This Halifax Nova Scotia museum is dark.  Not literally, but historically.  It covers the history of Canadian immigration – one million immigrants landed in Canada from 1928 to 1971. At Pier 21, take the guided tour.  It will be a sobering wake up call to the trials people went through simply to come to Canada. The problem is that Canada needed immigrants to build the economy but the government was pretty damn racist about it.  White, Christian, no health problems were the minimum requirements.  This racist rubbish sent a boat of Jews back to Europe in 1939 to be subject […]

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In this day and age, I am amazed at the name, but even more amused that they leaned into it with “Life is Better with the Farmer’s Daughter” as their tag line. On our drive back from Cape Breton to Halifax, we saw a sign for a food and gift shop called The Farmer’s Daughter.  Everything about the name invoked all the naughty jokes from the past. Located in Whycocomagh (pronounced Why-cog-ho-mah) it’s a great pit stop for coffee, ice cream and a dessert to bring to the next person’s place at which you are crashing.  They had fresh pies […]

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Near Englishtown on Cape Breton you will find a dock and a tiny shack that leads you to Donalda’s Puffin Boat Tour.  Our trip was on an overcast day that reminded me of the west coast of Vancouver Island, where you feel like you are visiting the edge of the world. This of course doesn’t compare to when you are out in the boat and reach the rocky islands on which the birds live and nest.  Don’t let my rubbish pictures fool you.  It was amazing to see about seven different species of seabird, including the famous Puffins.  They looked […]

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This is another restoration that Parks Canada is maintaining.  Close to Annapolis Royal, Port Royal houses the restoration of Samuel de Champlain’s Habitation, where he lived in 1605. It’s much smaller than Fortress Louisbourg but, consider the age difference.  The habitation is 1605, about 140 years older than Fortress Lousibourg. There are people in period costume who can explain a great deal about how the place was reconstructed (1939 – 1941) and what each of the rooms was used for. For me the vital importance of these historical sites is to keep the past from fading away.  There was so […]

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Parks Canada operates a number of historic sites in Nova Scotia including, but not limited to, Port Royal, Fortress Louisbourg and the Alexander Graham Bell Museum.  In my experience, the parks are things like Banff and Yoho National Parks.  No history, all space. Well, in Baddeck, Mr. Bell is a town hero.  Scotland via Boston and Washington, he was looking for a place that was more like Scotland without all the tuberculosis.  He and his wife landed in Baddeck, based on a travel book.  I suspect the huge Scottish influences in the area helped. However, forget the telephone.  I had […]

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In Baddeck, during the tourist season, they have these signs that say Ceilidh.  So, it’s pronounced Kay-Lee.  It’s Gaelic, but honestly I think the spelling is really the Scots trying to annoy the English.  Meanwhile, I discovered that a Ceilidh is a Celtic fiddle music kitchen party.  There was a tradition dating back a couple of hundred years where a fiddler and a pianist and maybe a guitarist would spend time playing tunes while folks would bring snacks. Today you book a seat and join in the fun for about 2 hours of Celtic fiddle playing.  It is really the […]

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You’re going to need a day for this one. This Parks Canada historic recreation covers the years 1740s.  The fortress had a long history of French and English fighting.  When you read this stuff in books, it does not come alive, but it literally comes alive in Louisbourg. When you drive to the site, you stop at the visitor centre to buy tickets and you then take a bus to the walkway to the front gate of the fortress.  (Wear good shoes.) There are people in costume who work the various stations and buildings who are fonts of knowledge.  They […]

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There’s a rule in Cape Breton for driving that you should be aware of.  Don’t use side roads.  Even if they are on your mapping software.  There’s something strange about road maintenance in Nova Scotia. Here’s the letter I wrote to The Chronicle Herald in an attempt to warn others and effect change. Hi Voice of the People, For your consideration …. It was a lovely post Canada Day weekend in Cape Breton. We (tourists from BC) were returning to Baddeck from Louisbourg when we encountered a Canada-wide phenomenon called highway repairs. We thought we’d be clever and avoid them. […]

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I had no idea in the pouring rain what I was in for when I entered Dawn Oman’s gallery.  We drove up to her door in Bridgetown Nova Scotia ran from the car to her door and were soaked.  “Do I have drowned rats at my door?” she said, laughing.  We said yes. My expectations were nil; I was checking out a gallery that I was told was cool. Well, it was a gallery/home/former church/concert hall.  I had not realized it was a decommissioned United Church with intact stained glass.  Because Dawn is First Nations from Yellowknife with European heritage […]

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We did not stay at the Garrison House, but we did enjoy brunch there. The house itself is fascinating as it’s a restored heritage property, right across the street from Fort Anne, which, not surprisingly, had a garrison of soldiers throughout history.  If you were to stay there, you’d be in walking distance of everything in Annapolis Royal. Our brunch was great.  You choose something like French Toast, and then they bring a plate of toast, bacon, sausages and others that people like me really enjoy, because I live with vegetarians. For more information:  garrisonhouseinn.ca Where to Stay in Annapolis […]

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