CRUISING TO CANADA AND NEW ENGLAND:
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The Seaport
 Sir Samuel Cunard
The cruise port in Halifax is located near the mouth of the harbor. Not too long ago, it would have been fair to say that there was nothing much to see in this area. However, Halifax has incorporated a number of attractions during its development of the cruise port.
Perhaps the most significant of these is the Pier 21 historic site. Nearly one million immigrants passed through Halifax between 1928 and 1971 and Pier 21 tells their story. The Seaport area also includes a university, a micro-brewery, a farmer's market, and several shops including some that are familiar sights in the Caribbean cruise ports. 
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Many immigrants did not stay in Halifax but rather immediately upon arrival boarded trains bound for other parts of Canada. Accordingly, a railroad car of the period stands in front of the Pier 21 Historic Site.
The Seaport has a larger-than-life statute of native son Sir Samuel Cunard (top of left-hand column) and a statue honoring people who immigrated to Canada (left).
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The Harbourwalk (Boardwalk)
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Connecting the Seaport to the Downtown area of Halifax in the Harbourwalk. This path follows along the edge of the harbor and offers attractive views of the water, ships and boats. For much of its length, the Harbourwalk is a boardwalk and so is sometimes referred to as "the boardwalk."
Along the way are restaurants and often street performers and local festival activities. Halifax has quite a few festivals including a film festival, a jazz festival and a military tattoo. You can hire a segueway or a bicycle from venders along the Harbour Walk. In addition, there are boats and small ships tied up along the waterside some of which offer tours. As you approach Downtown, you come to a warship painted light blue and white. This is HMCS Sackville, a Canadian Navy corvette that served in World War II. (See feature article). Her color scheme is the one she bore when escorting convoys across the Atlantic. The ship has been restored and visitors can get an idea of what it was like on a small ship battling U-Boats. The ship is a Canadian Naval Memorial. Just beyond the Sackville is another historic ship, which is open to visitors. CSS Acadia is a turn-of-the-century steam ship. (See feature article). Although she resembles an Edwardian yacht, she was actually used for oceanographic work. An interesting note is that her lifeboat davits are the same as those that were on the Titanic. 
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Several of the old piers along the Harbourwalk have been converted into public spaces where people can fish or just relax by the water. One near the Seaport features three bent and twisted lamp posts. This was not the result of some fierce Atlantic storm but rather is an art installation by Chris Hanson and Hendrika Sonnenberg.
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The Acadia is the largest single artifact in the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic. Best known for its exhibit on the Titanic, the museum covers a variety of nautical topics. It has an exhibit of the Halifax Explosion of 1917. In addition, in the main building and in several surrounding buildings, you can see craftsman working on ship models, carving figureheads and actually building boats.
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Walking further on, you come to what is often the busiest part of the Harbourwalk. Here, you find several restaurants serving lobster and bars with views of the water. There are also small stands offering snack food.
The terminal for the ferries going across the harbor to Dartmouth is here. Also, the ticket offices for a number of tour boats are in this area. There is often glass-blowing going on at Nova Scotia Crystal. 
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Next is he Historic Properties District. This area consists of a series of iron and stone warehouses and waterfront properties that were at one time slated for demolition. However, a developer intervened and converted them into a series of restaurants, bars and shops. They lend the downtown area a pleasant antique ambiance.
Here also is the popular Cows ice cream stand which asserts that its has Canada's best ice cream. 
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The final stretch of the Harbourwalk weaves in and around some modern office buildings. In among these are some converted piers, which provide a good view of the harbor.
At the end of the trail is the Casino Nova Scotia. But from there, you can see HMCS Scotia, the home of the Canadian Navy’s Atlantic fleet, which occupies the next set of piers. (The Navy base is not open to the public). |
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HMCS Montreal
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More Attractions and Places of Interest is next
Click here to continue We also have photo features on: HMCS Sackville CSS Acadia |
Cruise destination profile - Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada - page 3