Waterfront kiosks

Cruise pavilion shops open on Sydney waterfront despite absence of ship traffic

SYDNEY — After months of pandemic lockdowns and restrictions, the Sydney waterfront is starting to come alive once again.

While many are happy with a stroll along the boardwalk, the recent reopening of patios, decks and indoor dining is attracting an increasing number of people to area eateries.

Some shopping therapy can now be added to the list as the Port of Sydney has given the green light for seasonal retail businesses to open at the Joan Harriss cruise pavilion.

Local businessman Bruce Meloney operates three of the businesses located on the pavilion’s mini boardwalk that features several kiosks and shanties just steps away from where the cruise ships normally berth.

“There’s an upbeat positivity now,” said Meloney, whose pavilion outlets include the Kilted Moose.

“Great weather certainly helps our businesses, so all we need now are people. We need locals to help us get through until we get the people from away which I think we are going to start to see very soon.

“At this time, the plan is to stay open until the end of September. Our hope is that we will start to see people from outside of Atlantic Canada starting to come here by August. And, of course, we’re looking to get ourselves ready for cruise ships next year.”

Port of Sydney Development Corp. general manager Paul Carrigan said the decision to open the seasonal waterfront retail stemmed from discussions with the business operators.

“Last year when we heard there weren’t going to be any cruises and COVID concerns were everywhere, we allowed the tenants grace and we didn’t push them to open because of the uncertainty,” recalled Carrigan, who added the shops offer plenty of Cape Breton and Nova Scotia knick-knacks, crafts and clothing.

“This is good for the community, which needs some positive spirit. We’re marketing this with a ‘Shop the Fiddle’ theme.”

The fiddle reference is of course to the giant fiddle that stands in front of the cruise pavilion and that has become a regional landmark. The majority of the temporary retail kiosks are located near the Big Fiddle, while an ice cream shop and a fish and chips stand are near the marina.

For now, the pavilion shops will be open Wednesday through Sunday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. and closed on Mondays and Tuesdays. The visitor centre located inside the pavilion is also open to the public.

The move to open the seasonal retail outlets is great news for the Sydney Downtown Development Association, which advocates on behalf of the community’s downtown commercial sector.

“The more quality shops and restaurants we can offer the better,” said the association's executive director Michelle Wilson.

“People love the waterfront, and we encourage people to get out and walk around to explore all that we have to offer. We’re all in in this together.”

Not all the kiosks and shanties opened right away but most are expected to be up and running in the coming days.

DAVID JALA • CAPE BRETON POST The view of the Joan Harriss Cruise Pavilion and the Big Fiddle from the top deck of the MSC Meraviglia cruise ship. The world's sixth-largest cruise ship was one of the last pleasure vessels to dock at the Sydney harbour berth when it visited in late October 2019.

DAVID JALA • CAPE BRETON POST The top of the Big Fiddle is just visible above the Joan Harriss Cruise Pavilion on the Sydney waterfront where retail kiosks and shanties began opening as part of the reopening of the Nova Scotia economy.