born from our community’s refusal to let its shared history disappear
In 1966, historian Robert Morgan and chemist Don Arseneau were teaching at Xavier Junior College (now Cape Breton University) and were looking for a meaningful student project to mark Canada’s Centennial. Just a few blocks away stood the answer: the long empty St. Patrick’s Church, the oldest still-standing Catholic church on Cape Breton Island, which had been deemed a hazard and was slated for demolition.
Motivated in part by the recent loss of Moxham Castle to fire, Dr. Morgan’s history students grabbed shovels and wheelbarrows and spent the summer clearing out years of crumbled plaster and debris. Community experts stepped in to advise on restoration, and historians Sister Margaret Beaton, Katharine MacLennan, Hilda Day, and local businessman Sandy Muggah helped bring the work to life. From that grassroots effort, the Old Sydney Society was formally established, with those same dedicated individuals among its very first board of directors.
What started as saving one church quickly grew into something much larger. Over the years, the Society purchased and restored Cossit House, erected monuments in the historic North End of Sydney, took ownership of Jost House, helped preserve the former Lyceum building, worked with the Cape Breton Regional Municipality to declare the North End a heritage district, helped save Liscombe House, and repurposed the former Bank of Montreal building, which now serves as the Society’s home base on Charlotte Street.
connecting our community to the stories, places, and people that make Cape Breton what it is
Today, the Old Sydney Society is incorporated as a not-for-profit and registered charity, and our work is as vital as ever. The Society owns and operates St. Patrick’s Church Museum and the Sydney Museum, owns Jost House which is operated by Jost House Endowment Fund Inc., and operates Cossit House for the Nova Scotia Museum.
Now sixty years on, the spirit that moved those passionate volunteers and students to pick up a shovel is still very much alive, connecting our community to the stories, places, and people that make Cape Breton what it is.
2026-2027
Our Board of Directors
The Old Sydney Society is guided by a volunteer Board of Directors whose dedication to preserving Sydney’s heritage keeps our work moving forward. We are grateful to these community members who give their time and expertise to ensure the Society continues to thrive for generations to come.
