Halifax Harbour Walk
I am a water person, so I get a burst of energy whenever I get a chance to stroll down a boardwalk by the ocean. I’m sure all, if not most people feel the same. Being from Alberta, the closest I get to big water is Sylvan Lake or Lake Minnewanka near Banff. So, when we arrived in Halifax the first stop on our agenda was the Harbour Walk. Like most coastal cities, towns and villages, the boardwalk is a must stop for tourists and the Halifax harbour is a busy spot. There are numerous restaurants offering full course meals to small food stands offering hotdogs and fries, and of course, every kind of sea food you can think of.
All along the way, buskers entertain travellers like me as well as the locals that regularly visit just because they can. And I put money in many guitar and violin cases as appreciation for the entertainment and for a quick pose as I photographed them doing what they do.
Canadian Museum of Immigration
We started our walk at dockyard clock near Murphy’s Warf with the goal of reaching the Canadian Museum of Immigration at Pier 21. My main interest there was to see any exhibit depicting the little known story of British Home Children. I am a BHC descendant and my novel, The Reluctant Canadian is a fictional account of my grandfather’s life – he was a British Home Child. On the second floor of the museum, there is a small display where you can read some of the story of the British Home Children that landed at Pier 21 during the days of the child migration from the U.K. to Canada. Overall, the history of migration to Canada going back to the early days when people made the arduous journey is a very interesting story and it’s all told at the Canadian Museum of Immigration.
Canadian Museum of Immigration
We started our walk at dockyard clock near Murphy’s Warf with the goal of reaching the Canadian Museum of Immigration at Pier 21. My main interest there was to see any exhibit depicting the little known story of British Home Children. I am a BHC descendant and my novel, The Reluctant Canadian is a fictional account of my grandfather’s life – he was a British Home Child. On the second floor of the museum, there is a small display where you can read some of the story of the British Home Children that landed at Pier 21 during the days of the child migration from the U.K. to Canada. Overall, the history of migration to Canada going back to the early days when people made the arduous journey is a very interesting story and it’s all told at the Canadian Museum of Immigration.
Bluenose II
I’ve never been interested in going on a cruise but I am always amazed when I see a huge cruise ship docked in port. Amazed at the number of people these small cities on the water can accommodate and more-so, that they can even stay afloat. Being from the prairies and close to my favourite hangout, the mountains, I am always in awe when I see boats of all sizes and shapes that are capable of setting sail on the ocean.
So, you can imagine my surprise and excitement when I saw two towering masts--I immediately knew it was the Bluenose II docked a short walk away. I was even more delighted when I saw that the crew was inviting visitors to step on-board the deck of the iconic ship. As amazed as I am by the technology of the modern day cruise ship, I am just as amazed at the design and craftsmanship of older ships like the Bluenose. The Bluenose II is a rebuild of the original Bluenose that was built in 1921. Going back to a time even long before the Bluenose, when power tools and computers were not available to design and build such beautiful and sea-worthy ships, the intermingling of design, strength, beauty and functionality is incredible to me.
As is my nature, I stopped to chat with Amy, one of the deck hands. As our conversation progressed, the phrase, it’s a small world summed it all up.
That conversation is in the Everyone has a Story section of the website.
The Acadia
I had never heard of the Acadia before, or at least had never stored it in my memory. Again, my goal of meeting and chatting with as many people as possible on this trip provided me with some interesting historical facts.
I had noticed the rusting ship a couple of times and thought it was just an old fishing tug taking up space in the harbour. As I walked by her, I saw a young man on deck cutting wood on a table saw, so I hollered up at him hoping to find out what he was up to. He was very cordial and more than willing to chat.
Darcy told me that the Acadia is owned by the Province of Nova Scotia and that he was doing some of the restoration work on her. From our brief chat, I found out that the Acadia is the only ship left that survived the Halifax explosion in 1917. It is also the only ship still afloat that served in both world wars.
Darcy’s pic is in the folks I’ve met section of the website.
Art Gallery of Nova Scotia
The Art Gallery of Nova Scotia is a two minute walk from the dockyard clock on the harbour front. The gallery is home to a large collection of works depicting the regions cultural history as well as works by current artists. An ongoing exhibit at the gallery is the Maud Lewis Gallery. The exhibit features original works of art by the artist as a well as the original and fully restored, and tiny home, in which she and her husband, Everett lived in at Marshalltown near Digby, Nova Scotia.
Halifax Citadel
Looking out over the city of Halifax is the national historic site, the Halifax Citadel. A visit to this site is a must if you are visiting this city for the first time. The Citadel is the third such site that I visited on this particular trip and it offered yet another account in this country’s early history. As with other such sites, the guides are dressed in period attire playing the role of characters of the time and are extremely knowledgeable about the history of the fort.
Aside from the interactive tours, the army museum on the second floor of the Cavalier Building offers great insight to Atlantic Canada’s military heritage.
Glassworks
The Halifax Glass Works (NovaScotian Crystals Ltd.) is located near the Dockyard Clock at the Halifax Harbour. Spectators get an up close view as glassblowers craft some of the finest crystal in the world. There is no charge as the glassmiths display their skills just inside a large open shop door that faces the street. Onlookers get to observe the various stages that turn molten glass into beautiful crystal ware. Of course, finished products are available for sale inside the store, where I treaded carefully by shelves lined with very expensive crystal.
Novascotiancrystal.com
