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The Inverness Pipe Band march across with Pipe Major George Ingraham on August 13,1980.

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Sandy Boyd
13 August 1980
Canso Causeway 25th Anniversary

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"Back in 1980, I had the privilege of driving Mr. Sandy Boyd across the Causeway during the 25th Anniversary Parade. As we waited for the start of the parade, Sandy regaled me with stories of when he marched at the grand opening 25 years earlier. I was so enthused with his story telling that I didn't notice the heat gauge on the car going up.... at that moment Parade Marshal Graham (Tiny) Gagnon in his enormous voice announced Paaarade.... Forwarddddd.
As we pulled away from the parking lot at the scale house, it was then I noticed the heat gauge. I thought that when we got moving that the soft breezes coming off the water would cool the engine and I could continue with my distinguished passenger.
My daughter Rachelle was sitting beside Sandy with her little kilt and tam and they were having a grand time chatting ......AND catching what little breeze there was.
Meanwhile I was sweating profusely, not only from the heat but watching the heat gauge still going up. About half way across, steam started emitting from under the hood of the car. It was at that point that I turned to Sandy and said, "Mr. Boyd, you walked across the Causeway 25 years ago, how would you like to get out and march the rest of the way today".
"Me thinks not Laddy, I'm having a grand old time up here, besides the Causeway has grown longer sense 1955"
What could I do? Well, we finished the parade. We crossed the bridge to the applause of the hundreds watching the parade and Sandy sitting proudly on the back of the car waving back to everyone.
We parked in the parking lot on the other side and I helped Sandy down from the car. The engine was making strange popping and binging sounds when I shut it off. It wasn't till an hour later that I dared try to start the car again. It suffered no ill effects from that day, a day I will always remember, the day Sandy, Rachelle and I crossed the Causeway".(May 20, 2005 Wayne Reynolds) (Used with permission)

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The stage for the 25th Anniversary of the Official Opening of the Canso Causeway
13 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 the
25th 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 Bureau
13 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.

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Canso Causeway 25th Anniversary logo
13 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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Program
13 August 1995
Canso Causeway 40th Anniversary

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Stora Port Hawkersbury's float
13 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.