ACCESSIBILITY AN ISSUE AT FORTRESS LOUISBOURG

We, of course, love Fortress Louisbourg but were dismayed to arrive there recently only to find that the historic site is virtually inaccessible to people in wheelchairs or using crutches/canes, as one of our party was using.

This was surprising given the fact the fortress is a major federal historic site. It was expected the fortress would adhere to the highest handicapped accessible standards.

Here are some examples that made the site inaccessible:

• The King’s Bastion (the citadel-like structure): the entryway had large cobblestones which could not be crossed by a wheelchair and dangerous for someone on canes/ crutches.

• The village streets: these gravel roads have large size granular stones which slow or bog down a wheelchair, making them essentially impassible.

I understand the emphasis at Louisbourg is on creating an authentic replica. But we have travelled to locations around the world — many sites hundreds of years older than Louisbourg — that were more accessible.

Could not a narrow boardwalk be constructed over part of the cobblestones or smaller granular stones be used on the streets?

Ron Stang Amherstburg, Ont.