History of the Canso Canal / Historique du Canal de Canso

English: , The Strait of Canso separates Cape Breton Island from the mainland of Nova Scotia. The Mi'kmaq were the original settlers in the area until the 1780's, when other settlements were established on both shores. Historically, fishermen used the Strait of Canso as a passageway between the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of St. Lawrence, establishing the Strait as a water route., Besides being a navigational shortcut for fishermen, the deep waters of the Strait of Canso were eventually used by coastal freighters and later by oil tankers. Sailing through the Strait saved time and fuel costs by trimming 70 nautical miles off the voyage to Montreal and 171 nautical miles off a trip to Charlottetown versus sailing around the tip of Cape Breton. As well, much of the marine traffic in the Strait of Canso consisted of ferry traffic between the two shores, which transported trains and vehicle traffic. As traffic congestion on both sides of the Strait of Canso increased, demand for a permanent crossing grew., The construction of the Canso Causeway would not only join Cape Breton Island to mainland Nova Scotia, but it would also block marine traffic from travelling between the waters of the Gulf of St. Lawrence and the Atlantic Ocean, through the Strait of Canso. In accordance with the Canadian Navigable Waters Protection Act, the Canso Canal was constructed between 1953 and 1955 as an integral component of the Canso Causeway to allow the continued unobstructed movement of marine traffic between Chedabucto Bay and St. George's Bay. ,