Boularderie Island
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Boularderie Island (pronounced "bull-la-dree") is an island separating the Cabot Strait from Bras d'Or Lake on the eastern coast of Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia, Canada.
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 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 fronts the Cabot Strait, whereas the extreme southwestern end 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.
[edit] Coal Mining
Until 2000, the northern end of the island hosted one of Canada's largest underground coal mines, the Prince Colliery operated by DEVCO near Point Aconi. In the early 1990s, Nova Scotia Power Corporation built a large coal-fired thermal generating station at Point Aconi which was powered by coal from the Prince Colliery.
Several extensive strip mining proposals have been made for the near-surface coal seams at the northeastern end of the island in the vicinity of Point Aconi and some limited strip mines are in operation by Pioneer Coal of Stellarton. Strip mining in this area is being opposed by residents, local farmers, fishermen and native groups who fear environmental damage and declining property values as a result of the heavy industrial development.
