Parents and teachers alike have experienced the frustration of trying to get children interested in our nation’s history. Historical textbooks tend to be dry and boring, but there’s one sure-fire way to have your child begging to learn more: enroll him or her in our Children’s Animation Program. It combines children’s love of make believe with a hands-on historical learning experience that’s not only fun for the child but also helps breathe life into the reconstructed Fortress.
For one week in the summer children as young as five dress up in authentic replica costumes and pretend they’re living in 1744. They’ll sing traditional French songs, play the games their ancestors played hundreds of years ago, and learn what it was like to live as a peasant child in Louisbourg during the 18th century. Our visitors love to see the children and the children love to be seen. Each year over 250 children participate in the program.
To enroll, children must be members of the Fortress of Louisbourg Association and be between the ages of 5 and 12, and have completed at least one year of school. Preference is given to children re-enrolling from previous years, so keep in mind that your child may be on the waiting list for 1.5 to 2 years before he or she gets a spot.
** IMPORTANT DATE: The deadline for 2012 membership and date requests for participation is June 25, 2012.
Pierre-Paul d’Espiet de la Plagne sometimes used his troops to tend to his personal needs. My friend, a young soldier called La Fleur later used the knowledge he had gained working in this house. On a dark night in 1740 he scaled the fence, forced a window and robbed his captain of a few coins. It was not a planned theft – swift discovery and conviction saw the soldier branded and whipped through the streets.
