Susanne The coastline of the Halifax Regional Municipality encompasses about 400 km and is heavily indented with numerous deeps inlets protruding into the countryside. The topography is varied and ranges from lush farmland in the outlying regions to forested rolling hills. The climate is more moderate than in Central Canada and temperatures generally vary between about -5 degrees Celsius in the winter and 23 degrees Celsius in the summer.
Halifax harbour view
Halifax is well-known for its cultural offerings which are enhanced by the large concentration of post-secondary students. Its music scene in particular is very vibrant and in recent years, Halifax has also become an important film production centre. The city itself is the largest growing area in the Maritimes and is connected to the rest of Canada and the world through a major airport. Via Rail’s eastern terminus is located in Halifax.
Halifax harbour view
I headed straight east from my hotel via Duke Street to the waterfront to a complex called “Historic Properties” – a collection of historic buildings that was restored and redeveloped in the early 1970s. Many of the buildings in this complex are former warehouses of the privateers, pirates who were licensed by the British crown to raid enemy vessels. They brought back plentiful bounty that was stored in these warehouses. One of the most famous of these privateers was a fellow name Enos Collins, who started the Halifax Banking Company, the first bank in Nova Scotia.
Right at the foot of Duke Street, next to the Metro Transit Ferry Terminal that takes you over to Dartmouth, I discovered one of Halifax’ treasured icons: Theodore Too is a tugboat modeled after a popular character in a Canadian children’s television show named “Theodore Tugboat”. Today the Theodore Too is available for harbour tours, private charters, birthday parties and school groups.
Theodore Too, a Halifax icon
I headed further south along the waterfront along “Harbourwalk”, Halifax’s famous Waterfront Trail. The sun had already set and the moon was shining over the picturesque Halifax Harbour. My destination was Pier 20, location of the celebrated show “DRUM!”, a musical presentation of Nova Scotia’s four founding cultures. I reached the location about half an hour before show time and people were already lining up in the common areas outside the theatre.
Southern entrance to Harbourwalk
