Strait of Canso

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The Strait of Canso (also Gut of Canso or Canso Strait), is a strait located in the province of Nova Scotia, Canada. 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.

Plans have been announced for a 1,500,000 TEU container terminal at Melford with an expected opening date of 2010.