Rural businesses in Cape Breton struggle to find workers

Some employers in Cape Breton say adding employee perks is still not helping them land long-term employees.  

Trina Doucette and her husband own Doucette's Market and Eatery in Ingonish Beach, N.S., located along the Cabot Trail. The year-round business has been open for more than three decades, but Doucette said finding staff has been nearly impossible in recent years. 

"If we do manage to get somebody in the door to work they just don't last," Doucette said. "It's like a revolving door. They're there for, at most, a couple of months and then they're gone." 

The family-run business pays its lead cooks $20 per hour, well above the current $13.60 minimum wage in Nova Scotia.

They've even purchased a three-bedroom house next to the business, along with two travel trailers, for employees to rent at a cost of $500 per bedroom. But all of those spaces are empty.

Constant turnover

Doucette said she's not sure why kitchen staff are so hard to find, noting there are few young people in the area. She said one of the biggest challenges has been a constant turnover of workers leaving for other food-related businesses. 

In 2019, Cape Breton University launched a shuttle service to help connect students to work at seasonal businesses in Victoria, Inverness and Richmond counties.

Doucette said the service has helped keep her business afloat. But because of the distance from Sydney to Ingonish, students are not typically available to work in rural areas after their school year ends. 

"I don't know if it's fixable in the short term," Doucette said. "I know a lot of employers like myself and my husband we're exhausted. And many businesses are just going up for sale because people can't keep doing it."

Mary Devoe is the owner of Jane's Restaurant and Pizzeria, located roughly half an hour outside of Sydney. 

Devoe has been willing to train employees, but is struggling to find the right fit. A top cook at the Mill Creek kitchen currently earns $18 an hour.

"I don't want to offend anybody by saying it, but the work ethic is just not there for me — that's how I feel," Devoe said. 

Devoe said she has also noticed a trend of workers leaving the job after reaching hours needed to qualify for employment insurance benefits. She said that while some applicants have experience and drive, they're also seeking higher wages. 

Her business has faced numerous challenges in the past few years, including mandated closures due to the pandemic and $15,000 in spoiled food caused by post-tropical storm Fiona's power outages. She said the business is now closed two days a week because she's unable to fully staff her kitchen.

No easy answers

Jenna Lahey, the CEO of the Cape Breton Regional Chamber of Commerce, said the shortage of workers is widespread. While there are plenty of workers seeking jobs, they're not necessarily looking to fill positions in rural areas.

"One of the biggest challenges, especially in the more rural areas of our island, is transportation," said Lahey. "Transportation is huge."

While more transportation options are needed, there also needs to be a movement to make ride-hailing more accessible, according to Lahey. She said many people are willing to work, but it has to make sense for them. 

"You just can't accept a position that's not going to help you meet the needs that you're seeing," Lahey said. "It's really unfortunate that we're in this position. But that's the reality of it right now."