Georges Island

So today I went to Georges Island. gi is a small island in halifax harbour normally clsoed to the publice. Parks Canada opened it up for 2 days this year and are working towards opening it on a regular basis. Here's a picture of it from the air (not taken by me):

(that's Halifax to the left)
Here it is on the ferry ride:

The fort constructed on the island was one of the defensive fortifications of the city built by Price Edward. THe little fort was called Fort Charlotte after his mother. Incidentally, Edward's daughter would be known as Queen Victoria.
The entire island is basically one big fortification with old gun turrets pointing out to the mouth of the harbour ready to blow any shop to smithereens. THe island served as the last line of defense into the inner harbour.



Of course there is a lighthouse, now automated. THe last lightkeeper and his family left in '75 I believe.

If there is one thing Nova Scotians love its their "historic reenactors". This guy posed for us (he's hiding his very non-1800s hot dog behind his back):

And then we went down into the tunnels. These were underground storerooms for amunition and black powder (and piss off; I like my sepia tone...I think it really works with the dark and dankness of the tunnels...as well making me look all artsy ^ creative & shit).





Coming out of the tunnels you walk into a moat which separates the main fort from the outer defensive structure that housed 4 BIG 10 inch rifled muzzle loaders. These faced out to sea and could fire 400 pound shells up to 3 miles. Yeh, that's a big deal.




Here's a view of those turrets from the sea looking back to the island:

Those cannons were part of the lower battery. The upper battery consisted of a another bank of cannons above ground. This bank had a wider view of the harbour and could hit ships as they passed the island.


You also got a great view of McNab's Island from here. MI is a larger island (400 hectares) that sits further out towards the ocean. It was also fortified. Its more difficult to get to but I plan to this summer.

Halifax from the island:




ANd you can't have a blogpost about Nova Scotia without including a picture of sailing boats:

Or a fishing boat:

More reenactors (I love these fuckers):


The guy with the hacksaw was describing the process of amputation during wartime, while the cute little child was playing at his feet and I was eating a hotdog. Awesome:

Another of McNab's Island:

The red building is a horrible dank little stone building for the married officiers. Really, I can't imagine living in that cramped place; it must have been to remind them of marriage:

The white building is the lighthouse keeper's residence:

Annnd one last panorama of Halifax from GI:

Annnd two last views of the island on the way back:


And me:

God, what a fucking tourist I am....

Patio Season

Patio Season has officially begun. Yesterday and today have been fantastic out and this past week the bars in town have started getting their sidewalk patios ready. Leave it to Halifax to take bar patios to another level. This isn't just a couple of small tables crowding the sidewalk in front of the bars. This is complete military takeover of the sidewalks. Most places build, really build with carpenters and the sort, sidewalks extensions that move out into the street so they can maximize the size of their patios. It transforms pedestrian and car traffic on the streets where there are a lot of bars. I'll throw some photos up when I get a chance.

the zip that makes the soul zaz

If things feel shitty (and/or are...) great music always makes me feel glad to be alive. Especially great live music. Damn, I love the Carleton. Newest band I saw there tonight is Telfer: http://www.myspace.com/telfermusic

Nova Scotia is fish

There has been an explosion in the diversity of restaurants in this city. Lebanese,Turkish, Thai, Persian, and Japanese. When I left N.S. in '95 there were no sushi restaurant in Halifax. You don't make much sushi out of haddock, cod, and lobster, the main seafoods out here. Us Maritimers kind of have an aversion to eating raw fish. You're supposed to cook it damn it!
So, now in Halifax 2009 there are at least 11! In a city of 370,000! Within a five minute walk of my apartment:













Shit, apparently we love out raw fish after all.

Halifax

So, I'm living on Brunswick St right at the bottom of Citadel Hill (for those of you who don't know, Citadel Hill is the big hill in the middle of downtown upon which a fort was built to help defend the city...more on it later). Brunswick is the street on the foreground of the picture in the blog banner.

Beginning in the mid-1700s, Halifax was but a garrison town for His Majesty's army. New England had insisted that England establish a garrison here to offset the threat from the French who had a fort in Louisbourg in Cape Breton (http://www.louisbourg.ca/fort/).

To the right edge of the photo is the south end of the hill. Here one set of barracks was constructed for the soldiers, and still exists as Royal Artillery Park. And another barracks was erected at the north end. The path connecting them was officially called Brunswick St but was unofficially reffered to as "Barracks St". And upon the length of this little street, with soldiers moving back forth, the pimps, prostitutes, and bars set up shop. By all accounts it was a slum of filth and squalor with rowdy & horny drunken soldiers of His Majesty's army living it up.

None of that remains (un)fortunately. Anyone reading this who is familar with Halifax will recognize that it hasn't entirely disappeared, after all the bar The Palace still exists.