Sunday 2nd October 2011 – alongside in Halifax, Nova Scotia

Hi everyone and welcome to Halifax, the capital of the province of Nova Scotia. The Town of Halifax was founded by the British government in 1749.

Halifax is named in honour of the 2nd Earl of Halifax, George Montague-Dunk who was the president of the British Board of Trade, and I was asked on more than one occasion this cruise why was it called Halifax, so there is the explanation. Halifax was and still is an ideal port as a military base, as it has what is claimed to be the second largest natural harbour in the world.

In 1794, Prince Edward, Duke of Kent was sent to take command of Nova Scotia and it was during his time here that the Town Clock on Citadel Hill and St George’s Round Church were built. That clock is still in use today and keeps good time.

We were all hoping that we would arrive here in bright sunshine but I am afraid it was not to be. It was raining and my did it rain. But it did not dampen the spirits of the passengers and ourselves as we organised the tour departures.

Many of our passengers took good advantage of the Pink Bus rides once again and the three routes gave them a good overview of the city.

Part of the route takes them past the wonderful colonial building that is Province House, the seat of the Nova Scotia Government. This sandstone building was completed in 1819.

Close by are the Victoria Public Gardens that were begun in 1836 and cover an area of 17 acres. These gardens are set out in the formal pattern that dictate the specified layout of the day and are the finest original formal Victorian Public Gardens in North America. Winding pathways lead you through the gardens past duck ponds and fountains, flowerbeds and stately trees. In the centre of the gardens is a charming red-roofed bandstand. Unfortunately these gardens like many more suffered some damage when Hurricane Juan struck in September 2003.

Groups of slightly more adventurous passengers decided on our 2 ¼ hour Halifax city and harbour hopper tour that once again proved to be a lot of fun even in the rain. They happily boarded the amphibious vessel outside the terminal and then set off for a cruise around the city spotting some of the best sights and after that it was time to see Halifax from its best vantage point – the water!

Now as we know the White Star liner Titanic sank after striking an iceberg in April 1912. Two days after the sinking the company sent out four ships, two from Halifax to look for survivors.

Eventually 150 of the recovered bodies were buried in three Halifax cemeteries, the Fairview Lawn cemetery is where the majority were laid to rest. The gravestones were mostly paid for by the White Star Line and are a plain granite block bearing the identification number and name where known.

Interestingly the graves are laid out in the shape of the forward end of the ship, a fitting and thought provoking memory of that terrible incident.

Well, given the inclement weather that persisted throughout the day the passengers had a good time in and around Halifax and for those who opted to stay close to the ship there were a good selection of retail outlets right inside the terminal building. Quality hand crafted items were offered for sale and many of the passengers took advantage of the convenience they offered.

It was great to be in friendly Halifax once again and even if the weather did not behave the local people are always ready to put on a good display wearing their kilts and in one case the addition of a pair of wellington boots did not spoil the dress code.

Thank you Halifax, it was a pleasure as always and we hope to see you again next year.

Out next adventure will be to the French Canadian city of Quebec.

Bye for now.

Graham Howell