Sites unseen: growing number of tourists unfazed by Peggy's Cove construction
After a long pandemic hiatus, scores of tourists are starting to return to Nova Scotia's best known tourist site, even though major construction projects are still underway at Peggy's Cove.
Despite cool, foggy weather in the morning, hundreds of people were seen visiting various areas of the cove on Tuesday, with out of province licence plates starting to outnumber Nova Scotia plates in some of the bigger parking lots.
Most were from Ontario and Quebec.
John Campbell, owner of the iconic Sou'Wester Restaurant & Gift Shop, says business remains about half what it would be during a normal July, but the number of visitors has surged about 30 per cent in the last week or ten days.
"I think people are excited to get out," said Campbell.
"And a lot of people want to come and see the construction going on, even though it's still a little bit messy."
Major projects still ongoing include construction of a new public washroom facility nearly adjacent to the restaurant, and a large, wheelchair accessible viewing deck, which Campbell says was supposed to be completed by the August long weekend, but supply shortages prevented that from happening.
Visitors have to navigate around fencing protecting those sites, but many don't seem to mind the inconvenience.
Visiting with extended family from the York-Durham region of Ontario, Lindsay Cowell told CTV News they're drawn back to Peggys Cove every few years.
"Just beautiful. Everything's beautiful, she said.
"The rocks, the lighthouse, everything. Just wanted to see it all over again,"
"It's nice that it's opened up, and the rest of us can now come here and see our friends that live her, and of course, visit our familiar places."
"I'm excited to see the changes that they have and the new things that they've added," said Megan Donaldson, travelling with Cowell.
A large backhoe was moving piles of gravel behind Angie Ferrari, visiting from Mississauga with her daughter Amanda by her side, but she barely noticed.
"No, not at all. The view is here," she said, gesturing toward the water.
"It's gorgeous, You just have to ignore what's going on in the background, and I'm sure once it's complete, it'll be well-worth any inconvenience that anyone might experience."
Work on phase one of the Peggy's Cove master plan began last fall, with a cost estimate of nearly $10 million.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Grandparent scam: London, Ont., senior beats fraudsters not once, but twice
It was a typical Tuesday for Mabel Beharrell, 84, until she got the call that would turn her world upside down. Her teenaged grandson was in trouble and needed her help.
Deaths of 4 people on Sask. farm confirmed as murder-suicide
The deaths of four people on a farm near the Saskatchewan village of Neudorf have been confirmed a murder-suicide.
CRA no longer requiring 'bare trust' reporting in 2023 tax return
The Canada Revenue Agency announced Thursday it will not require 'bare trust' reporting from Canadians that it introduced for the 2024 tax season, just four days before the April 2 deadline.
Full parole granted to man convicted in notorious 'McDonald's murders' in Cape Breton
The Parole Board of Canada has granted full parole to one of three men convicted in the brutal murders of three McDonald's restaurant workers in Cape Breton more than 30 years ago.
Incident on Calgary's Reconciliation Bridge comes to safe resolution
Calgary police shut down a number of bridges into and out of the downtown core as officers dealt with a distraught individual. The incident lasted almost 20 hours.
Sunshine list: These were the Ontario public sector's highest earners in 2023
Ontario released its annual sunshine list Thursday afternoon, noting that the largest year-over-year increases were in hospitals, municipalities, and post-secondary sectors.
George Washington family secrets revealed by DNA from unmarked 19th century graves
Genetic analysis has shed light on a long-standing mystery surrounding the fates of U.S. President George Washington's younger brother Samuel and his kin.
'We won't forget': How some Muslims view Poilievre's stance on Israel-Hamas war
A spokesman for a regional Muslim advocacy group says Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre's stance on the Israel-Hamas war could complicate his party's relationship with Muslim Canadians.
Why some Christians are angry about Trump's 'God Bless the USA' Bible
Former U.S. President Donald Trump is officially selling a copy of the Bible themed to Lee Greenwood’s famous song, 'God Bless the USA.' But the concept of a Bible covered in the American flag has raised concern among religious circles.