Ken Tutty's family has been in Cape Breton for over two hundred years...ever since the French left Louisbourg in the mid-1700's. Maybe that's why he has such a keen sense of history. In 1975 Ken and his partner Clifford MAthews bought an old house in Sydney Mines that had, like Ken's family, a long intriguing Island heritage.

Built in 1830, Gowrie House is now a showplace of fascinating Georgian architecture and comfortably elegant 18th and 19th century furnishings, much of which were handcrafted in the maritimes. It has become one of the most acclaimed inns in Canada. From Bride's Magazine to The Boston Globe to Fodor's Guide to Great Canadian Inns, travel writers never seem to tire of extoling the pleasures of Gowrie House and recommending it to travellers for its charm, comfort and fine dining. To add to its accolades, Gowrie House is now the only eating establishment in Eastern Canada that has been awarded a two-star rating by 'Where to Eat in Canada' !"

But Ken's success story doesn't start at Gowrie House. It began back in the early 1970's at a small antique shop in Louisbourg called Le Brignolet. Ken was still a university student when he took his first plunge into the world of business and although he didn't realize it at the time, those summers spent selling antiques at Le Brignolet in Louisbourg, lay the groundwork for his long and successful business career. Le Brignolet, now located on Charlotte Street in Sydney, is one of Nova Scotia's finest gift shops.

Ken is optimistic about the tourism industry in Cape Breton. For him, recent additions like Sydney's new boardwalk along the harbour, and Cheticamp's new ferry service to the Magdalen Islands, are signs of the freshness and vitality tourism in Cape Breton is beginning to acquire.