Halifax and Montreal

At the end of our road trip we had a day to explore Halifax. The first drawcard was the Citadel which overlooks the city and is quite a climb. It commands a terrific view and the moat like defences would only become apparent as you climbed then stalled your advance.

We again witnessed a cannon firing (on top of the wall rather than this one pointing at me).

The 1803 “Old Town Clock” at the foot of the Citadel also commands a great view. Looking from below the Citadel with its two masts appears to have a large ship at its centre. 

In reality they are masts attached to the wall and used to fly flags. The taller left mast was for commercial shipping and flew flags/discs of ships that were in harbour. The shorter mast was part of a military telegraph system for signalling nearby forts in the Halifax defences.

We went to the art museum where Maud Lewis’s actual house has been preserved. The internal colour really brightens the place up.

And with all that walking some food was needed and we found a great restaurant on the harbour. Clam chowder and crab salad were easy selections. The restaurant has a spectacular view of the Sail GP races and two years ago was bought out for the weekend by prime sponsor Rolex. This year they were apparently outbid by a local entrepreneur! 

We then headed for the maritime museum. There was so much to see with three distinct display areas. The development of ships in the Maritimes (ie local area), Titanic – recovered bodies were sent to Halifax – the living went to New York, and something I had no idea about was the largest human made explosion made at that time. 

On the 6^th December 1917 a French cargo ship SS Mont-Blanc (loaded with munitions) and the Norwegian vessel SS Imo collided in the “Narrows” resulting in a massive blast.  Some 2000 people lost their lives and 9000 were injured. The blast field was extraordinary. (It generated a 60-foot tsunami, shattered windows 50 miles away, and was heard over a 225 miles radius).

Rather than a picture about either of the two disasters I have opted for one of the oldest ships in the collection. This is the sloop “Maria” built in 1895. Originally a fishing boat she became a pleasure vessel for the second half of her life. Interestingly, she is Carvel built which means her planks are butted together rather than overlapped. Beautiful craftsmanship.

Our final stop in Halifax was pier 21 which has a museum about immigration. One part includes a range of immigrant stories some of which are quite poignant while others are more humorous. This one certainly raised a smile.

However, the most exciting part was a small area where researchers had access to a range of historical documents. They quickly found when I emigrated to Canada on Ivernia and three years later returned to UK on Queen Mary. What was new was information on what happened to Ivernia. By contrast what was missing was when Dad emigrated to Canada. He clearly left but ….? 

And with that question unresolved (or at least unrecorded) we boarded an overnight sleeper to Montreal. Our leaving time, as you can see from the weather, was perfect.

The train comprised two different car sets with a largely empty wagon in the middle managing the different hook up arrangements. Our “Renaissance” diner was very pleasant where, inevitably, we again overindulged.

Our arrival mid-morning with an evening flight meant we had a day to explore downtown Montreal. Once more the meander from the station meant we arrived at Place Jaques Cartier in need of a sit down and some refreshment. The whole area was vibrant with the flowers down the street adding to the attraction.

Just off the street was a display by a local photographer - Jacques Nadeau. One shot was particularly eye catching and emphasised how cold it gets in this part of the world when fire hose water sprays onto you.

Fortunately, the weather was warm (and dry). This street performer was particularly entertaining breathing fire while riding a 3 wheeled unicycle. (I know that sounds like a contradiction – you check it out!) 

In fact Montreal seemed to be all about daft things to do.

While these noisy party goers immediately sweated out any alcohol prior to their next pub stop.

And with that we headed for the airport and a few days stopover in UK before heading back to Australia. A brilliant trip with an unusually diverse range of activities. I think the best week was the one in Cornwall spent with family in Addicroft Mill. It certainly will be a challenge for next year to better that!