Blacketts Lake is a lake and community in

Cape Breton Regional Municipality Cape Breton Regional Municipality (often referred to as simply "CBRM") is the Canadian province of Nova Scotia's second largest municipality and the economic heart of Cape Breton Island. As of 2016 the municipality has a population of 94,285. The ...

Nova Scotia Nova Scotia ( ; ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada. It is one of the three Maritime provinces and one of the four Atlantic provinces. Nova Scotia is Latin for "New Scotland". Most of the population are native En ...

, Canada. The town is in the

Sydney River The Sydney River is a short river located in Cape Breton County, Nova Scotia, Canada. Historically, it was also referred to as the Spanish River from the 18th century French name for its estuary, Baie d’Espagnols. It separates the communiti ...

watershed, of which the lake forms the headwaters. The lake (and its tributary rivers) is home to the northernmost known population of

Yellow lampmussel ''Lampsilis cariosa'', the yellow lampmussel, is a species of freshwater mussel, an aquatic bivalve mollusk in the family Unionidae, the river mussels. Its natural habitat is rivers. Distribution and conservation status This species is fo ...

Characteristics

The water in the upper

watershed is alkaline. Flow in Blacketts Lake is imperceptible except at a road bridge and

causeway A causeway is a track, road or railway on the upper point of an embankment across "a low, or wet place, or piece of water". It can be constructed of earth, masonry, wood, or concrete. One of the earliest known wooden causeways is the Sweet ...

on Blacketts Lake Road. During winter, the lake tends to freeze except for areas of fast flow near the bridge and the mouths of brooks.

History

Blacketts Lake is named after Walter Blackett. Walter's father, William Blackett, born in London, England, of the Blackett family from North England came to Canada with his wife and two sons John and Walter in 1789, accompanied by a secretary of the British Government to purchase lumber for the ship yards of England. William Blackett is the founder of the nearby mining town of Glace Bay. The Blackett Family has a known connection to over 40 Prime Minters of Great Britain, and 2 Prime Ministers are direct descendants of the Blackett family. William's son, Walter Blackett, moved from his father's homestead in Blackett's Creek, PEI and established a homestead with his wife and nine (9) children on the shores of Blacketts Lake .

References

Lakes of Nova Scotia Communities in the Cape Breton Regional Municipality {{CapeBretonNS-geo-stub

Characteristics

History

See also

References