Momboisse Family Adventures - Halifax, Nova Scotia

Friday, September 29, 2017

Halifax, Nova Scotia
288 Nautical Miles from Saint John
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Georges Island, Halifax Harbor

The Crown Princess sailed past McNabs Provincial Park and Georges Island, before docking at Pier 22 in Halifax Harbor at 9:30 on a gorgeous Nova Scotia day.  On our own this time, we would be using a Google Map we prepared before our trip. 

Halifax, Nova Scotia was originally inhabited by the Mi'kmaq Peoples. 

The first Europeans to arrive were the French in the early 1600s.  They established the colony of Acadia.  Then came the British (we are sensing a pattern here), led by Colonel Edward Cornwallis who founded Halifax in 1749 and erected a fortification on Citadel Hill. 

Modern Halifax is "famous" for two things:  the final resting place of 150 victims of the "Titanic" (1912) at Fairview Lawn, and the 1917 explosion.  

Today Halifax is the capital city of Canada's oldest province, Nova Scotia, and also the largest city on Canada's Atlantic coast.

Our goal, enjoy leisurely walk of Halifax Harbor Boardwalk to the Historic Properties on Upper Water and Duke Streets,  then cut across town to the Citadel, through the Public Gardens and back to our ship. 

Harbor Walk 

The harbor remains the center of activity in Halifax, with many attractions fronting the boardwalk - the Canadian Museum of Immigration, and 

Maritime Museum of the Atlantic. 

At the MMOA we find an exhibit on the Halifax Explosion and a deck chair from the Titanic.  As Halifax was the closest major port to where the Titanic sank, it played a significant role in the recovery and burial of its victims.  

Halifax harbor is strategically located on a major sailing route from the east coast to Europe.  One of Halifax's own capitalized on this in 1839.  

Samuel Cunard started the highly successful  Cunard Line, a passenger and cargo service between England and Halifax.

Continuing down the board walk we pass The Emigrant by sculptor Armando Barbon.

Boardwalk looking back at cruise ships.  

Bishop's Landing on 

the boardwalk offers shopping, 

dining, 

and luxury living on the waterfront.  

Ships docked on the waterfront 

Cameo with Canada's best
ice cream makers Cows

or what is Canada's version of Happy Cows.

Privateers' Wharf (also known as The Historic Properties) is among the oldest and most historic buildings in Halifax.  

Built in 1813, the Privateers Warehouse was used to store the booty of Halifax merchant, privateer, and smuggler Enox Collins.  

The only thing left of the pirate booty is this skeleton hanging on the side of the building as today

the warehouse is all shops and restaurants.

Turn on to Duke Street  then
left on Barrington and pass
Grand Parade and Halifax City Hall.

Right on to Carmichael and we are facing the 

Old Town Clock, a gift from Prince Edward, has stood at the base of Citadel Hill since 1803.  

The Halifax Citadel (#6 map below) on Brunswick Street is one of six forts built to protect the Halifax Harbor. 

The Halifax Citadel was founded in 1749 as a strategic base for the British Royal Navy.  Halifax has been home to four Citadels, all constructed on this ground.  The first three were built of earth and logs and served through the Seven Years War, the American Revolution, Napoleonic Wars and the War of 1812. 

After 1815, British authorities decided that the old wooden fort should be replaced by a more permanent fort made of stone.  Construction for the stone Citadel began in 1828 and was completed in 1856. 

Though the Citadel was never attacked, it was successful as a military deterrent.  British troops remained at this fort until 1906.  After that the Citadel was occupied by the Canadian military and remained active until 1951.  

The Citadel is now a
 National Historic Site 

set in the year 1869
when Queen Victoria reigned

 and the new nation of Canada
 was only two years old.

The Army Museum has exhibits of Nova Scotia's military past.

Seven inch rifled guns
peek out over the bastions.

Views of Halifax Harbor
from the top of fort walls. 

The view below is toward Angus Macdonald Bridge and the area where the Halifax Explosion occurred in 1917.  

The Pavilion, 1601 South Park Street as seen from the Citadel is a modern style condominium building - built in 2013.

From the Citadel we walked down Brunswick Street and took a left on Spring Garden to 

Saint Mary's Cathedral Basilica

 (Catholic) at 1531 Grafton Street. 

 This church has been serving the Catholic
 community of Halifax since 1784. 

The 21 original stained glass windows that lined the walls of the sanctuary were destroyed in the Halifax Explosion of December 6, 1917. 

The current windows, which depict scenes from the Old and New Testament, were designed by Franz Mayer of Munich, Germany.  

Across from Saint Mary's is the Old Burying Ground.  The most notable person buried here is British Major General Robert Ross who burned Washington in the War of 1812. 

Just behind the Old Burying Ground (and can be seen in the distance in the picture above) is the Provincial Court House.  Next a right on Barrington Street and right on Bishop pass the

Government House, home of the Lieutenant Governor of Nova Scotia, Arthur Joseph LeBlanc.

Finally a stop at the Garrison Brewing Company
 before heading back to the ship. 

Back at our favorite window table for
Prime Rib night! Salud! Pax!

Tomorrow Sydney, Nova Scotia

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For an interactive map and guided walking tour covering many of our tours please be sure to download the GPSmyCity App from the iTunes store. The App covers an extensive library of articles and walking tours from over 470 cities worldwide, and now features articles from Adventures of a Home Town Tourist covering Carmel and Monterey (with more cities on the way).

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Photography (with iphone 5s) by L.A. Momboisse and R.M. Momboisse unless otherwise listed below:

Skyline of Downtown Halifax from Wikipedia
Deck Chair from the Titanic Maritime Museum of the Atlantic
Stained Glass Windows Saint Mary's Cathedral Wikipedia