The first day after settling in was a time to visit the harbor and the true maritime flavor of the famous coastal city of Halifax. And, true to its coaster heritage and coupled with a storm called Irene, the weather was a bit cool and blustery. But, we headed into town and visited the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic. The museum has over 26,000 artifacts and one such artifact is the CSS Acadia. This was the first hydrographic research vessel build to chart Canada’s Arctic and eastern waters.
The museum itself houses exhibits on small watercraft, Sable Island and its hundreds of shipwrecks, the Halifax Explosion, ship chandlery and shipwreck treasures. There is a large exhibit on Cunard ocean liners, wartime convoys, the Days of Sail and of course one of the largest permanent exhibits, the Titanic.
While we were there, and patrolling the outside exhibits, we came across a couple of unknown vessels. These were a large yacht named the “Unity” and an ocean sailing ship named the “Scheherazade”. We researched each because they were awe-inspiring and jaw dropping. The first, the Unity – a 40 meter (131 foot) yacht with white decks over a blue hull belongs to Elena Ford, the great, great, grand daughter of Henry Ford. According to rumors, Ford and her husband spent $17 million for the Grosse Pointe Yacht Club in Michigan to dredge part of the harbor to make room for their yacht.
The other sailing yacht, the 47 meter (154 foot), the Scheherazade, is currently registered in Bermuda but sails out of Maine. She is up for sale; a mere 29 Million is the asking price. It was a lot of fun imagining the life aboard one of these cruising the Atlantic.
There were several other sailing ships ready for charter in the harbor as well and one of the last serving WWII corvettes, the HMCS Sackville. She was a Flower-class corvette that served in the Royal Canadian Navy and was active from 1941 to 1982. She is now open for tours.
After an exhausting museum tour, what else does one do in Halifax but go across the street to the Alexander Keith ‘s Nova Scotia Brewery. Here the oldest part of the original 1820 brewery has been converted into a pub, a gift shop and offices. The best part is that the tour of the brewery is done by period actors who take you through the old processes and even serve you a few tastes afterward.
The next day, we decided to head south to Peggy’s Cove. Peggy’s Cove (population approx. 46) is a small rural community located on the eastern shore of St. Margarets Bay. The first recorded name of the cove was Eastern Point Harbor or Peggs Harbor in 1766. Peggy’s Cove has a classic red-and-white lighthouse still operated by the Canadian Coast Guard. The light station is situated on an extensive granite outcrop at Peggy’s Point, immediately south of the village and its cove. This lighthouse is one of the most-photographed structures in Atlantic Canada and one of the most recognizable lighthouses in the world.
The Swissair Flight 111 Memorial is located at The Whalesback, a rock promontory approximately 1 km northwest of Peggy’s Cove. It is one of two memorials built to commemorate the victims of the Swissair Flight 111 disaster, which saw the aircraft crash into St. Margarets Bay on 2 September 1998. The monument reads in English and French: "In memory of the 229 men, women and children aboard Swissair Flight 111 who perished off these shores September 2nd, 1998. They have been joined to the sea, and the sky. May they rest in peace."
The site of the crash and two monuments form a triangle. The three notches on the monument at Whalesback represent the numerals 111. The sight line from the three grooves in the stone points to the crash site; while the markings on the facing stone point to another memorial at Bayswater. The memorial wall at Bayswater contains the names of the 229 passengers and crew of flight 111. The facing stone points to the crash site.
The next day, we headed for the Halifax Defence Complex, commonly referred to as the Halifax Citadel. With the founding of Halifax by the British in 1749, a system of fortifications was established to protect the naval shipyard and naval base. One of the most enduring and recognized symbols of Citadel Hill's role in shaping Halifax is the daily ceremonial firing of the noon gun. The artillery is also used for formal occasions such as 21-gun salutes.
Fort George has a living history program featuring actors portraying life in the fort where soldiers of the 78th Highland Regiment, the Third Brigade of the Royal Artillery, soldiers wives, and civilian tradespersons re-enact life in 1869.
We utilized both the guided and self-guided tours available as well as audio-visual presentations and exhibits which were very informative and really gave us a glimpse into the Citadel's role in shaping Halifax's and North America's history. The "Army Museum", located in the Citadel's Cavalier Block, displays a rare collection of weapons, medals and uniforms exploring Nova Scotia's army history. With the many changes in command while it was being built, while also fighting many battles, the fort was basically out dated by the time it was completed after 28 years.
After our brief stay in Halifax, it was off to the West coast to Annapolis Royal and Digby, which would mark the last stop in our two weeks in Nova Scotia.
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