Canso Causeway - Legacy

Legacy

When the causeway was completed, the eastern end of the Strait of Canso became ice free during the winter. Several industries were attracted to the Strait Area, including the Stora pulp and paper mill, a Gulf Oil refinery and a heavy water plant.

Aside from blocking sea ice, the blocking of the Strait of Canso caused significant environmental damage from the enormous changes in the tidal regime of the southern Gulf of St. Lawrence all the way to the mouth of the St. Lawrence River. The causeway also had the effect of damming the waterway for migrating ground fish stocks for decades until these species were able to determine how to get around Cape Breton Island into the gulf. In addition, the causeway allowed several non-native species access to Cape Breton. One particularly troublesome interloper has been the bobcat, which has slowly forced the more gentle lynx out of its traditional hunting grounds and up into the highlands.

From 1955 to the early 1990s, the Canso Causeway charged a toll to motorists. The toll was discontinued after the construction costs (approximately $23 million) were paid off.

In 1993, CN Rail sold its Truro-Sydney railway line which crossed the Canso Causeway to the Cape Breton and Central Nova Scotia Railway. Today, CB&CNS employees operate the swing bridge across the Canso Canal.