Sydney River

This article is about the river. For the community of the same name, see Sydney River, Nova Scotia.

The Sydney River is a short river located in Cape Breton County, Nova Scotia, Canada.

Sydney River rises in Blacketts Lake and runs 7 km (4.3 mi) to its mouth at South Arm of Sydney Harbour. The river is an estuary for the last 4.5 km (2.8 mi) below the "Sysco Dam" in the community of Sydney River.

The Sydney River valley is glacial with thick deposits, kames, eskers and outwash gravels creating a series of shallow lakes connected by narrow channels. This low valley was a traditional canoe portage used by the Mi'kmaq for travelling between Sydney Harbour and the East Bay of Bras d'Or Lake.