Quick Facts

· 1819 - First ferry route- MacMillan's Point to Cape Porcupine

· Early crossings of the Canso Strait were made by MicMac couriers. They were paid 6 pounds to go from Sydney to Halifax with public letters.

· The first regular ferry service was inaugurated around 1819. Original service was maintained by small dories but within a few years larger boats were needed to transport horses and cattle as well as passengers. In the early years the Strait of Canso created great difficulty with the public and the postal service.

· In the winter, heavy drift ice floated with the strong and variable tides, delaying travellers for hours - sometimes even days. Most often the ferry men operated at a considerable expense to themselves to keep the boats in repair because of the buffeting of ice.

· Crossing the Strait in the winter even by ferry was dangerous. Ice flows often jammed the harbour. Ferrymen would steer diagonally to avoid being jammed, but there were times when the ferry would be stranded for long periods of time.

· Travellers and mail to Cape Breton crossed between Auld's Cove and Plaister Cove.

· First train ferry crossed the Canso Strait in 1890 known as the S.S. Mulgrave.

· The S.S. Mulgrave remained in operation until 1900

· In 1901 a larger ferry able to handle 18 railcars was built known as the "Scotia I" and was put in operation.

· In 1914 a larger steam powered ferry began operartion known as the Scotia II. The Scotia I remained as a standby vessel. The Scotia II could handle 21 railcars.

· Rates on the Scotia Ferry was 1.00 per car and driver or .15 per passenger.

· During the winter the car ferry docked at Point Tupper instead of Port Hawkesbury.

· By 1920 there were approximately 40,000 cars crossing the Strait of Canso per year via the Scotia II.

· During the second world war, an estimated 145,000 cars were crossing the strait aboard the Scotia II.

· In 1924 the first town council for Mulgrave was elected.

· A hydroelectric plant was built in 1926. This also marked the beginning of a government ferry service ending a private ferry servie.

· The Scotia II remained in operation until the official opening of the Canso Causeway in 1955.

· After the opening of the causeway, there was no need to travel through Mulgrave to cross to Cape Breton Island, thus greatly reducing economic activity in the town.

· Captain James Embree operated one of the first ferries across the Strait . Transporting passengers, pedlars, commercial travellers.

"Last run on night shift, took the express over and we came back tight and we docked her. Scotia I was at P.E.I. tied up about 3 or 4 o'clock in the morning and that was it. Did some cleaning up, such as got the boys to shovel the ashes." Captain James Embree