15th September, 2018

A more sedate start to our visit to Halifax, the capital city of Nova Scotia, based on a wonderful 16-mile long natural harbour. The city was founded in 1749 and named after the Second Earl of Halifax, the then president to the Board of Trade. It rapidly became the Atlantic headquarters for the Canadian Royal Navy and Army. Queen Victoria’s father, Prince Edward, Duke of Kent (after whole Prince Edward Island is named) was very energetic here between 1794 and 1800 and the town was much enlarged with the citadel and a Martello Tower built to defend it. Halifax has never been attacked, but there was one disaster in 1917 when a French munitions ship, the Mont Blanc rammed a Belgian ship, the Imo in the harbour. It caught fire and drew many onlookers to see the sinking ships. Unfortunately it then exploded with a force that has been claimed to be the largest man-made explosion before the atomic bomb. Some 2,000 people were killed and 9,000 injured and a large chunk of the town flattened. Some bits of metal were found about two miles away.

Once again we were greeted by the friendly natives and, armed with a map and a suggested route round the city we set off into the warm sunshine. The whole cruise terminal was one big craft centre, so it took a little while to get going, but we walked on, admiring some of the older buildings and stopping at the Old Burying Ground (closed 1849).

It was then through the main shopping street where we managed to find a shoe shop with Chris Benn’s sizes.

Next on to the very attractive Public Gardens, a good example of Victorian municipal gardens.

Getting a bit warm by now, but, undaunted we made our way to the Citadel, an invigorating walk up,the hill. It is in a star-shape with low, solid walls, plenty of cannons and many locals wandering around in 18th and 19th century clothes and uniforms reenacting the old days. All very good with a comprehensive Canadian army museum, so comprehensive I did not have enough time to view it all.

Val proved to be a big fan of one of the guards!!

Finally we trekked down the hill again, past Province House, the oldest legislative building in North America, I believe (or is it Canada?) and on to the waterfront which has benn developed with shops, bars, restaurants and other amusements in old buildings. The water looked fabulous in the autumnal sunshine.

Eventually, after a longish walk, we made it back to the ship. I had one more stop though and that was the Centre for Immigration, where a very nice lady and her computer looked up my grandfather, William Wade Denbigh, who, if we have got the facts right, arrived in Canada, via Portland, Maine in 1912. She could not have been more helpful and it was a pity I didn’t have more time to explore my grandmother’s arrival and, possibly, my mother’s departure for England in 1943.

All in all, very impressed with Halifax and again, sad we didn’t have more time to explore further afield – but that is the nature of cruising.