Tag: history
Mi'kmawey Winter Hike
With an unexpected day off from school, the kids seemed more than happy to stay inside in front of their electronic device of choice for as long as I would allow. But I know from experience that leaving a child to watch TV or to play on their iPod for an extended period of time is a lot like a wind-up toy. When you stop turning the crank and let the toy go… watch out for the crazy to be unleashed!
Fossil Fans!
I was recently invited to Amherst to speak at an event hosted by the local area Chamber of Commerce. Amherst is a vibrant community with a beautiful historic downtown and is of course the first Town to greet visitors arriving to Nova Scotia through New Brunswick. Amherst is also just twenty minutes from UNESCO World Heritage site "Joggins Fossil Cliffs":http://bit.ly/18bRcNx, so I was excited to invite my wife Sara and the kids to join me for a little overnight adventure.
Hiking around York Redoubt
Just a few minutes from the Armdale Rotary in Halifax, you can visit an interesting location where you can learn about Halifax's military history and where you can spend a few hours roaming the coastline.
I'm talking about York Redoubt, a National Historic Site, which is mostly a self-guided tour of the site. I decided to drop in on a foggy & windy day during shoulder season to check out the sights.
She's back! Relaunching Bluenose II
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Bluenose II is a Nova Scotia symbol of our past, present and future. Nova Scotia's sailing ambassador has been away from the sea for almost two years. This weekend, thousands of people joined the shipbuilders of Lunenburg by putting Bluenose II where she belongs, back in the water.
The Legendary Glooscap and a Not-So Average Joe
I proudly had the kids all ready for school when my wife Sara, in her wisdom, thought to check the cancellations to make sure that there was indeed school that morning.As it turned out it had been cancelled in anticipation of a storm that was forecast for later that day. - On the bright side the kids were all set to tackle the day and with a packed lunch to go!
The Hector Exhibit Centre & Archives in Pictou
On a cool Tuesday morning, Brendan and I left Halifax for Pictou. This three day trip would take us from Pictou to Antigonish and then along the Marine Drive to Guysborough. Our first stop was at a gas station near Westville to fill up on coffee and egg sandwiches before taking the Harvey A. Veniot Causeway into Pictou. This causeway begins in Abercrombie and crosses the Northumberland Strait to Brown's Point. We took West River Road and then Church Street before arriving at the waterfront. It was my first time laying eyes on the Hector, a replica of one of the earliest ships to bring Scottish settlers to that area. Just seeing this fantastic tall ship is enough to make me feel like I was in a time warp, back in the age of sail. The rest of the waterfront is scenic and filled with various sites including the Hector Heritage Quay, a living-history attraction.
Land of Giants
"Look up. Look waaaay up! And I'll call Rusty." -The Friendly Giant
It wasn't until I saw the giant strawberry smiling from the roadside in Great Village that I came to the realization that we were home to a surprising number of giants here in Nova Scotia. I started to make a list.
Halifax and the RMS Titanic
The loss of the White Star Liner RMS Titanic needs no introduction for anyone alive today. On its maiden voyage in 1912 the great vessel suffered irreversible damage, after a glancing blow from an iceberg at 11:40 p.m. on 14 April 1912 opened five water-tight compartments to the in-rushing sea. At 2:20 a.m. the following day, 15 April, the technological marvel of the Edwardian Age sank.
Hearses lined up on Halifax wharf, near present jetty 4 in HMCS Dockyard to take R.M.S. Titanic victims recovered by C.S. Minia.
