[ISL] On the effort of Farmer's Daughter to recruit people to live in Cape Breton
CBC News' Jennifer MacMillan reported about a Cape Breton company, The Farmer's Daughter Country Market, that has gained quite a lot of attention with its offer of free land and a job to Canadians willing to relocate to work there.
A family-run business is trying a unique approach to recruit people to live and work year-round in rural Cape Breton by offering two free acres of land to people who are willing to relocate.
Farmer's Daughter is a general store and bakery in Whycocomagh, N.S., which has a population of about 800. Sisters Sandee MacLean and Heather Coulombe took over the business earlier this year from their dairy farmer parents, who started it nearly 25 years ago.
MacLean told CBC News that the store has great employees - but it needs more of them to expand their operations.
[. . .]
The business would like to increase the number of year-round employees from 12 to at least 15, but hasn't gotten much response to traditional "help wanted" ads. Many young people have left the community to work in places like Halifax or Alberta.
MacLean and Coulombe came up with the idea of offering two free acres of land to people who are willing to relocate to Whycocomagh.
CTV News also carried the news, among others.
CBC News' notes that MacLean, for one, is trying to reverse Cape Breton's steady depopulation, as people head out to wealthier destinations elsewhere.
MacLean says she thinks it's great Cape Breton is growing as a tourism destination, but worries about what would happen if it's only inhabited by summertime tourists in the future.
"It won't be populated by Cape Bretoners - meaning people who want to live here all the time and continue the culture, the music, the lifestyle."
Is this goal achievable? I honestly have my doubts. I do compliment the owners for trying. Perhaps, if enough people try, something noteworthy might happen?
A family-run business is trying a unique approach to recruit people to live and work year-round in rural Cape Breton by offering two free acres of land to people who are willing to relocate.
Farmer's Daughter is a general store and bakery in Whycocomagh, N.S., which has a population of about 800. Sisters Sandee MacLean and Heather Coulombe took over the business earlier this year from their dairy farmer parents, who started it nearly 25 years ago.
MacLean told CBC News that the store has great employees - but it needs more of them to expand their operations.
[. . .]
The business would like to increase the number of year-round employees from 12 to at least 15, but hasn't gotten much response to traditional "help wanted" ads. Many young people have left the community to work in places like Halifax or Alberta.
MacLean and Coulombe came up with the idea of offering two free acres of land to people who are willing to relocate to Whycocomagh.
CTV News also carried the news, among others.
CBC News' notes that MacLean, for one, is trying to reverse Cape Breton's steady depopulation, as people head out to wealthier destinations elsewhere.
MacLean says she thinks it's great Cape Breton is growing as a tourism destination, but worries about what would happen if it's only inhabited by summertime tourists in the future.
"It won't be populated by Cape Bretoners - meaning people who want to live here all the time and continue the culture, the music, the lifestyle."
Is this goal achievable? I honestly have my doubts. I do compliment the owners for trying. Perhaps, if enough people try, something noteworthy might happen?