Cape Breton Island Trivia Quiz

Answer: St Lawrence

Cape Breton is situated in the Gulf of St Lawrence, where it meets the Atlantic Ocean. The gulf is huge, bordering Newfoundland, the Labrador peninsula, New Brunswick and the Nova Scotia peninsula. As well as Cape Breton, it contains Prince Edward Island and several other islands, including two which are still French possessions.

The St Lawrence is a major Canadian river, providing a route from the Great Lakes of North America to the open ocean via its gulf.

Answer: Causeway

The manmade causeway crosses the Strait of Canso and is known as the Canso Causeway. It opened in 1955 and carries both rail and road traffic. The length is short, at about one and a third miles (just over 2.1 kilometres), and it is classed as a continuation of the Trans-Canada Highway.

It finishes at North Sydney - to continue to Newfoundland from Cape Breton, drivers need to take a ferry.

Answer: Green

The flag most commonly seen has vertical bands of green on each side, white in the middle with the green saltire depicted on it. On top of the saltire is a yellow circle with the words 'Cape Breton Island Canada' written on it. The centre of the circle is white with the shape of the island shown on it in green.

The official flag, chosen only in 1994, depicts a green eagle on a white background, but the common flag remains more popular, according to research. Green appears most often on the various styles of flag turned up in an internet search and is said to represent the island's lush terrain.

Answer: Īle Royale

You don't need to speak French to be able to work out that the name means Royal Island. It originally formed a colony with the Magdalen Islands and what is now known as Prince Edward Island, which the French called Īle Saint-Jean. They were, in turn, part of the region known as Acadia. The island was ceded to Great Britain in 1763 with many settlers from Scotland moving there giving the island its Celtic traditions.

The other islands listed are all real, but are not in Canada.

Answer: Sydney

Sydney is located on the eastern coast of the island and was once an industrial town, especially for steel production. Founded by the British in 1785, its name comes from Viscount Sydney, who was Home Secretary in the British government - Sydney, Australia is also named after him. Between 1904 and 1995 it was classed as a city but was then absorbed into the regional municipality.

The fiddle is actually officially known as the 'Largest Ceilidh Fiddle in the World', in recognition of the area's Scottish Gaelic history. It is part of Sydney's change of focus to being a tourist destination with the waterfront being redeveloped and cruise shops stopping off there in the harbour which once used to export steel.

Answer: Coal

Coal mining was centred around Sydney, in the southeast of the island, with the Sydney Coal Field providing a rich coal seam which extended under the sea into the Cabot Strait. The French were the first to exploit the resource, with coal mining reaching its height during the nineteenth century. A steel mill was built nearby to make use of the natural resources.

The decline began soon after the end of the Second World War, and environmental concerns led to the closure of both the steel mill and the last mine at the beginning of the twenty-first century.

Answer: True

This lake is huge and nearly cuts the island in half. Although the name translates to English as 'Arm of Gold', the usual explanation is that it is a corruption of the name given to previously - Le Lac de Labrador.

The lake is tidal and has brackish water, a mixture of fresh water from inflowing rivers and sea water. It is often described as an estuary, rather than a lake, due to its connection to the sea. It is a popular destination for sailing and other water sports and is a UNESCO recognised site as the Bras d'Or Lake Biosphere Region due to its importance in providing a wide range of habitats for various living creatures.

Answer: Fortress of Louisbourg

Originally settled as a fishing port in 1713, the area grew into a commercial port which needed protection. The French built the fort between 1720 and 1740 and named it for King Louis XIV. It came under attack by the British in 1745 and 1758, with the later attack leading to widespread destruction of the walls and fortress. It was abandoned completely by 1785.

Restoration work began in 1961 to prevent further decay and it is now classed as a National Historic Site attracting many visitors who feel they are stepping back into the eighteenth century.

Answer: Port Hastings

While all the options are names of places on Cape Breton Island, the only one in the south is Port Hastings, the point at which travellers from the mainland reach the island, The settlement is named for Charles Hastings Doyle who was Lieutenant Governor of Nova Scotia between 1863 and 1865.

Like most areas on the island, it is classed as a community, rather than a village or town, with the population being only ninety when recorded in 2021. The rather larger community of Port Hawkesbury is about eight miles (6.9 km) to the southeast.

Answer: White Hill

Not only is White Hill the highest point on the island, it's also the highest in the province of Nova Scotia. It is located in the Breton Highlands, in the far north of the island, It is twelve miles (twenty kilometres) from the nearest road, with hiking to it the only way of reaching it. It is described as a 'large, flat hill' with a maximum height of 1,755 feet (535 metres).

The area is buffeted by winds and covered with stunted trees due to the location.