Travel Guides: Nova Scotia
General Information
Nova Scotia is a 350-mile (560km) peninsula on the east of Canada, connected to the mainland by a narrow isthmus. The rugged and jagged coastline, and the fact that this semi-island is covered in numerous rivers and lakes, makes it a watery wonderland famous for its seafood (the province is the world's largest exporter of lobster), scenic routes, wilderness trails, dolphin and whale-watching opportunities and the Scottish flavour of its bars and restaurants. The island has a mixed history as a French, Scottish, and British colony, but it is the Scots who still dominate the population and culture today, with name Nova Scotia meaning 'New Scotland' in Latin. The Mi'kmaq Nation is also local to the area.
Nova Scotia, together with its neighbouring provinces of New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island, are known as the Maritime Provinces of Canada. Nowhere in Nova Scotia is further than 35 miles (56km) from the sea, and the busy port of Halifax attracts more than 200,000 cruise ship passengers every year. The relatively small island supports a vibrant musical culture, which includes the only symphony orchestra in Atlantic Canada, and a rich tradition of Scottish and Irish music.
The warm summers in Nova Scotia make it ideal for a range of outdoor activities, such as golf, sailing, zip lining, hiking, cycling, fishing, swimming and horseback riding. The winters are cold, and offer other pastimes like cross-country skiing and snowmobiling.
Activities
Maritime Museum of the Atlantic, Halifax
This museum has one of Canada's finest collections of both ship models and ship portraits, the world's largest collection of wooden artefacts from the Titanic, some rare and beautiful examples of unique Nova Scotian boatbuilding traditions in its small craft collection, and a collection of about 24,000 marine photographs, some dating from the 19th century. The collections span days of sail, shipwreck treasures, naval World War II convoys, the age of steam and the opportunity to explore the 1913-built ship, CSS Acadia, at the dockside. The Museum also has a large collection of genealogical resources, including journals, diaries, ship's logs, shipping registers and a library containing more than 5,000 books relating to shipping.
Opening Times:
May to October: Monday and Wednesday to Sunday 9.30am
to 5.30pm (in May and October open from 1pm on Sundays); Tuesday
9.30am to 8pm. November to April: Tuesday 9.30am to 8pm; Wednesday
to Saturday 9.30am to 5pm; Sunday 1pm to 5pm
Admission:
November to April: C$4.75 (adults), C$2.75 (children);
May to October: C$8.75 (adults), C$4.75 (children); March Break:
C$8.25 (adults), C$5.25 (children); other concessions
available
Memory Lane Heritage Village, Halifax
This site in Clam Harbour Road, Lake Charlotte is community owned and operated and features 13 rescued and restored buildings that illustrate rural village life in Nova Scotia in the 1940s. The buildings include a general store, a one-room schoolhouse, church, homestead, barn, icehouse, workshop, goldmining complex, boatshop, fisherman's store, garage and cookhouse. Local people demonstrate traditional skills like rug hooking for visitors, and the cookhouse offers typical 1940s cookhouse meals.
Opening Times:
Daily 11am to 4pm (15 June to 15 September
only)
Admission:
$6 (adults), $4 (children); other concessions
available
Citadel, Halifax
One of Halifax's military history heritage sites, the citadel was built between 1828 and 1856 and is regarded as a fine example of a bastioned fort of the 'smooth bore' era. It is built in a star-shaped design and features vaulted rooms, a dry defensive ditch, a musketry gallery and offers an inspiring view of Halifax and its harbour from the ramparts. Visitors can watch an audio-visual presentation about the defences of Halifax, and visit the soldiers' library, barrack rooms, powder magazine and garrison cell. The site also has exhibits about communications and the engineering and construction of the citadel. Guides at the site wear the uniform of soldiers of the Royal Artillery and the 78th Highlanders of 1869 and conduct tours in English and French. Parking costs C$3.15 per car.
Opening Times:
Daily 9am to 5pm (7 May to 30 June, September,
October); 9am to 6pm (July to August). From November to 7 May only
the grounds are open
Admission:
Peak season: C$11.70 (adults), C$10.05 (children);
Shoulder season: C$7.80 (adults), C$3.90 (children). Other
concessions available
