Boularderie Island
Encyclopedia
Boularderie Island is an island separating the Cabot Strait
from Bras d'Or Lake
on the eastern coast of Cape Breton Island
, Nova Scotia
, Canada
. It takes its name from Louis-Simon le Poupet de la Boularderie
, who was granted the area as a concession from the King of France.
At 40 km (25 mi) long and between 3 km (2 mi) to 10 km (6 mi) wide, Boularderie Island is Nova Scotia's second largest island after Cape Breton Island
.
Two outlets of Bras d'Or Lake run on each side of the island to the Atlantic Ocean
:
The extreme northeastern end of the island at Point Aconi
fronts the Cabot Strait, whereas the extreme southwestern end at Kempt Head
fronts the northern basin of Bras d'Or Lake.
The majority of the island is heavily forested, however it is encircled by roads. The Trans-Canada Highway
(Highway 105
) traverses the island diagonally from Bras d'Or
in the east to Big Bank
in the west. The island hosts a number of farms along its southern and eastern shores.
The island is divided across two of the province's counties with the north and western side being part of Victoria County
(approximately 2/3 of the island's land mass), and the remainder of the southeastern end being part of Cape Breton County
.
The northern end of the island in the community of Point Aconi
has been home to several underground coal mines with the last one closing in November 2001. There has also been several controversial proposals to strip mine near-surface deposits which is meeting significant opposition from residents in the northern end of Boularderie Island. The Point Aconi Generating Station
and the Eyking Family Farm are located in the Boularderie community as well.
Cabot Strait
Cabot Strait is a strait in eastern Canada approximately 110 kilometres wide between Cape Ray, Newfoundland and Cape North, Cape Breton Island. It is the widest of the three outlets for the Gulf of Saint Lawrence into the Atlantic Ocean, the others being the Strait of Belle Isle and Strait of Canso...
from 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...
on the eastern coast 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....
, 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...
, Canada
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...
. It takes its name from Louis-Simon le Poupet de la Boularderie
Louis-Simon le Poupet de la Boularderie
Louis-Simon le Poupet de la Boularderie was a French born naval officer who was important in Canadian history for various roles he took on in the New World....
, who was granted the area as a concession from the King of France.
At 40 km (25 mi) long and between 3 km (2 mi) to 10 km (6 mi) wide, Boularderie Island is Nova Scotia's second largest island after 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....
.
Two outlets of Bras d'Or Lake run on each side of the island to the Atlantic Ocean
Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...
:
- the Great Bras d'Or channel runs along the island's northwestern shore, and
- St. Andrews Channel and the Little Bras d'Or channel run along the island's southeastern shore.
The extreme northeastern end of the island at Point Aconi
Point Aconi, Nova Scotia
Point Aconi is a rural community in Nova Scotia at the northeastern tip of Boularderie Island. It derives its name from the headland of the same name, Point Aconi....
fronts the Cabot Strait, whereas the extreme southwestern end at Kempt Head
Kempt Head, Nova Scotia
Kempt Head is a small community in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia, located in Victoria County on Boularderie Island.-References:*...
fronts the northern basin of Bras d'Or Lake.
The majority of the island is heavily forested, however it is encircled by roads. The Trans-Canada Highway
Trans-Canada Highway
The Trans-Canada Highway is a federal-provincial highway system that joins the ten provinces of Canada. It is, along with the Trans-Siberian Highway and Australia's Highway 1, one of the world's longest national highways, with the main route spanning 8,030 km...
(Highway 105
Nova Scotia Highway 105
Highway 105 in Nova Scotia represents the Cape Breton Island leg of the Trans-Canada Highway. It runs from the junction just east of the Canso Causeway in Port Hastings to the Marine Atlantic ferry terminal in North Sydney, representing a distance of ....
) traverses the island diagonally from Bras d'Or
Bras d'Or, Nova Scotia
Bras d'Or is a community in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia, located in the Cape Breton Regional Municipality.-References:*...
in the east to Big Bank
Big Bank, Nova Scotia
Big Bank is a small community in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia, located in Victoria County on Cape Breton Island.-References:*...
in the west. The island hosts a number of farms along its southern and eastern shores.
The island is divided across two of the province's counties with the north and western side being part of Victoria County
Victoria County, Nova Scotia
Victoria County is a county in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia.The shire town and largest municipality is the village of Baddeck.-History:Named after Queen Victoria, it was established by statute in 1851...
(approximately 2/3 of the island's land mass), and the remainder of the southeastern end being part of Cape Breton County
Cape Breton County, Nova Scotia
Cape Breton County, officially, County Cape Breton, is a county in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia, on Cape Breton Island.Taking its name from Cape Breton, the most easterly point of the island which was called after the Bretons of Brittany, this municipality has what is probably the oldest...
.
The northern end of the island in the community of Point Aconi
Point Aconi, Nova Scotia
Point Aconi is a rural community in Nova Scotia at the northeastern tip of Boularderie Island. It derives its name from the headland of the same name, Point Aconi....
has been home to several underground coal mines with the last one closing in November 2001. There has also been several controversial proposals to strip mine near-surface deposits which is meeting significant opposition from residents in the northern end of Boularderie Island. The Point Aconi Generating Station
Point Aconi Generating Station
The Point Aconi Generating Station is a 165 MW Canadian electrical generating station located in the community of Point Aconi, Nova Scotia, a rural community in the Cape Breton Regional Municipality. A thermal generating station, the Point Aconi Generating Station is owned and operated by Nova...
and the Eyking Family Farm are located in the Boularderie community as well.