Oh, Canada! We did not know about your big bang! (Halifax edition)

After finding our way to, parking in the underground garage, finding our way to our Airbnb, and putting away all our Walmart stuff, we called it a day.  Our Airbnb was nice and modern and close to everything.  So, the next morning, we headed down to the waterfront to see what we could see.  It was warm that day.  So warm that the street lamps melted

Well, okay.  It was an art installation, but...

A waterfront cornhole game broke out.  The ladies crushed the men.  ...not even close.

The tourist information desk in the ferry terminal suggested a ferry trip across the harbor to Dartmouth and a bus ride down to Fisherman's Cove.  Off we went!  On the way, we got a running tour commentary from a nice local lady on the bus.  This was one of many, super nice and friendly people we met along the way.

Harbour Ferry

Lots of little shops in Fisherman's Cove

A prevailing view - which we support!

Lunch stop.  Nice in the shade.

Boardwalk loop trail in the cove.  

Commercial area of the cove.

We tried some Moon Mist ice cream.  It came highly recommended by the tourist information person.  It's a combo of bubble gum, grape and banana ice cream.  Our group gave it mediocre reviews.  Fisherman's Cove is a nice place to visit, but maybe not worth the time and effort, considering the rest of Halifax.

Next, we took the bus back to the ferry terminal and then walked up to park with a city overview.

Leighton Dillman Park

Halifax from Dartmouth

Downtown.  Halifax is still growing.

A cross harbour ferry with the container port in the background

Then, back across the harbor for a snack and a beverage to wait for the visitation time for the Bluenose II.

A beverage.

A view of George's Island while consuming beverage

The Bluenose II heading for the dock.

On the deck

A beautifully kept ship.  Everything was polished and shiny.

The Bluenose was the fastest fishing schooner of it's day, which meant it could be first back with a catch and get the best prices.  It was a functional fishing schooner but also very successful racing ship.  She could make 16 knots (about 18 mph).   The original sank off Haiti in 1946 and this replica was built in 1963,  It has it's homeport in Lunenburg but spends a lot of time in Halifax.  Very knowledgeable crew was very happy to answer whatever questions you could dream up.

So, today, Darmouth, the Bluenose II and a ferry.  No big bang.

Tomorrow, a walking tour.  

Our tour started at Pier 21.  Immigration Museum.

Home where Lucy Maud Montgomery, author of Anne of Green Gables, stayed while in Halifax.  Standard Halifax construction.  Native Ironstone sides, granite facade.

Public Gardens were in the English Formal style.  Very nice!

Titanic model.  Survivors arrived in Halifax.

A model of the Canadian Navy Corvette, Sackville.

Tour heading from Halifax Citadel.

It was here we heard the story of the explosion.  From Wikipedia: "On the morning of 6 December 1917, the French cargo ship SS Mont-Blanc collided with the Norwegian vessel SS Imo in the harbour of Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. Mont-Blanc, laden with high explosives, caught fire and exploded, devastating the Richmond district of Halifax. At least 1,782 people, largely in Halifax and Dartmouth, were killed by the blast, debris, fires, or collapsed buildings, and an estimated 9,000 others were injured. The blast was the largest human-made explosion at the time.^[1] It released the equivalent energy of roughly 2.9 kilotons of TNT."

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Halifax_Explosion

So, this was the Big Bang.  

The Mont-Blanc was transporting explosives for the war in Europe.  Secrecy kept the lading a secret, so nobody knew a blast was possible with the ship on fire.  Many gathered to watch. A railroad bridge tender got word out to hold arriving trains, saving many lives.  He perished in the blast.

Broken window glass blinded many, which caused a school for the blind that exists to this day.  Debris from the blast is still turning up in construction sites.  

It's amazing all the things we DON'T learn in the US. +

Then off to the waterfront again.  Don and Sue headed for the Maritime Museum.  Sue want to check if they had any artifacts her brother collected while diving as volunteer on wrecks off Nova Scotia.   

The Acadia served in WWI and WWII and also the explosion.  Someone is out of kilter.

HMCS Sackville - a Corvette - Served in the Atlantic during WWII

Sue taking her morse code telegraphy test.

We both passed!

Maritime Museum had nice collection of ships of all sizes.

...and quite a few model ships.

No info on Sue's brother, but they did have a big display was about a ship collision and explosion in the harbour in 1917, including lots of photos and artifacts.  

Tomorrow, a bore.