Scots Invade Louisbourg (And That’s OK!) – Part 1

When you discover that two of the world’s most famous interior designers have bought a hotel in a rural community near your hometown, it’s hard not to be nosy, especially if you’re a former reporter.

So it was inevitable I’d make the 25-minute drive to Louisbourg, Cape Breton, when I visited my parents in Sydney, Nova Scotia, last week. I just had to snag a peek at Point of View Suites, a 22-bedroom hotel with a host of other amenities that’s being renovated by designers Colin McAllister and Justin Ryan. Colin and Justin—as their fans know them—have appeared on TV shows like Great Canadian Cottages, Home Heist, Cabin Pressure, Game of Homes, and Cityline. Based in Toronto, the Scottish couple also boast their own line of interior products, have penned bestselling books, have gigs as style commentators, and even interview celebrities on occasion.

When I heard about their purchase of the five-acre, oceanside property in Louisbourg, and their plans to relaunch it as North Star, I was baffled. I didn’t think it was a ridiculous idea but shocked they had discovered one of my favourite parts of the world, a gem of a region that beckons my soul to visit every time I’m in the area.

Shrewd move, gents!

The Louisbourg coastline—which, for me, includes the craggy shores from Little Lorraine through downtown Louisbourg to the Fortress of Louisbourg and onto Kennington Cove—is my Disney. It’s a magical land that, while perennially foggy, oozes beauty, serenity, and rejuvenates my very being.

I never thought a place could have that kind of impact on a person until I moved to other parts of the country. Even if I could find salty air and a rocky coast elsewhere, they could not elicit the tranquility I feel walking along the squishy-under-your-feet marshes in the juniper-scented breeze at Gooseberry Cove. Nor could other locales prompt my joy hiking the Lighthouse Trail, stopping often along the rugged barrens to watch enormous waves crash against jagged boulders at the water’s edge before retreating to the Atlantic.

Lighthouse Point is the site of the first lighthouse in Canada. The original structure was erected in 1734. The current beacon is the the fourth on the site.

My shadow taking a photo of Louisbourg’s snowy Lighthouse Trail.

Other Louisbourg-area trails and side roads that hug the ocean have a similar hold on my heart. They are sacred places, ones I frequented as a child with my parents, ones I’ve since explored with my own brood (who adore them just as much).

What, then, would the Scottish invasion at Point of View Suites mean to my beloved spaces? Would the boom in tourism that is surely to happen with the C+J makeover result in the region being overrun with tourists and my Louisbourg forever changed in a negative way?

My mind was eased when I read some of the coverage about the hotel plans, and how Colin and Justin have gone to great lengths to involve the community in the project.

“We’re going to use design to put this resort on the map and also sing the praises of Louisbourg,” explained Colin in a CTV interview last August.

But even after reading how municipal officials are excited with the potential spinoffs from the Point of View’s celeb remodel and how they are encouraged by how the Scots are embracing the island, I wanted to get the low-down directly from the creators of this coastal conversion.  

Alas, my skills as an intrepid journalist must be rusty. A search for Colin and Justin contact info or that of an agent produced only U.S. and overseas details. Those may have eventually worked but, since the design duo are avid social media users, I opted to message them on Twitter. (My interview request included an offer to bring tea and pie, as any good Cape Bretoner would.)

With no word back from the busy renovators, my Plan B took hold.

The air was frigid but the sun bright as my folks and I took a leisurely drive from Sydney to Louisbourg Friday afternoon. We motored along Louisbourg’s Main Street, veering left onto Wolfe Street, which leads to the famed Fortress of Louisbourg, a National Historic Site that features the ruins and partial reconstruction of an 18^th century French settlement.

A short distance down Wolfe Street, well before the Fortress, we noticed a sign for Point of View Suites on the left. Without missing a beat, my dad turned in and slowly drove along the paved road that led past several small buildings at the front of the property. Within view was what had to be the main, multi-storey hotel, sitting impressively at the rear of the snow-covered grounds.

With no gate up or personnel to dissuade us from venturing further, we continued towards the large, oceanfront structure. Once close, we peeked through its windows from the warmth of our van, catching glimpses of ladders and what appeared to be work under way. No Colin and Justin sightings were to be had.

I decided not to go full-on paparazzi, limiting my photo captures to the ones shown here. I also chose not to meander down to a nearby building, which I was pretty sure serves as their home base while in Louisbourg. I was sorely tempted, especially after spying the Ford truck featured in their social media posts, an indication they may be home. Yes, Canadian kindness wrestled my investigative instincts and won. (Fears of being attacked by a guard dog that might suddenly appear may also have played a role.)

Despite the sign’s indications, the Point of View Suites is closed until June 3rd when it is scheduled to reopen as North Star.

 The property’s main building features 22 rooms.

I still hope to interview Colin and Justin, through less pushy (and potentially life-threatening) avenues.

In all seriousness, I’m overjoyed the Scots have landed in Louisbourg. They have already generated a tremendous buzz in the community of about 1,000, a place that has certainly had its share of ups and downs over the decades with fishing and tourism as its main industries.

I’ll bet my Colin and Justin plaid sheets that the entire island of Cape Breton will see a tourism uptick buoyed by the arrival of these enthusiastic Scots, with economic spinoffs galore.

And I’ve come to terms that I may have to share my Disney. It will be hard, but the world does deserve to benefit from Louisbourg’s magic.

Best wishes to Colin and Justin as they prepare for the June opening of North Star. I’ll be standing by for that chat, with pie and tea (or something stronger), whenever you’re ready!

PS: According to C+J social media posts, you can book North Star rooms now for the summer by phoning Mrs. MacDonald at (902) 733- 2080. (Expect my call!)