About Louisdale

Welcome to Louisdale at the centre of Richmond County, Cape Breton Island.

Founded in 1850 by former residents of near-by Isle Madame seeking a more wooded area to call home, Louisdale was first named Le Barachois. Its settlers at this time were French-Acadian, who spoke a common language and shared few family names. The community was later renamed "Louisdale" after the local St. Louis Church was built.

Today, 170+ years after its founding, Louisdale and its picturesque harbour to the south has a unique identity with diverse residents and cultural backgrounds. Though English is the common language spoken, a substantial number of residents are bilingual (French/English) and the Acadian dialect is heard throughout! Our community offers several amenities to newcomers, visitors, and long-time residents, including a restaurant/pub, two schools (with education in both French & English), a skating rink arena, a housing complex, two community-run halls, a recreational vehicle sales and service centre, a gas bar with convenience store, a hardware store with in-house repair services, a consignment boutique, a number of hair salons, used car and tire sales services, welding and demolition services, a food bank, a locally-operated financial institution with ATM, a post office, a bakery, a grocery store, and a wellness-spa. Did we mention a maintained concrete sidewalk lines the road to connect a number of these locations? Because it does!

Don't forget about how centrally located our community is! Our community is a short 15-20 minute drive from Isle Madame, St. Peter's, and the Town of Port Hawkesbury, each with its own collections of businesses and important amenities. Louisdale is also only an hour's drive from the Town of Antigonish and the urban centre of Sydney! No matter what you need, nothing is far when you live in Louisdale! Recreation is also an important piece of our community’s history, with fields for soccer and baseball-play both conveniently located alongside our local skating-rink arena. Our baseball field was actually the hub of our community for many years, bringing together teams from the immediate and nearby areas in a friendly and competitive spirit. The Dundee Resort & Golf Course, a 15-minute drive from Louisdale, is found along the spectacular world-renowned Bras d’Or Lake (a Unesco Biosphere Reserve) and includes a picturesque golf course suitable for both beginners and experts of the game.

As important as our spirit of friendship and recreation, we have a long-standing history of volunteerism and a sense of community. Louisdale boasts a number of volunteer-led organizations that serve the community, such as the Louisdale Lions Club, Catholic Women’s League, an active Seniors’ Club, the local Firefighters Association, and a recreational vehicle trail association. These groups, and more, selflessly serve Louisdale and the surrounding areas, including the beautiful and picturesque communities of Grand Anse, Kempt Road, Cleveland, West Bay, and Dundee. Each area offers a number of regularly held activities, inviting long-time residents and newcomers to monthly breakfasts, festivals, dinners, and themed entertainment evenings. Music and culture are apparent at every turn.

Whether you're here for a visit or you're here to stay...
Welcome to Louisdale and Area!

Virtual Tour Through Louisdale

Curious about what a trip through our community looks like? Click below to take a virtual tour!
Stay tuned as a new virtual tour is filmed in Spring-Summer 2023!

Slide Reel of Louisdale's Past & Present

The below video was developed by Danielle Martell for the Celebrating our Stories Around the Dinner Table event on April 2, 2023. It was made possible by submissions from several local community members and groups and includes photos, documents, and videos from the past 60-70 years of Louisdale's history. If you have any photos you'd like to have included in future historical projects, use the contact form here and let us know!

Page updated

Google Sites

Report abuse