Originally born in Glace Bay, Darren MacDonald (BSc (Kinesiology)’96) took some time to live and work on both coasts before finally settling in back home in Cape Breton. He was living in California when he reconnected with his high school sweetheart during a trip home for the holidays. He moved back home in ’06, and they’ve been married ever since. A volunteer with the Cape Breton Dalhousie alumni chapter, Darren shifted his career focus from ergonomics to small business. He now counsels others on business development, and gives them the tools they need to grow a successful start-up in the tech industry.

Best Networking Spot

“Doktor Luke’s Coffee Shop on Prince Street is a great place to network. You get the artsy crowd, the business crowd and everyone in between. It’s a great mix of people.”

Best Volunteer Opportunity

“Personally, I’m very involved with the ski hill at Ben Eoin — that’s where my volunteer interests lie. Anyone who’s new to town could also get involved with volunteer boards. It’s a great way to get connected to the community, and align your interests with volunteer opportunities.” 

Best Spot for a Lunch Meeting

“Governors Pub & Eatery on the Esplanade in Sydney is very central, easy to get to, and has great views of the harbour. Another spot I like is Flavor on the Water, by the ‘Big Fiddle’ monument. Both are places you can get a great lunch, good conversation, and maybe even experience a bit of Celtic culture — sometimes you can walk in and there will be a live Celtic band playing in the afternoon, especially in summer.”

Most ‘Cape Breton’ Thing you can do While There

“You’ll get the full cultural experience by checking out the Celtic Colours festival in the fall. You can go to a ceilidh (a traditional Gaelic kitchen party pronounced ‘kay-lee’) and other musical and cultural events in over 200 communities across Cape Breton Island — all during one of the most beautiful times of the year when all the leaves are at their most vibrant.”

What’s it like to Live and Work in Cape Breton?

“It’s fantastic. Since I’ve moved home, I’ve noticed a lot more people doing the same thing as I did — moving away for 5 or 10 years, getting experience all over the world, and bringing it back to their home communities. Working here is great. You can be virtually anywhere in 20 minutes, you don’t have to sit in traffic for an hour at a time (there is no traffic!), you’re minutes from beautiful lakes and the ocean, our internet speed is one of the fastest in North America, and we have the fastest growing tech community in Atlantic Canada. It’s also a great place to set up a business.”

Best Place for Friday Night Fun

“When the Eagles are in town, the downtown core can be especially busy on Friday nights.” (The Cape Breton Screaming Eagles are a Canadian major junior ice hockey team, whose home rink is Centre 200 in Sydney).  

Best place to eat on a dime

“The Lebanese Flower — a great restaurant where you can still get a meal for under $10.”

Best local delicacy

“There is such good chowder here. I’m a big fan, so I usually order seafood chowder everywhere I go. The seafood is so fresh here, we have restaurants who buy their seafood right off the wharf!”

Best neighbourhood for newcomers

“If I was moving back to Cape Breton, I’d be looking at the north end of Sydney. It’s centrally located, and you have these really beautiful, old Victorian houses and lots of trees. I think there’s going to be a huge revitalization of Sydney’s north end.”

For inquiries on Dalhousie’s alumni chapters, please contact Bill Chernin at volunteer@dal.ca.