A log cabin in Joggins, N.S., has been turned over to a group that’s hoping it will be a space for the community to gather for years to come.

In the early 1990s, the Joggins Improvement Committee led the construction of the building to house fossils from the area and provide tourist information. But due to financial constraints, ownership of the building was soon turned over to the Municipality of Cumberland. 

Last year, the improvement committee began fundraising to support building operations and, in January, the Municipality of Cumberland council voted to transfer ownership back to the group.

John Reid, a former area councillor and fire chief who was part of the original effort to raise funds to purchase the land and build the structure, says he’s pleased the building has come full circle.

“I was very glad to see they turned it back to the community to give it a try,” Reid said while getting set for an evening of cribbage at the building. 

“Other than the legion, this is the last building that can be used for recreation or any type of community event.”

Reid’s sister, Darlene Rathburn, is chair of the improvement committee. She echoed his comments about the loss of a number of community spaces in recent years. 

“We were turning into a ghost town,” Rathburn said. “There’s nothing left here. We lost the churches. We just lost the fire department last year.” 

The fire department, which hosted social events for Canada Day, Halloween and Christmas, was unexpectedly shut down by the municipality in October.

Rathburn said the committee plans to hold similar events at the log cabin, including an upcoming Easter egg hunt. 

While the fossils originally in the cabin were moved to the Joggins Fossil Centre once it opened, the building is still home to a small museum and visitor information centre.

The building, which can be rented by the public, also hosts card players, and has a small book nook and gift shop. 

Rathburn said the visitor information centre will be open this summer while the building itself — previously open only during the summer — will remain open year-round.

She said the group is also working to install a kitchen. 

“We’d like to have, you know, get the permits so we could have a coffee shop for the local people to have some place to just hang out,” Rathburn said.

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