Isle Madame, N.S.
YOU COULD BE FORGIVEN for never having heard of Isle Madame. The small island, in Nova Scotia’s Chedabucto Bay, is often overshadowed by its larger and more famous neighbour to the northeast, Cape Breton Island. But those who make the jaunt to Isle Madame — a 30-minute drive from the Canso Causeway — will find ample reward in the island’s unspoiled beauty and fascinating history. After the fall of Louisbourg in 1758, many exiled Acadian families made their way to Isle Madame and built new homes and churches in its secluded coves, away from the prying eyes of the British. By the turn of the 19th century, the island’s main settlement, Arichat, with its deepwater harbour, was one of the busiest Atlantic ports in North America and a hub for fishing and shipbuilding. Drive the scenic Fleur-de-lis Trail around the island today and you will meet the descendants of Isle Madame’s original families at the helm of inns and cafés that blend graceful hospitality with the thoughtful preservation of the island’s Acadian heritage.