for the removal. This timeline will be used to help understand the buildup that led to the expropriation and what happened after. From this research, the removal of Cap Rouge is significant for the new cultural identity within Nova Scotia during the 1930s.