top of page
History
The history of Cape Breton Highlands go way back to when John Cabot first discovered the area. Through the ups and downs of the 17 and 1800s, Cape Breton Highlands was finally established in 1936 after many realized the stunning beauty this area has to offer. Scroll down and go back in time to see the whole timeline of the park!
BCE - Mi'kmaq people inhabited this area
1497 - John Cabot discovered the island, hence main route, the Cabot Trail was named after him
1632 to 1763 - The island was in possession of the French
- Moose and wolves disappeared from the boreal forest when more Europeans arrived
1926 - The government realized the beauty of park and construction began on a road (Cabot trail) to be traveled by visitors in the future
1936 - First National Park established in Atlantic Canada
1947 - 18 Moose were brought from Elk Island National Park to Cape Breton Highlands National Park to create a more diverse ecosystem
1970 - A Spruce budworm outbreak occurred and removed 90% of the forest in some areas
- this introduced the growth of new flora which was great nutrition for the moose
1980 to present - There was nothing to slow down the moose population so it expanded to 4 times the amount a healthy forest could sustain
2010 - Moose control methods were brought to the park
bottom of page