Ministers Island — Attraction in Town of Saint Andrews

Overall, a wonderful day trip. A little disconcerting the trip across the bar, and at one point I thought the car was stuck in the wet sand/gravel. Made a retreat to the western shore and observed. Timing is part of it, waiting until the tide retreated enough. Also, staying as much towards the left as you head towards the island (to the right on the way back), got you on the most sure ground.

On the island, the grounds and views are breathtaking. It was very educational as well. I knew nothing about Van Horne's contributions to CP Rail, but also to Parks Canada, Tourism, and more. A very impressive and inventive man with numerous talents, and passions. Very inspiring as a person.

It was disappointing how poorly the house has been taken care of in years gone by, however it looks like strides are being made to improve that. A...

I crossed over to Minister's Island by bicycle and was looking forward to exploring the roads and trails before returning to the mainland. Rather than having such an enjoyable bike ride, I was welcomed by a kiosk attendant who insisted I must pay $17 + tax or I had to turn around. There was no clear indication, prior to crossing, that such a tariff was required. Since I only brought a dmall amount of cash with me, I did not have the required $ and the attendant, the attendant insisted that I turn around. In addition to the exhorbitant cost, the fact that Minister's Island ?Society does not clearly post the tariff prior to crossing makes it extremely unattractive to visit. Some day, when it isn't such a cash grab, I...

If you have time to visit this island, I would recommend going instead to the sites in St Andrews itself (the gaol, the Sheriff's house, etc.) or just elsewhere in the Maritimes where you typically find excellent value for money. This island was an exception: it isn't worth the $20 admission fee -- however, I would pay $5 if returning.

The grounds and views are similar to the mainland's. The buildings seem very expensive to maintain (look at the peeling paint etc.) and yet the estate clearly overspends on mismanaged / poorly hired staff: with only one or two exceptions, these staff were bored-looking, inexperienced, and far too numerous during our visit (June 25th) given the low number...