North Sydney (Nova Scotia)

North Sydney is a community of 5,700 people (2016) on the eastern shore of Cape Breton Island on the north shore of Sydney Harbour. It is mostly a service centre for the ferry traffic to Newfoundland with a number of restaurants and motels.

Understand
North Sydney is an important port in Atlantic Canada, serving as the western terminus of the Marine Atlantic ferry service. It acts as the marine link for the Trans-Canada Highway to Newfoundland and is often called "the Gateway to Newfoundland". Marine Atlantic ferries operate from North Sydney's terminal to the ports of Channel-Port aux Basques and Argentia.

History
North Sydney was settled around 1785 by Europeans and by Loyalists fleeing the American Revolution. It emerged as a major shipbuilding centre in the early 19th century, building many brigs and brigantines for the English market, later moving on to larger barques. Wooden shipbuilding declined in the 1860s, but increasing numbers of steamships began arriving, drawn to North Sydney for bunker coal.

By plane

 * Via Halifax or Toronto. J.A. Douglas McCurdy Sydney Airport (YQY), a regional airport, is the closest airport

By car

 * Highway 105 (Trans-Canada Highway) travels directly to the Marine Atlantic ferry terminal. Highway 1 in Port Aux Basques within Newfoundland and Labrador is the continuation of the Trans-Canada Highway.
 * North Sydney is 24 km from Sydney: southwest on Highway 4, northwest on 126, and east on King St.

By bus

 * Its route between Halifax and Sydney includes stops in Dartmouth, Halifax Airport, Truro, New Glasgow, Antigonish, Port Hawkesbury, and North Sydney. Travel time to North Sydney from Halifax is 5.75 hours, from Truro is 4 hours, from Antigonish is 2.5 hours, and from Sydney is 50 minutes.
 * Travel to North Sydney from the following destinations involving same day transfers is as follows:
 * From Moncton (6.75 hours) with a transfer in Truro.
 * From Charlottetown (7.75 hours) with transfers in Amherst and in Truro.
 * From Bathurst (10 hours), Campbellton (11.25 hours), Edmundston (13.25 hours), Fredericton (9.5 hours), Miramichi (9 hours), and Saint John (9.75 hours) with transfers in Moncton and Truro.
 * Connections from Quebec City, Rimouski, and Gaspé can be made on Orléans Express. The stop at Pointe-à-la-Croix, QC is a 2km taxi ride from Campbellton.
 * Connections from Quebec City, Rimouski, and Gaspé can be made on Orléans Express. The stop at Pointe-à-la-Croix, QC is a 2km taxi ride from Campbellton.

By boat

 * There are two ferry routes connecting to North Sydney from Newfoundland:
 * From Port aux Basques (7 hours) located in south-western Newfoundland. Operates throughout the year, typically two sailings per direction per day. An inter-city bus route stops at this terminal.
 * From Argentia (16 hours) located in eastern Newfoundland. Operates several days per week from June to September.

Buy
The town has a shopping mall on King Street that is anchored by a Walmart and a Sobeys store, and has clothing, jewellery, and variety shops. In the same area is a SuperValue Grocery, Shoppers Drug Mart, and a Nova Scotia Liquor Commission store.

There is also shopping along Commercial Street which used to be the main street of the town but has now become an eclectic mix of service providers, food vendors and variety stores.

Go next
North Sydney is the departure point for ferries to Newfoundland. Marine Atlantic provides daily year-round service to Port aux Basques and seasonal service to Argentia (three days a week from mid-June through September). The Port aux Basques trip takes 6-8 hours, with passenger fees ranging from $18-36 (child/adult) and a normal size passenger car costing $102. Cabins are available for overnight sailings for $108-154. The Argentia trip takes 14-16 hours, with passenger fees ranging from $50-100 and a car costing $209. Cabins are available for $158-200.

Sydney, the largest city in Cape Breton, is away via Highway 125.