Kinny's Mystique Travelouge: The Gateway to Nova-Scotia

In this Edition, I will speak about one of the major destination on the Atlantic Coast of Canada – Halifax, Nova-Scotia

Halifax, Nova-Scotia: -

The capital of Nova Scotia and the largest city in Canada's Atlantic Provinces, Halifax was once Great Britain's major military bastion in North America. The beautifully restored waterfront buildings of Halifax's Historic Properties recall the city's centuries-old maritime heritage. Stroll the waterfront, and you may find Nova Scotia's floating ambassador, the schooner Bluenose II, tied up to Privateer's Wharf, just as old sailing ships have done for over 200 years. Halifax is also the gateway to Nova Scotia's stunning scenery, including famous Peggy's Cove, where surf-pounded granite cliffs and a solitary lighthouse create an unsurpassed scene of rugged natural beauty. Halifax is considered a global cityand is a major economic centre in eastern Canada with a large concentration of government services and private sector companies. Halifax was ranked by Money Sense magazine as the fourth best place to live in Canada for 2012, placed first on a list of "large cities by quality of life" and placed second in a list of "large cities of the future", both conducted by fDi Magazine for North and South American cities.

General Information: Halifax, Nova-Scotia:-

Time: -4.00 GMT (AST - Atlantic Standard Time followed in Halifax)

Currency: CAD – Canadian Dollar ($) (1 CAD = 0.53 GBP / 0.81 USD / 0.74 EURO /

51.80 INR)

Dialling Code: (1)

Airport: Halifax Stanfield International Airport (YHZ), Enfield, Nova-Scotia.

Port: Port of Halifax, operated by Halifax Port Authority (HPA)

Visitor Information Centre/s:

1. Nova Scotia Visitor Information Centre, 1655 Lower Water St, +1 902 424-4248.

2. Nova Scotia Visitor Information Centre, Halifax Stanfield International Airport, +1 902 873-1223

To go around the town I would personally advise people to walk through the beautiful HarborWalk (3km boardwalk), which is the waterfront in downtown Halifax. The HarborWalk is home to a Metro Transit ferry terminal, hundreds of stores, Historic Properties, the Casino Nova Scotia, and several public places. Downtown Halifax, is home to many small shops and vendors, is a major shopping area. It is also home to Scotia Square, Barrington Place Shops, and Maritime Mall. Numerous malls on Spring Garden Road, including the Park Lane Mall, are also located nearby. The area is home to approximately 200 restaurants and bars, providing an interesting array of world cuisine. There are also over 60 sidewalk cafes that open in the summer months. The night-life is made up of bars and small music venues as well as Casino Nova Scotia, a large facility built partially over the water. The iconic Peggy’s Cove is internationally recognized and receives 600,000 plus visitors a year is approx. 43kms from downtown Halifax.

Downtown Halifax from Caribbean Princess

Harbourwalk

Major Points of Interest in Halifax:

1. Pier 21

2. Maritime Museum of the Atlantic

3. Peggy’s Cove

4. The Halifax Citadel

Pier 21

Pier 21 is an Ocean Liner terminal & immigration shed from 1928 until 1971. Over one million immigrants came to Canada through Pier 21 and it is the last surviving seaport immigration facility in Canada. In 1997 the Pier 21 facility was designated a National Historic Site of Canada.

Pier 21

Emerald Princess @ Pier 21

Maritime Museum of the Atlantic

Step back into Nova Scotia's maritime history. The Maritime Museum of the Atlantic is a member institution of the Nova Scotia Museum and is the oldest and largest maritime museum in Canada with a collection of over 30,000 artifacts including 70 small craft and a steamship: the CSS Acadia, a 180 foot steam-powered hydrographic survey ship launched in 1913. A special permanent exhibit explores the sinking of RMS Titanic with an emphasis on Nova Scotia's connection to recovering the bodies of Titanic victims. The museum has the world's foremost collection of wooden artifacts from Titanic, including one of the few surviving deck chairs.

Entrance of the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic

RMS Titanic

Surviving Deck Chair from Titanic

Peggy’s Cove

This quaint, historic fishing village dates back to 1811. Peggy's Cove is a small rural community located on the eastern shore of St. Margarets Bay. Peggys Cove is 43 kilometres (26 miles) southwest of downtown Halifax and comprises one of the numerous small fishing communities located around the perimeter of the Chebucto Peninsula. On 2 September 1998, Swissair Flight 111 crashed into St. Margaret’s Bay with the loss of all aboard. One of the memorials to the victims of the disaster is located at The Whalesback, a promontory approximately 1 km northwest of Peggy’s Cove

Peggy's Cove Light-House

The Halifax Citadel

This classic star fort is a Canadian National Heritage Site. Situated on top of Citadel Hill, it provided a perfect strategic view of the Halifax Harbour when it was constructed. Today it offers the opportune tourist that same view. Presently, the site itself has daily re-enactment from guides/interpreters in period dress. It is also home to a museum and a small ceremonial garrison. A must see, especially during Canada day (July 1st) celebrations. The museum is open only May-Oct, but the grounds are open all year around. During the summer, you can see the ceremonial cannon firing each day at noon.

Cuisine Delights in Halifax, Nova-Scotia

There isn't really such a thing as "Nova Scotia cuisine", but there are a few things that are worth seeking out. Seafood is generally not much cheaper in the Maritime than elsewhere, however many restaurants specialize in this cuisine. The exception to this rule is mussels. They are generally good quality, cheap and found on many appetizer menus. Another seafood worth having is scallops, as they are generally higher quality than the ones you get in many parts of North America. "Sea pie" is often a good deal when available, as are hearty eats like Fish and Chips or Seafood Chowder. Lobster in a restaurant will be expensive, so your best cheap bets are to buy one at the store and cook one yourself, or attend any of the numerous lobster dinners that are hosted by churches and community groups throughout the warmer months. Halifax prides itself on locally sourced ingredients, fresh seafood and innovative chefs making this region the centre of Canadian Maritime Cuisine. The legendary Maritime cuisine extends beyond city limits and into our thriving wine country.

Some of the good restaurants you might want to visit would be:

High Budget / Executive Quality:

· Five Fisherman

· EDNA

· Chives Canadian Bistro

My Picks / Backpackers Choice:

· Split Crow

· The Coastal Cafe

· Food Wolf (Food Truck)

· Shiraz

· Bud The Spud

There are a large number of good cafes, pubs, and other eateries all throughout downtown. Liquor purchases for private consumption are regulated by the provincially owned liquor monopoly called the NSLC (Nova Scotia Liquor Corporation). Stores can be found in stand-alone locations, malls, and grocery stores. Selection is often surprisingly large, but be prepared to pay: a twelve-pack of beer can range from $17-20, and a pint of rum or vodka will set you back $12-14. All prices quoted include taxes and recycling deposits. Most stores close at 10 PM Monday to Saturday and 5 PM on Sundays. Stores are closed for holidays.

Indian Cuisine Delight in Halifax

Shopping in Halifax, Nova-Scotia:

Halifax also has a wide variety of local, national and international stores represented at the numerous shopping malls and big box areas of the city. The largest mall in the city is Halifax Shopping Centre. My Personal Advise that if you on a visit to Canada / New-England than perhaps it is a better idea to wait until Boston, Massachusetts to shop. Halifax is a bit of the expensive side when it comes to shopping, but you can always trying scanning for local stuff at Seaport Farmers' Market: This oldest running farmers' market in North America. It runs year-round. Saturdays are by far the busiest with the most vendors, but the market is open every day of the week. Along with local produce, milk, bread, meat, and preserves, you'll find a diversity of local and ethnic prepared foods, plants, artwork, clothing, and all sorts of other interesting stuff that you may not expect for find at a Farmers' Market. Buskers play music both inside and out of the building.

Advisable Tour Operators in Halifax are:-

Ambassatours Gray Line

3790 Mackintosh Street, Halifax, NS B3K 5A6

Tel: 1 902 423-6242, Toll-Free 1 800 565-9662, Fax 1 902 423-5522
Email: reception@ambassatours.com

Ambassatours Gray Line are one of the best & quality tour operators and I have personally dealt with them for 2 separate seasons as Shorex, Princess Cruises and I had very high volume of guest on tours and I never faced a complaint or a displeasure by any guest with regards to the tour operator.

Blue Diamond Tours

Toll-Free: 1-866-414-6883, Local: 902-444-6883, Fax: 1 902-445-3311, Email: info@bluediamondtours.com

Never dealt with them but they are also one of the better tour operators in Halifax, Nova-Scotia but my personal advise would be to still go ahead with Ambassatours Gray Line.

Collections from my Personal Memoirs: