Lots of places to explore in Cape Breton
Cape Breton has been recognized internationally as the #1 island to visit in Canada. What an amazing claim to fame for our little corner of the world!
Tourists from all over the world seek out our attractions but many of us are not as familiar with some of the destinations in our own backyard.
Recently, my granddaughter and her friend were visiting from Ottawa for 11 days and the “teacher” in me wanted to add some educational experiences to their trip.
A visit to the Cape Breton Fossil Centre in Sydney Mines is always on my list of interesting places to explore on our island. Who doesn’t love fossils! The Fossil Centre is open Tuesday-Saturday from 9 a.m.-5 p.m.
When we arrived at the Fossil Centre, we requested a personal guided tour by one of the knowledgeable summer staff. Emily Buchanan gave us a very informative tour of the facility and the prized artifacts. As luck would have it, the curator, Dr. Stuart Critchley, came along and added his fossil expertise to our tour. Our tour ended with a visit to the fossil laboratory where you can examine specimens under a microscope.
To make the day even more special, everyone gets to pick out a fossil to take home. The gift shop has an excellent variety of books on dinosaurs and fossils.
On Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays, there are guided tours of a beach area in Point Aconi which is a treasure trove of fossils ready for the picking.
Carboniferous plant fossils that are 350 million years old can be seen in the brown sandstones and grey shales that make up the rock formations in the cliffs. Dr. Critchley will help identify the various fossils that you will find at the beach. The walk will take about two hours and the time is dependent on ocean tides.
Not every day is a beach day in Cape Breton so on those “other days” take advantage of some of the other museums on the island. Admission is free for youth at all the national sites this summer. Fortress Louisburg, the Bell Museum in Baddeck and the Maconi Museum in Glacé Bay are great places to explore.
Cape Breton has so much to offer for both tourists and Cape Bretoners.
Yvonne Kennedy Homeville