Cape Breton Island (—formerly
île Royale, Scottish Gaelic:
Eilean Cheap Breatuinn, Míkmaq:
Únamakika, simply:
Cape Breton) is an
islandAn island or isle is any piece of land that is surrounded by water. Very small islands such as emergent land features on atolls are called islets. A key or cay is another name for a small island or islet. An island in a river or lake may be called an eyot, .There are two main types of islands:...
on the
AtlanticThe Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about 106.4 million square kilometres , it covers approximately one-fifth of the Earth's surface and about one-quarter of its water surface area. The first part of its name refers to the Atlas of Greek...
coast of
North AmericaNorth America is the northern continent of the Americas, situated in the Earth's northern hemisphere and in the western hemisphere. It is bordered on the north by the Arctic Ocean, on the east by the North Atlantic Ocean, on the southeast by the Caribbean Sea, and on the west by the North Pacific...
. It likely corresponds to the French word "Breton", referring to
BrittanyBrittany is a cultural and administrative region in the north-west of France. Brittany was previously a kingdom and then as a duchy it was a fief of the Kingdom of France. It was at one time called Less, Lesser or Little Britain...
.
Cape Breton Island is part of the province of
Nova ScotiaNova Scotia is a Canadian province located on Canada's southeastern coast. It is the most populous province in Atlantic Canada. Its capital, Halifax, is a major economic centre of the region. Nova Scotia is the second-smallest province in Canada with an area of...
,
CanadaCanada is a country occupying most of northern North America, extending from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. Although physically separated from the
Nova Scotia peninsulaThe Nova Scotia peninsula is a peninsula on the Atlantic coast of North America.-Location:The Nova Scotia peninsula is part of the province of Nova Scotia, Canada and is connected to the neighbouring province of New Brunswick through the Isthmus of Chignecto...
by the
Strait of CansoThe Strait of Canso , is a strait located in the province of Nova Scotia, Canada. It divides the Nova Scotia peninsula from Cape Breton Island....
, it is artificially connected to mainland Nova Scotia by the
Canso CausewayThe Canso Causeway is a rock-fill causeway in Nova Scotia, Canada.The causeway crosses the Strait of Canso, connecting Cape Breton Island by road to the Nova Scotia peninsula...
. The island is located east-northeast of the mainland with its northern and western
coastThe coast is defined as where the land meets the sea. A precise line that can be called a coastline cannot be determined due to the process of tides. The term "coastal zone" can be used instead, which is a spatial zone where interaction of the sea and land processes occurs...
s fronting on the
Gulf of Saint LawrenceThe Gulf of Saint Lawrence , the world's largest estuary, is the outlet of North America's Great Lakes via the Saint Lawrence River into the Atlantic Ocean. It is a semi–enclosed sea, covering an area of about 236 000 km2 and containing 35000 km3 of water...
; its western coast also forming the eastern limits of the
Northumberland StraitThe Northumberland Strait is a strait in the southern part of the Gulf of Saint Lawrence in eastern Canada...
. The eastern and southern coasts front the Atlantic Ocean; its eastern coast also forming the western limits of the
Cabot StraitCabot Strait is a strait in eastern Canada approximately 110 kilometres wide between Cape Ray, Newfoundland and Cape North, Cape Breton Island. It is the widest of the three outlets for the Gulf of Saint Lawrence into the Atlantic Ocean, the others being the Strait of Belle Isle and Strait of Canso...
. Its landmass slopes upward from south to north, culminating in the
highlandsThe term highland or upland is used to denote any mountainous region or elevated mountainous plateau.The Scottish Highlands refers to the mountainous region north and west of the Highland Boundary Fault...
of its northern cape. One of the world's largest salt water lakes (Bras d'Or--"Arm of Gold" in French), dominates the centre of the island.
The island is divided into four of Nova Scotia's eighteen counties:
Cape BretonCape Breton County is a county in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia, on Cape Breton Island.Taking its name from Cape Breton, the most easterly point of the island which was called after the Bretons of Brittany, this municipality has what is probably the oldest surviving European name to have...
,
InvernessInverness County is a county in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia. Its territory is almost contiguous with the Municipality of Inverness County, which only excludes the town of Port Hawkesbury.-History:...
,
RichmondRichmond County is a county in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia.-History:Named in honour of Sir Charles Lennox, 4th Duke of Richmond and Lennox, who was Governor General of British North America 1818-1819, Richmond County was created in 1835....
, and
VictoriaVictoria County is a county in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia.The shire town and largest municipality is the village of Baddeck.-History:Named after Queen Victoria, it was established by statute in 1851...
. Their total population as of the
2001 censusThe Canada 2001 Census was a detailed enumeration of the Canadian population. Census day was May 15 2001. On that day, Statistics Canada attempted to count every person in Canada. The total population count of Canada was 30,007,094. This was a 4% increase over 1996 Census of 28,846,761. In...
numbered 147,454 "Cape Bretoners"; this is approximately 16% of the provincial population. Cape Breton Island has experienced a decline in population of approximately 6.8% since the previous census in 1996. Approximately 72% of the island's population is located in the
Cape Breton Regional MunicipalityCape Breton Regional Municipality often shortened to simply CBRM, is a regional municipality in Nova Scotia's Cape Breton County.According to the 2006 Census of Canada, the population within the Cape Breton Regional Municipality is 102,250...
(CBRM) which includes all of
Cape Breton CountyCape Breton County is a county in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia, on Cape Breton Island.Taking its name from Cape Breton, the most easterly point of the island which was called after the Bretons of Brittany, this municipality has what is probably the oldest surviving European name to have...
and is often referred to as
Industrial Cape BretonIndustrial Cape Breton is a geographic region in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia. It refers to the eastern portion of Cape Breton County fronting the Atlantic Ocean on the southeastern part of Cape Breton Island.-Geography:...
, given the history of
coalCoal is a readily combustible black or brownish-black sedimentary rock normally occurring in rock strata in layers or veins called coal beds. The harder forms, such as anthracite coal, can be regarded as metamorphic rock because of later exposure to elevated temperature and pressure...
mining and steel manufacturing in this area.
The island contains five
reservesIn Canada, an Indian reserve is specified by the Indian Act as a "tract of land, the legal title to which is vested in Her Majesty, that has been set apart by Her Majesty for the use and benefit of a band." The Act also specifies that land reserved for the use and benefit of a band which is not...
of the
Mi'kmaq NationThe Míkmaq are a First Nations people, indigenous to northeastern New England, Canada's Atlantic Provinces, and the Gaspé Peninsula of Quebec. The nation has a population of about 40,000 of whom nearly 11,000 speak the Algonquian language Lnuísimk, more commonly known as "Micmac"...
, these being:
EskasoniThe Eskasoni First Nation is a First Nation in Nova Scotia, Canada. Their territory spans three reserves that have a combined area of 41.93 square kilometres. In November 2004 Blair Francis was elected Chief of the First Nation for two years, but resigned in the summer of 2006 due to conflicts...
, Membertou, Wagmatcook, We'kopaq/Waycobah, and
Potlotek/Chapel IslandThe Chapel Island First Nation is a Míkmaq First Nation located in northeastern Nova Scotia. It is situated on Chapel Island in Bras d'Or Lake....
. Eskasoni is the largest in both population and land area.
History
Cape Breton Island's first residents were likely Maritime Archaic Indians, ancestors of the
Mi'kmaqThe Míkmaq are a First Nations people, indigenous to northeastern New England, Canada's Atlantic Provinces, and the Gaspé Peninsula of Quebec. The nation has a population of about 40,000 of whom nearly 11,000 speak the Algonquian language Lnuísimk, more commonly known as "Micmac"...
Nation, the latter of whom inhabited the island at the time of European discovery.
Giovanni CabotoGiovanni Caboto known in English as John Cabot, was a Venetian navigator and explorer whose 1497 'discovery' of North America is commonly held to be the first European voyage to the continent since Norseman Leif Ericson's landing in c.1003. The Canadian and United Kingdom government's official...
(John Cabot) reportedly visited the island in 1497 to become the first
Renaissance EuropeanThe Renaissance was a cultural movement that spanned roughly the 14th to the 17th century, beginning in Florence in the Late Middle Ages and later spreading to the rest of Europe...
explorer to visit present-day Canada. However, historians are unclear as to whether Cabot first visited Newfoundland or Cape Breton Island. This discovery is commemorated by Cape Breton's
Cabot TrailThe Cabot Trail is a highway and scenic roadway in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia.It is located in northern Victoria County and Inverness County on Cape Breton Island....
, and by
Cabot's Landing Historic Site & Provincial Park, located near the village of
DingwallDingwall is a coastal community of approximately 600 residents in Victoria County, Nova Scotia, Canada. It is situated just off the Cabot Trail, 84.68 kilometers northeast of county seat Baddeck. The federal Electoral Riding is Sydney—Victoria....
.
A fishing colony was established on the island about 1521–22 by the Portuguese under
João Álvares FagundesJoão Álvares Fagundes , an explorer and ship owner from Viana do Castelo in Northern Portugal, organized several expeditions to Newfoundland and Nova Scotia around 1520-1521....
. As many as 200 settlers lived in the nameless village in what is now present day Ingonish (location according to some historians) on the island's northwestern peninsula. The fate of the colony is unknown, but it is mentioned as late as 1570.
On February 8, 1631,
Charles ICharles I, , the second son of James VI of Scotland and I of England, was King of England, Scotland and Ireland from 27 March 1625 until his execution. Charles famously engaged in a struggle for power with the Parliament of England...
granted Cape Breton Island to
Robert GordonRobert Gordon , a 17th century merchant and philanthropist, was born in Aberdeen. He was the only son of Arthur Gordon who married Isabella Menzies of Balgownie...
of
LochinvarLochinvar is a loch in Scotland that is now a reservoir. It nestles in the hills of Dumfries and Galloway to the north-east of St. John's Town of Dalry. It is drained by the Lochinvar Burn, which flows south to the Water of Ken. The ruins of a castle stand on a now submerged islet within the loch...
and his son Robert.
Known as "
Île Royale" to the French, the island also saw active settlement by
FranceFrance , officially the French Republic , is a country located in Western Europe, with several overseas islands and territories located on other continents. Metropolitan France extends from the Mediterranean Sea to the English Channel and the North Sea, and from the Rhine to the Atlantic Ocean...
as part of the colony of
AcadiaAcadia was the name given to lands in a portion of the French colonial empire in northeastern North America that included parts of eastern Quebec, the Maritime provinces, and modern-day New England, stretching as far south as Philadelphia...
. After the French ceded its colonies on Newfoundland and the
AcadiaAcadia was the name given to lands in a portion of the French colonial empire in northeastern North America that included parts of eastern Quebec, the Maritime provinces, and modern-day New England, stretching as far south as Philadelphia...
n mainland to the British by the
Treaty of UtrechtThe Treaty of Utrecht, which established the Peace of Utrecht in 1713, comprises a series of individual peace treaties, rather than a single document, signed in the Dutch city of Utrecht in March and April 1713. The treaties among several European states, including France, Spain, Great Britain,...
in 1713, the French relocated the population of
Plaisance, NewfoundlandPlacentia is a town on the Avalon Peninsula, Newfoundland and Labrador, consisting of the amalgamated communities of Jerseyside, Townside, Freshwater, Dunville and Argentia...
to Île Royale and the French
garrisonGarrison is the collective term for a body of troops stationed in a particular location, originally to guard it, of more than 50 men, but now often simply using it as a home base. The station is usually a city, town, fort, castle or similar...
was established in the central eastern part at
Ste. AnneFort Ste. Anne is a former French military fort located in Nova Scotia, Canada.It is situated in Englishtown, Victoria County on Cape Breton Island....
. As the harbour at Ste. Anne experienced icing problems, it was decided to construct a much larger fortification at
LouisbourgThe Fortress of Louisbourg is a Canadian National Historic Site and the location of a partial reconstruction of an 18th century French fortress at Louisbourg, Nova Scotia.-Early history:...
to improve defences at the entrance to the
Gulf of Saint LawrenceThe Gulf of Saint Lawrence , the world's largest estuary, is the outlet of North America's Great Lakes via the Saint Lawrence River into the Atlantic Ocean. It is a semi–enclosed sea, covering an area of about 236 000 km2 and containing 35000 km3 of water...
and defend France's fishing fleet on the Grand Banks. The French also built the
Louisbourg LightLouisbourg Lighthouse is a historic Canadian lighthouse at Louisbourg, Nova Scotia and is the site of the first lighthouse in Canada.-The First Light:...
house in 1734, the first lighthouse in Canada and one of the first in North America. In addition to Cape Breton Island, the French colony of Île Royale also included
Île St.-JeanPrince Edward Island is a Canadian province consisting of an island of the same name, as well as other islands. The maritime province is the smallest in the nation in both land area and population...
(today called
Prince Edward IslandPrince Edward Island is a Canadian province consisting of an island of the same name, as well as other islands. The maritime province is the smallest in the nation in both land area and population...
). Louisbourg itself was one of the most important commercial and military centres in New France. Although Louisbourg was captured by New Englanders with British naval assistance in
1745The Siege of Louisbourg took place in 1745 when a British force captured Louisbourg from its French defenders during the War of the Austrian Succession...
and by the British again in 1758, Île Royale remained formally part of
colonial FranceNew France was the area colonized by France in North America during a period extending from the exploration of the Saint Lawrence River, by Jacques Cartier in 1534, to the cession of New France to Spain and Britain in 1763...
until it was ceded to
BritainThe Kingdom of Great Britain, also known as the United Kingdom of Great Britain, was a sovereign state in northwest Europe, in existence from 1707 to 1801...
under the
Treaty of ParisThe Treaty of Paris, often called the Peace of Paris, or the Treaty of 1763, was signed on February 10, 1763, by the kingdoms of Great Britain, France and Spain, with Portugal in agreement. It ended the Seven Years' War. The treaty marked the beginning of an extensive period of British dominance...
in 1763. Britain merged the island with its adjacent colony of Nova Scotia (present day peninsular Nova Scotia and
New BrunswickNew Brunswick is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the only constitutionally bilingual province in the confederation. The provincial capital is Fredericton...
).
Some of the first British-sanctioned settlers to the island following the
Seven Years' WarThe Seven Years' War lasted between 1754 and 1763 and involved all of the major European powers of the period. The war pitted Prussia and Britain and a coalition of smaller German states against an alliance consisting of Austria, France, Russia, Sweden, and Saxony...
were
IrishIreland is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island in the world. It lies to the north-west of continental Europe and is surrounded by hundreds of islands and islets. To the east of Ireland, separated by the Irish Sea, is the island of Great Britain...
, although upon settlement, they merged with local French communities to form a culture rich in both music and tradition. From 1763 to 1784 the island was administratively part of the colony of
Nova ScotiaNova Scotia is a Canadian province located on Canada's southeastern coast. It is the most populous province in Atlantic Canada. Its capital, Halifax, is a major economic centre of the region. Nova Scotia is the second-smallest province in Canada with an area of...
and governed from
HalifaxThe City of Halifax was the capital of the province of Nova Scotia and shire town of Halifax County, and was the largest city in Atlantic Canada until it was amalgamated into Halifax Regional Municipality in 1996...
.
The first permanently settled
ScottishThe Scots people and an ethnic group indigenous to Scotland.An ethnic group, historically they emerged from an amalgamation of Picts, Gaels and Brythons....
community on Cape Breton Island was
JudiqueJudique is a small community located in Inverness County on the Ceilidh Trail on the western side of Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia, Canada....
, settled in 1775 by Michael Mor MacDonald. He spent his first winter using his upside-down boat for shelter, which is reflected in the architecture of the village's Community Centre. He composed a song about the area called "O's alainn an t-aite", or "Fair is the Place."
In 1784, Britain split the colony of Nova Scotia into three separate colonies: New Brunswick, Cape Breton Island, and present-day peninsular Nova Scotia, in addition to the adjacent colonies of
St. John's IslandPrince Edward Island is a Canadian province consisting of an island of the same name, as well as other islands. The maritime province is the smallest in the nation in both land area and population...
(renamed Prince Edward Island in 1798) and
NewfoundlandThe History of Newfoundland and Labrador starts with two separate regions, the Colony of Newfoundland and the region of Labrador, then converge after 1949, with the creation of the province of Newfoundland and Labrador....
. The colony of Cape Breton Island had its capital at
SydneySydney is a Canadian urban community in the province of Nova Scotia. It is situated on the east coast of Cape Breton Island and is administratively part of the Cape Breton Regional Municipality....
on its namesake harbour fronting on Spanish Bay and the
Cabot StraitCabot Strait is a strait in eastern Canada approximately 110 kilometres wide between Cape Ray, Newfoundland and Cape North, Cape Breton Island. It is the widest of the three outlets for the Gulf of Saint Lawrence into the Atlantic Ocean, the others being the Strait of Belle Isle and Strait of Canso...
. Its first Lieutenant-Governor was
Joseph Frederick Wallet DesBarresColonel Joseph Frederick Wallet DesBarres Colonel Joseph Frederick Wallet DesBarres Colonel Joseph Frederick Wallet DesBarres (November 22, 1721 – October 27, 1824 (or October 24,1824 ) was a Swiss-born cartographer and Canadian statesman, who served as aide-de-camp to General James Wolfe...
(1784–1787) and his successor was
William MacarmickWilliam Macarmick , Lieutenant-Governor of Cape Breton, MP.When the British had taken final control of the island of Cape Breton, a greater attention was focused on the working of the mines on a commercial basis, which were thought to provide an inexhaustible source of revenue for the new colony...
(1787). From 1799 to 1807 the military commandant was John Despard, brother of Edward.
An order forbidding the granting of land in Cape Breton, issued in 1763, was removed in 1784. The mineral rights to the island were given over to the Crown by an order-in-council. The British government had intended that the Crown take over the operation of the mines when Cape Breton was made a colony, but this was never done, probably because of the rehabilitation cost of the mines. The mines were in a neglected state, caused by careless operations dating back at least to the time of the final fall of Louisbourg.
Large scale shipbuilding began in the 1790s, beginning with
schoonerA schooner is a type of sailing vessel characterized by the use of fore-and-aft sails on two or more masts with the forward mast being shorter or the same height as the rear masts...
s for local trade moving in the 1820s to larger
brigIn nautical terms, a brig is a vessel with two square-rigged masts. During the Age of Sail, brigs were seen as fast and maneuverable and were used as both naval war ships and merchant ships. They were especially popular in the 18th and early 19th centuries...
s and
brigantineIn sailing, a brigantine is a vessel with two masts, only the forward of which is square rigged.Originally the brigantine was a small ship carrying both oars and sails. It was a favorite of Mediterranean pirates and its name comes from the Italian word "brigantino" which meant brigand's ship...
s, mostly built for British shipowners. Shipbuilding peaked in the 1850s, marked in 1851 by the
full rigged shipA full rigged ship or fully rigged ship is a sailing vessel with three or more masts, all of them square rigged. A full rigged ship is said to have a ship rig....
Lord ClarendonLord Clarendon was the largest wooden ship ever built in Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia. The ship was named in honour of the British statesman, George Villiers, the 4th Earl of Clarendon. The ship was built at North Sydney by William Nesbitt to order for clients in Great Britain...
, the largest wooden ship ever built in Cape Breton.
In 1820, the colony of Cape Breton Island was merged for the second time with Nova Scotia. This development is one of the factors which led to large-scale industrial development in the Sydney Coal Field of eastern Cape Breton County (see
Industrial Cape BretonIndustrial Cape Breton is a geographic region in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia. It refers to the eastern portion of Cape Breton County fronting the Atlantic Ocean on the southeastern part of Cape Breton Island.-Geography:...
). By the late 19th century, as a result of the faster shipping, expanding fishery and industrialization of the island, exchanges of people between the island of Newfoundland and Cape Breton increased beginning a cultural exchange that continues to this day.
During the first half of the 19th century, Cape Breton Island experienced an influx of Highland Scots numbering approximately 50,000 as a result of the
Highland ClearancesThe Highland Clearances were forced displacements of the population of the Scottish Highlands during the 18th and 19th centuries. They led to mass emigration to the sea coast, the Scottish Lowlands and the North American colonies...
. Today, the descendants of the Highland Scots dominate Cape Breton Island's culture, particularly in rural communities. To this day Gaelic is still the first language of a number of elderly Cape Bretoners. A campaign of violence and intimidation by the provincial school board led to the near extermination of Gaelic culture. The growing influence of English-dominated media from outside the Scottish communities saw the use of this language erode quickly during the 20th century. Many of the Scots who immigrated there were either Roman Catholics or Presbyterians, which can be seen in a number of island landmarks and place names.
The 1920s were some of the most violent times in Cape Breton. They were marked by several severe labour disputes. The famous murder of
William DavisWilliam Davis, , was a coal miner from Cape Breton Island. He was born in Gloucestershire, England and died in Waterford Lake, Nova Scotia....
by strike breakers, and the seizing of the
New WaterfordNew Waterford is a Canadian urban community in Nova Scotia's Cape Breton Regional Municipality.-Geography:New Waterford is located north of Sydney and northwest of Glace Bay. It is named after the city of Waterford, in Ireland. It is located near the ocean and is bordered on one side by cliffs...
power plant by striking miners led to a major union sentiment that persists to this day in some circles. William Davis Miners' Memorial Day is celebrated in coal mining towns to commemorate the deaths of miners at the hands of the coal companies.
Promotions for tourism beginning in the 1950s recognized the importance of the Scottish culture to the province, and the provincial government started encouraging the use of Gaelic once again. The establishment of funding for the
Gaelic College of Celtic Arts and CraftsThe Gaelic College of Celtic Arts and Crafts is a Canadian educational institution located in the community of St...
and formal Gaelic language courses in public schools are intended to address the near-loss of this culture to English
assimilationCultural assimilation is a political response to the demographic fact of multi-ethnicity which encourages absorption of the minority into the dominant culture...
.
The turn of the 20th century saw Cape Breton Island at the forefront of scientific achievement with the now-famous activities launched by inventors
Alexander Graham BellAlexander Graham Bell was an eminent scientist, inventor, engineer and innovator who is credited with inventing the first practical telephone....
and
Guglielmo MarconiMarchese Guglielmo Marconi was an Italian inventor, best known for his development of a radiotelegraph system, which served as the foundation for the establishment of numerous affiliated companies worldwide...
.
Following his successful invention of the
telephoneThe telephone is a telecommunications device that transmits and receives sound, most commonly the human voice. It is one of the most common household appliances in the developed world, and has long been considered indispensable to business, industry and government...
and being relatively wealthy, Bell acquired land near
BaddeckBaddeck is a Canadian village in Victoria County, Nova Scotia.It is the county's shire town and is situated on the northern shore of Bras d'Or Lake on Cape Breton Island...
in 1885, largely due to surroundings reminiscent of his early years in
ScotlandScotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
. He established a summer estate complete with research laboratories, working with deaf people—including
Helen Keller Helen Adams Keller was an American author, political activist and lecturer. She was the first deafblind person to earn a Bachelor of Arts degree....
—and continued to invent. Baddeck would be the site of his experiments with
hydrofoilA hydrofoil is a winglike structure or foil, attached to the hull of a boat that raises all or part of the hull out of the water when the boat is moving forward, thus reducing drag....
technologies as well as the
Aerial Experiment AssociationThe Aerial Experiment Association was a Canadian aeronautical research group formed on 30 September 1907, under the tutelage of Dr. Alexander Graham Bell...
, financed by his wife, which saw the first powered flight in the
British EmpireThe British Empire comprised the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates, and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom, that had originated with the overseas colonies and trading posts established by England in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. At its height it was...
when the
AEA Silver DartThe Silver Dart was a derivative of an early aircraft built by a Canadian/U.S. team, which after many successful flights in Hammondsport, New York, earlier in 1909, was dismantled and shipped to Baddeck, Nova Scotia...
took off from the ice-covered waters of
Bras d'Or LakeBras d'Or Lake is a large body of salt 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 as it is a singular...
. Bell also built the forerunner to the
iron lungAn iron lung is a machine that enables a person to breathe when normal muscle control has been lost or the work of breathing exceeds the person's ability. It is a form of medical ventilator...
and he experimented with breeding sheep.
Marconi's contributions to Cape Breton Island were somewhat less than Bell's as he merely used the island's geography to his advantage in transmitting the first North American trans-
AtlanticThe Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about 106.4 million square kilometres , it covers approximately one-fifth of the Earth's surface and about one-quarter of its water surface area. The first part of its name refers to the Atlas of Greek...
radioRadio is the transmission of signals by modulation of electromagnetic waves with frequencies below those of visible light. Electromagnetic radiation travels by means of oscillating electromagnetic fields that pass through the air and the vacuum of space...
message from a station constructed at Table Head in
Glace BayGlace Bay is a community in the eastern part of the Cape Breton Regional Municipality in Nova Scotia, Canada. It forms part of the general area referred to as Industrial Cape Breton and is situated at: 46°11′49″ N, 59°57′25″W....
to a receiving station at
PoldhuPoldhu is a small area in south Cornwall, England, UK, situated on the Lizard Peninsula it comprises Poldhu Point and Poldhu Cove. It lies on the coast west of Goonhilly Downs, with Mullion to the south and Porthleven to the north...
in
CornwallCornwall is a county of England in the United Kingdom, forming the tip of the south-western peninsula of Great Britain. It is bordered to the north and west by the Atlantic Ocean, to the south by the English Channel, and to the east by the county of Devon, over the River Tamar. Taken with the...
,
EnglandEngland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the North Sea to the east, with the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
.
Geography
The island measures in area, making it the
75th largest island in the world and
Canada's 18th largest island. Cape Breton Island is composed mainly of
rockyIn geology, rock is a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals and/or mineraloids.The Earth's outer solid layer, the lithosphere, is made of rock. In general rocks are of three types, namely, igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic...
shoreA shore or shoreline is the fringe of land at the edge of a large body of water, such as an ocean, sea, or lake. In Physical Oceanography a shore is the wider fringe that is geologically modified by the action of the body of water past and present, while the beach is at the edge of the shore,...
s, rolling
farmA farm is an area of land, including various structures, devoted primarily to the practice of producing and managing food , fibers and, increasingly, fuel. It is the basic production facility in food production. Farms may be owned and operated by a single individual, family, community, corporation...
land,
glacialA glacier is a perennial mass of ice which moves over land. A glacier forms in locations where the mass accumulation of snow and ice exceeds ablation over many years...
valleyIn geology, a valley or dale is a depression with predominant extent in one direction. A very deep river valley may be called a canyon or gorge.The terms U-shaped and V-shaped are descriptive terms of geography to characterize the form of valleys...
s, barren
headlandsHeadlands and bays are two related features of the coastal environment.- Geology and geography :Headlands and bays are often found together on the same stretch of coastline. A bay is surrounded by land on three sides, whereas a headland is surrounded by water on three sides. Headlands are...
,
mountainA mountain is a large landform that stretches above the surrounding land in a limited area usually in the form of a peak. A mountain is generally steeper than a hill. The adjective montane is used to describe mountainous areas and things associated with them...
s,
woodsEcologically, a woodland is an area covered in trees, usually at low density, forming an open habitat, allowing sunlight to penetrate between the trees, and limiting shade. Woodland may support an understory of shrubs and herbaceous plants including grasses. Woodland may form a transition to...
and
plateauIn geology and earth science, a plateau, also called a high plain or tableland, is an area of highland, usually consisting of relatively flat terrain...
s. Geological evidence suggests that at least part of the island was originally joined with present-day
ScotlandScotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
and
NorwayNorway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a country in Northern Europe occupying the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, as well as Jan Mayen and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard under the Spitsbergen Treaty...
, now separated by millions of years of
continental driftContinental drift is the movement of the Earth's continents relative to each other. The hypothesis that continents 'drift' was first put forward by Abraham Ortelius in 1596 and was fully developed by Alfred Wegener in 1912...
.
The northern portion of Cape Breton Island is dominated by the
Cape Breton HighlandsThe Cape Breton Highlands, commonly called the Highlands, refer to a 'highland' or 'plateau' of ancient rock across northern Cape Breton Island, Canada, and is an extension of the Appalachian mountain chain...
, commonly shortened to simply the "Highlands", which are an extension of the
Appalachian mountain chainThe Appalachian Mountains , often called the Appalachians, are a vast system of mountains in eastern North America. Definitions vary on the precise boundaries of the Appalachians...
. The Highlands comprise the northern portions of
InvernessInverness County is a county in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia. Its territory is almost contiguous with the Municipality of Inverness County, which only excludes the town of Port Hawkesbury.-History:...
and
Victoria countiesVictoria County is a county in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia.The shire town and largest municipality is the village of Baddeck.-History:Named after Queen Victoria, it was established by statute in 1851...
. In 1936 the federal government established the
Cape Breton Highlands National ParkCape Breton Highlands National Park ' is located on northern Cape Breton Island in the province of Nova Scotia. One-third of the Cabot Trail passes through the park featuring spectacular ocean and mountain views. The park was the first National Park in the Atlantic provinces of Canada and covers an...
covering across the northern third of the Highlands. The
Cabot TrailThe Cabot Trail is a highway and scenic roadway in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia.It is located in northern Victoria County and Inverness County on Cape Breton Island....
scenic highway also encircles the coastal perimeter of the plateau.
Cape Breton Island's hydrological features include the
Bras d'Or LakeBras d'Or Lake is a large body of salt 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 as it is a singular...
system, a salt-water
fjordGeologically, a fjord is a long, narrow inlet with steep sides, created in a valley carved by glacial activity.-Formation:Fjords are formed when a glacier cuts a v-shaped valley by abrasion of the surrounding bedrock. Many such valleys were formed during the recent ice age...
at the heart of the island, and
freshwaterFreshwater is naturally occurring water on the surface such as bogs, ponds, lakes, rivers and streams, and underground in aquifers and underground rivers. Freshwater is characterized by having low concentrations of dissolved salts...
features including
Lake AinslieLake Ainslie on Cape Breton Island is the largest natural freshwater lake in Nova Scotia. The Southwest Margaree River starts at the lake and empties into the Gulf of Saint Lawrence...
, the
Margaree RiverThe Margaree River is a river on Cape Breton Island in Nova Scotia. The northeast branch of the river derives from the watershed of the Cape Breton Highlands, while the Southwest Margaree flows northeast from Lake Ainslie. The two branches join at Margaree Forks...
system, and the Mira River. Innumerable smaller
riverA river is a natural watercourse, usually freshwater, flowing toward an ocean, a lake, a sea or another river. In a few cases, a river simply flows into the ground or dries up completely before reaching another body of water...
s and
streamA stream is a flowing body of water with a current, confined within a bed and stream banks. Depending on its locale or certain characteristics, a stream may be referred to as a branch, brook, beck, burn, creek, kill, lick, rill, river syke, bayou, rivulet, or run...
s drain into the Bras d'Or Lake
estuaryAn estuary is a semi-enclosed coastal body of water with one or more rivers or streams flowing into it, and with a free connection to the open sea. Estuaries are thus subject to both marine influences, such as tides, waves, and the influx of saline water; and riverine influences, such as flows of...
and onto the Gulf of St. Lawrence and Atlantic coasts.
Cape Breton Island is joined to the mainland by the
Canso CausewayThe Canso Causeway is a rock-fill causeway in Nova Scotia, Canada.The causeway crosses the Strait of Canso, connecting Cape Breton Island by road to the Nova Scotia peninsula...
, which was completed in 1955, enabling direct
roadA road is an identifiable route, way or path between places.
and
railRail transport is the conveyance of passengers and goods by means of wheeled vehicles running along railways or railroads. Rail transport is part of the logistics chain, which facilitates international trade and economic growth...
trafficTraffic on roads may consist of pedestrians, ridden or herded animals, vehicles, streetcars and other conveyances, either singly or together, while using the public way for purposes of travel...
to and from the island, but requiring marine traffic to pass through the
Canso CanalThe Canso Canal is a short canal located in Nova Scotia, Canada.-Canal location:The Canso Canal is located in the Strait of Canso, on the eastern side of the Canso Causeway, a rock-fill causeway which opened in 1955 to carry a 2-lane highway and railway tracks from Cape Breton Island to mainland...
at the eastern end of the
causewayIn modern usage, a causeway is a road or railway elevated on a sandbank, usually across a broad body of water or wetland.- Etymology :...
.
Cape Breton Island is divided into four counties:
Cape BretonCape Breton County is a county in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia, on Cape Breton Island.Taking its name from Cape Breton, the most easterly point of the island which was called after the Bretons of Brittany, this municipality has what is probably the oldest surviving European name to have...
,
InvernessInverness County is a county in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia. Its territory is almost contiguous with the Municipality of Inverness County, which only excludes the town of Port Hawkesbury.-History:...
,
RichmondRichmond County is a county in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia.-History:Named in honour of Sir Charles Lennox, 4th Duke of Richmond and Lennox, who was Governor General of British North America 1818-1819, Richmond County was created in 1835....
, and
VictoriaVictoria County is a county in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia.The shire town and largest municipality is the village of Baddeck.-History:Named after Queen Victoria, it was established by statute in 1851...
.
Demographics
The island's residents can be grouped into five main cultures;
ScottishThe Scots people and an ethnic group indigenous to Scotland.An ethnic group, historically they emerged from an amalgamation of Picts, Gaels and Brythons....
,
Mi'kmaqThe Míkmaq are a First Nations people, indigenous to northeastern New England, Canada's Atlantic Provinces, and the Gaspé Peninsula of Quebec. The nation has a population of about 40,000 of whom nearly 11,000 speak the Algonquian language Lnuísimk, more commonly known as "Micmac"...
,
AcadianThe Acadians are the descendants of the seventeenth-century French colonists who settled in Acadia...
,
IrishIreland is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island in the world. It lies to the north-west of continental Europe and is surrounded by hundreds of islands and islets. To the east of Ireland, separated by the Irish Sea, is the island of Great Britain...
, and
EnglishEngland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the North Sea to the east, with the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, with respective languages Gaelic, Mi'kmaq,
FrenchFrench is a Romance language globally spoken by about 65 million people as a first language , by 50 million as a second language, and by about another 200 million people as an acquired foreign language, with significant speakers in 57 countries. Most native speakers of the language live in France,...
, and
EnglishEnglish is a West Germanic language that developed in England during the Anglo-Saxon era. As a result of the military, economic, scientific, political, and cultural influence of the British Empire during the 18th, 19th, and early 20th centuries, and of the United States since the mid 20th century,...
. English is now the primary spoken language, though Mi'kmaq, Gaelic and French are still heard.
Later
migrationHuman migration is movement by humans from one district to another, sometimes over long distances or in large groups....
s of
Black LoyalistA Black Loyalist or African American Loyalist was a formerly enslaved African American or Free Negro who escaped to the British during the American Revolutionary War...
s, Italians, and
Eastern EuropeEastern Europe is a region lying in the Eastern part of Europe. The term is highly context-dependent and there are "almost as many definitions of Eastern Europe as there are scholars of the region"...
ans mostly settled in the eastern part of the island around the Industrial Cape Breton region. The population of Cape Breton Island has been in decline for almost two decades with an increasing population exodus in recent years due to economic conditions.
According to the Census of Canada, the population of Cape Breton Island in 2001 was 147,454, a 6.8% decline from 158,260 in 1996.
Racial/Ethnic composition
- 95.0% Caucasian
- 3.6% Mi'kmaq
The Míkmaq are a First Nations people, indigenous to northeastern New England, Canada's Atlantic Provinces, and the Gaspé Peninsula of Quebec. The nation has a population of about 40,000 of whom nearly 11,000 speak the Algonquian language Lnuísimk, more commonly known as "Micmac"...
(Canadian First Nation)
- 0.7% Black
The term black people usually refers to a racial group of humans with skin colors that range from light brown to nearly black. It also has been used to categorize a number of diverse populations into a common group. Some definitions of the term include only people of relatively recent Sub Saharan...
- 0.1% Arab
Arab people or Arabs are an ethnic group whose members identify along linguistic, cultural or genealogical grounds...
Religious groups
Statistics CanadaThe Canada 2001 Census was a detailed enumeration of the Canadian population. Census day was May 15 2001. On that day, Statistics Canada attempted to count every person in Canada. The total population count of Canada was 30,007,094. This was a 4% increase over 1996 Census of 28,846,761. In...
in 2001 reported a "religion" total of 107,880 for Cape Breton, including 3,915 with "no religious affiliation." Major categories included:
- Roman Catholic: 69,820
- Protestant: 32,575 (including 13,790 United Church and 10,170 Anglican)
- Orthodox: 395
- Jewish
Judaism is a set of beliefs and practices originating in the Hebrew Bible , as later further explored and explained in the Talmud and other texts...
: 235
- Muslim
Islam Islam Islam ( al-’islām,
[There are ten pronunciations of Islam in English, differing in whether the first or second syllable has the stress, whether the s is or , and whether the a is pronounced as in father, as in cat, or (when the stress is on the i) as in the a of sofa...]
: 135
Synagogues in Sydney and Glace Bay serve a small historic Jewish community (which was once one of the larger ones in eastern Canada) while more recent Muslim immigrants hold Friday prayers at
Cape Breton UniversityCape Breton University , formerly the "University College of Cape Breton" , is a Canadian university in the Cape Breton Regional Municipality, near Sydney, Nova Scotia. Primarily an undergraduate institution, CBU is the only university located in Cape Breton, Nova Scotia. It has an enrollment of...
.
BuddhistsBuddhism, as traditionally conceived, is a path of salvation attained through insight into the ultimate nature of reality. It encompasses a variety of traditions, beliefs and practices, largely based on teachings attributed to Siddhartha Gautama, commonly known as the Buddha...
are a tiny minority (70 in 2001, according to Statistics Canada), although
Gampo AbbeyGampo Abbey is a Buddhist abbey located in Pleasant Bay, Nova Scotia.It was founded by Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche in 1984 as a centre of North American Buddhism in the Vajrayana tradition of the Karma Kagyu school of Tibetan Buddhism. The Abbey is associated with the Vajradhatu Buddhist Church of...
in
Pleasant BayPleasant Bay is a community on the western coast of Cape Breton Island, on the shore of the Gulf of St. Lawrence in Inverness County, Nova Scotia. The community is located on the Cabot Trail, 141 kilometers from Port Hawkesbury...
has been operational since 1984.
Economy
Cape Breton Island has two major coal deposits: the Sydney Coal Field in the southeastern part of the island along the Atlantic Ocean drove the Industrial Cape Breton economy throughout the 19th and 20th centuries—until after
World War IIWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including all great powers, organized into two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
its industries were the largest private employers in Canada; the Inverness Coal Field in the western part of the island along the Gulf of St. Lawrence is significantly smaller but hosted several mines.
SydneySydney is a Canadian urban community in the province of Nova Scotia. It is situated on the east coast of Cape Breton Island and is administratively part of the Cape Breton Regional Municipality....
has traditionally been the main port, with various facilities in a large, sheltered, natural harbour. It is the island's largest commercial centre and home to the Island's daily newspaper, the
Cape Breton PostThe Cape Breton Post is the only daily newspaper published on Cape Breton Island. Based in Sydney, Nova Scotia, it specializes in local coverage of news, events, and sports from communities in the Cape Breton Regional Municipality and the counties of Inverness, Richmond and Victoria.The paper is...
, as well as its only active television studio,
CJCB-TVCJCB-TV is a Canadian television station, broadcasting in Sydney, Nova Scotia. It is an O&O of the CTV Television Network, through the CTV Atlantic regional system in the Canadian Maritimes...
, and several radio stations. The
Marine AtlanticMarine Atlantic Inc. is an independent Canadian Crown corporation offering ferry services between the provinces of Newfoundland and Labrador and Nova Scotia.Marine Atlantic's corporate headquarters are in St...
terminal at
North SydneyNorth Sydney is a community in Nova Scotia's Cape Breton Regional Municipality.Located on the north side of Sydney Harbour, along the eastern coast of Cape Breton Island, North Sydney is an important port in Atlantic Canada as it is the western terminus of the Marine Atlantic ferry service...
is the terminal for large ferries travelling to
Channel–Port aux BasquesChannel-Port aux Basques is a town at the extreme southwestern tip of the island of Newfoundland fronting on the eastern end of the Cabot Strait. A Marine Atlantic ferry terminal is located in the town which is the primary entry point onto the island of Newfoundland and the western terminus of...
and seasonally to
ArgentiaArgentia is a community on the island of Newfoundland in the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador. It is situated on a flat headland located along the southwest coast of the Avalon Peninsula on Placentia Bay....
on the island of Newfoundland.
Point EdwardPoint Edward is a community in Nova Scotia's Cape Breton Regional Municipality.It is located on the southwest shore of the North West Arm of Sydney Harbour, immediately north of the community of North West Arm, south of Edwardsville and west of Westmount.Point Edward is also the name of a headland...
on the west side of Sydney Harbour is the location of Sydport, a former
navyThe Royal Canadian Navy was the navy of Canada from 1911 until 1968 when the three Canadian services were unified to form the Canadian Forces....
base now converted to commercial use. The
Canadian Coast Guard CollegeThe Canadian Coast Guard College is a maritime training college and Canadian Coast Guard facility located in Westmount in the Cape Breton Regional Municipality, near Sydney, Nova Scotia, Canada....
is located nearby at Westmount. Petroleum, bulk coal, and cruise ship facilities are also located in Sydney Harbour.
Glace BayGlace Bay is a community in the eastern part of the Cape Breton Regional Municipality in Nova Scotia, Canada. It forms part of the general area referred to as Industrial Cape Breton and is situated at: 46°11′49″ N, 59°57′25″W....
is the second largest urban community in population and was the island's main coal mining centre until its last mine ceased operation in the 1980s. Glace Bay served as the hub of the Sydney & Louisburg Railway and also as a major fishing port. At one time, Glace Bay was known as the largest town in Nova Scotia, based on population.
Port HawkesburyPort Hawkesbury is a town located on the southwestern end of Cape Breton Island, on the north shore of the Strait of Canso, in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia....
has risen to prominence since the completion of the Canso Causeway and
Canso CanalThe Canso Canal is a short canal located in Nova Scotia, Canada.-Canal location:The Canso Canal is located in the Strait of Canso, on the eastern side of the Canso Causeway, a rock-fill causeway which opened in 1955 to carry a 2-lane highway and railway tracks from Cape Breton Island to mainland...
created an artificial deep-water port, allowing extensive petrochemical, pulp and paper, and gypsum handling facilities to be established. The Strait of Canso is completely navigable to
SeawaymaxThe term Seawaymax refers to vessels which are the maximum size that can fit through the canal locks of the St. Lawrence Seaway. Seawaymax vessels are in length, wide, and have a draft of . A number of lake freighters larger than this size cruise the Great Lakes and cannot pass through to the...
vessels, and Port Hawkesbury is open to the deepest-draught vessels on the world's oceans. Large marine vessels may also enter Bras d'Or Lake through the Great Bras d'Or channel whereas small craft have the additional use of the Little Bras d'Or channel or
St. Peters CanalThe St. Peters Canal is a small shipping canal located in eastern Canada on Cape Breton Island. It crosses an isthmus in the village of St. Peter's, Nova Scotia which connects St. Peters Inlet of Bras d'Or Lake to the north with St...
. The St. Peters Canal is no longer used by commercial shipping on Cape Breton Island but is an important waterway for recreational vessels.
The industrial Cape Breton area faced several challenges with the closure of the
Cape Breton Development CorporationThe Cape Breton Development Corporation, or DEVCO, is a Canadian federal government Crown corporation.DEVCO was organized primarily into two divisions: a community economic development organization, and the coal division....
's (DEVCO) coal mines and the
Sydney Steel CorporationSydney Steel Corporation is a Crown corporation in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia.-History:An integrated steel mill was established on the southeast side of Sydney Harbour in the Whitney Pier neighbourhood of Sydney, Nova Scotia in 1901 by American investors...
's (SYSCO)
steel millA steel mill is an industrial plant for the manufacture of steel.Steel is an alloy of iron and carbon. It is produced in a two-stage process...
. In recent years the Island's residents have been attempting to diversify the area economy by investing in tourism developments,
call centreA call centre or call center is a centralised office used for the purpose of receiving and transmitting a large volume of requests by telephone. A call centre is operated by a company to administer incoming product support or information inquiries from consumers. Outgoing calls for telemarketing,...
s, and small businesses, as well as manufacturing ventures in such fields as auto parts, pharmaceuticals, and window glazings.
While the
Cape Breton Regional MunicipalityCape Breton Regional Municipality often shortened to simply CBRM, is a regional municipality in Nova Scotia's Cape Breton County.According to the 2006 Census of Canada, the population within the Cape Breton Regional Municipality is 102,250...
is in transition from an industrial to a service-based economy, the rest of Cape Breton Island outside of the industrial area surrounding Sydney-Glace Bay has been more stable, with a mixture of fishing, forestry, small-scale agriculture, and tourism.
Tourism in particular has grown throughout the post-
Second World WarWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including all great powers, organized into two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
era, especially the growth in vehicle-based touring, which was furthered by the creation of the
Cabot TrailThe Cabot Trail is a highway and scenic roadway in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia.It is located in northern Victoria County and Inverness County on Cape Breton Island....
scenic drive. The scenery of the island is rivalled in northeastern North America only by Newfoundland and Cape Breton Island tourism marketing places a heavy emphasis on its
ScottishScotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
GaelicThe Gaels are an ethno-linguistic group which originated in Ireland and subsequently spread to Scotland and the Isle of Man. They are speakers of the Goidelic languages – Irish, Scottish Gaelic and Manx...
heritage through events such as the Celtic Colours Festival, held each October, as well as promotions through the
Gaelic College of Celtic Arts and CraftsThe Gaelic College of Celtic Arts and Crafts is a Canadian educational institution located in the community of St...
.
A popular attraction for tourists isn't on the land, but in the water—whales. Whale-watching cruises are operated by numerous vendors from Baddeck to Cheticamp. The most popular species of whale found in Cape Breton's waters is the Pilot whale.
The primary east-west road on the island is
Highway 105Highway 105 in Nova Scotia represents the Cape Breton Island leg of the Trans-Canada Highway. It runs from the junction just east of the Canso Causeway in Port Hastings to the Marine Atlantic ferry terminal in North Sydney, representing a distance of 142 kilometres .The highway travels northeast...
, the
Trans-Canada HighwayThe Trans-Canada Highway is a federal-provincial highway system that joins the ten provinces of Canada. It is, along with the Trans-Siberian Highway and Australia's Highway 1, one of the world's longest national highways, with the main route spanning 8,030 km...
, although Trunk 4 is also heavily used.
Highway 125Highway 125 is a 30 km long controlled-access highway located in Nova Scotia's Cape Breton Regional Municipality.Part of the provincial 100-series arterial highway network, Highway 125 encircles the west side of Sydney Harbour, from an interchange with Highway 105 at Sydney Mines to Trunk 4 at...
is an important arterial route around Sydney Harbour in the
Cape Breton Regional MunicipalityCape Breton Regional Municipality often shortened to simply CBRM, is a regional municipality in Nova Scotia's Cape Breton County.According to the 2006 Census of Canada, the population within the Cape Breton Regional Municipality is 102,250...
. The
Cabot TrailThe Cabot Trail is a highway and scenic roadway in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia.It is located in northern Victoria County and Inverness County on Cape Breton Island....
, circling the Cape Breton Highlands, and Trunk 19, along the western coast of the island, are important secondary roads. Railway connections between the port of Sydney to
Canadian National RailwayThe Canadian National Railway is a Canadian Class I railway operated by the Canadian National Railway Company headquartered in Montreal, Quebec....
in
TruroTruro is a town in central Nova Scotia, Canada...
are maintained by the
Cape Breton and Central Nova Scotia RailwayThe Cape Breton and Central Nova Scotia Railway is a 392 km railway operating in Nova Scotia between Sydney and Truro with spurs at Sydney, Port Hawkesbury/Point Tupper, Trenton and Stellarton....
.
The
Cabot TrailThe Cabot Trail is a highway and scenic roadway in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia.It is located in northern Victoria County and Inverness County on Cape Breton Island....
is a scenic road circuit around and over the
Cape Breton HighlandsThe Cape Breton Highlands, commonly called the Highlands, refer to a 'highland' or 'plateau' of ancient rock across northern Cape Breton Island, Canada, and is an extension of the Appalachian mountain chain...
with spectacular coastal vistas; over 400,000 visitors drive the Cabot Trail each summer and fall. Coupled with the
Fortress of LouisbourgThe Fortress of Louisbourg is a Canadian National Historic Site and the location of a partial reconstruction of an 18th century French fortress at Louisbourg, Nova Scotia.-Early history:...
, it has driven the growth of the tourism industry on the island in recent decades. The
Condé NastCondé Nast Publications, Inc. is a worldwide magazine publishing company. Its main offices are located in London, Madrid, Miami, Milan, New York, Paris and Tokyo. Condé Nast is run by S.I...
travel guide has rated Cape Breton Island as one of the best island destinations in the world.
Traditional music
Cape Breton is well known for its traditional fiddle music, which was brought to North America by
ScottishScotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
immigrants during the
Highland ClearancesThe Highland Clearances were forced displacements of the population of the Scottish Highlands during the 18th and 19th centuries. They led to mass emigration to the sea coast, the Scottish Lowlands and the North American colonies...
. The traditional style has been well preserved in Cape Breton, and
céilidhA céilidh is a traditional Gaelic social dance originating in Ireland and Scotland, but now common throughout the Celtic diaspora. Other spellings encountered are ceilidh, céilí and cèilidh...
s have become a popular attraction for summer tourists.
Inverness CountyInverness County is a county in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia. Its territory is almost contiguous with the Municipality of Inverness County, which only excludes the town of Port Hawkesbury.-History:...
in particular has a heavy concentration of musical activity, with regular performances in communities such as
MabouMabou is a small Canadian rural community located in Inverness County on the west coast of Nova Scotia's Cape Breton Island. The population in 2001 was 1,289 residents....
and
JudiqueJudique is a small community located in Inverness County on the Ceilidh Trail on the western side of Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia, Canada....
. Judique is recognized as 'Bhaile nam Fonn', (literally: Village of Tunes) or the 'Home of Celtic Music', featuring the Celtic Music Interpretive Centre. Performers who have received significant recognition outside of Cape Breton include
Buddy MacMasterHugh Alan "Buddy" MacMaster, CM, ONS is one of the most renowned artists in the tradition of Cape Breton fiddle music.-Early life:...
,
Natalie MacMasterNatalie MacMaster, CM is an award-winning fiddler from the rural community of Troy in Inverness County, Nova Scotia, Canada...
,
Ashley MacIsaacAshley Dwayne MacIsaac is a Canadian professional fiddler from Cape Breton Island.While MacIsaac's fiddle-playing is traditional, he often sets it in contemporary rock songs with hip hop and dance elements. He has, however, also released several albums of more traditional folk music...
,
The Rankin FamilyThe Rankin Family is a Canadian musical family group from Mabou, Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia. The group has won many Canadian music awards, including 15 East Coast Music Awards, six Juno Awards, four SOCAN Awards, three Canadian Country Music Awards and two Big Country Music Awards.-A family of...
,
Aselin DebisonAselin Debison is a Canadian pop and Celtic music singer, sometimes known affectionately as Azi, either by herself or her fanbase.-Career:...
, and the
Barra MacNeilsThe Barra MacNeils are a Canadian musical group from Sydney Mines, Nova Scotia. The founding members of the group are siblings Sheumas, Kyle, Stewart, and Lucy MacNeil. In 2005 two additional brothers, Ryan and Boyd, joined the band...
.
The Men of the DeepsThe Men of the Deeps is a world renowned male choral ensemble composed of coal miners and former miners from Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia.-History:...
are a male choral group of current and former miners from the industrial Cape Breton area.
Film and television
- Squanto: A Warrior's Tale
Squanto: A Warrior's Tale is a 1994 theatrical live action Disney film. It was written by Darlene Craviato and directed by Xavian Koller. It is very loosely based on the actual historical Native American figure Squanto, and his life prior to and including the arrival of the Mayflower in 1620. It...
starring Adam BeachAdam Ruebin Beach is a Canadian-born actor of Saulteaux descent.In the 1990s he was Tommy, a Native American on Walker, Texas Ranger....
- Johnny Belinda (1948 film)
Johnny Belinda is a 1948 drama film based on the play of the same name by Elmer Blaney Harris. The movie was adapted to the screen by Allen Vincent and Irma von Cube, and directed by Jean Negulesco....
by Elmer Blaney HarrisElmer Blaney Harris was an American author, dramatist, and playwright.- Biography :He was born in Chicago, Illinois, the youngest of eight children. He moved with his family to Oakland, California, after his father's broom factory burned to the ground...
.
- Margaret's Museum
Margaret's Museum is a critically-acclaimed 1995 British-Canadian dark film drama, directed by Mort Ransen and based on Sheldon Currie's novel The Glace Bay Miners' Museum....
starring Helena Bonham CarterHelena Bonham Carter is an English actress. Bonham Carter made her film debut in the K. M. Peyton film, A Pattern of Roses, before appearing in her first leading role in Lady Jane...
.
- The Bay Boy
The Bay Boy is a critically acclaimed 1984 Canadian film. It is a semi-autobiographical film based on director Daniel Petrie's experiences of growing up in Glace Bay, a mining town on Cape Breton Island, during the Great Depression...
starring Kiefer SutherlandKiefer William Fredrick Dempsey George Rufus Sutherland is a British-born Canadian actor, best known for his portrayal of Jack Bauer on the Fox thriller drama series 24. He is an Emmy Award- and Golden Globe award-winner...
.
- New Waterford Girl
New Waterford Girl is a Canadian drama-comedy film, released in 1999. The film was directed by Allan Moyle, and written by Tricia Fish.New Waterford Girl stars Liane Balaban as Agnes-Marie "Moonie" Pottie, a teenager in New Waterford, Nova Scotia who dreams of life beyond her small-town home...
- The Hanging Garden
The Hanging Garden is a 1997 British/Canadian movie written and directed by Thom Fitzgerald that is about the duality of life and death and the way seemingly very different choices in life can lead to similar outcomes....
- Marion Bridge
- My Bloody Valentine
My Bloody Valentine is a 1981 Canadian slasher film released in the wake of the popularity of the slasher genre that had overtaken the 1970s...
- Pit Pony, TV movie and series
Pit Pony is a 1999 CBC television series which tells the story of small-town life in Glace Bay, on the islands of Cape Breton, Nova Scotia in 1904. The plot line revolves around the lives of the families of the men and boys who work in the coal mines....
adapted from the novel-Plot summary:In Pit Pony, Barkhouse describes life in a coal-mining town in turn-of-the-century Cape Breton, but also deals with importance of education itself. It is the story of Willie and Gem. Willie is an eleven-year-old boy forced by family circumstances to work as a trapper in a Cape...
by Joyce BarkhouseJoyce Carmen Barkhouse, CM, ONS is a Canadian children's writer best known for writing historical fiction.-Education and family life:...
The Arts
- Steve Arbuckle
Steve Arbuckle is a Canadian actor born in the small town of Donkin , Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia. He started his career as a theatre actor at Cape Breton University, then made his first move into film in 2003 with the lead role in the short film Todd And The Book Of Pure Evil, which also...
, actor
- Kate Beaton
Kate Beaton is a Canadian webcomic artist whose self-published History Comics won the 2009 Doug Wright Award for Best Emerging Talent. Her work has been profiled in Wired, Macleans, and Comic Book Resources. She attended the PEN World Voices Festival in New York, from April 27 to May 3, 2009...
, webcomic artist, winner of the 2009 Doug Wright Award for "Best Emerging Talent"
- Nathan Bishop, singer-songwriter from Celtae
- John Allan Cameron
John Allan Cameron, CM was a Canadian folk singer, known as "The Godfather of Celtic Music" in Canada. He was noted for performing traditional music on his twelve string guitar. John Allan released his first album in 1968. He has released 10 albums and was featured on national television...
, singer-songwriter, from Glencoe Station, credited as the "Godfather" of Cape Breton's modern Celtic music revival
- Nathan Cohen, theatre critic, CBC Radio host and personality
- Joe Cormier, fiddle player, Cheticamp.
- J. P. Cormier
J.P. Cormier is a Canadian bluegrass/Folk/Celtic singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. He was born in London, Ontario in 1969 and began playing guitar around age five. As a child he displayed an unusual ability to play a variety of instruments by ear and won a guitar contest at age nine.Mr...
, singer-songwriter, fiddle, mandolin, banjo guitar-player, Cheticamp.
- Lesley Crewe, Author of Relative Happiness and Shoot Me
- Mark Day, film & television actor, writer, and producer from Port Hawkesbury
Port Hawkesbury is a town located on the southwestern end of Cape Breton Island, on the north shore of the Strait of Canso, in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia....
- Aselin Debison
Aselin Debison is a Canadian pop and Celtic music singer, sometimes known affectionately as Azi, either by herself or her fanbase.-Career:...
, singer-songwriter
- Don Domanski
Don Rusu Domanski is a Canadian poet who lives in Halifax, Nova Scotia.Domanski was born and raised on Cape Breton Island. Published and reviewed internationally, his work has been translated into Czechoslovakian, Portuguese, and Spanish...
, poet
- Andrew Doyle
Andrew Doyle is an Irish Fine Gael politician. He is currently a Teachta Dála for the Wicklow constituency. He was elected to Dáil Éireann on his first attempt at the 2007 general election....
, singer-songwriter from Sydney Mines
- Winston "Scotty" Fitzgerald
Winston "Scotty" Fitzgerald was a renowned Cape Breton fiddler. He was a pioneer in recorded performances of the music, and has heavily influenced the style and repertoire of later generations of players....
, fiddle player from White Point, Victoria County, Nova Scotia
- Robert Frank
Robert Frank , born in Zürich, Switzerland, is an important figure in American photography and film. His most notable work, the 1958 photographic book titled simply The Americans, was heavily influential in the post-war period, and earned Frank comparisons to a modern-day de Tocqueville for his...
, photographer
- Danny Gallivan
Danny Gallivan was a Canadian radio and television broadcaster and sportscaster.-Early life and career:Born in Sydney, Nova Scotia, Gallivan began his broadcast career at a local radio station in Antigonish, Nova Scotia while attending St. Francis Xavier University...
, Hockey Night in CanadaHockey Night in Canada is a television broadcast of National Hockey League games in Canada, produced by CBC Sports. Hockey Night has consistently been among the highest-rated programs on Canadian television, and is the world's oldest sports-related television program still on the air...
sportscaster
- Philip Glass
Philip Morris Glass is an American music composer. He is considered one of the most influential composers of the late 20th century and is widely acknowledged as a composer who has brought art music to the public .Although his music is often, though controversially, described as...
, composer
- Bruce Guthro
Bruce Guthro is a Canadian singer / songwriter, from Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia. Guthro has a strong solo career, and in 1998 also joined Scottish folk rock band Runrig, whilst still pursuing his solo career and residing in Halifax, Nova Scotia.-Albums:-Singles:-Guest singles:-Awards:Guthro...
, singer-songwriter
- Angus MacAskill
Angus Mòr MacAskill, frequently referred to as Giant MacAskill , was known as the world's largest "true" giant...
, giant and circus performer
- Ashley MacIsaac
Ashley Dwayne MacIsaac is a Canadian professional fiddler from Cape Breton Island.While MacIsaac's fiddle-playing is traditional, he often sets it in contemporary rock songs with hip hop and dance elements. He has, however, also released several albums of more traditional folk music...
, fiddle player from CreignishCreignish is a community in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia, located in Inverness County on Cape Breton Island near the mouth of the Strait of Canso....
- Daniel MacIvor
Daniel MacIvor is a Canadian actor, playwright, theatre director and film director. He was born in Sydney, Nova Scotia and educated at Dalhousie University in Halifax, and then at George Brown College in Toronto, Ontario....
, actor, playwright, theatre director and film director from SydneySydney is a Canadian urban community in the province of Nova Scotia. It is situated on the east coast of Cape Breton Island and is administratively part of the Cape Breton Regional Municipality....
- Hugh MacLennan
John Hugh MacLennan, CC, CQ was a Canadian author and professor of English at McGill University. He won five Governor General's Awards and a Royal Bank Award.-Family and childhood:...
, Governor General's Awards winning Author Barometer RisingBarometer Rising is a Canadian novel by Hugh MacLennan. The story takes place in Halifax, Nova Scotia, and focuses on the effects of the Halifax Explosion and a romance plot. It is often included in Canadian high school cirriculums....
, and Two SolitudesTwo Solitudes is a 1945 novel by Hugh MacLennan. In 1978 it was made into a motion picture, written and directed by Lionel Chetwynd.The novel's plot evolves around the life and times of the fictional character Paul Tallard and this character's struggles in reconciling the differences between his...
.
- Alistair MacLeod
Alistair MacLeod, OC is a noted Canadian author and retired professor of English at the University of Windsor.- Academic career :...
, author
- The Barra MacNeils
The Barra MacNeils are a Canadian musical group from Sydney Mines, Nova Scotia. The founding members of the group are siblings Sheumas, Kyle, Stewart, and Lucy MacNeil. In 2005 two additional brothers, Ryan and Boyd, joined the band...
, singing group
- Rita MacNeil
Rita MacNeil, CM, ONS is a Canadian country and folk singer from the community of Big Pond on Nova Scotia's Cape Breton Island. Her biggest hit, "Flying On Your Own", was a crossover Top 40 hit in 1987 and was covered by Anne Murray the following year, although she has had hits on the country...
, singer-songwriter, from Big PondBig Pond is a community in the Cape Breton Regional Municipality, Nova Scotia, Canada on the south shore of Bras d'Or Lake. Big Pond is approximately in the center between the communities of St. Peters, Nova Scotia and Sydney, Nova Scotia....
- Buddy MacMaster
Hugh Alan "Buddy" MacMaster, CM, ONS is one of the most renowned artists in the tradition of Cape Breton fiddle music.-Early life:...
, fiddle player from JudiqueJudique is a small community located in Inverness County on the Ceilidh Trail on the western side of Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia, Canada....
- Natalie MacMaster
Natalie MacMaster, CM is an award-winning fiddler from the rural community of Troy in Inverness County, Nova Scotia, Canada...
, fiddle player from TroyTroy is a small community in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia, located in Inverness County on Cape Breton Island.-References:*...
- Matt Minglewood
Matt Minglewood is a Canadian musician whose style can be described as a blend of country, blues, folk, roots and rock.-Career:...
, musician
- Scott Oake
Scott Oake is a Canadian sportscaster for CBC Sports.-Early life:Oake was born in Sydney, Nova Scotia, and raised in Sydney's "shipyards" neighborhood until the age of 14, when his family relocated to Newfoundland. As a pre-med student at Memorial University of Newfoundland, Oake volunteered at the...
, Hockey Night in CanadaHockey Night in Canada is a television broadcast of National Hockey League games in Canada, produced by CBC Sports. Hockey Night has consistently been among the highest-rated programs on Canadian television, and is the world's oldest sports-related television program still on the air...
sportscaster
- Daniel Petrie
Daniel Mannix Petrie was a Canadian television and movie director.Petrie was born in Glace Bay, Nova Scotia, Canada, the son of Mary Anne and William Mark Petrie, a soft-drink manufacturer. He moved to the United States in 1945...
, Hollywood filmmaker
- The Rankin Family
The Rankin Family is a Canadian musical family group from Mabou, Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia. The group has won many Canadian music awards, including 15 East Coast Music Awards, six Juno Awards, four SOCAN Awards, three Canadian Country Music Awards and two Big Country Music Awards.-A family of...
, singers-songwriters, from MabouMabou is a small Canadian rural community located in Inverness County on the west coast of Nova Scotia's Cape Breton Island. The population in 2001 was 1,289 residents....
- Rick Ravanello
Rick Ravanello is a Canadian actor who has appeared in several television series and movies.One of several brothers, Ravenello was raised in the Trout Brook Road area of Mira, Cape Breton, and graduated from Riverview Rural High School in 1986.-Filmography:-Guest appearances:*In Justice playing...
, actor, Hart's WarHart's War is a 2002 film about a World War II prisoner of war based on the novel by John Katzenbach starring Bruce Willis, Colin Farrell and Terrence Howard...
, various TV series including 2424 is an American serial action/drama television series. Broadcast by Fox in the United States and syndicated worldwide, the show first aired on November 6, 2001, with an initial 13 episodes...
, CSICSI: Crime Scene Investigation is an American crime drama television series, which premiered on CBS on October 6, 2000. The show was created by Anthony E. Zuiker and produced by Jerry Bruckheimer...
and Desperate HousewivesDesperate Housewives is an American television comedy-drama series created by Marc Cherry, who also serves as show runner, and produced by ABC Studios and Cherry Productions. Executive producers, as of the fourth season, are Marc Cherry, Bob Daily, George W...
- Harold Russell
Harold John Russell was a Canadian-American World War II veteran who became one of only two non-professional actors to win an Academy Award for acting...
, Academy Award winning actor for his portrayal of Homer Parrish, in the 1946 film The Best Years of Our LivesThe Best Years of Our Lives is an American drama film about three servicemen trying to piece their lives back together after coming home from World War II....
.
- Gordie Sampson
Gordie Sampson is a Grammy, and Juno award winning singer / songwriter / producer from Big Pond, Nova Scotia, Canada.As a performer he has shared the stage with the likes of Faith Hill, Keith Urban, the Rankin Family, Joel Plaskett, John Allan Cameron, Aselin Debison and Ashley MacIsaac.As a...
, singer/songwriter
- Richard Serra
Richard Serra is an American minimalist sculptor and video artist known for working with large-scale assemblies of sheet metal...
, sculptor
- Slowcoaster
Slowcoaster is a Canadian indie rock band from Sydney, Nova Scotia.The band's sound is essentially rock-based, with strong influences of reggae, ska, folk and jazz, combined with pop hooks and improvisation.-History:...
, rock band
- Tom Fun Orchestra
The Tom Fun Orchestra is an indie rock ensemble from Sydney, Nova Scotia, Canada. The band features an unconventional mix of electric and acoustic instruments, including violin, banjo, accordion, trumpet, double bass, electric guitars and drums...
- Duncan Wells, singer-songwriter
Athletes
- Paul Boutilier
Paul André Boutilier is a retired professional ice hockey defenceman. He was a member of the Stanley Cup champion New York Islanders in 1983.-Playing career:...
- Aaron Johnson
- Al MacInnis
Allan "Al" MacInnis is a retired ice hockey defenceman who played 23 seasons in the National Hockey League for the Calgary Flames and St. Louis Blues. He was born in Port Hood, Nova Scotia, Canada....
- Mike McPhee
Michael "Mike" McPhee is a retired Canadian ice hockey forward. He grew up in River Bourgeois, Nova Scotia. He is married to Jane Anne McPhee and father to Adam and Alyson McPhee...
- Johnny Miles
John "Johnny" C. Miles, CM was a Canadian marathon runner. He won the Boston Marathon in 1926 and 1929....
- Bobby Smith
Politics and business
- John Buchanan
John MacLennan Buchanan, PC, QC is a Canadian lawyer and former politician who served as Premier of Nova Scotia from 1978 to 1990 and as a member of the Senate of Canada from 1990 to 2006....
, Premier of Nova ScotiaThe Premier of Nova Scotia is the first minister for the Canadian province of Nova Scotia who presides over the Executive Council of Nova Scotia. Following the Westminster system, the premier is normally the leader of the political party which has the most seats in the Nova Scotia House of Assembly...
- Mayann Francis, First Black Lieutenant Governor of Nova Scotia
The Lieutenant Governor of Nova Scotia is the viceregal representative in Nova Scotia of, as she operates in the provincial jurisdiction, the Canadian monarch and head of state, Queen Elizabeth II, who resides predominantly in her oldest realm, the United Kingdom...
- Gordon Sidney Harrington
Gordon Sidney Harrington was a Nova Scotia politician and Premier from 1930 to 1933.He was mayor of Glace Bay from 1913 to 1915 when he enlisted in the Canadian Expeditionary Force fighting in World War I...
, Premier of Nova Scotia
- Angus L. MacDonald
Angus Lewis Macdonald, PC, QC was a Canadian lawyer, law professor and politician from Nova Scotia. He served as the Liberal premier of Nova Scotia from 1933 to 1940 when he became the federal minister of defence for naval services. He oversaw the creation of an effective Canadian navy and Allied...
, Premier of Nova Scotia
- Finlay MacDonald
Finlay MacDonald, OC was a Canadian Senator.Born in Sydney, Nova Scotia, he attended Saint Francis Xavier University and Dalhousie University. He served with the Canadian Army during World War II. After the war, he joined CJCH and later became president. In 1956, he was elected president of the...
, Senator
- Rodney MacDonald
Rodney Joseph MacDonald, is a Canadian politician and educator who served as Premier of Nova Scotia from 2006 to 2009 and as MLA for the riding of Inverness in the Nova Scotia House of Assembly from 1999 to 2009.-Background:...
, Premier of Nova Scotia
- Allan MacEachen
Allan Joseph MacEachen, PC, OC is a retired Canadian politician, a many-time Cabinet minister, a retired Senator, one of Canada's elder statesmen, and was the first Deputy Prime Minister of Canada.-Early life:...
, Former Deputy Prime Minister / Finance Minister
- Russell MacLellan
Russell Gregoire MacLellan is a Canadian politician who served as Premier of Nova Scotia from 1997 to 1999.MacLellan was born in Halifax, Nova Scotia...
, Premier of Nova Scotia
- Elizabeth May
Elizabeth May, OC is a Canadian environmentalist, writer, activist lawyer, and the current leader of the Green Party of Canada...
, Leader of the Green Party of CanadaThe Green Party of Canada is a Canadian federal political party founded in 1983 with 10,000–12,000 registered members as of October 2008. The Greens, as their name indicates, advocate green politics and are the largest party in Canada to focus primarily on green politics, though other parties...
- John W. Morgan
John W. Morgan, , is a Canadian lawyer, politician, and businessman. He is the current mayor of the Cape Breton Regional Municipality in Nova Scotia....
, Mayor of Cape Breton Regional MunicipalityCape Breton Regional Municipality often shortened to simply CBRM, is a regional municipality in Nova Scotia's Cape Breton County.According to the 2006 Census of Canada, the population within the Cape Breton Regional Municipality is 102,250...
- George Henry Murray
George Henry Murray was a Nova Scotia politician who served as the province's Premier for twenty-seven years, the longest unbroken tenure for a head of government in Canadian history. He was born in Grand Narrows, Nova ScotiaDespite his later political longevity, Murray's early political career...
, Premier of Nova Scotia
- Lisa Raitt
Lisa Raitt, PC, MP is a Canadian politician, who is the Conservative Party Member of Parliament for the riding of Halton. She is the current Minister of Natural Resources in the Cabinet of Canada.-Background:...
, Federal Minister of Natural Resources
- Irving Schwartz
Irving Schwartz, OC is a Jewish Canadian businessman. He is a noted community leader and philanthropist, and was inducted into the Order of Canada for his work towards ridding the world of landmines....
, Businessman, Philanthropist, member of the Order of CanadaThe Order of Canada is an honour for merit that is, within the Canadian system of honours, the highest such order administered by the Governor General-in-Council, on behalf of the Queen of Canada. Created in 1967, to coincide with the centennial of Canadian...
Religion
- Moses Coady
Rev. Dr. Moses Michael Coady was a Roman Catholic priest, adult educator and co-operative entrepreneur best known for his instrumental role in the Antigonish Movement...
, Roman Catholic priest, helped found the Co-operative Antigonish MovementThe Antigonish Movement blended adult education, co-operatives, microfinance and rural community development to help small, resource-based communities around Canada’s Maritimes improve their economic and social circumstances. A group of priests and educators, including Father Jimmy Tompkins, Father...
at St. Francis Xavier UniversitySt. Francis Xavier University is a university located in Antigonish, Nova Scotia, Canada. The university brings together 4,200 students from across Canada and around the world in arts, science, business and information systems and applied programs....
- Moses E. Kiley
Moses Elias Kiley was the sixth Roman Catholic Archbishop of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Milwaukee in Milwaukee, Wisconsin ....
, Roman Catholic archbishop of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of MilwaukeeThe Archdiocese of Milwaukee is a Roman Catholic archdiocese headquartered in Milwaukee, Wisconsin in the United States. It encompasses theCity of Milwaukee, as well asDodge, Fond du Lac, Kenosha,Milwaukee, Ozaukee, Racine,Sheboygan, Walworth, Washington...
, Milwaukee, WisconsinMilwaukee is the largest city in Wisconsin and 23rd largest in the United States. It is the county seat of Milwaukee County and is located on the southwestern shore of Lake Michigan. Its estimated 2008 population was 604,477. Milwaukee is the main cultural and economic center of the...
- James "Father Jimmy" Tompkins
Father Jimmy Tompkins was a Roman Catholic priest who founded the Antigonish Movement, a progressive effort that incorporated adult education, cooperatives and rural community development to aid the fishing and mining communities of northern and eastern Nova Scotia, Canada...
, Roman Catholic priest, helped found the Co-operative Antigonish MovementThe Antigonish Movement blended adult education, co-operatives, microfinance and rural community development to help small, resource-based communities around Canada’s Maritimes improve their economic and social circumstances. A group of priests and educators, including Father Jimmy Tompkins, Father...
at St. Francis Xavier UniversitySt. Francis Xavier University is a university located in Antigonish, Nova Scotia, Canada. The university brings together 4,200 students from across Canada and around the world in arts, science, business and information systems and applied programs....
- Reverend A.W.R. MacKenzie, Presbyterian Minister, founder, Gaelic College of Celtic Arts and Crafts
The Gaelic College of Celtic Arts and Crafts is a Canadian educational institution located in the community of St...
, St Ann's Harbour, 1938
- Reverend Norman McLeod, Presbyterian minister, St Ann's, who migrated in the 1850s with 800 settlers from surrounding communities to Waipu, New Zealand.
See also
- Canadian Gaelic
- Cape Breton accent
The Cape Breton accent describes variants of Canadian English spoken on Cape Breton Island, a large island on the north-eastern coast of the province of Nova Scotia in Canada, comprising about one-fifth of the province's area as well as population...
- Cape Breton Labour Party
The Cape Breton Labour Party was a social democratic provincial political party in Nova Scotia, Canada that advocated separate provincial status for Cape Breton, which is the northern part of the Province of Nova Scotia....
- Cape Breton Regional Municipality, Nova Scotia
Cape Breton Regional Municipality often shortened to simply CBRM, is a regional municipality in Nova Scotia's Cape Breton County.According to the 2006 Census of Canada, the population within the Cape Breton Regional Municipality is 102,250...
- Provinces and territories of Canada
The provinces and territories of Canada combine to make up the world's second largest country. The major difference between a Canadian province and a territory is that provinces are jurisdictions that receive their power and authority directly from the Constitution Act, 1867, whereas territories...
- Province of Cape Breton Island
Province of Cape Breton Island is a political movement which calls for the re-establishment of the Province of Cape Breton Island to be governed separately from the Province of Nova Scotia....
External links