North Sydney & Area

Living on the Northside, there are a few things I love to do that I think a visitor would enjoy, too. A day hike at Dalem Lake, beachcombing for fossils and sea glass, kayaking, or swimming at Groves Point Beach are wonderful ways to get out and enjoy Cape Breton’s natural beauty. As well, a visit to the Highland Village Museum/Baile Nan Gaidheal offers an opportunity to learn about the life of Gaels on Cape Breton in the unique setting of a living history museum.

Unspoiled natural beauty

Whether you are visiting or you live here, take a moment to look around and really “see” the beauty that surrounds us on Cape Breton Island. Many other places around the world are certainly beautiful, but I think the difference here is that the beauty of Cape Breton is natural and still in a very much unspoiled state. Take full advantage of this unspoiled natural beauty at Dalem Lake, just the right place for a walk, run, hike, or to take the kids and dog. There’s a fabulous 3.5 km groomed trail around a lovely freshwater lake. The water gets warm early in the season, so don’t hesitate to dip your toes, dig them into the sand, or jump right in and enjoy a refreshing dip. This is also a great snowshoeing trail in winter.

There’s more than swimming at these beaches

There are several beaches in the Sydney Mines/Florence area that are perfect for fossil hunting, searching for sea glass, and rockhounding. The beach near Shore Road is a world-class site for fossil finds that draws paleontologists from around the world. Lockman’s is also noted for finding interesting Scottish fireclay bricks. And there are many Northside beaches surrounding the Bras d’Or Lake, like Christies Beach and Groves Point, where you can find examples of different types of rock bed on the shoreline. Beaches in the area aren’t just good for exploring. Groves Point Provincial Park is an ideal spot to enjoy a picnic overlooking the gorgeous Bras d’Or Lake. Have a swim in the warm salt water and follow it up with a packed lunch. Several restaurants in downtown North Sydney can provide you with a delicious take-away that is perfect for an afternoon at the beach.

Fine dining to fast food

Within a few blocks in downtown North Sydney, there are culinary offerings for everyone including The Black Spoon, Lobster Pound & Moore, Commercial Street Deli, Bette’s Kitchen, Thyme Savor Takeaway, Bianchini’s Pizza, Alexandra’s Pizza, Joe’s Pizza & Italian Fare, and the Canton Family Restaurant,

A place to stay

Accommodations in the Northside area are excellent too, as it is the gateway to Newfoundland and Labrador. The Marine Atlantic ferry terminal is located in North Sydney providing commercial and public passenger services to our island neighbour. Because of this, several hotels and motels operate in the North Sydney area. There are also some lovely historic bed and breakfasts and many options for AirBnB. Arm of Gold campground is just a few kilometres from downtown North Sydney, giving tourists alternatives for tenting or short/long term trailer stays.

So much history

As more and more tourists wish to enhance their travel experience with education, many of them want to learn all about the places they visit. They want to know what makes the locale unique. What is special about the place? The Northside’s history is steeped in shipbuilding and mining. Settled by European and Loyalist settlers in the latter part of the 18^th century, it was a booming center of trade. Boats of all sizes were built for the British market, including the Lord Clarendon, the largest wooden boat ever to be built on the Island. By 1870, North Sydney was the fourth largest port in Canada, largely due to the growing coal mining industry. Because of this growth, North Sydney was also the chosen location of a new Western Union cable office. By the turn of the century, ferry service was established between North Sydney and Newfoundland, and mercantile, mining and shipping industries continued to grow. The area was very multi-cultural with many English, Irish, and Scottish settlers, and later, a large number of Lebanese immigrants who built much of the mercantile trade.

Millions of years ago in Sydney Mines…

Going back even further in time, Sydney Mines is one of eight very important fossil sites in Nova Scotia and you can learn more about this fascinating history at the Cape Breton Fossil Centre. Here you can explore the 350-million-year-old history that created the Sydney coalfields and view a large collection of fossils. Make sure to time your visit so that you can also tag along on a tour to one of the fossil beds in the local community. The history of the Northside is told, and can be seen through artefacts, at the North Sydney Heritage Museum and the Sydney Mines Heritage Museum.