Heritage Tourism
Cochrane arrived in Newfoundland at a time when many isolated communities along the northeast coast were experiencing a dizzying transition from a traditional fishing economy to a more complicated existence that could leave them frozen in an unsustainable lifestyle. As the Quebec-Labrador Foundation Director of Cultural Development, she worked with mostly local residents of the small communities to develop tourism attractions based on the compelling history of the region.
A good example of this work has been the creation of the French Shore Historical Society and Interpretation Centre, housed in the small community of Conche, Newfoundland.
From the beginning, it has been a collaborative process, that recruited residents and academics to help research the history, collect local stories and artifacts, create exhibit spaces, visitor tours, interpretive trails, and marketing. Their efforts resulted in the award-winning French Shore Interpretation Centre with its unique French Shore Tapestry modeled in size on the famous Bayeux Tapestry in France. The centre also presents the history of the region through the exhibit of traditional skills, local stories, and artifacts.
Cochrane also assisted other small communities in southern Labrador and the Quebec North Shore to develop their cultural heritage sites using websites, historic house museums, trails, maps, and other printed materials.
