Halifax, Nova Scotia

2019-09-06T08:20:00.000-07:00

Our attempt to dock in St. Johns, Newfoundland was spoiled by heavy fog and a very narrow opening at the harbor entrance. We had mixed emotions. While it would’ve been nice to dock and get off the ship for a few hours, we were BOTH ready for warmer weather. After 30-plus days of generally miserable conditions, it was definitely time!! Don’t take me wrong – escaping from the Arizona heat was truly wonderful but the continual fog (almost daily) put us both down. The Captain was very apologetic when he announced the cancellation of St. Johns, but we suspect there were several hundred other folks who were as happy as we were.

So…it was off to our next port and as the Captain described it…a very nice, WARM destination in Canada known as Halifax!

It was time to pack our winter clothing and break out the shorts again! Because we cancelled our stop in St. Johns, our schedule was a little mixed up, and we rolled into Halifax about 18 hours early – at 2pm. The sun was out, temps were in the low 70’s, and the harbor was rocking with pleasure boats. We were both very tired and since we weren’t scheduled to leave Halifax until 10pm the following evening, we sat out on our veranda and watched all the activity taking place.

Up at 6am, we had a good breakfast, and were off the ship by 7:00.

Halifax is the capital of the Canadian province of Nova Scotia. It had a population of about 403,000 in 2016, with 316,000 in the urban area center on Halifax Harbor. It’s also a major economic center in Atlantic Canada, with a large concentration of government services and private sector companies. Major employers and economic generators include the Department of National Defense, Dalhousie University, Saint Mary's University, the Halifax Shipyard, various levels of government, and the Port of Halifax. Agriculture, fishing, mining, forestry and natural gas extraction are major resource industries found in the rural areas of the municipality.

December 1917 saw one of the greatest disasters in Canadian history, when the SS Mont-Blanc, a French cargo ship carrying munitions, collided with the Belgian Relief vessel SS Imo in "The Narrows" between upper Halifax Harbor and Bedford Basin. The resulting explosion, the Halifax Explosion, devastated the Richmond District of Halifax, killing approximately 2,000 people and injuring nearly 9,000 others. The blast was the largest artificial explosion before the development of nuclear weapons. Significant aid came from Boston, strengthening the bond between the two coastal cities

The urban area of Halifax is a major economic center in eastern Canada with a large concentration of government services and private sector companies. Halifax serves as the business, banking, government and cultural center for the Maritime region. The largest employment sectors in the city include trade jobs, health care and social assistance, professional services, education, and public administration.

Shipbuilding is a major employer in Halifax. Irving has a huge plant employing several thousand, though I‘m not sure of the exact count.

Agriculture, fishing, mining, forestry and natural gas extraction are major resource industries found in the rural areas of the municipality. Halifax's largest agricultural district is in the Musquodoboit Valley; the total number of farms in Halifax is 150, of which 110 are family-owned. Fishing harbors are located along all coastal areas with some having an independent harbor authority, such as the Sheet Harbor Industrial Port and others being managed as small craft harbors under the federal Fisheries and Oceans Canada.

We were out exploring this fascinating city for nearly 12 hours!

St. Anthony, Newfoundland

2019-08-29T09:32:00.000-07:00

Lying on the northern reaches of the Great Northern Peninsula of Newfoundland and Labrador, St. Anthony is one of Canada’s most thriving tourist destinations. History of settlement in the area reaches back as far as the 16^th century, when the French used the town’s well-sheltered harbor as a seasonal fishing station.

The high today was only 57 degrees – a bit chilly for both of us. We were both so looking forward to a break from the Arizona heat, but we’re now missing home and looking forward to our return next week.

Qaqortoq, Greenland

2019-08-28T06:07:00.000-07:00

At just over 3,000 inhabitants, Qaqortoq is the largest town in Southern Greenland. The name itself means "White," which accurately describes the landscape of white granite seen here. The history of the area dates back to Viking settlements, but the present-day town was founded in 1775 by Danish and Norwegian colonists.

The Norwegian influence can be seen in the very colorful houses that scatter the otherwise stark landscape. Other notable landmarks include a fountain built in 1927, making it the oldest fountain in Greenland.

Voyages of the World

Halifax, Nova Scotia

St. Anthony, Newfoundland

Qaqortoq, Greenland