 The name, "Barra Strait" was approved November 2, 1950.The opening of the St. Peters Canal in 1869 saw the Barra Strait become part of a sheltered coastal shipping route between Sydney and the Strait of Canso for sailing and steam powered vessels.Vessels transiting this route are only limited by the size of the lock in the St. Peters Canal, which measures long, wide, and draught.