Areas of interest:

Operated by:

La Coopérative artisanale de Chéticamp Ltée (created in 1963)

Description, purpose:

Dedicated (since 1967) to the promotion of textile crafts, and to the Acadian culture and history.

Part of the "Chapel" with church ornaments, etc.
Mr. Alphonse Saulnier, then retired, did the installation.

A votive crucifix

Up to the 1930s, most craft-making was a functional occupation; women made essential objects for the home (blankets, household linen, clothes, etc.) and for the church (altar cloth).

Carpets were woven with fabric remnants (to make "mats à brayons", or "catalognes", or "tapis à lirette"). Linen and wool were worked with a spinning wheel before they could be woven into fabric.

Guide/interpreter Edna Poirier doing a demonstration on the spinning wheel

The Museum owns a fine collection of carding, spinning, and weaving equipment/tools.

Links on the subject of textile arts:

Traditional Textile Arts and Crafts / Arts traditionnels du textile

Later, wool was mostly used, and thus started the "hooked rugs" fashion.

Some fine examples of hooked rugs, made after old patterns

In the winter, women of Chéticamp make the hooked rugs and carry on the traditions by teaching others. The Chéticamp area has always been known for its beautiful hooked wool rugs. In the past, buyers from outside the area exploited the craftspeople, who lacked the knowledge needed to find new markets. With the creation of the Coopérative artisanale de Chéticamp in 1963, all that changed. The craftswomen find their own markets and negociate the prices of their products.

Edna working on some samples

Interpretation at the Museum:

The Museum's guides are very keen on demonstrations and interpreting Acadian traditions. Visitors are even invited to try their hand at rug-hooking.

Demonstrations and teaching deal with both the technical and the aesthetic aspects of traditional crafts.

Where in Cape Breton one can learn about traditional crafts:

Craft Co-Op, Chéticamp

For a one-week tour on hooked rug techniques, contact:
Association touristique de Chéticamp
P.O. Box 1047
Cheticamp, NS CANADA B0E 1H0
902.224.1934
<info@atcheticamp.com>

Cape Breton Centre for Craft & Design

Contact information:

Mrs. Diane Poirier, general manager

La Coopérative artisanale de Chéticamp

To learn more about Chéticamp's history:

CHIASSON, Anselme. Chéticamp - History and Acadian Traditions. Breton Books. An extremely well-informed history, folklore, and guide to this part of the Maritimes.

BOUDREAU, Anselme. Chéticamp Memoirs. Breton Books.

More books on Cape Breton (Breton Books)

Other cultural/heritage sites to visit in Chéticamp:

Église Saint-Pierre

Le Musée La Pirogue, Chéticamp

Les Trois Pignons

Aucoin House (St-Joseph-du-Moine)

The collections / exhibits:

The museum collections encompass a number of themes, namely:

1. Traditional crafts - carding, spinning, dyeing of wool, weaving (all the steps involved in the fabrication of useable fabrics), hooking. This is a real specialization for this museum: the techniques and the history of a tradition in the Chéticamp area and related artifacts; maintaining the tradition alive (demonstrations).

2. The traditional Acadian home and domestic life - many antiques of the early Acadian period in Chéticamp: tools, household items acquired throughout the years and donated by the local population.

3. Other aspects of the community - the Church and religious activities; agriculture; other.

The iron stove, with an coal bucket and a churn

The Museum presents a reconstitution of an old Acadian kitchen, as well as a typical bedroom, complete with furniture and numerous artifacts.

Photograph from the CBMN archives, c. 1895

The churn is a machine in which cream or whole milk was vigorously agitated to produce butter. The cream had been removed with a wooden spoon from the top of milk containers, and poured into the churn.

Above, a barber chair, a gift from Mrs. Freddy Deveau.
It used to belong to her father-in-law.

The Museum presents many artifacts relating to 19th and early 20th century living in Chéticamp.

Donations are welcome.

A washing tub

A baby carriage

Above: spinning and rug-making in the 1930s.
Postcard, private collection.

Picture below:
Some of the farming tools used in the Chéticamp area, 19th and early 20th century.

After a visit at the Acadian Museum:

A large, fine giftshop presenting locally-made hooked rugs:


La Coopérative artisanale de Chéticamp Ltée

Coopérative artisanale (crafts boutique)

General information:

Open May-October
May - June 15: 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
June 15 - Sept. 1st : 8:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.
Sept. 1st - Oct. 15: 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Parking area - Bus tours welcome.
Wheelchair accessible; washrooms.

Admission free; donations welcome

How to get there:

Chéticamp is located on the West Coast of Cape Breton, along beautiful Cabot Trail.

In this Acadian region, do not miss the communities of Margaree, Belle-Côte, Cap Le-Moine, St-Joseph-du-Moine, Grand-Étang, Belle-Marche, Presqu'île...

More to do and see in the area:

Whale cruises
Golf at Le Portage
Sightseeing (Cabot Trail, Cape Breton Highlands National Park)

For more information (attractions, accomodations, etc.):

Chéticamp and St-Joseph-du-Moine (official site)

Cabot Trail (Destination Nova Scotia)

The Cabot Trail (Tour Nova Scotia)