Tuesday, September 1, 2026
Halifax, Nova Scotia
73F and sunny!
To say that Halifax is the vibrant coastal capital of Nova
Scotia, Canada, is an understatement. Its rich maritime history and beauty make
the port spectacular. I wish everyone in
Erie could see the Halifax Waterfront Boardwalk—all public, one of the longest
continuous downtown boardwalks in the world. Shops, hotels, upscale restaurants, cafes, chocolate
shops, ice cream, food trucks, tall ships, ferries, public art, museums all
along the way, obviously well-planned, totally accessible, and with parking
nearby. As I said when we first visited Halifax in 2022, how we
wish Erie's bayfront on Presque Isle Bay could be so well-planned.
The population of Halifax is approximately 440,000. It is one of Canada's most historic Atlantic cities.
Many immigrants were
welcomed in Canada
at the Port of Halifax
We did not have an agenda today, so we strolled leisurely
along the boardwalk, admiring the various sculptures, the 3 masted schooner in the
process of docking, stopping in some of the shops. We did intend to find the Bluenose II
restaurant (https://bluenoseii.ca/) where
we knew the lobster roll was good (2022), but one of the shop vendors told us The Canteen,
a short ferry ride away, was voted the best lobster roll in Halifax by its
residents.
From the Coast Community newsletter: “In
the 2026 “Best Lobster Roll” category, The Canteen in
Dartmouth was voted Gold Winner by The Coast Halifax community
poll, beating out other top contenders like Evan’s Seafood and Tom’s Lobster
Shack.” TK and I were intrigued, and
today the ferry was free for seniors (usually $3). So, we hopped on the ferry for a 10 minute “sail”
to Dartmouth, another part of Halifax.
Not too many people on the
ferry at 11:30 a.m.
On the ferry
What we did not know was that the Canteen’s signature “Crobster
Roll” is a creative twist on the classic: a generous mix of Nova
Scotia snow crab and lobster served on a toasted bun with truffle
aioli, grainy mustard, and fresh dill. I
was having none of that—mustard on lobster???
TK, the Brave, said it was OK, I opted for a cheeseburger. https://www.thecanteen.ca/ The Canteen on Portland
Lesson learned. Back to the ferry and the exquisite
boardwalk. TK purchased a Halifax Fire
Department T-shirt, a fire department since 1784. I was reading about the Halifax explosion that
happened in 1917, and the response of the fire department and lost lives. It was one of the worst maritime disasters
ever. The Halifax explosion of 1917 occurred when a munitions ship
blew up in the harbor of Halifax and nearly 2000 people died and some 9000 were
injured. It flattened more than one square mile of the city. The blast was the
largest human-made explosion at the time, packing the equivalent of more than
3000 tons of TNT. https://www.hfxfirehistory.ca/historical-events/the-halifax-explosion Great ice cream here!
As we were returning to the ship, we just happened to see
someone we know! In 2009, we met Vicki and Bernie Bowne, who now live in Nova Scotia, while on a Princess ship in the Caribbean, the same time that we met our
partners in crime, Donna and Lawrence of Wisconsin and Nancy and Brian of
California. There was Vicki sitting on
the Halifax Boardwalk!!! Such a sweet reunion.
Vicki and Bernie traveled to Halifax to meet two friends who were on our same ship, to spend the day together. We missed seeing Bernie—but it was
special seeing Vicki. After retiring from their jobs in Vancouver, they
relocated to Nova Scotia. Vicki now works fairly often as a Guest Lecturer on
several cruise lines, including Princess and Holland America.
Janie, TK, and Vicki!
That was our sparkling day! I kept thinking we would be in
Boston tomorrow and that I had to pack today—to my surprise, I found out we
still have another sea day! We fly out of Boston on Thursday!
TK’s Takes: He enjoyed the sun today, even on the
balcony.
