The Barra Strait is a 1 km (0.621372736649807 mi) wide channel located the Canadian

Canada

Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...

 province of Nova Scotia

Nova Scotia

Nova Scotia is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the most populous province in Atlantic Canada. The name of the province is Latin for "New Scotland," but "Nova Scotia" is the recognized, English-language name of the province. The provincial capital is Halifax. Nova Scotia is the...

. It connects the northern and southern basins of Bras d'Or Lake

Bras d'Or Lake

Bras d'Or Lake is a large body of salt water dominating the centre of Cape Breton Island in the province of Nova Scotia, Canada. Bras d'Or Lake is sometimes referred to as the Bras d'Or Lakes or the Bras d'Or Lakes system, however its official geographic name is Bras d'Or Lake as it is a singular...

, an inland saltwater body that dominates the centre of Cape Breton Island

Cape Breton Island

Cape Breton Island is an island on the Atlantic coast of North America. It likely corresponds to the word Breton, the French demonym for Brittany....

.

The community of Grand Narrows

Grand Narrows, Nova Scotia

Grand Narrows is a community in the Cape Breton Regional Municipality in Nova Scotia, Canada. It is at 45°57′24″ N, 60°47′32″ W.-Origin of name:...

 is situated on the eastern shore while the community of Iona

Iona, Nova Scotia

Iona is a small community in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia, located in Victoria County on Cape Breton Island. It is named after Iona in Scotland. Perched above the Barra Strait between the Great Bras d'Or and Piper's Cove portions of Bras d'Or Lake, Iona is the western terminus of the...

 is situated on the western shore.

The opening of the St. Peters Canal

St. Peters Canal

The St. Peters Canal is a small shipping canal located in eastern Canada on Cape Breton Island. It crosses an isthmus in the village of St. Peter's, Nova Scotia which connects St. Peters Inlet of Bras d'Or Lake to the north with St...

 in 1869 saw the Barra Strait become part of a sheltered coastal shipping route between Sydney

Sydney, Nova Scotia

Sydney is a Canadian urban community in the province of Nova Scotia. It is situated on the east coast of Cape Breton Island and is administratively part of the Cape Breton Regional Municipality....

 and the Strait of Canso

Strait of Canso

The Strait of Canso , is a strait located in the province of Nova Scotia, Canada. It divides the Nova Scotia peninsula from Cape Breton Island....

 for small vessels. In the late 1880s the Intercolonial Railway of Canada

Intercolonial Railway of Canada

The Intercolonial Railway of Canada , also referred to as the Intercolonial Railway , was a historic Canadian railway that operated from 1872 to 1918, when it became part of Canadian National Railways...

 bridged the strait with the Barra Strait Railway Bridge, the longest railway bridge in the province. The Government of Nova Scotia

Government of Nova Scotia

The Government of Nova Scotia refers to the provincial government of the Canadian province of Nova Scotia. Its powers and structure are set out in the Constitution Act, 1867....

 operated a small ferry service for motor vehicles across the strait for much of the 20th century. It was replaced in October 1993 when the Barra Strait Bridge opened, carrying Route 223

Nova Scotia Route 223

Route 223 is a collector road in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia.It is located on Cape Breton Island and runs from Leitches Creek Station at Route 305 to North Side Whycocomagh Bay at Highway 105....

.