14

ICE CONDITIONS - During an average 288 day navigation season, the Canso Canal is open 24 hours daily. Ice conditions north of the lock and canal cause it to cease operations the remaining days of the year.
ICE BREAKERS
Ice breakers used to be brought in to break the ice up on the north side of the Strait of Canso in the early spring to speed up the process of clearing the north side of the Strait of ice. These are not available anymore.

15

Gulf Dianne Tug Boat
2003
Strait of Canso, Nova Scotia, Canada

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Barges hauling tons of rock from nearby Cape Porcupine are often seen passing through the Canal. Rock was hauled to be used in the construction of the Confederation Bridge to Prince Edward Island, down the eastern seaboard of the United States and over to Bermuda.

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Sauniere entering Canso Canal lock from the north of the Strait of Canso
27 November 2002
Canso Canal

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AVERAGE SHIPS AND TONNAGE - An average of 1,765 ships having a gross tonnage of 1,865,000 tons pass through Canso Canal yearly. They carry an average yearly cargo of 1,148,000 tons.

19

Ship which has just passed through the Canso Canal
2003
Strait of Canso, Nova Scotia, Canada

20

Canso Canal administrative and maintenance buildings .
2004
Canso Canal

21

EMPLOYEES - There are approximately 13 employed at the Canso Canal and another 4 employed on the railway swing bridge.

22

Canal employees with first superintendent, Victor Kyte
1975
Canso Canal

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CANALMEN AND SUPERINTENDENT - Victor Kyte, the first superintendent of the Canso Canal, was interviewed in 1980 by Port Hastings Historical Society staff. He said that applicants for jobs at the Canal in 1955 were restricted to men from the four counties which bordered on the Strait of Canso -Antigonish, Guysborough, Richmond and Inverness Counties as well as priority being given to veterans as the idea of Veterens Preference was very strong. Anyone in receipt of a disability pension for war wounds and passed the test was hired.
When it was first opened, there were seven employees on the operating staff - four lockmasters who were responsible once a ship entered the entrance of the lock for its trip through and three canalmen who operated the gates and took tide levels.

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Traffic backed up because the bridge is swung open for a ship passing through the Canso Canal.
August, 2004
Port Hastings, Inverness County, Nova Scotia, Canada

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Backup of cars and trucks whenever the bridge over the Canal is swung open for a ship passing through is a common sight. It doesn't take long for them to be backed up through the village of Port Hastings towards Port Hawkesbury, route 19 and the Trans Canada highway.

26

Shipping
July, 2004
Strait of Canso, Nova Scotia, Canada

27

A yacht enters the Canso Canal lock.
August, 2004
Canso Canal Bridge