N.S. tourism layoffs and closures a ‘devastating blow’: business owner

Nova Scotians react to news the province will close some museums and visitor information centres.

At the Halifax Stanfield International Airport, the tourist kiosk remains, but the employees do not.

On Thursday, it was revealed that the Nova Scotia government was closing three rural museums and cutting four visitor information centres.

“If I was lost and I wanted to ask somebody, there’s nobody to ask,” said George Thompson, a tourist at the airport.

He thought the airport visitor kiosk was closed because it was winter.

The airport kiosk, along with visitor information centres at Peggy’s Cove, Port Hastings and Yarmouth are all closed.

In an era of technology, Gary Hillier, a Cape Bretoner, says the human connection will be missed.

“What you’re getting off the telephone or what you’re getting off the internet is wrong; sometimes can be wrong, sometimes can be right,” he says.

Three rural museums are closed: the Sutherland Steam Mill Museum near Tatamagouche, the Prescott House Museum near Wolfville and the Fisherman’s Life Museum in Oyster Pond.

The latter is in Halifax Councillor David Hendsbee’s district.

“Disappointed to hear, but I understand the province has to make some tough decisions,” Hendsbee says. “The Fisherman’s Life Museum was one of those jewels on the Eastern Shore.

“But hopefully we can find another operator who could to take it over for the province.”

As a result, upwards of 80 jobs have been cut, with the majority in the tourism sector.

The closures and cuts come as the province faces a deficit that has climbed to $1.4 billion.

The airport says it’s exploring other ways to share tourism information, but in the meantime, a digital kiosk and volunteers are on site.

The news of the cutbacks was particularly tough for some tourism operators, like Samantha Bambrick, who owns Alternative Routes, a hop-on, hop-off tourism travel company.

She says while visitors may rely on the internet, many are looking for “real connections.”

“I think the biggest misunderstanding for me is that people really come to Nova Scotia for the people, that’s what makes us special is the hospitality and how we treat people,” Bambrick says.

The airport closure was the first thing she heard of on Thursday.

“I just thought it was a really devastating blow to the province,” she says.

Bambrick says more accountability is needed for how tourism dollars are spent.

“I think we’re treated like we’re a very frivolous part of the economy,” she says. “Yet, we contribute $3.5 billion to the economy each year and create 50,000 jobs.”

Judi Pace, a former supervisor at the Peggy’s Cove visitor centre, not only worries about the guest experience, but the dozens of people now out of work.

“I was just devastated,” she says. “I couldn’t believe it. I couldn’t believe it. It’s going to be devastating for those families.”

She says cutting back jobs, especially in rural communities, is difficult to comprehend.

“Why would they hurt the communities?” she asks. “The people that live in the communities where there are not a lot of government jobs.”

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