Cape Breton Island is on the Atlantic coast of Canada and part of the province of Nova Scotia. Although geographically separated from the Nova Scotia peninsula by the 1-1/2 mile wide Strait of Canso it is physically connected to it by the Canso Causeway.
Sydney, founded by the British in 1785, was the island's capital until 1820 at which time Cape Breton was merged with Nova Scotia and the capital became Halifax. The town enjoyed rapid population growth after the turn of the 20th century when it became was home to the Dominion Steel and Coal Corporation and the town was incorporated as a city in 1904. Later, during both the First and Second World Wars, Sydney became a major staging area for England bound convoys and these activities also contributed to growth.
Following World War II, however, the steel mill and mining industries declined and the port activity decreased overall culminating in the loss of city status in 1995. Although the local and national governments nationalized the steel mill in the mid-sixties it continued it's decline and was finally closed in 2001.
Currently the economy is largely supported by a miscellany of customer support call centers and tourism. Also housed on the island are five reserves for the Eskasoni, Membertou, Wagmatcook, Waycobah, and Potlotek tribes of the Mi'kmaq Nation. See slideshow.
We pitched up in St. John's on schedule, albeit on goofy Newfie time which is 90 minutes ahead of Eastern time. Go figure, The weather was foul so we checked the warranty. Turns out that the city is one of the rainiest in Canada, holds the record for foggiest (124 days each year), the windiest averaging 15 MPH and the cloudiest with less than 1,500 hours of sunshine a year. Yikes!
At 100,000 population, St. John's is both the capital and the largest city in Canada's Newfoundland province. In common it seems with many other northeast US and Canadian cities, most of St. John's was burned to the ground in the late 19th century vanquishing forever early sheds, shacks, homes and other flammable historic infrastructure. A few structures, mainly those of stone, did survive the inferno.
It was pleasing that economically St. John's is doing well. The government is the largest employer enjoying federal, provincial and municipal funding. The fishing industry, which collapsed at the end of the 20th century has been handily replaced by the more reliable and lucrative undersea oil industry raising local incomes to the second highest in the nation and unemployment to the second lowest.
Anyway, weather statistics notwithstanding, we launched into the murky gloom with our usual banal optimism, assuring ourselves that it would improve shortly. More pictures.
Sydney, founded by the British in 1785, was the island's capital until 1820 at which time Cape Breton was merged with Nova Scotia and the capital became Halifax. The town enjoyed rapid population growth after the turn of the 20th century when it became was home to the Dominion Steel and Coal Corporation and the town was incorporated as a city in 1904. Later, during both the First and Second World Wars, Sydney became a major staging area for England bound convoys and these activities also contributed to growth. 
