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Strait Of Belle Isle




The strait is approximately 125 Kilometre s long and ranges from a maximum width of 60 km to just 15 km at it narrowest, the average width being 18 km. .
Navigation in the strait can be extremely hazardous with strong tidal currents, depths reaching several hundred Metres in places, sea ice for 8-10 months of the year, and variable weather conditions including gales and fog.

The strait is the northern outlet for the Gulf Of Saint Lawrence , the other two being the Cabot Strait and Strait Of Canso . As such, it is also considered part of the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Seaway system. While sea ice prevents year-round shipping, the Canadian Coast Guard maintains a Vessel Traffic System (VTS) to ensure collisions do not occur.

The name is derived from Belle Isle , located at the extreme eastern end of the strait and roughly equidistant between Table Head , Labrador , and Cape Bauld , Newfoundland .

A seasonal ferry service operates at the western part of strait between St. Barbe , Newfoundland, and Blanc Sablon , Quebec . New road construction for the Trans-Labrador Highway resulted in the removal of ferry services to Outports in the northeastern part of the strait in 2002.

The idea of building a ferry service to Nova Scotia , however the project's high costs and lack of suitable road network between Labrador and Quebec have been cited as major obstacles. The October , 2003 provincial election resulted in the newly elected PC government announcing joint federal-provincial funding for a study of the concept, which was promptly derided by '' The Economist .'' {Link without Title}


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