Our History
In 1978, a group of interested people formed the Port Hastings Historical Society. We realized that Port Hastings, the community that is the gateway to Cape Breton Island has been the original link with the mainland, becoming a thriving village with stores, hotels, telegraph offices, coal pier and the point where the mail came to the island.
We felt that it was important for children growing up here to have an appreciation of the past, a sense of identity and knowledge about Port Hasting history. Since we boasted five motels in the community by this time, it was important to tell our story to visitors.
In 1979, we had our first youth grant and worked out of the church hall. We started interviewing older residents and doing necessary research of the area. The following year, we spearheaded the re-enactment of the opening of the Canso Causeway on its Twenty-fifth anniversary. By this time our display in the church hall had become impressive but had to be stored during the winter months.
The members were pleased when a house was offered to them to be used as a museum by the family of the late Dan MacIntosh in 1981. Federal grants of more than $150,000.00 paid for wages, material and supplies to help renovate the building and develop the displays.
We opted for a museum that didn’t rely on the usual three dimensional artifacts set up in rooms that visitors might only look at from a distance but created a homey atmosphere with enough artifacts to set the theme with a strong emphasis on the history of this area using photographs and other paper artifacts.
Since our official opening in 1982 we have had federal grants to continue compiling the history of the area and have relied on the summer youth grants to employ students as guides. Our facility developed into a community museum and archives initially out of the necessity as we tried to discover the story we should tell since we are trying to depict all aspects of a community which now expanded to include the whole Strait Area. We now find that the museum and archival collection go hand and hand.
Since our collection and the scope of our museum and archives have grown we now have moved to our current location. This has allowed us much more space and visibility but we still remain a community museum.
We have made a commitment to educate people in our area about their heritage. We continue to search for more ways to reach out to visitors to show our history. We value our volunteers and reach out to more. We want our museum to thrive in the future and this takes many hands.
We are committed to conserving and promoting the heritage and history of the Strait Area as a means of enhancing the knowledge of residents and visitors by providing opportunities for education, interpretation, research and participation in activities and programs.
Now that you have heard our story, stop by the museum so we can hear yours and see what opportunities await!
Hours
May – June: 9am-5pm Mon-Fri
July – August: 9am-5pm Mon-Sun
September- October: 9am-5pm Mon-Fri
November-April: 9am-5pm Mondays or By Appointment
Contact Us
Vanessa Chatten, Museum Consultant
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Operated by the Port Hastings Historical Society; Bridging the Past and Future.