Winter tourism initiative seeks to bring off-season visitors to Cavendish
When you think of Cavendish, P.E.I., you might think of the summer; festivals, amusement parks, and the boardwalk, but a local group wants you to remember that the central north shore is open for more than two months each year.
There’s not much happening in Cavendish Beach this time of year. Much of the core tourist area is only open for the two summer months, but that’s not true just a few kilometres down the road.
Jane and Sue Chocolate is bustling. They’re part of the Hot Chocolate Trail, a tourism initiative trying to get more locals and Maritime visitors to see what’s happening in the region during the off-peak months.
“It’s wonderful. They’ve done a great job this year. There’s a website,” said Jane Woodley, chocolatier and co-owner of Jane and Sue Chocolate. “People have so much fun going to all different businesses and tasting different kinds of hot chocolate, and they just seem to really love it.”
Many of the businesses in the wider Cavendish region, even those who rely on tourist traffic during the summer, are open year-round, and they want people to know about it.
“There’s all sorts of things happening, and lots of businesses are open,” said Margaret McEachern, Central Coastal Tourism Partnership president. “So no, Cavendish is not closed. Cavendish is open and we welcome your business.”
It’s part of the broader tourism strategy to get islanders, as well as weekend and day trippers from the Maritimes, to look at Prince Edward Island as an all year tourist destination.
“To enhance the businesses up in, all around the central area, and is a way of letting people know that we’re open, and we’re looking forward to their business,” said McEachern.
As for the chocolatiers, they say the promotion has been a boom to their business, because nothing quite goes with winter tourism as well as hot chocolate.
“It’s helped bring people in. We’ve had a lot of new people,” said Sue Humby chocolatier and co-owner of Jane and Sue Chocolate. “People that didn’t know about us before that found us, because they found us due to the Hot Chocolate Trail.”
A total of 21 different businesses in central P.E.I. are taking part this year, about a third more than last year when this event started.
McEachern said there’re great things in central P.E.I., and the Hot Chocolate Trail is just one way to help people discover them.
For more P.E.I. news visit our dedicated provincial page.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Canadian former Olympic snowboarder wanted in Ontario double homicide: DOJ
A Canadian former Olympic snowboarder who is suspected of being the leader of a transnational drug trafficking group that operated in four countries is wanted for allegedly orchestrating the murder of an 'innocent' couple in Ontario in 2023, authorities say.
Ontario school board trustees under fire for $100K religious art purchase on Italy trip
Trustees with an Ontario school board are responding to criticism over a $45,000 trip to Italy, where they purchased more than $100,000 worth of religious statues.
A photographer snorkeled for hours to take this picture
Shane Gross, a Canadian marine conservation photojournalist, has won the title of Wildlife Photographer of the Year.
Tobacco giants would pay out $32.5 billion to provinces, smokers in proposed deal
Three tobacco giants are proposing to pay close to $25 billion to provinces and territories and more than $4 billion to some 100,000 Quebec smokers and their loved ones as part of a corporate restructuring process triggered by a long-running legal battle.
More Trudeau cabinet ministers not running for re-election, sources say shuffle expected soon
Federal cabinet ministers Filomena Tassi, Carla Qualtrough and Dan Vandal announced Thursday they will not run for re-election. Senior government sources tell CTV News at least one other, Marie-Claude Bibeau, doesn't plan to run again, setting the stage for Justin Trudeau to shuffle his cabinet in the coming weeks.
Robert Pickton's handwritten book seized after his death in hopes of uncovering new evidence
A handwritten book was seized from B.C. serial killer Robert Pickton's prison cell following his death earlier this year, raising hopes of uncovering new evidence in a series of unprosecuted murders.
Former members of One Direction say they're 'completely devastated' by Liam Payne's death
The former members of English boy band One Direction reacted publicly to the sudden death of their bandmate, Liam Payne, for the first time on Thursday, saying in a joint statement that they're 'completely devastated.'
Israel says it has killed top Hamas leader Yayha Sinwar in Gaza
Israeli forces in Gaza killed top Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, a chief architect of last year's attack on Israel that sparked the war, the military said Thursday. Troops appeared to have run across him unknowingly in a battle, only to discover afterwards that a body in the rubble was Israel's most wanted man.
Indian government employee charged in foiled murder-for-hire plot in New York City
The U.S. Justice Department announced criminal charges Thursday against an Indian government employee in connection with a foiled plot to kill a Sikh separatist leader living in New York City.