The Strait of Canso has long served as a maritime shortcut between the Gulf of St. Lawrence and the Atlantic Ocean. In 1955, the Canso Canal opened as part of the engineering works for the new Canso Causeway that had finally established a permanent link for Cape Breton Island with mainland Nova Scotia. With the road-and-rail causeway blocking the strait, tidal locks allow the yacht to navigate the powerful currents into the 250-meter-long waterway. At the canal’s southern end, a long swing bridge opens up to allow maritime traffic through. The name Canso comes from the Mi’kmaq word “kamsok,” which translates as “beyond the cliffs” – referring to the bluffs that rise above the strait. You’ll cruise between the forested shores, passing historic towns and small communities tucked into the coastline, the evocatively named Pirate Harbour among them.
