44 YEARS IN BUSINESS
THE RED BARN
GIFT SHOP & RESTAURANT
In 1997, with the success of the restaurant and gift shops, management decided to close the fun farm and playground and replace it with an 18-hole miniature golf course so they could focus on the growing popularity of the restaurant and gift shops. The business name was also changed to Red Barn Gift Shop & Restaurant.
Today, the Red Barn Gift Shop is the largest on the Island and can boast the largest variety of gifts, crafts, clothing, jewellery, books, music, and clan items in Nova Scotia.
THE BEGINNING
The property of what we know now as the Red Barn was an operating dairy farm until 1979 when it was purchased by Gary Roberts, Earl Timmons, Bill Manson, and Sam Karrel, four Sydney businessmen. It was initially developed as Cabotland Family Fun Farm. It housed many farm animals for children to feed and pet. Pony rides and hayrides were also very popular.
An extensive playground including spring animals, cable rides, tube slides and battery-operated vehicles for the kids to drive. Peffle boats and canoes added additional fun in a nature pond.
GRADUAL TRANSFORMATION
The barn's main floor housed a small gift shop and snack bar. Two outdoor terraces were lined with picnic tables as many families brought their snacks and spent the whole day there. Live entertainment was provided on weekends, with most Sundays drawing over 600 people.
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All weeks in June were booked with elementary school trips. The park could accommodate seven buses per day, including lunch for everyone. The Haymow was converted into a farm museum and small theatre to enhance the visit in 1981.
By 1985 the requests for a more extensive food menu resulted in the addition of the Red Barn Restaurant. The snack bar was removed, and the full main floor became a gift shop.
BIRTH OF THE GIFT SHOP
The gift shop became popular with locals and visitors and gained an excellent reputation. In 1988 the museum and theatre were removed from the haymow, and the second-floor loft became a major gift shop expansion.
In 1989 a separate ice cream parlour was built next to the Red Barn. The popularity of the gift shop continued to grow, and in 1997, the ice cream parlour building was converted into another gift shop, The Quilt & Christmas Shoppe.
1997 was also unfortunate at the Red Barn with Mr. Manson's and Mr. Karrel's passing.
