Stinking up the view: Peggys Cove public bathrooms struggle to keep up with heavy tourist season

Advertisement 1 This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Breadcrumb Trail Links HomeAtlantic CanadaNewsNova ScotiaHalifaxSouth Shore Stinking up the view: Peggys Cove public bathrooms struggle to keep up with heavy tourist season Composting toilets next to the viewing platform can cause nauseating odours Author of the article: By Jen Taplin Published Aug 24, 2026 Last updated 1 hour ago 3 minute read Visitors to Peggys Cove take in the view near the public washrooms on Friday. PHOTO BY RYAN TAPLIN /The Chronicle Herald Article content Tourists pop into her Peggys Cove shop, near the top of the road, and ask for a washroom. Article content “And I’ll say, ‘Oh, they have one up there,’ and they kind of make a bit of a face,” said Juliet Graham. “Like, they don’t say anything, but they’re kind of like, ‘Oh, I see.’” Article content Article content And then they go in the opposite direction. Article content Depending on wind direction and how many thousands of tourists are visiting that day, the bathrooms installed near the boardwalk (constructed in 2021) can be gag worthy and stink up the view. Article content Article content “You can smell it from here,” said Linda Gallant, Graham’s co-worker at Amos Pewter. Article content Linda Gallant, a manager at Amos Pewter in Peggys Cove, poses for a photo inside the store on Friday. PHOTO BY RYAN TAPLIN /The Chronicle Herald Article content There are three buildings housing public washrooms at one of Nova Scotia’s most-visited tourist sites, but they might not be enough to handle the crowds these days. The village just can’t support the number of people who are coming through, Graham said. Article content “You get 28 buses down here, just with passengers, right?  And then you have all your visitors on top of this, and they’re saying, ‘We got to go,’ and the bus is leaving and we’re still waiting for 20 minutes in line (at the bathroom),” added Gallant. Article content She said the smell from those bathrooms makes her almost nauseous sometimes. Article content Thousands and thousands of visitors a day Article content Kelly Rose, spokesperson for Build Nova Scotia, which manages the site, said Peggys Cove typically hosts 2,000 to 10,000 visitors per day, depending on weather conditions, cruise ship schedules and other tourism-related factors. Article content Those average stats might be a little low for what’s actually happening this year. Article content Article…