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Published: November 27th 2010
International Fleet Week
Papa Canuck on the most technologically advanced helicopter in the US Marine Fleet.Hail to Halifax
Born, raised and living in Vancouver, the Travelling Canucks felt strangely at home in Halifax this past June when we vacationed in Canada's Maritimes. Unlike Vancouver, Halifax is not situated in one of the most geographically blessed locations in the world; however, Halifax's role as a prominent naval and commercial seaport and gateway for Canadian immigration gives the city a sense of historical importance that Vancouver lacks. The Halifax Explosion and the site of where victims of the sinking of the Titanic are buried only add to its maritime heritage.
We decided to spend our summer vacation in the Maritimes since as Canadians we have seldom vacationed in Canada. Not only does Papa Canuck have Nova Scotian roots dating back to the 1700s, but Canuck Junior is considering her post-secondary options. While our first day was spent touring the campuses of Dalhousie University and University of King's College, we spent more time in Halifax than most tourists, a total of five nights. Although we enjoyed roaming the streets of Halifax that feature historical buildings and homes, walking and people-watching along the waterfront, and joining a ghost tour of Halifax, three nights would provide ample time to
Googling Halifax
Famous Argyle Street - Hopping bar scene in Halifax! enjoy Halifax's highlights. As Westcoasters, would the winter months be a bit much to bear? After all, Vancouver is far more temperate than the East Coast that is battered by storms, more snowfall and dreary days when the marine fog barely lifts! Canuck Junior will definitely have a big decision to make in 2011!
Halifax's Historic Landmarks Province House is considered one of the finest examples of 19th Century Georgian architecture in North America while City Hall, located on the grand parade across from St. Paul's Church, is a fine example of Victorian architecture. Our favorite landmarks include the Halifax Public Gardens, considered to be one of the finest Victorian city gardens in North America, and the Old Town Clock situated at Citadel Hill. They seem to embody the sense of history that is palpable. The Old Town Clock has been keeping time for over 200 years after all!
Halifax Citadel National Historic Site of Canada Built in the early 1800s, the Halifax Citadel, an impressive eight-pointed star-shaped masonry structure with defensive ditch, earthen ramparts, musketry gallery, powder magazine, garrison cells, guard room, barracks and school room, was a key naval station in the British Empire and dominates
Old Town Clock
Located on Citadel Hill, time has been ticking for over 200 years in Halifax! Halifax's city centre. Included in the price of admission are audio-visual presentations, tour and presentations. We enjoyed our tour with a costumed animator, as well as watched a few demonstrations, including the firing of a canon and a military shooting exercise. We really enjoyed the multimedia presentation in the Welcome Centre.
Pier 21, Canada's Immigration Museum Pier 21 is Canada's Ellis Island where 1.5 million immigrants and Canadian military service personnel passed through between 1928 and 1971. We were touched by the stories of immigration and nation-building presented through the interactive exhibits, the multimedia presentations and the guided tour we took. The multimedia presentation was emotional as was our visit to the archives where we discovered a little family history! For Canadians of European decent who emigrated prior to the 1970s, a visit to Pier 21 is well worth a visit if you are interested in understanding the story of Canada's immigration from Europe and the role that Halifax played during the two world wars.
Maritime Museum of the Atlantic Located in the heart of Halifax’s historic waterfront, we spent half the day wondering and taking three guided tours about Nova Scotia’s maritime heritage. The Maritime Museum of
University of King's College
Lovely architecture on the quad! the Atlantic features small craft boatbuilding to World War Convoys, the Days of Sail to the Age of Steam, and the Titanic to the Halifax Explosion. The knowledgeable interpreters made the history come alive. It was an interesting way to spend what was otherwise a gloomy day.
Nova Scotian Crystal Nova Scotian Crystal, the one and only crystal maker in Canada, features a glassworks shop where you can view the ancient art of mouth blown, hand cut crystal from the door. After watching craftsmen turn molten crystal into stunning wine glasses, bowls, and vases, you can shop in the showroom.
Holy Halifax We toured St. Mary's Basilica and Old Burying Ground & Welsford-Parker Monument, both National Historic Sites.
As the first common burial ground in Halifax, on land granted in 1749 outside the stockade, there lies some of the oldest existing stones, including one dated 1752 that marks the grave of Malachi Salter Jr., the 2-year-old son of a prominent Halifax merchant. The Welsford-Parker Monument was erected in 1860 in memory of two Nova Scotian heroes who fought in the Crimean War.
St. Paul's Anglican Church, built in 1750 on the Grand Parade, is the oldest Protestant
Maritime Churches Abound
Across from the Old Burying Grounds church in Canada and the oldest building in Halifax. The crypt holds the remains of illustrious British colonials. As Britain’s first overseas cathedral, St. Paul’s served parishes from Newfoundland to westerly Loyalist settlements. The “Explosion Window” and piece of wood embedded in an interior wall are relics of the 1917 Halifax Explosion. When we took the Ghost Tour, we were haunted by the story of the Explosion Window.
Alexander Keith's Nova Scotia Brewery One of the oldest breweries in Canada, Alexander Keith's Nova Scotia Brewery is situated in a massive ironstone and granite building (c 1820). Animators in period costumes and characters bring 1863 Halifax to life in song and story as they lead guests through Alexander Keith’s beautifully detailed brew house and taproom. We enjoyed the ales and entertainment value, although it was expensive and a bit corny.
Art Gallery of Nova Scotia The Art Gallery of Nova Scotia is a modern gallery located in renovated heritage buildings. If features a permanent collection of contemporary and historic Nova Scotian, Canadian and International art. The temporary exhibitions included an acclaimed collection of folk art including the Maud Lewis House as well as naval artworks to commemorate the Canadian
Naval Centennial. We were amused at a middle-aged docent who took her volunteer job much too seriously. Needless to say, she was not amused with the Travelling Canucks that couldn't help to laugh at her laughable comments. Hopefully, she hasn't put a lifetime ban on us from entering her domain.
Halifax Public Gardens A formal 17acre Victorian public garden in the heart of the city offers a tranquil refuge with floral displays, statues, and fountains. Enclosed by a wrought-iron fence with a magnificent set of ornamental gates, you can't miss it! Fortunately for us, the wind and rain held off long enough for us to walk around the lovely gardens.
Farmer's Market The Halifax Farmer's Market is the place to be on a Saturday morning - a great variety of products, edible and not to choose from! We enjoyed delicious waffles with toppings while taking in the atmosphere. UPDATE: In 2010, it was located in the same complex as the Alexander Keith's Brewery, but in 2011 it moved to its new location at the waterfront complex where Pier 21 is situated. Gotta say the Travelling Canucks prefer the old location that offerred more ambiance, but perhaps with time,
Halifax Farmer's Market
Check it out on Saturday mornings! the new location will grow on us! Although it is opened throughout the week, it is almost empty on weekdays, so we recommend only going on weekends.
Halifax Highlights With the Canadian Navy celebrating its 100th Anniversary, 32 national and international naval boats graced the Halifax Harbour. Being International Fleet Week, we headed down to the wharves to see and tour the naval ships open for viewing. The lines were long at times, but moved quickly. We toured two American destroyers and found the tours to be informative and interesting.
While we were in the same city as the Queen of England, we didn’t get a chance to get a glimpse of the Queen since she arrived on Monday, June 28th and the rain was pouring so hard, only a couple of hundred monarchists weathered the storm to see her at an official ceremony at the Citadel; however, we did walk around Government House, where Nova Scotia's Lieutenant Governor hosted the Queen during her stay in Halifax. Since we were leaving the next morning on our driving tour, we missed the International Fleet Review's parade on June 29th.
We flew in and out of Halifax and spent
the better part of 4 days in Halifax in late June and mid-July on our return flight to Vancouver. Fortunately, we experienced bright and sunny days along with days of drizzle and fogginess. Because of year-round fog, the Halifax International Airport is located inland and quite a distance from Halifax so be prepared for a long car trip to and from the airport. We were glad we rented a car at the airport to avoid expensive taxi rides to and from the airport. Despite Maritime weather, Halifax was hopping! The Royal Nova Scotia International Tattoo and Atlantic Canada Jazz Festival were drawing crowds in early July.
We stayed at the Prince George Hotel in 2010. Though not remarkable, it met our needs and expectations at a reasonable nightly rate. Centrally located on the steep slope, just below the Citadel, the Travelling Canucks were within walking distance of all that Halifax has to offer, including the restaurant and bar district!
2011 UPDATE: In August 2011, we stayed four nights at Marriott's Courtyard Hotel on Water Street and really enjoyed our stay. Besides its fantastic location, clean, well-appointed rooms with two comfortable queen-sized beds at reasonable rates makes this our
favorite family hotel in Halifax! Tip: Hotel parking is expensive so take advantage of free street parking on Sundays and overnight. Just remember to wake up early enough to plug the meter on Saturdays and weekdays until you are ready to head off for the day! Just around the corner, you will find Cabin Coffee. It is a great spot for eating in or taking out fantastic coffee and baked goods for breakfast!
Here are some of the restaurants we enjoyed and recommend:
• Cora's for breakfast
• Cabin Coffee - great coffee, cinnamon buns and baked goods
• The Old Triangle Irish Pub for lunch
• Chives for dinner
• Jane's on the Common for dinner
• Morris East for pizza
• Ristorante a Mano-fun and great Italian food
• Stayner's Wharf Pub & Grill - waterfront location - best mussels!
• Q Smokehouse & Southern BBQ
Hail Halifax is the first of a series of blogs about our 2010 summer vacation in the Canadian Maritime provinces of Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island. After Halifax, we drove to beautiful Prince Edward Island where we spent three wonderful days before driving along the coast of Nova Scotia, starting on the North Shore and stopping in the Annapolis Valley in the quaint towns of Wolfville and Annapolis Royal, and then along the French Shore to Yarmouth where we started our coastal tour of the South Shore. Stops along the South Shore included the seaside villages of: Shelburne, Lockeport, Liverpool, Lunenburg, Mahone Bay, Chester and Peggy's Cove. Come along on our Maritime adventure and explore the landscape and landmarks that made our driving tour memorable!
2012 UPDATE: In October 2012, we stayed two nights at The Lord Nelson Hotel on Spring Garden Road and really enjoyed our stay. Check out our blog titled:
Falling for Nova Scotia's Autumn Colours
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Jane
non-member comment
Impressive photos
The photos are excellent.... but where is the famous Halifax rain and fog? Looks like you had a wonderful time, and covered all the sights as always.