Above, a rock outcropping with natural bridge lies just off the western shore of Port Hood Island in the Gulf of St. Lawrence. Below, a little-known artifact from the annals of engineering in Nova Scotia. Fifty-one years ago, the Department of Highways built a causeway to connect Port Hood Island with Cape Breton at the village of Port Hood. Three days after the fixed link opened, a storm washed it away. The structure was never rebuilt, but its remnants, known as The Breakwater, remain plainly visible today. Contrarian thanks Skipper David Smith....

12 September, 2009