On May 23, 1881, the first cable landed in Canso. The company that had cables between Ireland and Newfoundland had the rights to all cables landed there. Business people knew cable was important for business. For this reason, other companies wanted to land cables as well. Canso was the nearest point to Ireland from North America.

For seventy-seven years, news was sent back and forth between North America and Europe. Commercial Cable was the first station to hear the Titanic's(*) distress call in 1912.

During World War I, troops were stationed at our cable station. They checked the contents of the cable messages being sent out.

Commercial Cable was not the first cable company in Guysborough County. In 1874, the Direct United States Cable Company opened in Tor Bay. In 1881, the Western Union Company opened a cable station in Canso.

To read more on the Titanic, go to The Titanic.