w w w. c a n a d i a n y a c h t i n g. c a 9B y K a th e r in e S to n e
ha v e tra v e lle d th e g lo b e. I h a v e se e n th e C a n a d ia n
a n d A m e ric a n R o c k ie s, th e A n d e s a n d th e A lp s, a n d
th e h ig h la n d s o f S c o tla n d , b u t fo r sim p le b e a u ty,
C a p e B re to n o u triv a ls th e m a ll.” T h is c o u ld n ’t h a v e b e e n b e t-
te r s a id th a n b y C a p e B re to n ’s m o s t fa m o u s re s id e n t,
A le x a n d e r G ra h a m B e ll. F ro m th e su m m e r o f 1 8 8 6 u n til h is
d e a th in 1 9 2 2 , B e ll liv e d h a lf h is life o n a n e sta te th a t h e b u ilt
a t R e d H e a d , a p e n in su la o p p o site B a d d e c k , u sin g th e B ra s
d ’O r L a k e to te st m a n -c a rry in g k ite s, a irp la n e s, a n d h y d ro fo il
b o a ts. It w a s h e re th a t th e fa m o u s S ilv e r D a rt to o k flig h t o ff o f
th e fro ze n ic e o f th e b a y.
T h e n a tiv e M i’k m a q s c a lle d th e B ra s d ’O r L a k e “P itu p a q ,”
m e a n in g lo n g sa lt w a te r. T o d a y it is k n o w n a s th e “g re a t in la n d
se a ” (th e la rg e st in th e w o rld ) in th e c e n tre o f C a p e B re to n
Isla n d in N o v a S c o tia. S ix m a jo r riv e rs e m p ty in to th e la k e , c o m -
b in e d w ith th re e p o in ts o f c o n ta c t w ith th e A tla n tic O c e a n ,
m a k in g th e w a te r b ra c k ish. T h is c o m b in a tio n su p p o rts lo b ste r
a n d o y ste r fish e rie s a n d a sig n ific a n t c o n c e n tra tio n o f b a ld
e a g le s. C o u p le d w ith th e o u tsta n d in g n a tu ra l b e a u ty o f th e
C a p e B re to n ro llin g h ills, U N E S C O d e c la re d th e a re a a
B io sp h e re R e se rv e in 2 0 1 1.
A re n o w n e d su m m e r v a c a tio n d e stin a tio n , th e la k e h a s
a p p ro x im a te ly 1 ,1 0 0 sq u a re k ilo m e tre s, ru n n in g 1 0 0 k ilo m e tre s
in le n g th a n d 5 0 k ilo m e tre s in w id th. T h e W a sh a b u c k P e n in su la
a n d B o isd a le H ills d iv id e th e la k e in to n o rth e rn a n d so u th e rn
b a sin s lin k e d b y th e 1 k ilo m e tre w id e B a rra S tra it. S ilv e r D o n a ld
C a m e ro n , C a n a d ia n a u th o r a n d y a c h tsm a n , d e sc rib e s B ra s d ’O r
L a k e a s “A b a sin rin g e d b y in d ig o h ills la c e d w ith m a rb le.
Isla n d s w ith in a se a in sid e a n isla n d .” T h e re a re m a n y e x p la n a -
tio n s a s to th e o rig in s o f th e la k e ’s n a m e : th e m o st p o p u la r c a m e
fro m th e F re n c h , th e first E u ro p e a n s to se ttle th e a re a , w h o
c a lle d it B ra s d ’O r, m e a n in g “a rm o f g o ld ,” w h ic h p ro b a b ly
re fe rre d to th e su n ’s ra y s re fle c tin g u p o n its w a te rs.
A b e a u tifu l fo u r se a so n re c re a tio n a l sp o t, th e id e a fo r a m a ri-
n a a t B e n E o in c a m e a b o u t d u e to th e e ffo rts o f a sm a ll c o m m u -
n ity g ro u p th a t w a n te d to m a k e th e a re a a w o rld c la ss re c re a tio n
c e n tre. S ta rtin g w ith th e B e n E o in S k i H ill (4 2 0 -fo o t v e rtic a l),
fo u n d e d in th e e a rly 1 9 7 0 s, p la n s w e re p u t in m o tio n in th e
e a rly 1 9 9 0 s to d e v e lo p a n 1 8 -h o le g o lf c o u rse a n d m a rin a a t th e
sa m e tim e , im m e d ia te ly a d ja c e n t to th e sk i h ill. A s th e g o lf
c o u rse to o k sh a p e , it so o n b e c a m e e v id e n t to th e o rg a n ize rs th a t
th e g o lf c o u rse d e v e lo p m e n t w o u ld e x h a u st a ll th e fu n d s.“
IL e ft: J u s t w a itin g fo r w in d o n a q u ie t w e e k d a y e v e n in g.
A b o v e : A b e a u tifu l, s tu n n in g fro n ta g e o n a m a g n ific a n t c ru is -
in g a re a o f th e B ra s d 'O r L a k e.