Angie MacIsaac is having a busy day at the Strait Area Museum, where she is guiding a group of American tourists on a bus tour, sharing insights about the Canso Causeway. Adjacent to the causeway, in Port Hastings, N.S., stands an unoccupied structure that once served as the Visitor Information Centre until its closure in February due to provincial budget cuts.
In response to the closure, MacIsaac and her museum team have initiated a one-year trial program to operate a “community visitor information centre” for tourists visiting Cape Breton. Their goal is to fill the gap left by the former centre’s shutdown and transform the museum into a permanent hub for welcoming visitors.
Following the funding cut in February, Destination Cape Breton, a tourism advocacy group, collaborated with the island’s municipalities to secure funds for a partial reopening of the centre. Meanwhile, Nova Scotia Public Works announced plans to demolish the former visitor centre and an adjacent gift shop to make room for a new roundabout by 2029.
To enhance visitor services, the Strait Area Museum now showcases brochures that were previously available at the visitor centre, and the province is working on new highway signage for tourist guidance. MacIsaac and the Port Hastings Historical Society are providing training to society members and community volunteers, as student staffers are set to conclude their roles at the museum by the end of August.
Viewing the museum as a potential primary contact point for Cape Breton visitors, MacIsaac envisions creating a warm welcome for tourists on the island. Despite no financial support from the province for this new initiative, the historical society can seek funding through the province’s Community Visitor Information Centre program.
Acknowledging the importance of visitor centres in areas like St. Peter’s, Baddeck, and Chéticamp, some accommodation proprietors in Cape Breton, including Yvette MacPhee of Ocean View Motels and Chalets in Chéticamp, believe that community-run centres like the one at the Strait Area Museum could be instrumental. MacPhee highlighted the significance of such centres, especially in regions with limited cell coverage, where travelers often struggle to find accommodations upon arrival.
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