Angie MacIsaac is having a bustling day at the Strait Area Museum, guiding a bus tour from the U.S. through the history of the Canso Causeway. Pointing out towards the causeway, she highlights an abandoned building in Port Hastings, N.S., which used to be the Visitor Information Centre before it closed in February due to budget cuts.
Today, MacIsaac and her team at the museum are launching a one-year trial project to establish a “community visitor information centre” for tourists visiting Cape Breton. Their aim is to fill the gap left by the closure of the previous centre and eventually establish the museum as a permanent welcoming hub for visitors.
In response to the closure, Destination Cape Breton, a tourism advocacy group, collaborated with the island’s municipalities to fund the reopening of the centre on a limited scale. Additionally, Nova Scotia Public Works has announced plans to demolish the former visitor centre and an adjacent gift shop to make way for a new roundabout by 2029.
The museum lobby now showcases brochures that were once available at the visitor centre, and the province is designing new highway signs to direct tourists. MacIsaac and the Port Hastings Historical Society are providing training sessions for society members and community volunteers to ensure operational support, especially during the tourism off-peak period when student staff will conclude their roles by August.
MacIsaac envisions the museum as the initial point of contact for visitors to Cape Breton, aiming to create a warm welcome that reflects the island’s hospitality. While the province is not currently funding the museum’s new initiative, the historical society has the option to apply for funding through the province’s Community Visitor Information Centre program.
Some accommodation proprietors in Cape Breton view the Strait Area Museum’s efforts positively, citing the success of community-operated visitor centres in other areas like St. Peter’s, Baddeck, and Chéticamp. Yvette MacPhee, owner of Ocean View Motel and Chalets in Chéticamp, emphasizes the importance of visitor centres in areas with limited cell coverage, where tourists often struggle to find lodging options.
The museum’s endeavor to serve as a community visitor information centre aligns with the needs of tourists arriving in the region, ensuring a warm Cape Breton welcome and aiding in their exploration of the island’s offerings.