Launch of Fort La Tour brandy honours heroism at besieged Acadian post

The spirits of Charles de La Tour, who built Fort La Tour as a fur trading post at the mouth of the St. John River in 1631, and his wife, FranoiseMarieJacquelin, who fought valiantly to defendthe post in 1645, arebeing honoured with a new spirit.

New Brunswick distilleryFilsdu Roy has launched Fort La Tour brandy.

"This part of New Brunswick's history is not very well known," SbastienRoy, owner of thePetit-Paquetvillecompany and the master distiller,said in a statement. "That's why DistilleryFilsdu Roy wanted to honour it by releasing a new product."

The brandy is made with local molasses fromCrosbyMolasses Co. Ltd.,and thelabel on the bottle is a painting by local artist Cliff Turner, representing MadameLa Tourdefending the fort.

The music group Cy, based in Moncton, has also written a song called Fort La Tour to coincide with the launch of the brandy. A sticker on each bottle invites the buyer to download the song for free.

The Fort La Tour site, now an open grassy area located along Harbour Passage on Saint John's waterfront, has deep cultural and historic roots. It served as a trading and gathering place for First Nations, and was the location of the first Acadian settlement.

Jacquelin, commonly known as Madame La Tour, became theheroine of Acadia after she, along with 40 soldiers,held off the much larger attacking force of rival governor Charles de Menou d'Aulnay for three days in April 1645 before surrendering.

Madame La Tour,arguably the first heroine in Canadian history, died of unknowncauses shortly after the battleand is buried somewhere on the site.

Saint John's Fort La Tour Development Authority has planned a $2 million development forthe site, with construction slated for 2017-18.

The groupenvisions afew small buildings, including an interpretation centre, which would be surrounded by a palisade to resemble the original structures, pathways, and an amphitheatre, chair Beth Kelly Hatt has said. The large central mound and footprint of the fort a conservation area would remain untouched.

The Fort La Tour Development Authority has applied for funding fromall three levels of government. It is seeking $950,000 from the federal government as part of the Canada 150 anniversary commemorations, $400,000 from the province, $200,000 from the city and $400,000 from the private sector and community groups.