Barra Strait
Barra Strait | |
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Grand Narrows | |
Taawitk ( Grand Narrows & Iona | |
References | Geographical Names of Canada - Barra Strait |
The Barra Strait
Grand Narrows
The
Transportation
The opening of the St. Peters Canal in 1869 saw the Barra Strait become part of a sheltered coastal shipping route between Sydney and the Strait of Canso for sailing and steam powered vessels. Vessels transiting this route are only limited by the size of the lock in the St. Peters Canal, which measures 91.44 metres (300.0 ft) long, 14.45 metres (47.4 ft) wide, and 4.88 metres (16.0 ft) draught.
Boat traffic through the Barra Strait has been logged since 1991, and has consistently ranged between 1700 and 2100 boats passing through the swing and bascule bridges each year, with a peak of 2100 passages recorded for 2002. Of these movements, an estimated 2% are commercial activity, 8% are government and 90% are recreational.[5]
The bridges
In the late 1880s the
Bathymetry
The Barra Strait is over 50 metres (160 ft) deep at its southern entrance between Hectors Point to the west and Derby Point to the east. The strait continues 2.2 km (1.4 mi) to the north-east where it narrows to slightly more than 500 metres (1,600 ft) between Uniacke and Kelly Points. The bottom rises to a maximum depth of 22.8 metres (75 ft) between these points. There is 8 metres (26 ft) draught in the navigation channel through the bridge openings. The tidal stream through the Barra Strait runs the strongest at mid-flood and mid-ebb, and attain a rate of 3 knots. The tidal streams set 010°/190° through the strait, except in the vicinity of the swing bridge span where they are deflected NW and SW by Kelly Point.[6]
References
- ^ "Geographical Names of Canada - Barra Strait". Government of Canada. Retrieved Oct 27, 2016.
- ^ a b "Nova Scotia Geographical Names Database entry for "Barra Strait" (includes map)". Government of Nova Scotia. Retrieved May 6, 2012.[permanent dead link]
- ^ "Place-Names and Places of Nova Scotia (1967)". Public Archives of Nova Scotia. Retrieved May 16, 2012.
- ^ "Place-names of the province of Nova Scotia (1922), by Thomas J Brown". Royal Print & Litho., Halifax, N.S. Retrieved May 16, 2012.
- ^ M. Parker; M. Westhead; P. Doherty; J. Naug. "Ecosystem Overview and Assessment Report for the Bras d'Or Lakes, Nova Scotia" (PDF). Dartmouth, Nova Scotia: Fisheries and Oceans Canada. p. 182. Retrieved 5 July 2020.
- ^ "Grand Narrows Bridge". CMNS Inc. Archived from the original on July 10, 2012. Retrieved May 6, 2012.
- Notes