The world's largest fiddle greets you at the waterfront — a fitting symbol for an island whose story begins with John Cabot sighting these shores in 1497. When I stand on Sydney's boardwalk, I'm standing in a place Colonel Joseph Frederick Wallet DesBarres chose on January 7, 1785, naming it after Lord Sydney, the British Home Secretary. This wasn't just another port town — Sydney served as the colonial capital when Cape Breton was its own separate colony from 1784 to 1820.

The French knew this land's value long before Sydney existed. After the Treaty of Utrecht in 1713, they retained Cape Breton and renamed it Île Royale, building the mighty Fortress of Louisbourg to guard their interests. In 1734, they erected Canada's first lighthouse there — a beacon that guided ships through these waters for generations. The British renamed it back to Cape Breton after the Seven Years' War ended in 1763, and in the 1960s, Parks Canada lovingly reconstructed Louisbourg so we could walk where soldiers and settlers once stood.

We walked the boardwalk, visited the historic Jost House, then drove to the Alexander Graham Bell museum in Baddeck — absolutely worth the trip. The inventor spent his summers here, drawn by the same rugged beauty that captivates me. For dinner, we attended a lobster supper at a church hall with all-you-can-eat lobster supporting local charities — a tradition that connects modern visitors to the generous spirit of this place.