About Cape Breton University

Cape Breton University (CBU), formerly known as the “University College of Cape Breton” (UCCB), is a university in the Cape Breton Regional Municipality, Nova Scotia, Canada. Located near Sydney, CBU is the only post-secondary degree-granting institution on Cape Breton Island. The university is enabled by the Cape Breton University Act passed by the Nova Scotia House of Assembly.[6] Prior to this, CBU was enabled by the University College of Cape Breton Act (amended).The University College of Cape Breton’s Coat of Arms were registered with the Canadian Heraldic Authority on May 27, 1995.

CBU is an ordinary (full) member of the Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada (AUCC), the Association of Canadian Community Colleges (ACCC) and Association of Atlantic Universities (AAU), as well as an Associate Member of the Association of Commonwealth Universities (ACU).

CBU traces its roots to 1951 when the St. Francis Xavier University Sydney Campus was opened as a satellite campus of St. Francis Xavier University. Also referred to informally as “St. Francis Xavier Junior College” or “Xavier Junior College” (XJC) and colloquially as “Little X”, the St. Francis Xavier University Sydney Campus was situated in Sydney’s central business district. Several buildings were opened as a result of growth during its first decade of operation.

While working as librarian at Xavier Junior College, Mother St. Margaret of Scotland (Sister Margaret Beaton) recognized that documents of historical significance to Cape Breton Island were being lost. In 1957 Sister Beaton responded to this challenge and established Cape Bretoniana.