Sydney & Area

About

The Beaton Institute is a cultural heritage archive mandated to preserve the social, economic, political, ethnic and cultural history of Cape Breton Island. The archive is also the official repository for the historically significant records of Cape Breton University. 

The Beaton Institute provides access to its holdings through adherence to recognized standards in the arrangement and description of archival materials, the development of research tools, and the provision of quality reference services. 

The Institute promotes inquiry through innovative public programming and community-based initiatives, and is centre for local, regional, national and international research. It houses 2.5km of material consisting of thousands of maps and plans, sound recordings, moving images, books, and rare publications. The collection features hundreds of thousands of photographs and millions of pieces of textual records.

Amenities

  • Washrooms Available
  • Wheelchair Accessible

Locals Know Blog

Songs for the Ages

Before they were committed to memory and passed down and around through the ages, the traditional songs of today were once brand new.

2 Minute Read

How to Eat Lobster Like a Local

On Cape Breton Island, lobster isn't a delicacy you eat with polite restraint. It's a bib-on elbows-on-the-table kind of meal, and it's not one to rush. Here's how to do it like a local, and how...

5 Minute Read

Waterfall Chasers – Dome Sweet Dome!

There are 1,000,000 reasons why you should visit Cape Breton Island but in case you needed one more - waterfalls.

2 Minute Read