Halifax Nova Scotia

July 4 - 6 Halifax NS

For this writeup I am going to be incorporating some parts of a letter Jackie wrote. She writes, probably better than I do and it will save some time.

The day started with a tour of the city. We had a chance to see what the homes were like and the dock the expanse of the dock area. We then went to the Public Gardens. Not all the flower beds were finished yet but nevertheless it was a beautiful place.

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The picture (above) is a giant rhododendron. Jackie and some other gals walked into it and it was like a canopy. There were ponds and fountains. One pond even had a model of the Titanic.

We then moved on to the Citadel. It is located on the highest hill overlooking the town and harbor. The Citadel’s formal name is Fort George and was completed in 1856 after being under construction for twenty-eight years. It was designed to repel attacks from the United States. This fort has never fired a shot in anger.

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As you walk around and look at what an attacking force would have to overcome in order to capture a fort like this, you can understand why the best bet was to try to starve the soldiers into surrender. With the gun fire from above as the attaching force came up the hills and then the dry moat, with the gun slits on the walls would produce a killing field that would be hard to breach.

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We saw people dressed in uniforms and clothes of the day. Some acted as guides, there was at least one bagpipe player and many dressed as soldiers marching and practicing gunnery and rifle drills.

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The barracks had many displays of the everyday life and a military museum.

Peggys Cove has to rank as one of the most scenic places around. It doesn’t have high cliffs or raging waterfalls, it has a quiet beauty all its own. This whole region was carved by glaciers from the last Ice Age. Much of the rock is still as barren as when the ice melted away. It has been home to artists and you can see an artist or two as you want through the area. Peggys Cove was founded in 1811 when six German families were granted about 800 acres. The population peaked in the early 1900’s at 300 and in 2009 dropped to 49. Peggys Cove has been declared a preservation area. This commission act, passed in 1692 prohibits development in and around the village. There is gift shop and restaurant. One of the nice things about a caravan is that reservations are made in advance and we were able to enjoy lunch without the wait for a table.

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The water is very clear and no matter where you look there is one great scene after another.

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William E deGarthe was an artist that lived in Peggys Cove and late in his life he learned sculpting in order to make use of a huge piece of granite in his yard. His work stopped after 7 years when he passed away but was later finished by volunteers. He and his wife are buried by the sculpture. There is a plaque on the stone marking the grave site. The faces are those of residents and there are still some that are alive today.

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The light house at Peggys Cove

When the Titanic sunk ships went to rescue the survivors but returned to port with more dead than living. Halifax was the closest harbor and became the repository for the victims. The White Star Line purchased a plot and a headstone for each. We were told a story. It was common for employees to buy their uniforms, tuxedoes, etc from the company. Afterward, the family of the man who led the musicians and provided music as the ship sunk was presented a bill for his tuxedo. Seems he hadn’t paid it off yet.

The White Star Line did not want any mention of the sinking. A condition was that stones could have the name or number of the victim (the bodies were numbered as they were found) and the date. Later, families erected monuments with more information.

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 You might think the White Star were a bunch of “slime balls” but some things never change. Seems that when they were making the movie “Titanic”, they wanted authentic names for their hero. They searched the records and found a man with no family or relatives. So, that means they could use his name and not pay any royalties. (Ya gotta love guys like that). So, here we have “Jack Dawson”.

The following day we went to the Maritime Museum and found a listing of the crew and passengers in the Titanic section.

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Number 12 under the Engine Department listing is “Dawson, J”. His job is listed as a Trimmer. They were people who move coal from one side of the ship to the other to keep the vessel in proper balance. Not quite as romantic as the character in the movie.

Well, there is a lot more to say about the museum’s displays including the story of the munitions ship explosion that did so much damage to Halifax on Dec. 6, 1917. There are many pictures on line of the many exhibits in the museum.

The pictures on-line are a combination of pictures that Jackie & I took. There are duplicates but I'll have to sedit those out later.

Jackies http://summer2011jb.shutterfly.com/pictures/1848

Jacks http://summer2011jb.shutterfly.com/pictures/1976