Our History
Explore our history. Experience our hospitality.
The Annapolis Basin Conference Centre is a venue proud to maintain traditions of excellence for the past two decades.
In 1942, the Canadian government commissioned HMCS Cornwallis, a training base for the Royal Canadian Navy. HMCS Cornwallis became CFB Cornwallis in 1968, and all Canadian recruits completed basic training on-site. When CFB Cornwallis ceased operations as a military base in 1994, facilities and lands were turned over to the Cornwallis Park Development Association (CPDA). The CPDA, a not-for-profit, successfully negotiated the sale of the houses located in the park and recruited new businesses to establish in the industrial buildings located here. The CPDA hosted the Pearson Peacekeeping Centre from 1994 to 2012, training Canadian and foreign soldiers in the art of peacekeeping and conflict resolution for postings with United Nations Peacekeeping missions. Over the course of its history, this stately site has played host to military officers, visiting dignitaries and peacemakers from around the world.
Today, the CPDA operates as the Annapolis Basin Conference Centre (ABCC). ABCC is a full-service conference, special events and training facility, providing year-round accommodation for 276 and meeting and dining spaces for 800. ABCC hosts the HMCS Acadia Sea Cadet Training Centre, with up to 900 participants at any one time. ABCC provides meals, accommodations, office and classroom space, boat storage, docks and moorings as well as a variety of support services each year. ABCC attracts regional, national and local conferences, training and retreat events of all sizes, including the Federation of Canadian Municipalities, an international silent retreat with the Buddhist leader Tsoknyi Rinpoche, and the Canadian Felting Symposium.
ABCC believes in making the community of Cornwallis Park and surrounding region a better places to live, work and visit. We source local products and work with local suppliers to deliver our guest experiences. The organization is proud to support local schools and community organizations in terms of free space rentals and food donations. ABCC is proud to sponsor local festivals, events, and community organizations, including Wharf Rat Rally, Gran Fondo Baie Sainte-Marie, Bridgetown Recreation, and is the founding sponsor of the Royal Consort Community Choir.
ABCC’s picturesque property on the shores of the Bay of Fundy offers a refreshing change from stuffy conference rooms and the distractions of the city. With plenty of oceanside green space and gardens for relaxing, three kilometres of wooded hiking trails, a kilometre of beach to explore, and plenty of fun amenities, ABCC offers groups a fresh perspective on business.
Explore our history. Experience our hospitality. Inject some Vitamin Sea into your next event, and let ABCC take care of everything.
Testimonials
“The Executive and the members could not have been happier with our stay with you at ABCC. The food I was told was the best they ever had at any conference and that they are telling everyone how great a spot it was to have a conference. Thank you so much for everything.”
761 Broadway Avenue, Cornwallis Park, NS B0S 1H0
Toll Free: 1-888-830-4466 | Email: frontdesk@abcc.ca