October 7, 2006
Hello from Nova Scotia: A Ferry Trip to
Dartmouth and Saying Goodbye to Halifax
My visit to Pier 21 and especially
my encounter with Robert Vandekieft, an 89-year old immigrant who
first arrived in Canada at Pier
21 more than 52 years ago, were a real highlight of my time
in Halifax. Stefani Angelopoulos, Communications Manager for Pier
21, had kindly taken me on a tour of Canada’s Immigration
Museum and when we were finished, we both embarked on a walk along
Halifax’ Harbourwalk since we were both headed to Dartmouth,
a formerly independent city, and now part of the Halifax Regional
Municipality, located across the harbour from downtown Halifax.
The ferry linking Halifax and Dartmouth
Stefani and I had a very interesting conversation and I found out
that Stefani’s father had come through Pier 21 himself as
an immigrant from Greece. Stefani has extensive experience with
international student exchanges and volunteer assignments, so naturally
I requested her to participate in an interview with me. As a local
Dartmouth resident, she also gave me a bit of information about
the area. She explained that Dartmouth’ nickname is “City
of Lakes” because there are 23 lakes within Dartmouth proper.
Stefani also mentioned a number of beaches that are located in the
area that I would like to visit next time I travel to Halifax.
A view of the Halifax Harbour with the Angus L. MacDonald Bridge
Dartmouth’ history dates back more than 250 years: in 1750
the sailing ship Alderney brought 151 immigrants to the Halifax
area and it was decided that they would settle the area east of
the Halifax harbour. Dartmouth was incorporated as a town in 1873
and the town hall was built four years later. In 1955 a permanent
link to Halifax was built in the form of the Angus L. MacDonald
Bridge, named after a former premier of Nova Scotia. This fixed
link resulted in a huge residential and commercial construction
boom. Dartmouth expanded even more after the Murray MacKay Bridge
opened in 1970.
A view of the Halifax skyline from Dartmouth
Today, Dartmouth is home to several Canadian Armed Forces Installations
including CFB (Canadian Forces Base) Shearwater. It is also the
backdrop to Canada’s popular “Trailer Park Boys”
television show which is set in a fictional Dartmouth trailer park
and filmed locally in the surrounding areas.
For a $2 investment, the ferry ride between the two cities is a
great investment because it gives you a great view of downtown Halifax’
skyline. The Halifax ferry service is actually the oldest salt water
ferry service in North America – the first crossings took
place in 1752. Having arrived at the Ferry Terminal Building on
the other side of the harbour, Stefani and I said goodbye, and I
embarked on my self-guided Dartmouth Walking Tour. The Ferry Terminal
Building also holds the Visitor Information Centre, so convenient
access to brochures and travel information is ensured.
Looking at Dartmouth across the harbour
Right outside the ferry building is Ferry Terminal Park, a public
green space with a perfect view of downtown Halifax. I strolled
towards the World Peace Pavilion, a structure built for the 1995
G-7 Economic summit that contains stones and bricks that were donated
by more than 70 countries, resting on a bed of Nova Scotian sand.
With interest I noticed that the United States had donated rubble
from a dismantled nuclear missile silo, while Canada had donated
a 150 kg block of Nepean granite, a paving stone used in Canada
and throughout the world, also used for paving the Grande Esplanade
of Confederation Boulevard. Even more interestingly, Austria, my
birth country, had donated a brick from the infamous Mauthausen
Concentration Camp. The collection of stones indeed offers a very
fascinating selective glimpse at world history.
The World Peace Pavilion: "May Your Vision Be World Embracing"
From there I walked southwards to Canal Street which features the
entrance of the Shubenacadie Canal, a waterway whose construction
started in 1826 to link the Halifax Harbour area with the agricultural,
timber and coal producing areas of the Bay of Fundy and the Annapolis
Valley.
The Shubenacadie Canal
The project was fraught with problems and stopped due to the developers’
bankruptcy in 1831. It was picked up again in 1854 and finally completed
in 1861. Unfortunately competition with the emerging railway network
ruined the canal system; in addition many railway bridges across
the canal were built too low for steamers, so shortly after its
construction the Shubenacadie Canal system was abandoned for the
most part. Efforts have been made recently to restore portions of
the original canal route for pleasure boaters, although highway
overpasses have resulted in blocking the canal to larger vessel.
Kayaks and rowboats are still able to navigate a portion of the
Shubenacadie Canal.
First Baptist Church
I continued my walk through pleasant well-kept neighbourhoods,
past the First Baptist Church. An original church was built here
in 1843, but it was destroyed during the 1917 Halifax Explosion,
and the new church dates from 1922. From there I reached Sullivan’s
Pond, a small artificial lake that was part of the Shubenacadie
Canal system. This pond was the first water body in the canal system
linking Halifax to the Bay of Fundy, and it was constructed as a
holding pond for southbound vessels heading towards the Halifax
Harbour.
Sullivan's Pond
A few minutes further south I reached Lake Banook, a small freshwater
lake that holds a 1 km long flat-water paddling course. It is the
site of many rowing and paddling competition and has hosted the
World Junior Canoe Championships in 1989, the Senior World Championship
in 1997 and the World Marathon Championships. Coming up in 2009,
Lake Banook will host the World Senior Canoe Championships. It is
a very popular recreation area for local residents.
Another view of Sullivan's Pond
From Lake Banook I turned around and walked northwards again through
some of the residential streets in Dartmouth. I passed by two historic
cemeteries: St. Peter’s Cemetery and Christ Church Cemetery
before I arrived again in the areas surrounding the Ferry Terminal
Building. With the sun low on the horizon, I started to make my
way back to the other side of the bay and a few minutes later I
arrived in downtown Halifax.
Christ Church Cemetery
To get back to my hotel I walked through Historic Properties,
a collection of 19th century warehouses that have been converted
into a broad range of shops and restaurants. Historic Properties
is also a popular spot for wedding photography, and as I was walking
through the complex, I saw a wedding party posing for various shots
against this historic backdrop.
Wedding photography against the backdrop of Historic Properties
Just up on Duke Street I passed by a pedestrian mall: Granville
Mall features a large variety of pubs and is located right
next to the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design University. One
of the pub’s patios was packed with people, and loud music
announced that everyone was having a great time.
Granville Mall
I took a brief rest at my hotel and used the convenient in-room
Internet connection. There was so much to still see and do here
in Halifax, but my time was short and I was rather exhausted from
a very long day of discoveries that included a three-hour
city tour and a visit to the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic,
followed by a brief lunch and a walk along Harbourwalk to Pier
21, Canada’s immigration museum. And after my almost two
hour long walking tour of Dartmouth I was in dire need of rest,
so I decided to simply head downstairs and eat in the Stone
Street Café, one of the restaurants located in the Delta
Barrington Hotel.
One of the best broccoli soups I have ever tasted...
My initial hunger was quenched by an absolutely delicious broccoli
cheese soup, accompanied by freshly baked specialty breads such
as apricot and multigrain bread with regular butter and red pepper
butter, a tasty start to a nice meal. I continued with a very filling
and tasty plate of Pescara Pasta which was composed of sautéed
wild mushrooms, sun dried tomatoes and grana padano cheese.
My Pescara Pasta
After this delicious meal I retreated upstairs to the comfort of
my hotel room, packed my bags and watched a bit of TV, resting up
for my early morning departure tomorrow. I reflected back on the
past five action packed days in Nova
Scotia and how much I had seen.
And I realized how much I had not seen, that I had literally just
scratched the surface of a beautiful province, Nova Scotia, and
a fascinating city, Halifax.
A good reason to return again and hopefully soon….
Useful
books about travel to Nova Scotia:
Related
articles:
My five whirlwind days in Nova Scotia
Acadian
history at the Grand Pré National Historic Site
400 years of history at Annapolis
Royal
Port-Royal, a French habitation from 1605
Dinner at the Garrison House
in Annapolis Royal
The Annapolis Royal
Graveyard Tour
The Garrison House Bed and Breakfast
Exploring the Evangeline Trail from
Annapolis Royal to Yarmouth
Learning about Mi'kmaq heritage at the
Bear River First Nation Heritage and Cultural Center
Victorian heritage in Yarmouth
The MacKinnon-Cann Inn: Where Home
and Garden Television meets the Travel Channel
Yarmouth explained - the Yarmouth
County Museum
My car is in the ditch in Chebogue
River
The Lighthouse Trail from Yarmouth
to Shelburne
The Lighthouse Trail from Shelburne
to Lunenburg
The Town of Lunenburg - a UNESCO World Heritage
Site
An interview with the owners of the
Lunenburg Inn
The Lighthouse Trail from Lunenburg to
Halifax via Mahone Bay and Peggy's Cove
Arrival in Halifax and a stunning
musical performance - DRUM!
A Halifax city tour, the city's
connection to the Titantic and the 1917 Halifax Explosion
Exploring the Halifax Harbourwalk and
Pier 21 - Canada's immigration museum
A ferry trip to Dartmouth and saying
goodbye to Halifax
An interview with Pier 21 -
Canada's immigration museum
Helpful
links for travel to Nova Scotia:
Tourism
Nova Scotia
Destination
South West Nova Scotia
Halifax Tourism
|