---

Connected to mainland Nova Scotia by the Canso Causeway, Cape Breton 
Island is easily accessible by land, sea and air. Sydney, the
acknowledged capital of Cape Breton, is the island's only city and the
second largest in Nova Scotia. It's a multicultural centre with more
than sixteen distinct ethnic groups amongst a population of 30,000.
Sydney is often used as a port-of-call for chartered yachts and
cruise ships.  Sydney was built on the coal and steel industries of 
Cape Breton. 

Originally called Spanish Bay in the 17th century, Sydney was founded
by Governor DesBarres and a band of Loyalist settlers in 1784-85 and
was named after the colonial secretary, Hon. Thomas Townsend, first
Viscount Sydney. The settlement was the seat of government when Cape
Breton Island was a separate colony from 1784 to 1820.

In 1827, the General Mining Association, a British company began the
large-scale development of coal mines in the Sydney area. By the
1850s coal was being exported to the United States and Sydney harbor
became a coaling station for ships from all over the world.

The great increase of coal production attracted industry to the
area and in 1899 the Dominion Iron and Steel Company was organized.
The population boomed and in 1904 Sydney became a city.

Today, Sydney (pop. 28,000) is the business, social and education
centre of Industrial Cape Breton. The Sydney Coal Field is still
active with mines at Lingan and Point Aconi and the Sydney Steel
Plant (now SYSCO) produces some of the finest steel rails in the
world. 

Today Sydney is a popular tourist spot for visitors touring the
incredibly scenic Cape Breton countryside - the Highlands, the Bras
d'Or Lakes and the Atlantic coastline.

The city has a great variety of accommodations, restaurants, shops
and services as well as some interesting tourist attractions.



LOCAL POINTS OF INTEREST:

St. George's Anglican Church:

The oldest church in Cape Breton, and was the garrison church when
Sydney was founded. The church still has regular service and is open
to the public.

St. Patrick's Museum: 

The oldest standing Roman Catholic Church on the island (1828), it
now houses early Sydney artifacts. Walking tours of Historical North-
End conducted twice daily from St. Patrick's Church.

Cossit House:

Charlotte St., at Nepean. This is Sydney's oldest home (1787) and was
built by the Rector of St. George's Church. It operates as a museum
with costumed guides during summer months, and houses authentic 18th
century furnishings.

The Lyceum:

This heritage building is found on George St. (at Dorchester). Built
in 1906, it was the entertainment and cultural centre for Sydney and
the surrounding area. This year-round facility features heritage
exhibits at Cape Breton Heritage and Science Centre. The Cape Breton
School of Crafts offers displays, instruction and sample products, as
well as a craft library. We welcome you to visit us!

Centre 200:

Cape Breton's largest gathering complex. Built to commemorate
Sydney's Bicentennial, it is a versitile convention, exhibition,
entertainment and sports facility

Wenthworth Park:

Located in downtown Sydney. Enjoy live music at our bandshell, relax
under our shady oak trees, enjoy a picnic lunch, take a stroll, rent
a peddle boat or spend time feeding the many water fowl, a relaxing
pause from reality.

There will be a guided tour of Historic North-End Sydney every day
starting at 1:30 p.m. from St. Patrick's Church Museum.

Sydney is known for its lively and varied cultural activities
including concerts, shows, revues and ethno-cultural presentations.
Internationally - acclaimed recording star Rita MacNeil is from he
Sydney area, and the popular Cape Breton Summertime Revue stage show
performs at Sydney's Centre 200 during the summer months.

Sydney's Action Week, held annually in mid-summer for over 20 years, 
is an action-packed week of sports, fun and festivities.

Action week begins on Saturday afternoon with a parade through the
downtown streets and continues with a host of activities every day
until the festival ends the following Saturday.

There will be sports tournments, concerts, dances, stage shows, doll
carriage and bicycle parades, fireworks display, family track and
field events, harbor boat tours and craft shows.

Sydney's various ethnic communities will host special events. The
Caribbean Festival in the church yard of St. Phillips' Church,
features West Indian foods and music. The Gaelic Festival highlights
Scottish culture with an old fashioned milling frolic, stepdancing
and concerts. Lebanese/Syrian Day features dancing, children's games
and mid-eastern food at The Cedars, MacKenzie Street. The Irish
Centre, Townsend St., hosts a corned-beef and cabbage dinner in the
afternoon and a talent show and dance in the evening.
There are some 51 different ethno-cultural groups active in the
Sydney area including Lebanese, West Indian, Russian, Jewish, Polish,
Scottish, Italian, Black, German, Irish, Chinese, Dutch and Greek.
These groups maintain their cultural ties to the homeland with fairs,
concerts, church suppers and historical displays. Holy Ghost Parish
in Whitney Pier is home to the only Ukrainian community east of
Montreal, some 1,100 persons.

Sydney has produced many notable citizens who have achieved national
and international fame.

William Knapp Buckley, a Sydney druggist, invented the widely-used
cough medicine, "Buckley's Mixture."

The broadcast voice of the Montreal Canadiens for some 30 years, the
late Danny Gallivan was born and raised in Sydney.

And the first Black player in Canada, Delos Davis, was a native of
Sydney.