Louisbourg, former town on Cape Breton Island in eastern Nova Scotia, Canada. Louisbourg was the site of an important fortress in New France during the 18th century. Today the restored fortress and its surroundings form Canada's largest national historic site, and the settlement is a center for fishing, fish processing, and tourism. Louisbourg (spelled Louisburg from 1758 to 1966) had its own mayor and town council from 1901 to 1995. In 1995 eight towns in Cape Breton County were incorporated into the Cape Breton Regional Municipality, which had a population of 114,733 people in 1996 and is run by a popularly elected council consisting of a mayor and 21 councillors.
The modern settled area of Louisbourg is located on the northeastern side of Louisbourg harbor. The reconstructed Fortress of Louisbourg is on the original site of the town, on the harbor's southwestern side. About 20 percent of the 18th-century fortified town now stands as it did in 1744. Within the reconstructed Fortress of Louisbourg, ramparts, streets, and households recreate the look and feel of an 18th-century town. Approximately 60 buildings have been reconstructed, including the massive King's Bastion, which at the time of its construction in the early 18th century was one of the largest buildings in North America. The King's Bastion contains the governor's apartments, the chapel, and the soldier's barracks. Other buildings include civilian houses, a garrison bakery, storehouses, powder magazines, and guardhouses.
