Provincial budget cuts are being felt in a southwestern Nova Scotia community.

The Barrington Woolen Mill museum is one of 12 that will close, two other local sites had funding slashed by 20 percent.

They include the Old Meeting House and the Seal Island Light Museum.

The Barrington Museum Complex manages the sites.

Executive director Sam Crowell says the cuts don’t make sense, especially after an increase in visits last year.

“Are people going to come and visit with limited hours and capabilities now? We’re removing revenue for this community and other rural areas. I just don’t know what’s going to happen,” said Crowell.

Crowell predicts the province won’t come close to the $3.5 billion they made in tourism dollars last year.

She says visits to museum sites in Nova Scotia were up 32 percent, and calls the budget decision ‘shortsighted.’

“We’ve already heard the outcry. People who intended to visit from the community, even the U.S and internationally, we’re not going to see that now.”

“We’ve also seen Visitor Information Centres close, and we don’t have good cell service in a lot of areas of the province, but now they’re going to drive people online to get that information?”

Crowell says two full-time summer employees worked at the Woolen Mill, and they had four students lined up to start in June.

She says it’s having a ripple effect on their budget, and they’re working to mitigate the damage as much as possible.

Crowell said they found out by email about the closure and funding rollbacks.

The Museum Complex sent a response to the province, with hopes that community members will make their voices heard, and contact Shelburne MLA Nolan Young, Premier Tim Houston and Tourism minister Dave Ritcey.

The budget was introduced in the legislature on Monday.

Finance minister John Lohr said they had to make ‘tough decisions’, as the province is nearly $1.2 billion in debt.

The budget slashed grants to organizations by $130 million.