We have explored a general overview of the history of Economic Development in Cape Breton, and focused on economic renewal of Sydney Mines.We feel that this is an example of the present trend towards community members taking responsibility for economic development.

Included in our web site are interviews with people involved in the economic renewal of Cape Breton. Historically, the economy of Cape Breton Island has been resource based. Mining, fisheries, and agriculture provided the core of Cape Breton economic security.

Since the 1960's our natural resources have been slowly depleting and local communities have had to restructure. They had to look for new innovative ways to survive and maintain their populations. The decline of the economy has meant that many young people have been forced to leave their roots in search of economic security.

Throughout the last several decades there have been various movements created to rebuild the economic strength of the island. Larger corporations have been encouraged to purchase products that have been produced locally.Much emphasis has been directed towards the development and promotion of the natural beauty of our island. Various governments have allocated monies to lure larger corporations to relocate in Cape Breton.However, the initiative that has most interested us has been the grassroots movement of several communities to develop and rebuild their own economies.One example of this type of movement is the recent Revitalization Project undertaken by the town of Sydney Mines.

The idea for this project was inspired by the Tompkins Commercial Centre in Reserve Mines. Planning for the Sydney Mines initiative has drawn from the Tompkins experience, including the need to attract major anchor tenants that would create a steady flow of traffic. The Tompkins Centre was also initiated by a grassroots organization. The major project has been to acquire land and to build a new Commercial Centre on the corner of Main St. and Fraser Ave., adjacent to the former Sydney Mines Town Hall.