The 'Strait of Canso' (also 'Gut of Canso' or 'Canso Strait'), is a
strait located in northeastern
North America. It divides the
Nova Scotia peninsula from
Cape Breton Island.
It is a long thin channel approximately 27
kilometres long and averaging 3 kilometers wide (1 km at its narrowest). The strait connects the
North Atlantic Ocean to the
Northumberland Strait in the
Gulf of St. Lawrence.
The strait is extremely deep (200+ feet) with two major communities at
Port Hawkesbury on the eastern side facing
Mulgrave on the western side, both ports. The strait is crossed by the
Canso Causeway for vehicular and rail traffic, opened in
1955, although large ships may pass through the
Canso Canal.