The name “Canso” comes from the Mi’kmaq word “Kamsok,” meaning “opposite cliffs.” With the European discovery of the area, fishermen flooded into the rich fishing grounds nearby with permanent settlements along the strait beginning in the 1780s. In 1819 the first private ferries started, by 1847, three ferries operated carrying horses and wagons. The first steam ferry crossed the strait in 1860 and railways service began in 1892. In 1901 a much larger ferry, Scotia I, replaced the SS Mulgrave and allowed for the industrial expansion of Cape Breton Island. The development of steel plants and increased coal production led to more railways being built to get these goods to market, so pressure grew for the building of a permanent link to get them there sooner. In 1902, Ottawa incorporated a company to build the bridge over the next 6 years. However, due to various delays, the deadline was missed. In 1913 automobiles were carried one at a time until steam ferries allowed for transporting several cars at a time. Scotia II was added into service in 1915, but it would also suffer from similar shortcomings to Scotia I and previous ferries with bottlenecking causing delays in the essential movement of passengers and goods. In 1926, all car ferries came under provincial government control, and during the 1920s and 30s there were several studies that took place for a permanent link, but nothing ever came of them. Until Nova Scotia Premier Angus L. Macdon- ald, a Cape Breton native, became a driving force behind the construction of the crossing, and contracts were awarded in the spring of 1952 and work began immediately on both sides of the strait. The causeway that we drive on today opened 68 years ago on August 13th, 1955, giving Cape Breton Island a perma- nent link with mainland Nova Scotia allowing coal and steel in search of markets to flow one way, and tourists seeking Island charm and outdoor adventure the other. Originally, there were toll booths at both ends of the causeway, but those on the island were removed after a few years and they were removed altogether in December of 1991 allowing the free passage that we have today.
DISCOVERING NOVA SCOTIA’S CAPE BRETON ISLAND & EASTERN SHORE CANADA’S OCEAN PLAYGROUND O ur journey through Canada’s Ocean Play- ground crosses the by Karlee Atwater
Photo Credit: Brad Bodnarchuk
Canso Causeway into Cape Breton Island which is said to be one of the best islands in North America. Traveling the Cabot Trail roadway, you can explore and discover the Cape Breton Highlands National Park and Bras d’Or Lake along with the many other places along the island’s rugged coastline before making our way back to the mainland to the Eastern Shore with its own historically themed attractions, authentic fishing communities, and its amazing beaches to get the most of your journey through Nova Scotia this summer and beyond.
Once on the Island, you are hit by the beauty of Inverness County known as Canada’s Musical Coast which is a string of beautiful communities and majestic coastline vistas bound together by musical traditions and culture.
Crossing the Strait of Canso, I would share a little history on the strait and the causeway itself because getting on and off Cape Breton was not always this easy. Several thousands of years ago the last great continen- tal glacier carved out a deep and fast-flowing 30-kilome - ter-long strait connecting the Gulf of St Lawrence to the Atlantic Ocean that separated Cape Breton Island from mainland Nova Scotia.
During harsh winters and trying times, music and dance were part of a survival strategy for many from this area. The music culture on the island is honest, authentic, and shared directly from the heart, and something that residents are proud to share with visitors as it tells the story of early Cape Breton.
45
44
VOL 23 ISSUE 2 • SPOTLIGHT ON BUSINESS MAGAZINE
SPOTLIGHT ON BUSINESS MAGAZINE • VOL 23 ISSUE 2
Made with FlippingBook - professional solution for displaying marketing and sales documents online