Angie MacIsaac is occupied today sharing the history of the Canso Causeway with a group of tourists from the United States visiting the Strait Area Museum.
While pointing out the causeway, MacIsaac draws attention to an abandoned building in Port Hastings, N.S., which once housed the Visitor Information Centre but closed in February due to provincial budget reductions.
In response to the closure, MacIsaac and her museum colleagues have initiated a one-year trial project to offer a “community visitor information centre” to tourists in Cape Breton, aiming to fill the void left by the former centre and establish the museum as a permanent welcome hub for visitors.
Following the shutdown in February, Destination Cape Breton, a tourism advocacy group, collaborated with the island’s municipalities to secure funding to partially reopen the centre. Additionally, Nova Scotia Public Works has announced plans to demolish the former visitor centre and a neighboring gift shop to make space for a new roundabout by 2029.
The lobby of the Strait Area Museum now features pamphlets that were previously available at the visitor centre, and the province is developing new highway signs to guide tourists. MacIsaac and the Port Hastings Historical Society are providing training to society members and other volunteers to ensure operational support, particularly during the shoulder tourism season as student staff will conclude their roles by the end of August.
MacIsaac envisions the facility becoming the primary contact point for visitors to Cape Breton, fostering a warm welcome that reflects the island’s hospitality.
Although the province is currently not allocating funds for the museum’s new initiative, the historical society has the option to apply for support through the province’s Community Visitor Information Centre funding program.
Local accommodation providers in Cape Breton express optimism about the museum’s endeavor, citing the success of similar community-operated visitor centres in other areas like St. Peter’s, Baddeck, and Chéticamp. Yvette MacPhee, owner-operator of Ocean View Motel and Chalets in Chéticamp, emphasizes the significance of visitor centres in a region with limited cell coverage, highlighting the challenges faced by tourists seeking lodging on short notice.
The Strait Area Museum’s initiative aligns with the goal of promoting a welcoming atmosphere in Cape Breton, resonating with the sentiments of both local businesses and visitors seeking guidance and hospitality in the region.