Article content“I was thinking who knows what kind of doors that might open for myself and for the area here. But no, no regrets.”Article contentMacMaster recognized opportunity in the departure from public life even though he concedes a return to politics in some form can’t be ruled out.Article content Former Nova Scotia finance minister Allan MacMaster at his home in Troy, Inverness County. Photo by ContributedArticle content“I’ll never close the door on it but we are very focused on this opportunity before us and we certainly know that it will require 100 per cent attention and that’s where our eyes are set right now,” he said.Article contentThe “we” MacMaster references are his wife of eight years, Lucie, and their blended family of twin six-year-old daughters Ivy and Willow, four-year-old son Lochlann and Lucie’s sons from a previous relationship, Owen 19, and Ben, 17.Article content“We’re excited, happy to have a great opportunity at home. That’s where we want to be and I’ve always admired business owners. The next 10 years of my life I get to be one and be home every night.”Article contentArticle contentMacMaster said retirement might beckon in 10 years, which is plenty long to be looking ahead.Article contentThe Freshmart, originally opened as a Co-op store four decades ago, is a 10,000 square-foot shopping and meeting place in the small fishing and farming community of Mabou, some 30 kilometres along Route 19 in western Cape Breton from where MacMaster grew up in Judique. Article content“If you were trying to describe the store, it’s a lot like a Superstore, just on a smaller footprint,” MacMaster said. “But it really does have everything, it seems.”Article contentMacMaster joked that residents of the neighbouring communities of Judique and Mabou may have had minor differences at the teen dances when he was in high school but “we can get along just fine and there are a lot of similarities along Route 19, a lot of us are cut from the same cloth.Article content“Of course, Mabou has a very strong connection to the Gaelic language and that’s a passion of mine as well, my heritage,” said the former minister of Gaelic Affairs in the PC government.Article contentArticle contentMacMaster will not take over the business until the end of the summer but says he will be training on the job alongside Wayne and Karen Beaton, who have owned the Freshmart for nearly the past quarter of a century.Article content“I’ll be going in there Canada Day,” MacMaster said. “Wayne and Karen and I will be working there Canada Day. Article content“With any business, you’ve got to be hands-on. Wayne and Karen have done such a good job with that business. People love it, just take a walk into the store and you’ll know why. It’s very well run and my goal is to run it as well as they’ve been running it for the last 24 years.Article content“They’re great people. They’ve served Mabou well and that will be our goal, to master what they’ve mastered.”Article content
New career in store for former Nova Scotia finance minister Allan MacMaster
