Driedger said the next upgrade was for the business itself. They wanted to get a foodservice license. In or - der to obtain the license, Barry and Prity had to have a professional kitchen upgrade as well as accessibility upgrades made to the Bed & Breakfast. They added a wheelchair ramp and created a wheelchair-accessible bedroom/washroom on the main floor. “We’re fully ac - cessible” Driedger says. “We pride ourselves on that because most bed and breakfasts in Atlantic Canada don’t have that capability.”
With the updates completed, Heritage Quay Bed & Breakfast was ready for guests. When guests arrive, they can expect to be greeted and given a brief history of the property. The house was built in 1855 and has served many purposes throughout its history. There are photographs to display the house in different time peri - ods. Each of the rooms pays homage to the previous names of the town of Pictou as the town has been called many different things over the years. There are 5 guest bedrooms equipped with amenities and a fridge. All but one of the rooms have a private bathroom attached, the one that doesn’t has a dedicated bathroom directly across the hall for guests. Each room is uniquely dec - orated with an accent wall with wallpaper. The rooms each have a radiator that is functional, and they all have decorative fireplaces. “The architecture, the moldings and the staircase are all amazing,” Driedger says. “Peo - ple just love the house.”
“If I’m not looking at the water, I’m on the water.”
SPOTLIGHT ON BUSINESS MAGAZINE • VOL 23 ISSUE 3 Barry and Prity Driedger were delighted to secure the very first Bed & Breakfast they looked at. But almost immediately, Driedger said they ran into challenges. “We needed to do some major upgrades to the house and that included the property” he explains. “It hadn’t operated as a Bed & Breakfast for a number of years.” Not only did they improve the driveway, but they add - ed a wraparound deck with furniture and a new front door. The renovations continued as they upgraded the interior. He says they improved the spectacular view on the main, second, and third floors by installing thirty new windows. However, the couple didn’t stop there. said the idea to run a bed and breakfast just struck them. As they combine their hospitality and house - keeping backgrounds Driedger says, “I think we’re the perfect operators for a bed and breakfast.”
“We needed to do some major upgrades to the house and that included the property.”
“Every guest is different… we’re always interested in hearing a little about them.”
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