Cape Breton's Magazine

Sydney's First Love Story Written by Dr. G. G. Campbell The story of star-crossed lovers, doomed to heart-break, is as old as time. It has been told in endless variations by the poets of every tongue and every century; it has been the theme of great drama and the inspira? tion of great music. The names of the love? lorn are household words: Hero and Leander, Romeo and Juliet, Tristan and Isolde, Pele- as and Melisande, Evangeline and Gabriel, Heloise and Abelard. Their story is ever- old and ever-new, ageless, like all deep stirrings of the human heart. There were lovers in Sydney, before ever Sydney was. Two hundred years ago they chal? lenged Fate, as lovers are wont to do, and knew the punishment only lovers can know. Between Sydney's marine hospital and the property of the Imperial Oil company lies a plot of land, weed-grown and derelict. On the first plan of Sydney, drawn in 1874, this area is marked simply as the "Old Ce? metery." Now an empty desolation, it is all that is left to recall that before Sydney came into being there was hereabouts a sub? stantial French settlement. In 1748, when Louisbourg and Cape Breton were returned to the French Crown (after the first seige of Louisbourg in 1745), determined steps were taken to persuade the Acadians of the mainland to remove to the island. They were promised wide lands and substantial government assistance in getting settled if only they would move away from England's territories to those of the French king. In 1750, some scores of families did make the move to Cape Bre? ton, and many of them were given land on the shores of Sydney Har? bour, then called Bale de Espag- nols, or simply Espagnol. Among these Acadian settlers was Paul Guedry, known also as Paul Grivois. Not far from the old cemet? ery, proba? bly along the then unsullied waters of Dr. G. G. Campbell Muggah's Creek, Guedry went to work with his family to make a new home. His wife was Anne Mius, daughter of Mius d'Entre- mont and an Indian woman and born out of wedlock. The couple had five sons: Jean who in 175 3 was 23 years old; Thomas aged 19, Paul aged 11, Petitjan who was 10, and Frangois aged three. There was one daughter, Marguerite, who was 21. It was an industrious family and, in comparison with most of the other settlers, reasona? bly well-to-do. They owned two cows and seven pigs, had cleared much land and If you don't like the weather...wait a minute. Our weather changes so fast that hazardous road conditions have become a fact of life. Be aware of these conditions at all times and prepare yourself to drive carefully. Caution is the critical factor '' ''' Department of '??' Transportation and Communications