Cabot Trail Companion: two-CD audio driving guide promotes Cape Breton's masterpiece
John Gillis

“It wasn’t long after I visited Cape Breton that I’d made a journey around the Cabot Trail. I learned quite a bit on that trip but still felt I was missing out on a lot. That’s where the idea of this audio travel guide originated, and before long I started working on it,” Stackpool told The Oran this week.

Stackpool completed the production just prior to the 2008 Celtic Colours, and he’s still trying to get the word out that his product exists and is looking forward to his first full year of marketing the guides.

“I believe it’s unique amongst audio guides in that it features local people speaking about their own specialist fields. The list of contributors includes artists, Parks Canada staff, Cape Breton University lecturers, and local business-owners and more. Each speaker is as fascinating as the next,” says Stackpool.

Stackpool has been selling the guide at the Sydney Farmer’s Market, and he’s found many customers buying the guide are sending it out to western Canada and to parts of the United States to lure their family members to move back home (or at least return for a visit).

The guide has also received a warm reception from people such as Ron Caplan, Kim Lemky, CBC’s Information Morning, lending libraries and several tourism professionals.

“I’m still working on making many new contacts; I’m hoping to make some inroads with the Nova Scotia Department of Tourism, and I’d really like to see it take off internationally. After all, that’s what brings people here, gets them to stay and contribute to the economy. I’m also looking at marketing the product as a download in MP3 file formats, so there’s a lot of work to be done, and it will be an interesting year,” he says.

The audio CD is narrated by Cape Breton fiddler Jennifer Roland and Stackpool himself with contributions from numerous Cape Breton travel and cultural personalities. Disc one will take you on a northbound journey along the Cabot Trail while disc two will lead you southbound on the journey. There’s also a colorfully illustrated fold-out map with plenty of useful information and contact information on accommodations. It’s a bargain with more than two and a half hours of useful and entertaining information.

One of the areas Stackpool will be focusing on is the local Cape Breton bed and breakfast market.

“Those are the people who live and die by the tourism economy, and I believe they could really take an interest in the product. It’s not a trinket. This is something I believe tourists and local people alike can enjoy, and everyone can take something from it,” he concluded.

For more information contact: Jon Stackpool by Email: info@cabotguides.com.

There’s also an accompanying website with more information: www.cabotguides.com.