Culinary
The Winery Association of Nova Scotia has officially launched its signature, regional, ultra-preium white white ... Tidal Bay. This wine consists of 100% Nova Scotia grown and produced grapes and also meets regulations concering winery and vineyard practices. Tidal Bay is lower in alcohol, a little bit off-dry, aromatic and has a crisp acidity.
The Masstown Market has opened its new 50 ft. lighthouse that features a Bay of Fundy AV interpretation, fish market & chip boat with a wharf dining deck.
Luckett's Vineyards, Avondale Sky Winery and Warner Vineyards are Nova Scotia’s newest wineries located in the Annapolis Valley. They join our 12 other wineries to create unique touring opportunities representing over 25 years award-winning wine making in Nova Scotia. The Nova Scotia wine industry is valued at $10 million and currently consists of 17 farm wineries, with another one in development, and 30 grape growers operating vineyards. There are approximately 475 acres of land in grape production!
Golf
In 2012, golfers will witness the result of an effort to restore Stanley Thompson’s masterpiece, his “Mountains and Ocean” course, the Highland Links located in Ingonish Beach. Scenic vistas have been opened up, sand bunkers restored to their original look and green speeds increased.
Already deemed as “Canada’s next great golf course”, Cabot Links opened itss entire 18 holes to the world! Also new is Cabot Lodge, where every room has a veiw of the course and the ocean. Located in Inverness, this walking-only, oceanfront golf course on the West Coast of Cape Breton Island is designed by Canadian architect Rod Whitman and will start in the town of Inverness and roll gently down to the beach. 
Attractions & Authentic Experiences
She's back! Nova Scotia's famous sailing ambassador, The Bluenose II, is back, refitted like new and better than ever. She will spend the 2013 season in her home port of Lunenburg.
Nova Scotia is growing its membership with UNESCO! Grand Pre is the third World Heritage Site in the Province, designated as such for its attention on the agricultural value of the dykelands and on the symbolic importance of the landscape to Acadians worldwide. Previous additions include Old Town Lunenburg, the Joggins Fossil Cliffs, the Southwest Nova Biosphere Reserve and the Bras d'Or Lake Biosphere Reserve.
The Bay of Fundy was Canada’s only finalist in the Official New 7 Wonders of Nature contest. Experience for yourself what makes the home of the world’s highest tides so special: tidal bore rafting, walking the ocean floor, kayaking along giant sea cliffs, going whale watching or discovering 300 million year old fossils.
Explore Halifax's Titanic Connection. The Maritime Museum of the Atlantic is thought to have one of the finest collection of wooden Titanic artifacts in the world. Ambassatours Gray Line offers the “Titanic 100 Year Experience Tour” where you are guided through key sites in the North End of Halifax on the way to the Titanic Burial Site to learn about the lives the people buried there and the role Halifax played in the days after the sinking of the Titanic. At the Bedford Institute of Oceanography, you can view an exhibit on what the Titanic looks like today on the oce
an floor.
Join in an unforgettable, exhilarating, action packed 2 or 4 hour tidal bore rafting experience in versatile Zodiacs as you ride the roller coaster rapids of the Shubenacadie River. Check out these operators for your adventure like no other: Shubenacadie River Adventure Tours, Shubenacadie River Runners, Tidal Bore Rafting Park or Whitewater Adventures.
I ♥ Bikes is Halifax’s new bicycle rental service where customers can experience the best that Halifax has to offer through five carefully crafted routes bringing together different aspects of the city including nature, food, architecture, art and history.
The Studio Glass Economuseum, located in Maitland, has a new hands-on fused glass workshop for visitors where guests can create their own Nova Scotia souvenir.
The Mi-Carême Centre, located in Cheticamp, is an interactive interpretive centre that offers the opportunity to discover and experience the Mi-Carême tradition of mask making and rug hooking! Short theatre pieces permit glimpses of aspects of this rich cultural celebration.
Lunenburg Town Walking Tours, under new ownership, had added evening lantern tours to its regular lineup of authentic and entertaining strolls through the UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The Canadian Tourism Commission has launched it’s Signature Experiences Collection®. This collection of travel experiences will show the world what Canada is all about. In Nova Scotia, the following experiences are part of the growing members nation-wide: Alexander Keith’s Nova Scotia Brewery; Halifax Citadel National Historic Site of Canada; Freewheeling Adventures; Shubenacadie Tidal Bore Rafting Park & Cottages; and Celtic Colours International Festival.
Accommodations
New hotel properties! Hampton & Homewood Suites, with 270 rooms, will open in downtown Halifax in 2013 while ALT Hotels will open a 169 room property connected to the Halifax Stanfield International Airport.
On November 2011, the hospitality industry in Nova Scotia was dealt a heartbreaking blow when the historic Main Lodge of White Point Beach Resort was destroyed by fire. But on November 8, 2012, the property returned to its former glory, better than ever, with a brand new Main Lodge and updated cottage accommodations.
Don't Miss Events
In 2013, the founding of the French colony of Île Royale with Louisbourg as its capital will have its 300th anniversary. During the nearly 50 years of French colonial Louisbourg, a diverse population came together with the common goal of building a good life based on the resources and promise of this island. At the time, Louisbourg was a significant centre of trade in New France and a land of great opportunity. Parks Canada is planning a celebration of this anniversary with the Fortress of Louisbourg National Historic Site hosting major cultural events that highlight this diverse history:
- CultureFête – a cultural fair spilling into the streets of Louisbourg, July 24-28, recreating the bustling, multi-cultural, harbourside market atmosphere that would have been part of daily life in the 18th century.
- LouisRocks – from June through October, Louisbourg will rock with the sounds of many types of music; from baroque to contemporary, watch and listen to musicians as they perform onsite at the Fortress
- Super Feast! – sit down to an impressive full course 18th century dinner made with local ingredients and paired perfectly with select wines from the Governor’s inventory. Dine in period costumes and participate in lessons in baroque dance.
- Cocoa Fête! - the history of chocolate is rich and full of flavor and has long played a significant role at The Fortress … listen, learn, taste and takeaway a special nugget of dark gold considered to be a treasured luxury amongst Louisbourg’s upper class. History never tasted so good.
Halifax will host the 25th Anniversary of the East Coast Music Awards, March 6-10. A multitude of venues across the city will showcase the wealth and diversity of musical talent found in Atlantic Canada!