May 11

Halifax

[Editor’s note:  The delay in reporting on the Canada trip was engendered by another trip to another foreign country – Indiana.  While I had hoped to continue the Canada blog while attending Mini-University at Indiana University, the rigors of academia prevented me from doing so.]

[Halifax was our last stop in Canada.  And it’s a big city.]

[Halifax the capital of the province of Nova Scotia. The municipality had a population of 403,131 in 2016, with 316,701 in the urban area centred on Halifax Harbour.  The regional municipality consists of four former municipalities that were amalgamated in 1996: Halifax, Dartmouth, Bedford, and the Municipality of Halifax County.  This urban area is the most populous on Canada’s Atlantic coast, and the second largest coastal population centre in the country after Vancouver, British Columbia. Halifax currently accounts for 40% of Nova Scotia’s population, and 15% of that of Atlantic Canada. Metropolitan Halifax benefits from a process of increased rural depopulation and corresponding urban growth in Atlantic Canada during the late 20th century—a demographic shift that was delayed several decades in the region compared with other parts of North America.  (Wikipedia)]

[Another scenic port entry . . . ]

[Georges Island (named after George II of Great Britain is a glacial drumlin and the largest island entirely within the harbour limits of Halifax Harbour.  The Island is the location of Fort Charlotte – named after King George’s wife Charlotte.  Fort Charlotte was built during  Father Le Loutre’s War, a year after Citadel Hill (Fort George).  The island is now a National Historic Site of Canada.  (Wikipedia)]

[That’s the Angus L. Macdonald Bridge in the background, built in 1955.]

[We’ve landed (obviously) and in our first venture off the ship The Biddies have discovered Samuel Cunard.  As you may have surmised, he is indeed the founder of the Cunard Line.]

[The Old Burying Ground was founded in 1749, the same year as the settlement, as the town’s first burial ground. It was originally non-denominational and for several decades was the only burial place for all Haligonians. (Wikipedia)]

[Saint Mary’s Cathedral Basilica]

[Self-identified – my favorite things!]

[As we were walking past the above building, we came upon the statue below – even from the back I recognized it as Churchill.  Obviously well done!]

[This was the old city library.]

[This is the new city library, a block away and across the street.  The Halifax Central Library opened in 2014, i.e., it’s brand spanking new.]

[Inside the new library . . . ]

[Reetz likes it!]

[The view from the roof . . . ]

[Of course, one of the joys of foreign travel is talking with the locals.  In this case it was made much easier by a shared common language.  We struck up a conversation with the white-haired gentleman sitting next to Ruthie.  He looked like a college professor, but as I recall he was a retired businessman.  Well, the conversation got fun – soon every one in the room was listening in and laughing with us.  And though this was an anteroom, it was still a library and a couple folks got up and left – I’m not sure if it was our fault, but I wouldn’t be surprised.]

[The discussion above was about the best way to walk to the Citadel – there on the hill top.]

[Out walking again past South Park – I don’t believe it had anything to do with the TV show.]

[But it was on the way to . . . ]

[The Public Gardens . . . ]

[The Biddies experiencing the joys of new discovery.]

[And away we go . . . ]

[This is a tree . . . ]

[And this is a gazebo surrounded by flower gardens . . . ]

[This is a Canadian bee . . . ]

[He says, “Buzzzz, eh?”]

[Oh yeah, I wasn’t going to use eh.]

[A nice sunny day would have been nice . . . ]

[But we’re enjoying it anyway . . . ]

[Just seemed like a neat shot.]

[And 6 photos by the Super in the park . . . ]

[We’re out of the park and heading to the Citadel.]

[It’s up there.]

[The plight of the walking tourist . . . ]

[The view of the city and the river as we trudge upward.]

[This would be our steep route back to the river.]

[And 2 more from the Super . . . ]

[We’ll end here for now – and pick up the rest of Halifax in the next posting.]

Canada is the only country in the world that knows how to live without an identity.  ~  Marshall McLuhan

Up Next:  Halifax, part 2