Canso Causeway from Cape Breton Island

Swing bridge after causeway, entering Cape Breton Island

The Canso Causeway (45°38′38″N, 61°25′11″W) is a 1385 m (4583 feet)rock-fill causeway in Nova Scotia, Canada. Image File history File links CansoCauseway. ... Image File history File links CansoCauseway. ... Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia, Canada NASA landsat photo of Cape Breton Island Cape Breton Island (French: île du Cap-Breton, Scottish Gaelic: Eilean Cheap Breatuinn, Míkmaq: Únamakika, simply: Cape Breton) is an island on the Atlantic coast of North America. ... Image File history File links CapeBretonEntrance. ... Image File history File links CapeBretonEntrance. ... A swing bridge is a bridge that has as its primary structural support a vertical locating pin and support ring at or near to its center, about which it can then pivot horizontally as shown in the animated illustration below. ... Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia, Canada NASA landsat photo of Cape Breton Island Cape Breton Island (French: île du Cap-Breton, Scottish Gaelic: Eilean Cheap Breatuinn, Míkmaq: Únamakika, simply: Cape Breton) is an island on the Atlantic coast of North America. ... The Hindenburgdamm rail causeway across the Wadden Sea to the island of Sylt in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany In modern usage, a causeway is a road or railway elevated by a bank, usually across a broad body of water or wetland. ... Motto: Munit Haec et Altera Vincit (Latin: One defends and the other conquers) Official languages None (English,French,Gaelic) Flower Trailing arbutus Tree Red Spruce Bird Osprey Capital Halifax Largest city Halifax Lieutenant-Governor Mayann E. Francis Premier Rodney MacDonald (PC) Parliamentary representation  - House seat  - Senate seats 11 10 Area...

The causeway crosses the Strait of Canso, connecting Cape Breton Island to mainland Nova Scotia, Canada. Its crest thickness is 40 m (131.2 feet), carrying the 2 vehicle traffic lanes of Highway 104 (the Trans-Canada Highway) as well as the single track mainline of the Cape Breton and Central Nova Scotia Railway. The Strait of Canso (also Gut of Canso or Canso Strait), is located in northeastern North America near the Canadian province of Nova Scotia. ... Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia, Canada NASA landsat photo of Cape Breton Island Cape Breton Island (French: île du Cap-Breton, Scottish Gaelic: Eilean Cheap Breatuinn, Míkmaq: Únamakika, simply: Cape Breton) is an island on the Atlantic coast of North America. ... 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 A. Freeman Premier John Hamm (PC) Area 55,284 km² (12th)  - Land 53,338 km²  - Water 1,946 km² (3. ... Highway 104 in Nova Scotia runs from the New Brunswick border near Amherst to St. ... Trans Canada Highway over Canada Map The Trans-Canada Highway is a federal-provincial highway system that joins all ten provinces of Canada. ... The Cape Breton and Central Nova Scotia Railway (CBNS) is a 392 km (245 mile) railway operating in Nova Scotia between Sydney and Truro with spurs at Sydney, Port Hawkesbury/Point Tupper, Trenton and Stellarton. ...

Constructed in an "S" shape, the causeway has a base width of 244 m (800.5 feet) in waters having a maximum depth of 65 m (213 feet). The 24 m (78.7 feet)wide and 570 m (1870 feet)long Canso Canal is located at the eastern end of the causeway to allow ship traffic to transit the Strait of Canso. There is a 94 m (308.3 feet)swing bridge which carries the road and railway line across the canal. The Canso Canal is a short canal located in Nova Scotia, Canada. ... A swing bridge is a bridge that has as its primary structural support a vertical locating pin and support ring at or near to its center, about which it can then pivot horizontally as shown in the animated illustration below. ...

The word "Canso" is believed to be derived from the Mi'kmaq word kamsok, which means "opposite the lofty cliffs." The Mikmaq (also Míkmaq, Micmac, Migmaq) are a First Nations people indigenous to northeastern New England, Canadas Maritimes, and the Gaspé Peninsula of Quebec. ...

Ferries

Prior to the construction of the causeway, Cape Breton Island was connected to the mainland by ferries for carrying railway cars and motor vehicles. The Pride of Rotterdam, One of the P&O Ferriess Flagships operating the Hull-Rotterdam Route A ferry is a boat or a ship carrying passengers, and sometimes their vehicles, on scheduled services. ...

In 1880, the Intercolonial Railway (ICR) was opened between Mulgrave on the Nova Scotia side, west to New Glasgow. In 1890, the ICR built a line from Point Tupper on the Cape Breton side, east to Sydney. As a result, a rail ferry service was necessary so that rail cars from Cape Breton Island could be interchanged with the mainland North America rail network. Initially a small 2-railcar barge was used, however the growth of traffic from Industrial Cape Breton soon mandated that a dedicated rail ferry service be established. This service was operated by the ICR until 1918 when the ICR was merged into Canadian National Railways (CNR). CNR operated the ferries from 1918 until the causeway opened in 1955. Vessels used included: Mulgrave (1893-1901), Scotia I (1903-1955), and Scotia II (1915-1955). 1880 (MDCCCLXXX) was a leap year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar). ... Intercolonial Railway of Canada logo or herald The Intercolonial Railway of Canada (IRC), also referred to as the Intercolonial Railway, was a historic Canadian railway. ... Mulgrave is a town on the Strait of Canso in Guysborough County, Nova Scotia, Canada; immediately across from the town of Port Hawkesbury. ... New Glasgow (2001 population 9,432; area population 46,965) is the largest town in Pictou County, Nova Scotia, Canada. ... 1890 (MDCCCXC) was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Friday of the Julian calendar). ... Point Tupper is a small rural community located in western Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia on the Strait of Canso. ... Downtown Sydney, Nova Scotia Sydney, Nova Scotia, on Cape Breton Island Sydney is a community and former city in Nova Scotia, Canada, and is located on its namesake harbour in eastern Cape Breton County. ... 1918 (MCMXVIII) was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar (see link for calendar) or a common year starting on Wednesday of the Julian calendar. ... CN redirects here, as its the most common usage of the abbreviation in Canada; for more uses, see CN (disambiguation). ... 1955 (MCMLV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Various private passenger and horse-drawn carriage ferry services operated between Point Tupper or Port Hawkesbury or Port Hastings to the Nova Scotia side. By the 1930s, the Nova Scotia Department of Transportation took responsibility for providing the automobile ferry service. By the 1940s, as a result of war-time travel growth, as well as the growing popularity of automobiles, the service was expanded to 24 hours/day. Toward the end of the service in the 1950s, vessels included the George H. Murray (?-1955), John Cabot (?-1955), Ponte de Canseau (?-?), and Sir Charles Tupper (?-?), . This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... // Events and trends World War II was a truly global conflict with many facets: immense human suffering, fierce indoctrination, and the use of new, extremely devastating weapons such as the atomic bomb. ... The 1950s was the decade spanning the years 1950 to 1959. ...

Construction

The Canso Causeway was built at a narrow location on the Strait of Canso, several miles northwest of Port Hawkesbury and Mulgrave, crossing from Cape Porcupine near Auld's Cove on the Nova Scotia side to Port Hastings on the Cape Breton side. Approximately 10,092,000 tons of rock for building the causeway was quarried from a mountain on Cape Porcupine.

Contracts were awarded, beginning in May, 1952 to build approach roads and rail lines for the causeway construction and the project was officially started at a ceremony on September 16, 1952 attended by Minister of Transport Lionel Chevrier and Premier of Nova Scotia Angus L. MacDonald. 1952 (MCMLII) was a Leap year starting on Tuesday (link will take you to calendar). ... September 16 is the 259th day of the year (260th in leap years). ... 1952 (MCMLII) was a Leap year starting on Tuesday (link will take you to calendar). ... In the Cabinet of Canada, the Minister of Transport (French: Ministre des Transports) is responsible for overseeing the federal governments transportation regulatory and development department, Transport Canada. ... The Honourable Lionel Chevier, PC , CC (April 2, 1903 - July 8, 1987) was a Canadian Member of Parliament and cabinet minister. ... Categories: Stub | Nova Scotia premiers ... Angus Lewis Macdonald (August 10, 1890 - April 13, 1954) was a Nova Scotia lawyer, politician and professor. ...

The Strait of Canso was permanently blocked on Friday, December 10, 1954, however construction continued through the winter on building the roadway and railway line, as well as finishing the Canso Canal and its swing bridge. Construction was finally completed on April 13, 1955 when the railway line and roadway were finished at a cost of $22 million (CAD). December 10 is the 344th day (345th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1954 (MCMLIV) was a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar. ... April 13 is the 103rd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (104th in leap years). ... 1955 (MCMLV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

The first train across the causeway was a Canadian National Railways work train, led by steam locomotive #2639 on April 18, 1955. The railway line across the causeway entered active service on Saturday, May 14, 1955 when the first revenue train was a 10 car passenger train led by steam locomotive #6014, after which the rail ferry service from Mulgrave to Point Tupper was discontinued. The roadway across the causeway opened to vehicle traffic on May 20, 1955 after which the vehicle ferry service was discontinued. CN redirects here, as its the most common usage of the abbreviation in Canada; for more uses, see CN (disambiguation). ... April 18 is the 108th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (109th in leap years). ... 1955 (MCMLV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... May 14 is the 134th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (135th in leap years). ... 1955 (MCMLV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... This article is about trains in rail transport. ... May 20 is the 140th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (141st in leap years). ... 1955 (MCMLV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Official opening

The official opening of the Canso Causeway took place on August 13, 1955 when several thousand people attended ceremonies which included a gala parade of 100 bagpipers heralding Cape Breton's connection to the North American mainland. August 13 is the 225th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (226th in leap years), with 140 days remaining. ... 1955 (MCMLV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... A piper playing the Great Highland Bagpipe. ... World map showing North America A satellite composite image of North America. ...

Legacy

Upon the causeway's completion, the eastern end of the Strait of Canso became ice free during the winter. Several industries were attracted to the Strait Area, including the Stora pulp and paper mill, a Gulf oil refinery and a heavy water plant. Stora Enso Oyj (NYSE: SEO) is a Finnish–Swedish pulp and paper manufacturer, formed by the merger of Swedish mining and forestry products company Stora and Finnish forestry products company Enso in 1998. ... Gulf Oil was a major global oil company from the 1900s to the 1980s. ... Heavy water is dideuterium oxide, or D2O or 2H2O. It is chemically the same as normal water, H2O, but the hydrogen atoms are of the heavy isotope deuterium, in which the nucleus contains a neutron in addition to the proton found in the nucleus of any hydrogen atom. ...

Aside from blocking sea ice, the blocking of the Strait of Canso caused significant environmental damage from the enormous changes in the tidal regime of the southern Gulf of St. Lawrence all the way to the mouth of the St. Lawrence River. The causeway also had the effect of damming the waterway for migrating ground fish stocks for decades until these species were able to determine how to get around Cape Breton Island into the gulf. In addition, the causeway allowed several non-native species access to Cape Brenton. One particularly troublesome interloper has been the bobcat, which has slowly forced the more gentle lynx out of its traditional hunting grounds and up into the highlands. The Gulf of Saint Lawrence, the worlds largest estuary, is the outlet of North Americas Great Lakes via the Saint Lawrence River into the Atlantic Ocean. ... The Saint Lawrence River (French fleuve Saint-Laurent) is a large west-to-east flowing river in the middle latitudes of North America, connecting the Great Lakes with the Atlantic Ocean. ... Binomial name Lynx rufus Schreber, 1777 The Bobcat (Lynx rufus, or commonly felis rufus) is a wild cat native to North America. ... ...

From 1955 to the early 1990s, the Canso Causeway charged a toll to motorists, however the toll was discontinued after the construction costs were paid for. 1955 (MCMLV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... See also 1990s, the band The 1990s decade refers to the years from 1990 to 1999, inclusive, sometimes informally including popular culture from the very late 1980s and from 2000 and beyond. ...

In 1993, CN Rail sold its Truro-Sydney railway line which crossed the Canso Causeway to the Cape Breton and Central Nova Scotia Railway. Today, CB&CNS employees operate the swing bridge across the Canso Canal. 1993 (MCMXCIII) was a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar and marked the Beginning of the International Decade to Combat Racism and Racial Discrimination (1993-2003). ... Canadian National Railways logo or herald (used pre-1960) Network Map of Canadian National Railway The Canadian National Railway (CN; AAR reporting marks CN, CNA, CNIS), known as Canadian National Railways (CNR) between 1918 and 1960, and Canadian National/Canadien National (CN) from 1960 to present, is a Canadian Class... One of Truros tree sculptures Truro (2001 population 11,457; area population 44,276) is a town in central Nova Scotia, Canada. ... Downtown Sydney, Nova Scotia Sydney, Nova Scotia, on Cape Breton Island Sydney is a community and former city in Nova Scotia, Canada, and is located on its namesake harbour in eastern Cape Breton County. ... The Cape Breton and Central Nova Scotia Railway (CBNS) is a 392 km (245 mile) railway operating in Nova Scotia between Sydney and Truro with spurs at Sydney, Port Hawkesbury/Point Tupper, Trenton and Stellarton. ...