luxury overnight accommodations with wine and breakfast options
Our ski hill is opening. Let the winter fun begin after Christmas. Opening December 26th.
At Cape Smokey you will discover breathtaking landscapes and pristine coastlines that will leave you in awe. Reconnect with nature and nurture your well-being while creating cherished memories that will linger in your heart.
Need a stay in the Sydney area. Choose a stay with us. You will be impressed!
CAPE BRETON EAGLES GAME GIVEAWAY!! – PACKAGE STARTING AT $99. Book direct by phoning for Friday, February 3rd as the Cape Breton Eagles host Oceanic De Rimouski and receive complimentary attendance and seating for the game. A great chance for a night to relax, do some shopping, and route for the home team!
These great viewing seats are as follows:
section 7, row H, seat 9
section 7, row H, seat 1
Bs (902) 562 5555
Cl (306) 262 6966
2000 Gabarus Highway, Dutch Brook, NS
8 minutes to Center 200
This lighthouse and station are located on low lying, flat point of land that thrusts over 0.6 kilometres (0.37 mi) out into Spanish Bay. The point has been called both Low Point and Flat Point since at least 1882. The Lighthouse and Light station have been entered into the official lists of lights under either name, and often both. Locally, both names are still in common use. The name was formerly approved as Flat Point on June 1, 1909. It was changed to Low Point on October 1, 1953.
Low Point Lighthouse Plan
The round, iron, first-order lantern remains atop the lighthouse tower, the last classic lantern of this type still in use on an operational lighthouse in Nova Scotia.
Low Point and Low Point Lighthouse, cir. 2016
Sydney Harbour, a sixteen-kilometre-long, Y-shaped inlet, is the maritime hub of Cape Breton. Year-round ferry service to Newfoundland is offered from Sydney, and cruise ships and container ships also frequent the harbour.
In 1832, Robert Gammel and others petitioned the House of Assembly of Nova Scotia for a lighthouse on Low Point to mark the entrance to Sydney Harbour. Roughly 600 vessels called at the harbour each year at the time. The legislature approved 500 pounds for the project, and when the lowest tender came in at 770 pounds, the Lieutenant Governor advanced the additional sum required so that the lighthouse could be built as soon as possible. An octagonal tower, whose sides were alternately painted red and white, was completed on Low Point in November 1832, along with a dwelling for the keeper. The lighthouse was just the ninth built by the government of Nova Scotia.
Low Point, situated on the eastern side of the entrance to Syndey Harbour, is both low and flat, making a light there even more critical. Over the years, the point has been known as both Low Point and Flat Point. Government records referred to the point primarily as Low Point up until 1908, and then switched to Flat Point in 1909. In 1953, Low Point became the official name, and that is how it appears on the Canadian Coast Guard’s List of Lights today.
Michael McKeagney was appointed the first keeper of the lighthouse in November 1832, but the following month he failed to exhibit the light during a heavy snowstorm, and a passing ship reported it. McKeagney didn’t deny the charge. Rather, he admitted that he didn’t think the it was fit for a dog to turn out that night. Robert McNab replaced McKeagney the next June and was in charge of the light until 1865. McNab’s letter of appointment from the Commissioners of Lighthouses of Nova Scotia in May 1833 included the following instructions:
The house to be lighted every night at sunset and the light to be kept up until daybreak. The lamps to be trimmed at least twice during each night at such hours as will most equally divide the time. The lantern and other parts of the house to be kept clean and in good order. Any glass that may be broken to be immediately replaced. A supply of glass and putty will be furnished for that purpose.
A journal of all particular circumstances to be kept and a report to be made to the Commissioners quarterly, or more frequently if necessary, in which you are to state the quantity of oil and other materials consumed and the supply remaining on hand together with any remarks you may think necessary on the general state of the lighthouse.
You are at all time to have an assistant on the spot.
Your pay will be one hundred pounds per annum and an allowance of fifteen pounds per annum for fuel.
Photograph courtesy Library and Archives Canada |
In 1833, a heavy gale of wind blew off the lantern room’s lead roof. The light was out for some time, but was placed back in service after a new iron lantern room and lamp were received. During the winter, the temperature was so cold, often dropping to twenty below zero, that the keeper found it difficult to keep the oil used in the lamps from congealing. He used pans of hot coals to try to keep the light going, but this damaged the lamps.
William Condon, Superintendent of the Board of Works, inspected Low Point Lighthouse in July 1857 and found the light to be a poor one. The lantern room was in good order, but the lamps were old and defective. Keeper Robert McNab informed Condon that it had been nineteen years since any repairs of consequence had been made to the station. After new lamps were installed the following year and repairs made to the lantern room, the light was much improved. A new lantern room was installed in 1863, but when John H. Kendrick inspected the station in 1865, he reported the lantern room was “entirely too small, the sashes being very thick, and the glass too small.” Given the large fleet of vessels calling at Sydney, Kendrick felt the eight lamps, set in twelve-inch reflectors, were too few in number for a light that “should be second to none in the Province.”
A larger, twelve-sided lantern room, which had a diameter of nearly ten feet, was finally installed atop the lighthouse in 1877. With the extra space, thirteen mammoth flat-wick burners could be accommodated. To support the larger lantern room and to keep it from causing the tower to topple over, sixty tons of ballast were placed in the bottom of the tower and an enlarged deck was installed up top. While this work was being carried out, a temporary light was shown from a tower window, sixteen feet below the lantern room. The cost of the lantern room and apparatus was $1,640.73.
In 1903, a fog alarm building was built on Low Point between the lighthouse and the keeper’s dwelling and marine signal flagstaff. The rectangular, wooden building stood thirty-four feet from the edge of the point and housed the equipment for a steam fog whistle. A ten-inch whistle mounted on the roof was placed in operation on January 1, 1904, giving a ten-second blast every minute when needed. The total cost for the fog alarm building and equipment was $4,600.
Low Point Lighthouse received its beautiful, circular lantern room in 1908 along with a third-order, double-flashing Fresnel lens. To receive the lantern room, a new deck had to be installed atop the tower. The Fresnel lens changed the light’s characteristic from fixed white to the following pattern every five seconds: 0.25-second flash, 0.75-second eclipse, 0.25-second flash, 3.75-second eclipse. A lamp that burned petroleum vapour under an incandescent mantle was used inside the lens to produce a light of 100,000 candlepower.
A temporary building was built on the point in 1908 to house air compressors for a diaphone foghorn in order to test the desirability of replace the existing steam fog whistle. Authorities must have decided to stick with the steam whistle, as a new boiler was installed in 1914, and a second-hand boiler from Cape Forchu was installed in 1919.
Erosion has been an issue at Low Point for some time. Protection work to prevent shore erosion was put in place in 1915 at a cost of $3,223.76, and this work was repaired in 1917 for $1,434.06.
The octagonal, concrete tower that stands on the point today was constructed in 1938. The lantern room and lens from the old wooden lighthouse were transferred to the new tower. In 1953, a dwelling for an assistant keeper was built and commercial power reached the station. A dwelling for a second assistant keeper was added in 1962 when a diaphone foghorn was established on the point.
After an electric horn replaced the diaphone foghorn with its oil engines and compressors in 1970, the position of second assistant keeper was eliminated. An unused dwelling was sold and removed from the station in 1977, and an old two-storey dwelling was removed in 1987, after the staff was reduced to just one keeper in 1979.
In October 1984, a rotating airport beacon replaced the Fresnel lens in the classic lantern room. James H. Jobe was the only keeper on the point from 1979 until the station was de-staffed in October 1988. James and his wife Jean leased the surviving dwelling on the point from the government and remained closed to the lighthouse for some time.
The Low Point Lighthouse Society was awarded $75,000 in July 2015, after Low Point Lighthouse won the High Tide category in an online voting competition called This Lighthouse Matters. The National Trust for Canada and the Nova Scotia Lighthouse Preservation Society teamed up to create the crowdfunding competition that awarded $250,000 to the top three vote-getting lighthouses in three categories: High Tide, Ebb Tide, and Low Tide.
The society, formed in 2012, initially thought that erosion at the point was their top priority, but later decided that the damage the freeze-thaw cycles were having on the concrete tower needed to be addressed first. Using the money won in the competition, contractors were hired to perform a complete resurfacing of the lighthouse in 2017-2018.
Keepers:
Keepers:
FREE EAGLES TICKETS WITH YOUR STAY!! Your stay will be highlighted with the clipper room. Upon arrival, there will be a chilled bottle of beverage awaiting you. Admission to the day’s Cape Breton Eagles game is free of charge. Before heading out the next day, we will fuel you with a delicious homemade breakfast by Delores.
The dates available are as follows:
Center 200, November 4th, vs Halifax Moosehead Sec 6, Row E, Seat 1 and 2
Center 200, November 24th, vs Saint John Sea Dogs Sec 7, Row J, Seat 13 and 14
Center 200, November 25th, vs Halifax Moosehead Sec 6, Row K, Seat 10 and 11
Center 200, December 30th, vs Halifax Mooseheads Sec 6, Row K, Seat 10 and 11
Center 200, January 20th, vs Moncton Wildcats Sec 6, Row K, Seat 10 and 11
GREAT DEAL $150 BOOK DIRECT: call 902.562.5555 or 306.262.6966 Located 8 minutes from Center 200 at 2000 Gabarus Highway, Dutch Brook, Nova Scotia
#backhomebedandbreakfast #dutchbrook #sydney #capebretoneagles #capebreton #capebretonisland #hockey
Natalie MacMaster and family, WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 10, 2022 AT 5 PM – 8 PM
While staying at Back Home Bed and Breakfast take in some good Downeast entertainment. Click to book your stay!
The Old Triangle Irish Alehouse is thrilled to announce a surprise appearance from Cape Breton’s fiddling sensation, Natalie MacMaster along with her oldest daughter, Mary Frances Leahy, and husband Donnell Leahy! This is a show not to be missed! Tickets are on sale now. To purchase a table, phone 902-270-8003.
$30 per person (includes HST)
19+ event
The Old Triangle Irish Alehouse features an extensive menu of hand-crafted Irish & Maritime dishes, taps of local and international brews, and an excellent selection of wines. To view the menu click the link below.
Old Triangle Irish Alehouse – Menu
#cabottrail #sydney #bedandbreakfast #capebreton #capebretonisland #novascotia #celtic #irish #dutchbrook #music #nataliemacmaster
“Where all the horses are at home”
Our small stable is great for getting up and personal with the big fur friends. Check the fridge in your room for horse treats when you arrive. The horses are delighted with all the attention and snacks you bring to them.
Book your stay with Back Home Bed and Breakfast when visiting Cape Breton! You will enjoy the comforts and fur friends we have here.
Disclaimer: Interacting with the horses on our property is at your own risk.
#backhomebedandbreakfast #bedandbreakfast #dutchbrook #sydney #capebreton #capebretonisland #backhomestables #northsidedowns #invernessraceway #horses
ALEXANDER GRAHAM BELL MUSEUM, BADDECK NS (79.3km) – Get a rare glimpse into the extraordinary heart and mind of a world-famous inventor whose genius helped shape the modern world. Pull the curtain back on Alexander Graham Bell’s interests and inventions, spanning airplanes and kites, to deaf education and artificial respiration. Feel his legacy come to life as you explore remarkable artifacts, photos, and full-scale replicas that mark his masterful career as an engineer, inventor, scientist, and humanitarian.
Hours of operation
May 20 to October 30, 2022
Every day, from 9 am to 5 pm
https://www.pc.gc.ca/en/lhn-nhs/ns/grahambell
Needing a place to stay during your visit. Book at Back Home Bed and Breakfast for downeast conversation and all your comforts during your stay.
www.backhomebedandbreakfast.ca
#capebretonisland #backhomebedandbreakfast #novascotia #dutchbrook #capebreton #sydney #northsydney #glacebay #newwaterford #dominion #sydneymines #westmount #sydneymines #BedandBreakfast #baddeck #ballscreek #gardinermines #leitchescreek #primebrook #alexandergrahambell
Fortress of Louisbourg
Join the celebration July 1, at the largest National Historic Site in Canada! The Fortress of Louisbourg welcomes visitors and local residents alike with free entry on this special day. First the territory of the Mi’kmaw people, this area was established as a French colony from 1713 to 1758 and was home to French, English, Acadian, Basque, German, Scottish, Irish, and African people. Explore this diverse history while enjoying the first day of our 2022 Peak Season activities, including cannon firings, a public punishment, Mi’kmaw storytelling, and more. Take a harbor-side stroll on the Old Town trail or enjoy the historic, sandy beaches at Kennington Cove. Purchase a ticket for one of our special programs and imagine yourself a resident of Louisbourg 300 years ago: fire a musket, be a prisoner for the day, sample an 18th-century rum punch, or even spend the night in a period-style tent. Let history come to life!
Town of Louisbourg
Join us as we celebrate Canada’s 155th Birthday!
The festivities will take place from 2:00-4:30 pm at the S and L Railway Station in Louisbourg.
The Opening Ceremony will include: the singing of O’ Canada, raising of the flag, cutting of the birthday cake, remarks by various special guests & more!
Also, featuring: Children’s games & activities, bounce houses, pony rides, free BBQ for all to enjoy, a performance by “JD & the Smokey Mountain Trio” & more!
Free admission to this event
We hope you can join us as we celebrate Canada’s 155th Birthday!
Conditions
Free admission!
Back Home Bed and Breakfast : Book a Stay on your visit
#backhomebedandbreakfast #capebreton #capebretonisland #novascotia #dutchbrook #fortressoflouisbourg #louisbourg
So much to see, do, and experience here! We love our island!
BACK HOME BED AND BREAKFAST – BOOK A STAY
Burton Cummings is that rare artist who has transcended time, genres, and generations with a body of work that continues to resonate with fans both old and new. His voice has been rated among the finest in rock music and his extensive catalogue of songs is the envy of his contemporaries. Burton continues at the top of his game as a performer, singer, songwriter and recording artist second to none.
As a member of the Canadian Music Hall of Fame, Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame, Canadian Music Industry Hall of Fame, Canadian Walk of Fame, Canadian Music Industry Hall of Fame, Prairie Music Hall of Fame, multiple Juno Award winner, recipient of the Order of Canada, the Order of Manitoba, the Governor-General’s Performance Arts Award, and several BMI (Broadcast Music Industry) awards for over 1 million airplays of his songs, Burton is one of the most celebrated rock artists in Canadian music history. Beyond his many awards, accolades, and accomplishments he is also unquestionably Canada’s most beloved rock ‘n’ roll son. How many Canadian rock stars can boast both a community centre and a performing arts theatre named in their honor? Yet Burton also enjoys a world-wide stature shared by only a handful of other Canadian artists.
With Canada’s original rock ‘n’ roll superstars The Guess Who, Burton scored an unprecedented string of international hit singles and albums including These Eyes, Laughing, No Time, American Woman, Share The Land, Hang On To Your Life, Albert Flasher, Sour Suite, Orly, Glamour Boy, Star Baby, Clap For The Wolfman and Dancin’ Fool, all written or co-written by Burton. By 1970 the Guess Who had sold more records than the entire Canadian music industry combined to that point and their achievements remain unparalleled. The group notched up a long list of firsts including the first Canadian group to reach #1 on the Billboard charts (holding that spot for three weeks) and the first to earn a platinum album for sales of over 1 million copies in the US. Rolling Stone magazine hailed the Guess Who as “one of rock’s most consistently fascinating maverick bands, with a succession of meritorious songs that has few equals among contemporary North American groups.” Dick Clark described the group as rock innovators and ambassadors of Canadian music. Staples of classic rock and oldies radio today as well as in feature films including American Beauty, Almost Famous, Cable Guy, Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me, and Jackie Brown, the Guess Who’s vast catalog of songs remains enduring. “When I think back on having five million-selling records in the Top 10, one after the other I can hardly believe it,” states Burton with justifiable pride. “I was just twenty years old and every time I turned around I was getting a gold record. The scope and magnitude of our success escaped all of us. It really didn’t sink in until years later.”
Striking out on his own in 1976, Burton continued his winning streak with a gold record for his debut solo single Stand Tall produced by legendary hit-maker Richard Perry who numbered among his clients Barbra Streisand, Carly Simon and Ringo Starr. The choice of producer was evidence of Burton’s star power in the music industry. He followed that with more than a dozen hit singles and albums including I’m Scared, My Own Way To Rock, I Will Play a Rhapsody, Timeless Love, Break It To Them Gently, Dream Of A Child, Fine State of Affairs, Love DreamsandYou Saved My Soul. Sold out tours across Canada and the United States solidified Burton’s stature as a top attraction. He starred in several top-rated television specials and earned five Juno Awards between 1977 and 1980 for Best Male Vocalist and Best Album, serving as host of the gala annual event a record four times. His 1978 album Dream Of A Child became the first quadruple platinum-selling album by a Canadian artist.
Through the ‘80s and ‘90s Burton continued to tour including joining Beatles drummer Ringo Starr’s All Starr Band. A starring role in the feature film Melanie alongside Miami Vice star Don Johnson in 1980 earned Burton a Genie Award for Best Original Song along with praise for his acting ability. He also launched his acclaimed Up Close and Alone solo concert series featuring the singer alone onstage recounting the stories behind his best-known songs and sharing personal moments from his career. A live album of the same name followed.
The success of Lenny Kravitz’ cover of American Woman from the hit feature film Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me brought renewed attention to the original Guess Who. The group reunited in 1999 for the closing ceremonies of the Pan-American Games (with a television audience numbering in the tens of millions) and mounted several high-profile North American tours. Burton later teamed with Guess Who alumnus Randy Bachman as Bachman-Cummings for further touring and recording success. The Bachman Cummings Songbook, released in 2006, became another platinum seller, followed the next year by Jukebox.
His 2008 solo album, the critically-acclaimed Above The Ground, was his first to feature all original songs by Burton. Fans and critics glowed with superlatives citing the album as his best work in decades. Despite his many years in the music business, Burton still possessed the muse and the uncanny ability to craft magic in the recording studio.
In 2012, Burton released his first-ever live solo album Massey Hall which was recorded at the famed Massey Hall in Toronto, Canada. Massey Hall features some of Burton’s largest hits from his The Guess Who and solo career which span five decades These Eyes, American Woman, No Sugar Tonight, Undun, Timeless Love, Stand Tall and Above The Ground. Reflecting on the album Burton says “I still try my best to recreate the records just the way they sounded. I have no trouble with singing these songs the rest of my life”.
Never content to rest on his extraordinary accomplishments, Burton Cummings continues to write, record and perform. “Not all artists are lucky enough to have that kind of staying power,” he admits. “It’s pretty amazing.” A consummate artist, performer and professional, he possesses an extraordinary gift for entertaining, never failing to delight audiences from 10 to 10,000 across the United States and Canada.
Audiences nightly, both those in the United States and Canada, are dancing in the aisles to the hits that defined a generation. Fans are treated night after night to inspiring concerts that they will remember forever. In the Summer of 2013 Burton is touring to Sold Out audiences across the United States and Canada.
After all these years he has nothing to prove to anyone, except himself. Few artists are as scrupulously dedicated to their craft as Burton is.
Described as Canadian rock ‘n’ roll royalty, a national treasure, and a living legend, for Burton Cummings there has always been one constant: he remains true to himself and his own way to rock.
