The Global wind plot indicated that the eye of the storm was over Cape Breton in the early hours of January 8.

   https://earth.nullschool.net/#current/wind/surface/level/orthographic=-60.88,45.45,1772/loc=-60.740,46.097

Data from the Highland Village Weather station from www.Capebretonweather.ca indicates it took about 1.5 hours for the eye to move through.