Fall colours, tourism take a hit in Cape Breton post-Fiona

When you think "fall colours," one of the places that comes to mind is Cape Breton Island.

From the Cape Smokey gondola last year in mid-October, the colours dazzled.

Post-Fiona though, it seems there are those who figure the experience just can't be the same.

"It's been a big hit for us North of Smokey,” said Larry Dauphinee, councillor for the Ingonish area.

Dauphinee says there's a misconception that a fall trip around the Cabot Trail isn't worth it this year because of the effects of the storm, and that businesses are bearing the financial brunt.

"With (the Cape Breton Regional Municipality) having such massive destruction, a lot of people did cancel,” Dauphinee said. “A lot of reservations were cancelled here in the North of Smokey area, but again, this weekend seems to be the saving grace. It is picking up."

In places like Sydney and Glace Bay, there's no doubt Fiona left her mark.

The fall colours there are mostly muted. In some spots, they're non-existent, with some trees already bare.

At the Cape Breton Miner's Museum, fall numbers are down after a successful summer.

"After Fiona, we sort of tanked,” said Mary Pat Mombourquette, the Miner’s Museum’s executive director. “I really thought we were going to be cooking this fall but the numbers just haven't panned out, really."

Visitors who spoke with CTV Atlantic at the Miner’s Museum had mixed opinions on this year’s fall colours.

"Beautiful,” said Toni Burton, who was visiting from Victoria, B.C. “We've been told that they've been better in other years, but I can't believe how they could be better. They've been gorgeous."

"They're brighter in Ontario right now,” said Marie Dennis. "They weren't as brilliant as I was expecting, but it was still a nice drive."

Some photos posted to social media this weekend appear to show fall colours at their best and brightest along the most northern parts of the Cabot Trail, in more remote areas further away from the ocean and Fiona’s wrath.

With the autumn hues set to peak in the weekends to come, the message is that a trip to Cape Breton is still worth it –- for colours and for culture.

"Let's face it. You don't come to Glace Bay to look at beautiful colours,” Mombourquette said. “You go around the Trail to look at the beautiful colours, so I think you can do both."

Despite the damage caused by Fiona and its effect on fall colours, the annual Celtic Colours International Festival kicked off Thanksgiving Weekend. It wraps up on October 15.