SYDNEY, N.S. —

There is a devastating health impact with the coronavirus but an economic one is creeping in.

The federal government announced Friday the cruise ship season at the Port of Sydney has been pushed back to July.

Nicole MacAulay, Port of Sydney Development Corporation’s manager of cruise and administration, said the port hasn’t had time yet to crunch the numbers and determine what it could mean financially for the port. The delay to July 1 includes 22 calls totalling 32,288 passengers.

“In terms of public safety, obviously that’s the top priority of the federal government and certainly the local community,” MacAulay said. “We have confidence that the government made the right decision to delay the season.”

It was to be an important season for the port with a record number of ships due to call and the inaugural year for the newly constructed second berth.

MacAulay said the local port has had regular discussions with representatives of other ports in eastern North America, Transport Canada and public health officials. She acknowledged it is a disappointment, especially for businesses that look forward to the additional visitors.

In an emailed statement, port CEO Marlene Usher noted that Sydney’s cruise season was set to begin on April 28 and the government’s decision increases community safety but has a negative economic impact for individuals and businesses who rely on tourism income.

The federal government has temporarily barred all cruise ships and ferries that carry more than 500 people, including crew, from docking in Canada until July to protect against the growing COVID-19 pandemic. Ottawa will re-examine the ban after June 30.

Chef Ardon Mofford, owner and chef of Governors Pub and Eatery, said the spring months of the cruise season are an important shoulder season for their business, having the season pushed back would make a big impact on their business. Located at 233 Esplanade, Governors is close to the Port of Sydney

“The spring is considered the shoulder season for us and the cruise ships give us a big boost that time of the year,” he said.

Mofford said first and foremost is the human tragedy of the COVID-19 — people being impacted by it and the safety of their customers and staff. However, the economic impact on the community that relies so much on tourism is real. Mofford said when the money is coming from cruise ships it’s money that gets invested into the economy that otherwise wouldn’t exist. 

“It brings a lot of money in that can’t be replaced in our community locally,” he said. “When you lose them it’s a complete loss of revenue.”

As well, it will impact employment for students. At Governors, he said they usually hire in late April and the beginning of May. His staff increases 30-40 per cent.

“If that season is pushed off you probably wouldn’t do your hires until June which would affect students and culinary students coming out into their work placement.”

However, Mofford said impacts to any business affects an entire community. When he has 100 employees and they are all working and making gratuities, they are going to the mall, buying clothes, buying cars and other items. 

“When you take that much money out of the economy, how does that impact everybody? It has that ripple effect from the gas stations to the restaurants.”

If the COVID-19 impact continues, it would be devastating to the entire island to lose the tourist season. A lot of businesses are not in the position financially to endure the dip.

“Everybody gets impacted by it,” Mofford said. “We have to keep our minds open and understand that’s what happens to your entire community when something like this impact across the globe. People think it’s other people’s problems but it’s the whole world and Cape Breton’s not exempt from that.”

Nova Scotia has no confirmed cases of COVID-19 as of March 13 with 226 negative tests completed. 

Friday, a news conference with Premier Stephen McNeil and the province’s chief medical officer Dr. Robert Strang included announcements that public sector employees who travel outside of Canada, including the United States, will be required to self-isolate upon their return. 

The private sector is encouraged to take the same approach and support employees to self-isolate for 14 days after travelling outside Canada. To limit the spread, Strang is also encouraging individuals, employers and community organizations to limit social gatherings to no more than 150 people to limit spread. 

Wade Langham, co-owner of Cape Breton Fudge Co. on Charlotte Street in Sydney, said they get visitors from the cruise ships but where the passengers get everything catered to them and their business are a sweet treat with some food items, the cruise passengers don’t spend a lot on them. However, Cape Breton Fudge Co. does do an excursion at the shop.

“The cruise passengers get to learn about fudge and then make their own fudge,” he said.

“It would affect that for sure.”

Langham said COVID-19 is a ‘health first’ devastating situation which has taken the world by storm but the economic impact is real.

“I think it’s a worldwide economic impact that we don’t even fully grasp yet,” he said. “It’s not going to be good. I’m not going to be shocked if there’s an airline announcement soon. It’s really going to snowball.”

Langham said it’s hard to comment as this is all something massive we’ve never seen before.

“I’m sure there will be an economic impact that will affect us,” he said. “It’s going to affect everybody. We’ve just got to try and weather it the best we can.”

Holley Grant, gallery manager at the Cape Breton Centre for Craft & Design, said they do get visitors from cruise ships and it helps but it’s not their major source of revenue.

“For cruise ship passengers this is one stop of many and they only have one suitcase,” she said. However, the visitors are important, she added.

“It’s always the hope and opportunity that they might come back.”

Grant said it’s the tourists who chose Cape Breton as a destination and come on their own who are their best customers.

“It‘s hard right now to know how that’s going to go,” she said. “Everything right now is in a state of unknown, that’s the difficulty, we just don’t know what’s ahead. We haven’t got a clear sense of how this is going to unfold.”

Grant said they receive a lot of support from local residents which is appreciated.

In terms of precautions, they’ll do everything they can from that point of view. 

“As far as the economic impact, we’ll have to wait and see.”

(with files from Cape Breton Post staff)

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