We spent the Thanksgiving weekend in Halifax visiting Elizabeth's sister, Rebecca! And in true Something Saturday fashion, we saw a variety of things and tried to take in as much as we could during our 3 days there (including: riding Segways).
Halifax Public Gardens
We caught the 1.5 hour flight to Halifax on Friday evening, and by the time we got into the city it was pretty late so we just got settled in at the apartment and took it easy. The next morning, we made our way down to Pier 21, which houses the Canadian Museum of Immigration. It is a National Historic Site and was the primary point of entry for over one million immigrants between 1928 and 1971, as well as the departure point for nearly half a million Canadian troops during WWII. It was known informally as the 'Gateway to Canada.'
The museum is all about telling the stories of the immigrants, and they provide guided tours of the exhibit, which adds to the experience. It was interesting for us to hear about the past immigration process to Canada, because many of the current requirements are similar, as we're learning through Luke's quest for Permanent Residency.
The museum is all about telling the stories of the immigrants, and they provide guided tours of the exhibit, which adds to the experience. It was interesting for us to hear about the past immigration process to Canada, because many of the current requirements are similar, as we're learning through Luke's quest for Permanent Residency.
After we left Pier 21, we passed through the Farmer's Market on our way along the waterfront to the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic. This museum provides a lot of content to read and quite a few exhibits, so we just focussed on a couple of exhibits while we were there (and didn't even check out the huge Titanic one!). The one that we were most fascinated by was that of the Halifax Explosion. The Halifax Explosion happened in December 1917 when two ships collided in the harbour, one carrying highly explosive cargo, which resulted in the largest man-made explosion prior to the development of nuclear weapons. Although Elizabeth learned about it a while ago, it was good to get more information, and Luke hadn't even heard of the incident before.
Then we made our way up to Citadel Hill, which has been the site of many defensive fortifications throughout history, designed to protect the Halifax harbour. The most recent citadel was completed in 1856 with the intention of preventing a land-based attack by American forces. Funny enough, the Citadel was never attacked. But this means that it is very well-preserved.
Then we made our way up to Citadel Hill, which has been the site of many defensive fortifications throughout history, designed to protect the Halifax harbour. The most recent citadel was completed in 1856 with the intention of preventing a land-based attack by American forces. Funny enough, the Citadel was never attacked. But this means that it is very well-preserved.
That evening, we ventured back to Citadel Hill and took in their Ghost Tour. According to Elizabeth, Rebecca and Skye, it was one of the creepiest things in existence. Let's just say that it started with a story about seeing soldiers on security cameras, and it went on from there while walking through old chambers, and cold, dark passageways.... feel free to use your imagination.
The next day, we visited the Southern Shore of the Bedford Basin, in the former Africville area. Africville was a community made up of Black Nova Scotians who initially settled there following the American Revolution, as well as after the War of 1812. The community remained intact until the government uprooted them and destroyed their houses in the 1960s, in the name of urban renewal while trying to reduce segregation. Unfortunately, this was devastating to the community and was seemingly unnecessary. In 2010, the City of Halifax ended up issuing the community an apology. It is a fascinating story, and one worth hearing. The church has since been rebuilt, and currently houses the small museum. Plus, there is a beautiful off-leash dog park right next to it, where we had a picnic lunch.
The next day, we visited the Southern Shore of the Bedford Basin, in the former Africville area. Africville was a community made up of Black Nova Scotians who initially settled there following the American Revolution, as well as after the War of 1812. The community remained intact until the government uprooted them and destroyed their houses in the 1960s, in the name of urban renewal while trying to reduce segregation. Unfortunately, this was devastating to the community and was seemingly unnecessary. In 2010, the City of Halifax ended up issuing the community an apology. It is a fascinating story, and one worth hearing. The church has since been rebuilt, and currently houses the small museum. Plus, there is a beautiful off-leash dog park right next to it, where we had a picnic lunch.
Afterwards, we visited the Museum of Natural History. The highlights were a 1.5 hour talk by a man who lived in Nunavut for 30 years, and a 91 year old gopher tortoise named Gus. You haven't lived until you've seen a tortoise eat a banana.
Then we wandered through the Public Gardens on the way back to the apartment. It is a lovely space and the gardens are very well kept.
Then we wandered through the Public Gardens on the way back to the apartment. It is a lovely space and the gardens are very well kept.
Then on Monday morning, we explored Point Pleasant Park for a while before heading down to the waterfront to try our hand (/body) at riding Segways! We booked a 1 hr tour, for only $30 each, and had a fun, ridiculous, time. We were a bit shaky at first, but it doesn't take long to get used to the controls, although it is surprising how much it can hurt the bottoms of your feet after a while.
Elizabeth wore her camera around her neck, accentuating her super-nerd look, and managed to take some decent video. Now you too can feel like you rode a Segway along the Halifax boardwalk:
All in all, we had a great time and realized how different the history of Halifax is from that of St. John's, although they're both sea-faring places in Atlantic Canada. We would definitely recommend visiting the place (and maybe even renting Segways while you're at it).
We took some more pictures over the weekend, and here they are!
We took some more pictures over the weekend, and here they are!
Oh, and we forgot to mention that we saw Elizabeth's LEAST favourite cousin, Mark, in the Halifax airport.
