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The stage for the 25th Anniversary of the Official Opening of the Canso Causeway13 August 1980
Canso Causeway 25th Anniversary
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The Re enactment platform for the 25th Anniversary was held in the area of the Canso Canal. Introductory remarks were made by Honourable Allan J. MacEachen and a Gaelic greeting from John Archie Mackenzie, MLA for Inverness County.Addresses were given by Honourable John Buchanan, Premier of Nova Scotia, Mr. D.W. Blair, regional V.P. Canadian National Railway, Judge Angus L. Macdonald,Jr., and Senator Henry D. Hicks.
The Most Reverend William E. Power, Bishop of Antigonish Discese gave the closing blessing and a Lament to the late Angus L. Macdonald was played by the Inverness Pipe band.
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25th Anniversary of the Canso Causeway ..Pipe Bands and spectators at the Canso Canal.13 August 1980
Port Hastings, Inverness County, Nova Scotia, Canada
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Pipe Bands in the Re enactment Parade for the25th Anniversary of the Official Opening of the
Canso Causeway were:
Sprigs of Heather North Sydney
Mabou Ceilidh Mabou
MacDougall Girl's Glace Bay
Cape Breton Gaelic Society
Inverness Bonnie Brae
1st Nova Scotia Highlanders
Iona Pipe Band
Clan Ranald Antigonish
Balmoral Stellerton
Dunvegan Girls Westville
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Port Hastings Tourist Bureau13 August 1980
Port Hastings, Inverness County, Nova Scotia, Canada
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The Port Hastings Historical Society mounted a display inside the Port Hastings Visitor Information Bureau featuring pictures of the construction and an enlarged scale drawing of the project. It was unveiled following the re enactment ceremony and parade by L-R: Urban McCulloch of O.J. McCulloch Consulting Engineers Ltd., Yvonne Fox, President of the Port Hastings Historical Society, and Harry MacKenzie, Resident Engineer for the Strait of Canso Crossing project for O.J. McCulloch Limited of Montreal between 1952 and 1955. They also unveiled the sign they'd erected outside the Bureau. It consisted of a scale drawing of the Causeway and Canal and all of the statistics relevant to the project.23
Canso Causeway 25th Anniversary logo13 August 1980
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Other activities which took place in conjunction with the 25th Anniversary were: a Silver Anniversary Parade in the morning of August 13th, 1980 and an historical display in St. David's Church Hall both arranged by the Port Hastings Historical Society, an ecumenical service in Gaelic, English and French, a reunion dinner and reception for Canal and Causeway workers, a 1955 vintage car rally and an outdoor Scottish concert.Port Hastings Historical Society member, Rilla McLean, spearheaded a campaign for a special stamp cancel to be used in recognition of the Canso Causeway's 25th Anniversary. The hard work paid off and Canada Post issued the hand cancel in the summer of 1980 to be used for first class mail sent from the Port Hastings post office during the months of July and August. Rilla's husband Jim also helped with the First Day Covers that required a lot of special printing.
Rilla has done it again for the 50th Anniversary ,only this time, it's a special stamp which will be part of Canada Post's bridge series. The stamp was unveiled on April 3, 2005.
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Program13 August 1995
Canso Causeway 40th Anniversary
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Stora Port Hawkersbury's float13 August 1995
Canso Causeway 40th Anniversary
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40th ANNIVERSARY celebrations were organized by the Port Hastings Historical Society in 1995. Stora Port Hawkesbury's replica of the Causeway was a masterpiece of craftsmanship. It participated in the parade across the Causeway.Entertainment and cake were part of the festivities which were held at the Port Hastings Fire Hall following the parade.
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Canso Causeway display at the Gut of Canso Museum and ArchivesJuly, 2004
Gut of Canso Museum and Archives
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CANSO CAUSEWAY 50TH ANNIVERSARYSATURDAY, AUGUST 13TH, 2005 - 2 PM. - Join us as we mark the 50th Anniversary of the Canso Causeway! In an electrifying and memorable week-long event, from August 7th to 14th,2005, the Strait of Canso Area will come alive with ceilidhs, dinners, dances, concerts, exhibits, fireworks and so much more.
For more information on the 50th Anniversary of the Canso Causeway, please visit their website at www.cansocauseway.ca or call their office at
902.625.5055.
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The Canso Canal bridge and CausewayAugust, 2004
Canso Causeway
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