Volunteers run this popular Cape Breton tourist site — and its future is in jeopardy

André Bourgeois can remember bushwhacking his way to an abandoned Cape Breton mine as a young boy in the 1970s, wading through the evergreen brush until reaching the rocky pit that shuttered at the outset of the Second World War and eventually flooded with water.

It's a far different scene today. Thousands of people now march through a cleared, relatively flat trail in Chéticamp, N.S., each year to reach the unique site.

It's a short walk with a big payoff.

With its picturesque blue-green lake, rocky cliffs and a look-off point perfect for Instagram, it's no wonder the Gypsum Mine Trail is the second-most visited outdoor site in Cape Breton.

But what many do not know is that the relatively new tourist destination is privately owned and run by just a handful of volunteers.

"We're on the world-famous Cabot Trail and we're right next door to the world-famous Cape Breton Highlands National Park. These are both federally and provincially funded and supported, marketed and advertised," said the 55-year-old Bourgeois, a member of the Gypsum Mine Trail committee.

"And here we've got this little site that used to be a mine with no marketing or advertising dollars, no employees, privately donated land and it's run by five or six dedicated local volunteers. It's pretty amazing when you think about it."

The trail is a collection of privately owned donated lands and has exploded in popularity over the last decade, in part due to social media, said Bourgeois.

The tourists that flock here year-round on foot and through the island's network of ATV and snowmobiling trails are quick to post photos of the breathtaking scenery, especially the view from the top of a look-off point, accessible only after scaling a sharp incline with the help of a thick rope.

"Hidden gems don't really exist anymore….  It's hard to keep anything quiet, private, or secret. It's part of the time we live in," said Bourgeois, who spent his early years in the Acadian fishing village and moved back to the area about seven years ago. 

"And then I'd say again over the last 20 years, increasingly with each year, hiking has become more popular, outdoor destinations have become more popular."

That has put strain on the site and upgrades are required to accommodate the ever-increasing traffic.

But the most pressing issue currently facing the volunteer organization is acquiring about an acre of land that has been put up for sale. The parcel forms roughly half of the site's parking lot.

The lot is already overflowing with vehicles during the high season, often spilling onto the roadway. It can become a safety issue, given the road's speed limit is 70 km/h, said Bourgeois.