Three cruise ships have been docked in Sydney, N.S., for the past two days, including the iconic Queen Mary on Thursday. However, not everyone getting off the boats was impressed with what they saw in the downtown core. “I think it could be cleaned up a little bit,” said Karen Kowalczyk of Fort Myers, FL, who was visiting Sydney with her husband Mike on Friday. “I don’t understand why we’re here because there is not much to see.” Some buildings in downtown Sydney have peeling paint while others are tagged with graffiti. A few have been long abandoned. The city’s homeless shelter, along with a harm reduction centre, are also blocks away from the cruise terminal. “Clean up some areas,” said Mike Kowalczyk. “They send you down Charlotte Street and it’s not the most exciting place to be. This particular place that we landed at, I think is a great start at how you can rejuvenate this area.” Kowalczyk was referring to a brewpub in the heart of the downtown which has been a popular spot since it opened 10 months ago. “It’s really busy,” said Breton Craft House co-owner Andrew Morrow. “There are a lot of people around looking for a bite to eat, looking for local cuisine.” On Friday, when the brewpub’s seats were full and thousands of passengers and crew were spending their money all over Cape Breton, Morrow was feeling good about the decision to open a new waterfront location. “(The tourism is good) not only for our business here at the Craft House but for Breton Brewing in general, for our accounts around the Island,” Morrow said. A three cruise ships day at the Port of Sydney is without a doubt a big one. On Oct. 2, 2024, Sydney tied its all-time record for most cruise ships visiting in one day, with four. In the coming weeks, peak fall colours along the Cabot Trail will mean busloads of visitors from the ships bringing their money north. The Kowalczyks had a tour outside of town booked for the afternoon and while they may not have been impressed with what they saw right off the ship, they felt the port-of-call has more potential. “This place could really become dynamic but they need to do some work,” Mike Kowalczyk said. The fall cruise season in Cape Breton wraps up with a return visit from one of Friday’s ships – the Seven Seas Splendour – on Nov. 3. For more Nova Scotia news, visit our dedicated provincial page
