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A historic building that has stood at the edge of Jeddore Harbour, N.S., for more than 170 years and operated as an inn for more than a century may soon be changing hands.
Owner Margit Wechsler has been running the Salmon River Country Inn for 14 years and says she’ll only sell the inn to someone who will keep it going.
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Wechsler, who is about to turn 70, said the demands of the inn and restaurant are becoming increasingly difficult to handle with age.
“You can get down but not up anymore, it’s hard,” she said with a laugh.
“I’m the prep cook, I’m the cook in the kitchen, I’m the innkeeper … everything.”
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Her husband has also had recent health setbacks, so she says the time has come for her to pass the torch to someone who can carry on the tradition of hospitality.
“It was forever an inn in the past,” she said. “It should go like this into the future. It is meant to be an inn.”
Wechsler came to Nova Scotia from Germany with her children and husband, Ernst, over 30 years ago.
They knew they wanted to live in the Maritimes and the location had to be close to the water, but it was the Eastern Shore’s laid-back vibe that cemented their choice.
“The guy who sold us the house had ripped pants and a ripped shirt,” she said.
“I thought, this is exactly what I want. I don’t want to dress up.”
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In 2012, Wechsler noticed that an empty inn she drove by all the time was up for sale.
She didn’t have the finances at the time, but the owner gave her a mortgage and on Mother’s Day she became an innkeeper.
“I am really only the caretaker of the building,” Wechsler said.
“I don’t have the feeling — I never had — that I own it. I have to be there, take care of it, and pass it on.”
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The Salmon River Country Inn in Head of Jeddore, N.S., has welcomed guests for more than a century. The business has been cared for by Margit Wechsler since 2012, but she says it’s time to move on, and that means finding a buyer who will carry on the tradition of hospitality. The CBC’s Vern Ramesar visited the inn to learn more.
The original structure dates to 1853 when it was erected as a fisherman’s cottage.
It became a commercial inn in 1920 and was run by the Myers family for nearly 70 years.
Then known as the Salmon River House, it was a base camp for hunters and travellers.
The Myers sold it in the 1980s and the inn changed hands several times before being taken over by the Wechslers, who reopened and expanded the restaurant.
In tribute to her roots, Margit’s menu features popular German dishes like schnitzel and bratwurst next to Nova Scotia seafood favourites like chowder and lobster rolls.
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She said a guiding rule of the inn that has served her well has always been to provide a service for Nova Scotians.
“I don’t want to cater for the tourists,” she said.
“I want to cater to my locals. And this saved us at COVID. They are proud of their inn. I think it’s their inn.”
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Wechsler says she’s willing to stay on for a year to assist its new caretakers.
In the meantime, the familiar Eastern Shore landmark remains a popular community gathering place.
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