2019 Yesteryear Walking Tours

The Chestico Museum & Historical Society is pleased to offer three different options for walking tours of Port Hood and Port Hood Island this summer.

Chestico Museum guides in historic costume (John & Cathy Gillies) will bring the past alive as they highlight the people, events and sights of Port Hood’s past.

The tours offered are:

Twilight Tales – Stories of Shipwrecks, Tragedies and other Remarkable Events

Hear tales of the sea, phantom ships, amazing rescues and ghostly encounters.

Twilight Tales is offered Mondays from July 8th through August 12th – 8:00 – 9:00 PM. The tour immediately follows the Central Park Ceilidh.

Please meet in front of St. Stephen’s Church for this tour.

The cost for the Twilight Tales walking tour is $10 for Adults and $5 for Children under 12. Tickets are available in advance at the Chestico Museum.

Heyday in the Hood – The Shire Town a Century Ago

Encounter Port Hood’s exciting heyday when coal was king, the harbour  was  busy with ships coming and going, and the train station was thronged with visitors, salesmen, and politicians who came to town and stayed at our four large hotels. Hear stories of some of Port Hood’s more illustrious citizens and admire their fine houses. Find out what social life was like a century ago when the town was entertained by a brass band, a baseball team and horse racing on the ice.

Heyday in the Hood is offered Wednesdays from July 17th through August
14th from 7:00 PM to 8:30 PM .

Please meet in front of the Post Office for this tour.

The cost for the Heyday in the Hood walking tour is $15 for Adults and $5 for Children under 12. Tickets are available in advance at the Chestico Museum.

Tea & Tales on Port Hood Island – Island Walking Tour, Stories and Songs

Sail with us to beautiful Port Hood Island – site of the first permanent settlers in the area and for many years a thriving fishing community. Now a summer destination for both locals and visitors alike, you will be accompanied by costumed guides on a tour that arrives at Jubilee United Church where you will be entertained by local singers and storytellers. Tea and refreshments will be served before you make your way back by boat to the mainland.

Tea & Tales on Port Hood Island is offered on Sunday, July 14th & Sunday, August 11th from 2:00 until 4:30 PM.

Weather delay dates are Monday, July 15th and Monday, August 12th,

Please meet at Murphy’s Pond by 1:45 PM for this tour.

Tea & Tales on Port Hood Island is offered in partnership with Jubilee United Church Restoration Society.

The cost is $50 per person and tickets are available at the Chestico Museum.

For more information, please see our Walking Tour BrochureDownload

Student Employment Opportunity 2019

The Chestico Museum is currently accepting applications for summer students for the 2019 season.

The positions are open to students who have been accepted at a post-secondary institution for full-time study beginning in September 2019.

The successful candidates will be enthusiastic, organized and possess good communication skills. The ability to multi-task and organize events are key requirements. Knowledge of local history is an asset.

Tasks will include guiding museum tours, assisting visitors with historical and genealogical research, organizing museum events, creating exhibits and updating our collections database.

The first position will run from May 27 until August 31, 2019. It is made possible by funding received through the Nova Scotia Student Summer Skills Incentive (SKILL) Program.

The second position is for a 13 week work term and will run from June 3 until August 31, 2019. It is funded through Young Canada Works in Heritage Organizations.

The third position is for an 8 week work term and will run from July 8 until August 31, 2019. It is made possible by funding receiving through the Canada Summer Jobs program.

Interested individuals may email a cover letter and resume to: chesticomuseum@ns.aliantzinc.ca

Deadline for applications is May 10, 2019.

Request for Partnerships

The Chestico Museum & Historical Society is looking for partners to collaborate on a potential new multiplex with a heritage centre, Inverness County Archives, a genealogical research centre, opportunities for business developments, and more.

Partners must have demonstrated experience, expertise, competence and financial capacity to add value to the project and help ensure its success.

The complete request may be accessed here:

Request for PartnershipDownload

Deadline: May 1, 2019

Paying the Ultimate Price

Join us at the Chestico Museum on Thursday, November 8, 2018 at 7 PM for Paying the Ultimate Price.

John Gillies will share photographs and stories of the men who volunteered for service in WWI and never returned to their Port Hood home:
John Campbell
Daniel Fortune           
Alexander Gillies
Fred Leadbetter         
Archie MacDonald    
John Colin MacDonald
Neil MacDonald        
Neil MacDonald        
Winfred Smythe MacDonell
Daniel MacMaster      
Joseph William Murphy
Alexander Smith        
Edward Hayes Smith

Admission is free. Donations to the Poppy Campaign will be gratefully accepted.

Tea and refreshments will be served.

Boat Tour, Tales and Tea on Port Hood Island

In conjunction with Celtic Colours , the Chestico Museum (in partnership with St. Stephen’s-Jubilee United Church) will host a “Boat Tour, Tales and Tea on Port Hood Island” on Tuesday, October 9, 2018 from 2:00 until 4:00 PM.

The tour will also be available on Friday, October 12, 2018 from 2:00 – 4:00 PM.

This guided tour will take you by boat from Murphy’s Pond to scenic Port Hood Island, a unique community with lots of history and character. When you arrive you’ll be lead to the Jubilee church for stories and tea. Please wear warm clothes (layers recommended as weather is hard to predict) and comfortable walking shoes.

In the case of extreme inclement weather preventing the crossing, an alternative storytelling event will take place at the Chestico Museum.

Tickets are $50 and are available at the Chestico Museum

Prior to our Tuesday tour, you can purchase a delicious soup and sandwich lunch for $10 at St. Stephen’s Church Hall from 11 AM until 1 PM.

A roast beef dinner with all the trimmings is available that evening at St. Peter’s Parish Hall from 4:30 until 6:30 PM. The meal is sponsored by the Port Hood Knights of Columbus. The cost is $16 for adults and $8 for children under 12.

And of course the Chestico Museum hosted Close to the Floor show will be held at Strathspey Place in Mabou at 7:30 PM Tuesday. Hopefully you have purchased your tickets because the concert is sold out!

We look forward to seeing you this year during Celtic Colours!

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