The Wreck Cove General Store is a year-round store that caters to our local neighbours, seasonal residents, and holiday travellers.

Our Offerings

As the seasons change, so do our hours, our stock, and our pace. Our business matches what's happening in Cape Breton.

During the busy tourist season, we have a wider range of snacks for the road, and carefully chosen gift and clothing items. In fall and winter, we stock more grocery items, as well as licenses and permits for hunting and fishing. We try always to provide a good selection of local products, organic and fair trade foods, well-made clothing, and interesting art, books, and music.

It's definitely not a complete list, but here are some of the kinds of things you will find, depending on when you visit us.

Hunters, fishers		licenses
Snowmobilers		maps, snacks, and fuel
Tourists		information, maps, post cards and stamps, snacks, camera film, small batteries, basic fishing lures, first aid items, clothing—genuine Sou'westers, oil-cloth coats, summer hats, windbreakers, essential souvenir-ware
Collectors		art, crafts, collectibles, a wide selection from Breton Books and Music
Grocery items		canned goods, breads, eggs, milk, potatoes, cheese, salt, tea, paper towels, dish soap, light bulbs—a nice range of basics, priced reasonably
Snacks		chocolate, including organic and fair trade, chips and chewing gum, nuts and snack bars—also organic—ice cream in cones, gourmet licorise and traditional "penny" candy, and Maritime favourites dulce and salt water taffy
Food		our famous lobster sandwich in season, pizza by the slice, locally made oat cakes and pepperoni
Drink		bottled water, assorted soda, juices, cold teas, hot chocolate, organic teas, including chai varieties, organic coffee; in the winter, real espresso and cappuccino

Highlights of the Seasons

Summer

Summer is our busiest season, and the longest. Really, it's not so much summer as it is high season for tourism. You can expect to find us open 7 days a week throughout the entire summer season, which runs from June through October. At the outer edges of the season, our hours may be a little shorter as traffic slows, but during high season, if there's daylight out there, we're here.

Our store is full up with things we think travellers may need in a pinch, and that visitors might like to remember us by. We stock up on the best from Breton Books and Music. We bring in a selection of well-made clothing that will gently remind you of your visit. We have lots of snacks that are perfect for the road, including organic nuts and locally made pepperoni—even something for your hungry cat or dog!

If you fish, visit us for your license, resident or visitor. We don't stock your favourite rod, but maybe we can help you with a lure or two?

If you carry a cooler, we can get you ice. We have maps and sunglasses, too. During the summer season, we even sell ice cream. And summer is also when you'll find our famous lobster sandwich.

Fall

Around here, fall is hunting season. It overlaps the end of our tourist season and the Celtic Colours festival. During this season, we put away our ice cream and lobster sandwiches, and bring out the real cappuccino machine (mmmm!). Our hours start to get a little shorter, so we can catch our breath. The pace begins to slow, and people spend a little more time chatting around the coffee table.

We sell hunting licenses for residents and visitors. Our stock slowly begins to change over to include more grocery items for locals, and for visitors who are staying locally in housekeeping accommodation. This is a great time to see the changing scenery; everything is still green, the weather is often very pleasant, and the pace is lazy. It's fun to take time to chat, and sample the local lifestyle.

Winter/Spring

The weather in Cape Breton can be "exiting" during this season. We don't see too many tourists during the winter, with one exception. Snowmobilers! There are some amazing trails throughout Cape Breton, and some of the best pass right by our store. We have copies of Nova Scotia trail maps for the asking—if we can keep them in stock.

It is not unusual for 20 or 30 snowmobiles to line up in our parking lot on a fine winter's day. Travellers will find fuel, both for their machines and for themselves. We have hot coffee, tea, and chocolate. Sometimes there's pizza by the slice. And we always have locally made oat cakes, a Cape Breton tradition.

During this season, we actually close our store on three special occasions—Christmas Day, New Year's Day, and Easter. That's all; we're open every other day of the year. Whew!

As spring arrives and the drift ice leaves the shoreline, the lobster fishers get ready for their season, which runs mid-May through July along our shore. Fortunately for us, it starts just in time for our upcoming high season, and our famous lobster sandwich!