Bras d'Or Lake, Nova Scotia.

Bras d'Or Lake (pronounced "Bra-door") is a large body of water dominating the centre of Cape Breton Island in the province of Nova Scotia, Canada. Bras d'Or Lake is sometimes referred to as the Bras d'Or Lakes or the Bras d'Or Lakes system, however its official geographic name is Bras d'Or Lake. Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia, Canada Cape Breton Island (French: île du Cap-Breton, Scottish Gaelic: Eilean Cheap Breatuinn, Mikmaq: Unamakika), almost always just Cape Breton, is a large island on the Atlantic coast of North America. ... Jump to: navigation, search Motto: Munit Haec et Altera Vincit (One defends and the other conquers) Other Canadian provinces and territories Capital Halifax Largest city Halifax Lieutenant Governor Myra Freeman Premier John Hamm (PC) Area 55,283 km² (12th) • Land 53,338 km² • Water 1,946 km² (3. ...

Cape Breton's first European explorers/settlers were from France, with the name Bras d'Or translating into "Arms of Gold", likely referring to the sun reflecting from its waters. The Mi'kmaq Nation named it Pitu'pok, roughly translating into "Salt Water." The Mikmaq (also Míkmaq, Micmac, Migmaq) are a First Nations people indigenous to northeastern New England, Canadas Maritimes, and the Gaspé Peninsula of Quebec. ...

Geography

With an area of approximately 1100 square kilometres, the extents of Bras d'Or Lake measures roughly 100 km in length and 50 km in width. Surrounded almost entirely by high hills and low mountains, the shape of the lake is dominated by the Washabuck Peninsula in the centre-west, Boularderie Island in the northeast, and a large peninsula extending from the centre-east dominated by the Boisdale Hills. The effect of the Washabuck Peninsula and Boisdale Hills divides the lake into northern and southern basins, linked by the 1 km wide Barra Strait. A kilometre (American spelling: kilometer) (symbol: km) is a unit of length equal to 1000 metres (from the Greek words khilia = thousand and metro = count/measure). ... Boularderie Island (pronounced boo-lahr-duh-ree or boo-lahr-dree) is an island separating the Cabot Strait from Bras dOr Lake on the eastern coast of Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia. ...

The effect of local topography has resulted in the following major components of Bras d'Or Lake: Surface of the Earth Topography, a term in geography, has come to refer to the lay of the land, or the physiogeographic characteristics of land in terms of elevation, slope, and orientation. ...

Northern Basin

• Great Bras d'Or
• Little Bras d'Or
• St. Andrews Channel
• St. Patricks Channel
• Whycocomagh Bay

Southern Basin

• Denys Basin
• St. Peters Inlet
• East Bay
• West Bay

The largest part of the lake measures approximately 25 km across in the southern basin, framed by East Bay and West Bay with Denys Basin to the north and St. Peters Inlet to the south. The Barra Strait is crossed by highway and railway bridges running between the Washabuck Peninsula and the Boisdale Hills.

Ocean Outlets

The waters of Bras d'Or Lake are connected to the Atlantic Ocean by two natural outlets in its northeastern extremities, with the smaller "Little Bras d'Or" in the south and the "Great Bras d'Or" in the north. These outlets encircle Bouladerie Island, which is also the largest island in Cape Breton. An artificial connection to the Atlantic is also available at the southwestern extremity of Bras d'Or Lake in the historic St. Peters Canal located in the village of St. Peter's. The St. ... Mike Brady loves his wife of twenty-six years, Betty Ann Brady Mike is from Mt. ...

Rivers

The following major rivers empty into the lake (which can also be defined as a gulf or estuary):

• River Denys
• Middle River
• Baddeck River
• Skye River
• Georges River

The lack of significant tidal exchange with the Atlantic, coupled with freshwater outflow of rivers and innumerable streams results in lower salinity in Bras d'Or Lake than in ocean waters. The limited circulation of the lake means that the waters of Bras d'Or are potentially threatened by sewage discharge from community sewage treatment plants and individual septic tanks, as well as recreational boaters. This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ... A septic tank is part of a small scale sewage treatment system often referred to as a septic system, which consists of the tank itself and a leach (drain) field. ...

Wildlife

Bras d'Or Lake is home to an array of wildlife with successful lobster and oyster fisheries, as well as the pursuit of other marine species. The lake's largely undeveloped shorelines have resulted in significant concentrations of Bald Eagle populations. Hunting for migratory birds and land mammals such as deer and moose is a favourite pastime during the months of October and November. Subfamilies and Genera Neophoberinae Acanthacaris Thymopinae Nephropsis Nephropides Thymops Thymopsis Nephropinae Homarus Nephrops Homarinus Metanephrops Eunephrops Thymopides Clawed lobsters comprise a family (Nephropidae, sometimes also Homaridae) of large marine crustaceans. ... The name oyster is used for a number of different groups of molluscs which grow for the most part in marine or brackish water. ... Binomial name Haliaeetus leucocephalus (Linnaeus, 1766) The Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) is a bird of prey indigenous to North America, and is the national symbol of the United States. ... Hunting is, in its most general sense, the pursuit of a target. ... Jump to: navigation, search Subfamilies Capreolinae Cervinae Hydropotinae Muntiacinae Defined strictly, a deer is a ruminant mammal belonging to the family Cervidae. ... Jump to: navigation, search Binomial name Alces alces (Linnaeus, 1758) A female moose. ... October is the tenth month of the year in the Gregorian Calendar and one of seven Gregorian months with the length of 31 days. ... For other uses, see November (disambiguation). ...

Boating

A favoured vacation destination in its own right, the remarkable scenery of Bras d'Or Lake has become increasingly popular with tourists, as well as recreational boaters (see cruising). Baddeck is the recreational boating centre of Bras d'Or Lake with several marinas, a yacht club, and various services for cruisers. St. Peter's also provides marina and boating services, with some services also provided at Grand Narrows, Whycocomagh, and Little Bras d'Or. The heavily indented shoreline and numerous protected coves and harbours provides for a boaters paradise. It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with cruise. ...

Commercial shipping is presently limited to the Great Bras d'Or and St. Patricks Channel where a large gypsum quarry is located at Little Narrows. Gypsum is a very soft mineral composed of calcium sulfate dihydrate, with the chemical formula CaSO4·2H2O. // Chemical structure Gypsum from New South Wales, Australia Heating gypsum above approximately 150°C (302°F) partially dehydrates the mineral by driving off exactly 75% of the water contained in its chemical structure. ... A small cinder quarry A dimension stone quarry A quarry is a type of open-pit mine from which rock or minerals are extracted. ...

Bras d'Or Lake waters were also once used as a shipping route for coal and other commodities originating in industrial Cape Breton up to and during the Second World War, passing via barge through the St. Peters Canal to destinations on the Atlantic coast of mainland Nova Scotia, or the Northumberland Strait. Marble was quarried into the early 20th century at Marble Mountain on the bluffs above West Bay, with the majority of production being shipped by barge through Bras d'Or Lake for transhipment at Sydney. Mushroom cloud from the nuclear explosion over Nagasaki rising 18 km into the air. ... (19th century - 20th century - 21st century - more centuries) Decades: 1900s 1910s 1920s 1930s 1940s 1950s 1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s As a means of recording the passage of time, the 20th century was that century which lasted from 1901–2000 in the sense of the Gregorian calendar (1900–1999 in the...

Lakeside Development

The largest communities located on Bras d'Or Lake are the villages of Baddeck, Eskasoni, Little Bras d'Or, St. Peter's, and Whycocomagh. Remaining parts of lake shorelines are largely rural with some farming, although encroaching urban sprawl from Sydney in the Cape Breton Regional Municipality (CBRM) is approaching East Bay. Many cottage and recreational properties are located in rural areas, largely owned by people from Sydney, Halifax, or from out of province. The village of Baddeck is located on Cape Breton Island in the Province of Canada It is situated on the shores of the beautiful Bras dOr Lake (Golden Arm) in the heart of Cape Breton lsland. ... Mike Brady loves his wife of twenty-six years, Betty Ann Brady Mike is from Mt. ... Whycocomagh is located in central Cape Breton on the Bras dOr Lakes. ... Urban sprawl (also called suburban sprawl) is a pejorative term for the expansive, often explosive and sometimes reckless, growth of a metropolitan area, traditionally suburbs (or exurbs) over a large area. ... Sydney, Nove Scotia, on Cape Breton Island Sydney is a former city in Nova Scotia, Canada located on its namesake harbour. ... Cape Breton Regional Municipality (CBRM) is a regional municipality in Nova Scotia, Canada. ... Please read first: This article is about the Nova Scotia community. ...

There is little significant protection for shorelines from development in the form of designated parks or conservation areas. In addition, Nova Scotia does not sufficiently protect rural areas from subdivision of property.

Until modern roads were built in the 20th century, coastal freighters/steamships would make the rounds to various lakeside communities, frequently making connection with passenger trains at Iona/Grand Narrows where the railway crossed the Barra Strait. (19th century - 20th century - 21st century - more centuries) Decades: 1900s 1910s 1920s 1930s 1940s 1950s 1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s As a means of recording the passage of time, the 20th century was that century which lasted from 1901–2000 in the sense of the Gregorian calendar (1900–1999 in the...

Unlike the industrial part of CBRM where coal, steel, and manufacturing industries flourished in the early 20th century, and the petroleum, manufacturing, and pulp and paper industries located in the Strait of Canso region since the construction of the Canso Causeway in 1955, Bras d'Or Lake has no major industries within its watershed aside from logging and gypsum extraction. (19th century - 20th century - 21st century - more centuries) Decades: 1900s 1910s 1920s 1930s 1940s 1950s 1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s As a means of recording the passage of time, the 20th century was that century which lasted from 1901–2000 in the sense of the Gregorian calendar (1900–1999 in the... The Strait of Canso (also Gut of Canso or Canso Strait), is located in northeastern North America in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia. ... The Canso Causeway connects Cape Breton Island to the mainland of the province of Nova Scotia in eastern Canada. ... Jump to: navigation, search 1955 is a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

General Interest

Famous inventor Alexander Graham Bell made his summer/retirement home in Beinn Breagh ("Beautiful Mountain" in Scottish Gaelic), a lakeside community near the village of Baddeck. It is because of Bell's connection to this area that the Bras d'Or Lake and Beinn Breagh and/or Baddeck routinely get featured in National Geographic maps showing eastern North America. Jump to: navigation, search Alexander Graham Bell (March 3, 1847 – August 2, 1922) was a scientist, inventor, founder of Bell Canada, and was formerly credited as father of the telephone. ... Jump to: navigation, search Scottish Gaelic (Gàidhlig; IPA: ) is a member of the Goidelic branch of Celtic languages. ... The National Geographic Society was founded in the USA on January 27, 1888, by 33 men interested in organizing a society for the increase and diffusion of geographical knowledge. ... Jump to: navigation, search World map showing North America (geographically) A satellite composite image of North America North America is a continent in the northern hemisphere, bordered on the north by the Arctic Ocean, on the east by the North Atlantic Ocean, on the south by the Caribbean Sea, and...

In 2003, National Geographic Traveler magazine rated Cape Breton Island its #2 worldwide destination (for sustainable tourism) along with New Zealand's South Island and Chile's Torres del Paine, with #1 being the Norwegian fjords. 2003(MMIII) is a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

"The Bras d’Or Lakes are my favorite landscape on planet Earth. Nestled into the rolling hills of Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, their pristine tidal waters reflect centuries of Scottish culture, music, and friendly people."
Gilbert M. Grosvenor, Chairman of the Board, National Geographic Society

Bell and his researcher assistants also used Bras d'Or Lake as the launching point in summer and winter of massive kites during experiments into heavier-than-air flight. Some kites required towing by large barges into the upper basin of the Lake off Bell's estate prior to launch. The result of these experiments resulted in the February 1909 flight of the Bell-designed Silver Dart from the frozen waters of Baddeck Bay - the first airplane flight in Canada and the British Empire. A kite is a man-made, heavier-than-air object, designed to fly by opposing the force of the wind with the tension of a string held by the operator. ... February is the second month of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 1909 was a common year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ... The AEA Silver Dart in flight The Silver Dart (or Aerodrome #4) was an early aircraft which was flown off the ice at Baddeck, Nova Scotia on February 23, 1909. ... The British Empire in 1897, marked in pink, the traditional colour for Imperial British dominions on maps The British Empire was the worlds first global power (today known as a hyperpower), a product of the European Age of Exploration that began with the global maritime empires of Portugal and...

HMCS Bras d'Or, a 1960s-era Royal Canadian Navy experimental hydrofoil reportedly the fastest warship of its generation, was named after Bras d'Or Lake, in honour of Alexander Graham Bell's work with developing hydrofoils on the lake's waters. Jump to: navigation, search The 1960s in its most obvious sense refers to the decade between 1960 and 1969, but the expression has taken on a wider meaning over the past twenty years. ... The Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) was the navy of Canada from 1911 until 1968 when the three branches of the Canadian military were merged into the Canadian Armed Forces. ... Jetfoil Toppi is transporter which connects Yaku Island, Tanegashima Island and Kagoshima port in Japan A hydrofoil is a boat with wing-like foils mounted on struts below the hull. ...

VIA Rail Canada's weekly Halifax-Sydney tourist passenger train, the Bras d'Or is named in honour of the spectacular scenery provided by Bras d'Or Lake along the eastern part of its journey. VIA Rail Canada (also referred to as VIA Rail and VIA; pronounced vee-ah) is an independent Crown corporation offering intercity passenger rail services in Canada. ... Please read first: This article is about the Nova Scotia community. ... Sydney, Nove Scotia, on Cape Breton Island Sydney is a former city in Nova Scotia, Canada located on its namesake harbour. ...

External links

• Bras d'Or Lake - Natural History (Nova Scotia Museum)
• Great Canadian Lakes - Bras d'Or Lake
• Bras d'Or Lake Scenic Drive
• Bras d'Or Stewardship Society
• Bras d'Or Preservation Foundation