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Photo of Canso Causeway, taken from Cape Porcupine, looking towards Cape Breton Island.1955
Canso Causeway
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A DEDICATION TO THE CANSO CAUSEWAYNature divided the land - but with courage, conviction and a desire for unity, man stretched across the turbulent waters, a highway - forming a material bond between a people already united in name, spirit and ideals.
NOVA SCOTIANS are proud of "Air Lorg Nan Eileen" ---The Road to The Isles. It is the end of a dream, the end of planning and the beginning of promise. With it's longing, frontiers are rolled away and a divided province is made whole.
(The Post Record,Souvenir Paper August 13,1955)
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Advertisement for Canso Causeway Official Opening13 August 1955
Canso Causeway official opening
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COLOURFUL CEREMONYFOR OPENING OF CAUSEWAY
by Jack Lusher
Ottawa- A claymore once used by a supporter of Bonnie Prince Charlie in 1746 will be used by Trade and Commerce Minister C.D. Howe to cut a Nova Scotia tartan ribbon marking the official opening of the Canso Causeway Saturday, August 13th, 1955 Transport Minister George Marler announced today.
........ Members of the committee who arranged the details of the opening ceremony are J. R. Baxter, Department of Transport, J.L. Wickwire, chief highway engineer, Nova Scotia Highways Department,and W.R. Wright, Canadian National Railways.
Frank Sayer, Moncton and Earl Clark of the Nova Scotia Bureau of Information were active in making the arrangements, officials said........
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Auld's Cove paking area for the Canso Causeway Official Opening13 August 1955
Canso Causeway official opening
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THEY CAME BY THE THOUSANDS - Many Cape Bretoners came home for the official opening activities on August 13th, 1955 from the Boston States and all points north, south, east and west.Margaret MacDonald and Elliott Embree of Port Hawkesbury who were married on July 30th, 1955 came home from their honeymoon trip in Prince Edward Island to be a part of the official opening excitement.
The Auld's Cove area was one of very few areas to park.
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Traffic jam in Port Hastings13 August 1955
Canso Causeway official opening
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PARKING WAS AN ISSUE TO LOCALS AS WELL AS VISITORS - With over 40,000 in attendance, parking was an issue on August 13, 1955. One resident of Creignish, north of Port Hastings, remembers going to the opening, and seeing all the cars. She says that as people approached the Causeway, from whichever direction they arrived, they would park behind the line of cars and keep going .Traffic in Port Hastings was at a standstill. This picture shows the lineup of cars backed up the hill in Port Hastings towards Port Hawkesbury.
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Cars in traffic jam in Port Hastings looking north towards the Causeway13 August 1955
Port Hastings, Inverness County, Nova Scotia, Canada
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Diagram for invited guests included with directions13 August 1955
Canso Causeway official opening
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INSTRUCTIONS TO INVITED GUESTS1. Attach enclosed yellow sticker on windshield of car to help traffic controllers
2. There will be a shuttle service free of charge between both ends of Causeway after the ceremony
3. Pink tickets should be surrendered at the official speakers' grandstand and the blue ticket at the official guests' grandstand
4. C.N.R. will operate a special train out of Halifax to the Canso Causeway for the official opening ceremony. Signify in your reply if you plan to use this train
5. Invitation card should be presented at the entrance to the Spruce Grove Games Field in Port Hastings for the reception
6. Guests in both grandstands will participate in the "March of the Hundred Pipers" across the Causeway and will be provided space. The timing is as follows: The Rt. Hon. C.D.Howe will be giving the inaugural address after which he will cut a tartan ribbon. Then the first hundred pipers will move forward leaving space for the official guests to line up for the historic march. The second hundred pipers will then follow. NOTE: The march extends for a good "Scottish" mile. Suitable footwear should be worn.
Important Note: Because of T.V., Newsreel and Radio schedules, invited guests must be in their places in the grandstands prior to 1:45 pm.
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Jetty for dignitaries to arrive at Canso Causeway from HMCS Quebec13 August 1955
Canso Causeway official opening
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JETTY FOR DIGNITARIES ARRIVAL - HMCS Quebec was anchored approximately one mile from the Causeway on the south side of the Strait of Canso prior to the ceremony. Special guests were brought aboard from a jetty that had been constructed at the Causeway site where the ceremony would take place. At 11:30 am., special guests were brought aboard on two launches.After an unofficial luncheon on board the cruiser, they were returned to the Causeway by 1:30 pm.
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Canso Causeway vehicles and ships13 August 1955
Canso Causeway official opening
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