Fort St. Louis is significant as a 17th-century French fur trading post built by Charles de laTour in the 1620s. There is strong evidence to suggest that this site dates to the 1500s with a French Basque presence. There are a few stages of occupation and there is evidence of the presence of the Mi’kmaq at the site as well.
Fort St. Louis, in the Mi’kmaq cultural landscape known as “Kespukwitk,” was established in the late 1620s in the Cape Sable region of southwest Nova Scotia by Charles de La Tour. M. La Tour is a fascinating character constantly entangled in the numerous clashes and competitions specific to this early exploration and settlement period. He, therefore, makes an interesting case study for the Fort. He first arrived in Acadia with his father as a teen in 1610. In 1613, following the attack on Port Royal by Argall, he lived with the Mi’kmaq learning all they had to offer and engaged in the fur trade. At this time he migrated from Port Royal to Cape Sable on the south west shore where he continued trading activities and farmed the land. His first marriage was to a Mi’kmaq woman and together they had three daughters.
At the time of war between France and England in 1627, La Tour began to work to strengthen his post at Cape Sable. He petitioned the King for supplies and resources so he could effectively hold Acadia for France. He noted he had a trained force of “Frenchmen and Indians”
which he used to thwart English fishing and trading pursuits in Acadia. There were many intrigues to follow at the post. Under duress, La Tour would give up Fort St. Louis to his arch rival d’Aulnay in 1641. Directed by d’Aulnay, the post, including a habitation, church and monastery, were razed.
La Tour established Fort St. Louis in an area of significance to the Mi’kmaw – Cape Sable; a place of ceremony, excellent for fish and shellfish harvesting and according to Lewis and Sable’s research, one of the 8 Mi’kmaq cultural districts. Known today as Port La Tour, in Shelburne County, the post also has suitable anchorage for vessels.
Records for Fort St. Louis indicate the sporadic arrival of supply ships with munitions, building supplies, food, settlers, Recollet missionaries, and tradesmen. Events at the post include a battle with his father Claude, a subsequent fort rebuilding phase, a fine garden maintained by the Recollets as well as a mission where baptism of the Mi’kmaq took place. In its heyday, the post was described as the “strongest military establishment in Acadia.
Three brief NSM archaeology testing projects have taken place to determine archaeological potential. Preliminary investigations have indicated a small bastion, 2 wells, a drain, a mound, evidence of the 1641 burning, possible cemetery area, and a structure outline. The most abundant artifact at this point is fragments of European clay roofing tiles. Excavation in July 2017, investigated some of these features with interesting results. Excavation also
informed the next steps for digging at the site.
Though the site has been long acknowledged, a cairn was placed by what is now Parks Canada in 1931.
Fort St. Louis is a remarkable place. It is archaeologically rich and a place of multiple identities and multiple stories. That means we can connect with various communities, partners, and researchers to discover and preserve a developing legacy that brings together our shared history and culture within Mi’kma’ki, New France, Acadie, and Nova Scotia. Who we are today is all here at this coastal place. This is where the Mi’kmaq lived for thousands of years and the French and Basque joined with them in the trade, alliance building, and kinship in the era of Champlain.
