Life & Style | Travel
Tartan twist
Violent skirmishes, sinking ships and stunning scenery? Steve Hill explores Nova Scotia…
- By Steve Hill, Freelance Writer
- Published: 23:33 January 30, 2009
- The mist rolls along Novia Scotia's rocky shoreline.
- Image Credit: Shutterstock
Just for a moment it's easy to forget exactly where you are, for with the distinctive sound of bagpipes drifting in the air and plenty of tartan on view, it is tempting to think that you've arrived somewhere in deepest Scotland.
And in a way you have because this is Halifax, the provincial capital of Nova Scotia – Latin for New Scotland – and Atlantic Canada's largest city, a bustling port from where you can easily take ferries to New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland, or even the US province of Maine via nearby Dartmouth. But there are plenty of reasons to remain in this sprawling province which boasts the remote island community of Cape Breton Island, 7400km of diverse coastline, picture postcard lighthouses, unrivalled hiking and biking trails, arguably some of the best seafood
in the world and a compelling combination of historic sites and museums.
Visitor numbers to Halifax soared in the immediate aftermath of the 1997 release of the Hollywood blockbuster Titanic because of the city's association with the doomed liner.
Most head straight for The Maritime Museum of the Atlantic which is home to a permanent exhibition to the Titanic which sunk in 1912 after striking an iceberg 1300 km off the coast of Nova
Scotia.
Ships sailed from Halifax in the vain hope of saving the 2200 passengers and crew on board, only to return laden with more than 300 of the over 1500 victims. Some 121 are buried in the Fairview Lawn Cemetery where headstones – including that of stoker J Dawson, whose name was borrowed for the role made so famous by Leonardo Di Caprio – are laid in converging rows that represent
the bow of a ship.
Another 19 victims have been buried at Mount Olivet and ten more at Baron de Hirsch, helping form integral parts of Titanic tours that can take up the best part of a day. The museum's display includes an original deckchair from what was the world's biggest ocean-going liner, remnants of a staircase and archway, part of a lifejacket and a poignant advertisement for the return voyage that never was.
Halifax had barely recovered from its role in the tragedy when the city was rocked in December 1917 by what remained the world's largest man-made explosion until the nuclear bomb
was unleashed on Hiroshima in 1945. A French ship carrying some 2600 tons of military explosives collided with a Belgian relief vessel in the city's harbour, sparking a fire which led to an explosion that killed more than 1900 people. Over 1600 homes were totally destroyed by this floating bomb and some 12,000 damaged with 13 hectares of the city flattened by the accident.
Residents in North Cape Breton some 360km away heard the blast. The scale of the incident is vividly made clear in a fascinating display at the same museum, arming visitors with a real insight of events that have helped shape modern Halifax. Close by is the equally moving Pier 21 which is billed as Canada's Immigration Museum.
Some 1.5 million immigrants passed through here between 1928 and 1971. And countless stories of hope and despair are retold through the words and voices of refugees, war-time evacuees and their children who arrived here with the hope of a better life.
Halifax's more distant past is celebrated at the Citadel, Canada's most visited national historic site. It's essentially a large star-shaped fort built by British colonists on a commanding hill-top position to protect the valuable harbour. Restored to the mid-Victorian period with a living history programme that features dozens of men and women donning period costume each day to re-enact
soldiers' parade ground drills, the firing of the traditional noon cannon and a bagpipe band's practice, this is an easy place to while away several hours.
Nova Scotia's historic past also comes to life 300km or so away in the former capital of Annapolis Royal. These days it is a heritage town that boasts a community of around 600 people, including a small number of Acadians who can trace their family history back to 1605 and the establishment here of the country's first permanent European settlement. But this was also the scene of several bloody and controversial encounters over the next 100 years or so as the British and French fought for supremacy with the British responsible for one of darkest hours in Canada's new history, expelling around 10,000 Acadians because of their refusal to take an oath of allegiance to the crown.
This bitter and violent past is hard to imagine as one strolls along the tranquil banks of the Annapolis River and through the grounds of Fort Anne, enjoying a stunning sunset into the bargain.
But it was still fascinating to spend time browsing one of the oldest English cemeteries in Canada as well as some of the town's 130 heritage properties, including several that date back to the 18th century. A further 40km away to the south-west is Digby, a small harbour town that is one of the province's most important fishing centres and home to what the locals claim is the world's largest inshore scallop fleet. Summer is the best time to enjoy fresh platefuls of shellfish here. And the price is definitely right with Dhs30 buying you enough scallops, chips and dulse (dried crunchy
purple seaweed) to make up for the rundown appearance of the Fundy Fish Market.
It did not take long to explore a town named after Admiral Robert Digby, who brought the first settlers here at the turn of the 18th century. So we headed for Digby Neck, the unusually named narrow peninsula that follows the mainline shore.
The coastal scenery is stunning as we drive through a series of pretty fishing villages before the road runs out at East Ferry. There's time to check emails and enjoy a quick cuppa before a ferry arrives to drift across the narrow ‘Petit Passage' and take a handful of travellers across to Long Island.
We're here only for the afternoon so there's no chance to book a whale watching tour, but a handful of day-trippers like ourselves drive to the other end of the island and take another ferry, this time across ‘Grand Passage' to land at Westport on Brier Island.
It's so quiet and peaceful here, so removed from the relative bustle of Halifax, that we're tempted to linger a night or two. Sadly there's simply not enough time so it was with a heavy heart that we headed back to catch the ferry and take the first steps back to the mainland, promising ourselves to return one day for another taste of this special area of Atlantic Canada.
Where to hit the hay: The Halliburton (www.thehalliburton.com), the 200-year-old former home of Nova Scotia Supreme Court Chief Justice Sir Brenton Halliburton, is a stylish boutique hotel. Rates include breakfast, parking and internet access.
Eat scrumptuous seafood: The Five Fishermen Restaurant is located close to the Citadel in Halifax and has been serving fruits of the sea for more than 30 years. (www.fivefishermen.com)
Eat cheaply and cheerfully: The Midtown Tavern, at 1684 Grafton Street, is a Halifax institution famed for its steak dinners.
Listen to the music: The Marquee (www.themarqueeclub.ca) has long been Halifax's premier music club and a great place to see up-and-coming acts.
Catch a wave: Winter or summer, Lawrencetown Beach is the place surfers head to. It's just 25 minutes from Halifax.
Get a great nap: Peggy's Cove, a 45-minute drive south of Halifax on Highway 333, is the most photographed tourist destination in Canada.SWING EASY: Stanley Thompson's Highlands Links is set in the Cape Breton Highlands National Park and is regarded as one of Canada's leading golf courses (http://highlandslinksgolf.com)
Go up...and down: Watch the world's highest and lowest tidal flows in action at the Bay of Fundy. The tide here can
rise over 15 metres.
Go shopping: Halifax Shopping Centre (www.halifaxshoppingcentre.com) boasts more than 170 stores, making it one of Atlantic Canada's premier shopping destinations.
For more Iinformation: http://novascotia.com
Getting there: Fly Dubai to Toronto (non-stop 13 hours) with Emirates (approximately Dhs6060) and then take a two-hour connecting flight to Halifax with Air Canada for around Dhs900 return.
VISAS: Citizens of the USA, Australia, New Zealand and the UK do not need a visa to visit Canada. Citizens of the UAE, Pakistan and India do require a visa. For full details, visit
http://www.cic.gc.ca/EnGLIsh/visit/visas.asp
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