Uncertain times
Victoria County officials and operators concerned for upcoming season
Victoria County leaders and tourism operators concerned for upcoming season.
SYDNEY — In a time of global pandemic and much uncertainty, Patterson Gray-Rochon looks to a newly planted food garden for optimism.
As manager of the Markland Coastal Beach Cottages in Dingwall, Victoria County, Gray-Rochon, like other island tourism operators, is anxious and unsure what this year’s tourism season will bring.
“We definitely have reservations in the book but there remains so much uncertainty,” he said, adding that in comparison to this time last year, business is already down by 30 per cent.
Tourism is an economic mainstay for Cape Breton Island but the season is not year-round and making money lies within the confines of four to five months.
So, Gray-Rochon looks to the garden for solace hoping that as his plants grow, so will the business.
Tourism generates over $200 million annually for Victoria County which is home to some of the island’s most noted tourism attractions. They include Cape Breton Highlands National Park, that also stretches into Inverness County, Highlands Links and Bell Bay golf courses, the Alexander Graham Bell national historic site, the Highland Village in Iona and the Gaelic College in St. Ann’s.
Located on 60 acres in the northern region of the county, the Markland is already offering refundable bookings for this season.
But before throwing down the welcome mat, GrayRochon and other operators need some clear-cut directions from provincial officials on how to successfully operate such a facility in a time of pandemic.
Nova Scotia has been under a state of emergency since March 22 that has resulted in the closure of nonessential businesses and sent thousands of other workers home in a bid to mitigate the spread of COVID-19.
Schools are closed and people are limited to gather only in groups of five and social distancing requirements apply.
Gray-Rochon said he isn’t sure yet how many cabins the facility will be able to open for the coming summer and what new rules will be applied to the dining room and kitchen.
Those decisions will also directly affect the hiring of staff and for thousands of county residents, tourism jobs can be their only source of income. During the winter months, such workers depend on employment insurance to carry them through to the next tourism season.
“We don’t know yet how many we will have back and we want to employ as many as possible,” he said, adding last year the facility had 26 local residents on staff.
The tourism season usually kicks off on the island with the staging of the Cabot Trail Relay Race which was set for May 23-24. The annual event attracts some 1,200 participants comprising 70 teams from Canada and the United States.
The race is now cancelled because of the state of emergency.
“The reality is beginning to settle in,” said Victoria County Warden Bruce Morrison.
He said operators have told him about numerous cancellations for May and June, but August and September are fairly decent.
A lack of employment for residents this summer would also directly affect revenues coming to the municipality in the form of taxes and other payments.
Morrison said his municipality is preparing for such a scenario by borrowing from the provincial government to offset those expected decreases in revenues.
A resident of Baddeck, the county’s hub community, Morrison said the impacts of the state of emergency are everywhere and he doubts that some enterprises are going to make it through this time.
He and other county officials are looking at a bestcase scenario of having the restrictions lifted for July 1 and a worst-case scenario would be the restrictions remain in effect for August and September.
“This is like a moving target. We really don’t know where it will end,” he said.
Back in northern Cape Breton, District 8 councillor
Norman MacDonald said operators in his region are continuing to await answers from government on what the rules of operation will be along with details on financial packages being offered to help enterprises stay afloat.
District 2 councillor Perla MacLeod echoes a similar concern from operators in her area of Baddeck.
“Some (operators) are thinking about making changes but everyone is now waiting on specific directions,” she said.