PROVINCES IN ATLANTIC CANADA
PROVINCES IN ATLANTIC CANADA,
Atlantic Canada wows audacious callers with astounding natural decor and fascinating artistic destinations. In my view, there are several reasons why Atlantic Canada is special. piecemeal from having a huge list of pail list of effects to do in Atlantic Canada, the sense of the Atlantic region is compellingly indelible
The businesses in Atlantic Canada are
Newfoundland and Labrador
New Brunswick
Nova Scotia
Prince Edward Island
A visit to Canada’s Atlantic businesses provides a warm home hello with swaying accentuations and ready grins. In Atlantic Canada, you ’ll be ate like family. So come, be a part of it, and I ’ll bet that just like me you ’ll long to return. Then are some intriguing data and amazing places in Atlantic Canada.
ATLANTIC CANADA
NOVA SCOTIA
With a glorious coastline, that to the east is protected by a series of barrier islands and with the rich fruit-growing area of the Annapolis Valley well-matched by cultural and historical attractions and traditions, Nova Scotia (or New Scotland) is a must-see.
HALIFAX
Its capital, Halifax, is a welcoming city that’s increasingly renowned for its artsy scene.
Take a peek in the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia to see the Maud Lewis exhibition.
She was an artist who painted in the naive tradition, creating colourful images of oxen and horses pulling wagons through to her famous golden-eyed black cats.
One of Canada’s most famous historic forts is the Halifax Citadel, which is a National Historic Site of Canada.
You can learn about Atlantic Canada history and kids can be a Soldier for a Day.
It may not be obvious but Nova Scotians know how to have fun and Halifax is one of the best cities in Canada to party.
PEGGY’S COVE
Just west of Halifax is where you’ll find astonishing Peggy’s Cove.
What I thought would simply be a “tourist trap” proved to be a place of great natural beauty boasting not only perhaps the most-photographed lighthouse in Canada, but also a traditional fishing village.
Here buy yourself an example of an authentic Atlantic Canada craft, a whirlygig.
These fanciful wooden carvings of creatures or of fishermen paddling boats, spin and whirl on the wind and make lovely garden ornaments.
LUNENBURG
Established in 1753, Lunenburg was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site because it is the best surviving example of a planned British colonial village in North America.
Soon after its settlement, it became a shipbuilding centre for the Maritimes.
Nowadays, 70 per cent of the original 17th and 18th-century buildings are still extant, meaning the streets of the old village exhibit a genuine historical ambience.
Today, old-town Lunenburg is one of the most colourful villages I’ve had the pleasure to wander.
Scarlet-hued, white-trimmed wooden buildings line the harbour, making a fitting historical backdrop to tall ships such as a replica of Canada’s famed schooner, the Bluenose.
Built as a fishing and racing schooner in 1921, the original ship was never beaten when it raced on the international circuit.
Today Bluenose II joins other ships jostling merrily at their moorings in the harbour.
The Fisheries Museum of the Atlantic furthers this heritage feeling.
Here we learn about the history of fishing and seafaring on the Atlantic, particularly while touring several vessels moored on the wharf, or by watching films in the museum’s theatre.
WILD BARRIER ISLANDS
Nova Scotia’s Eastern Shore is home to a rainforest and an archipelago of 100 wild barrier islands which are now a part of a substantive, pristine Nature Trust legacy project.
Barrier islands are offshore islands that shelter a mainland’s otherwise exposed shore.
I first heard about these islands during a trip with Coastal Adventures, while kayaking one gloriously sunny afternoon.
Owner-operator Dr Scott Cunningham led our group of 8 kayakers through this largely untouched habitat, showing us fascinating Mi’kmaq (First Nation) middens.
Essentially, these are “garbage dumps” left by early peoples, which represent a fascinating treasure trove to today’s archaeologists.
As we paddled the protected inner channel we saw osprey, bald eagles, seals and other wildlife.
Although I’ve not yet returned to experience any of them, Cunningham leads one-to-many-day kayak-camping expeditions.
World-class?
Yes, because this pristine environment is a lesser-known, fascinating maritime environment that’s an exciting destination for paddling enthusiasts.
HOOKED RUG MUSEUM OF NORTH AMERICA
A surprising addition to my list?
Not really, if you’re a culture vulture like me.
The so-called “comfortable arts” of sewing, making hooked rugs and other such traditional artisanal crafts are not as recognized as other art forms.
Enter the indomitable Suzanne Conrod, a hooked rug aficionado and passionate collector who decided to start collecting these rare handmade rugs.
She and her late husband worked hard to found and open this museum and in 2013 their dream came true.
Entering this space is to step inside a world of extraordinary if utilitarian beauty.
Hooked rugs were indeed a much-required and often, little-admired household item. Instead of being prized, they were considered necessary items to keep settler’s earthen floors cleaner – and warmer throughout Canada’s long, harsh winter months.
The reason, Conrod says, that heritage rugs are so uncommon is that they wore out.
Or, she noted, “Thrown out when new-fangled linoleum arrived on the scene.”
Visit and be amazed by Conrod’s stunning collection of old and contemporary works.
PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND
Prince Edward Island in Canada or “PEI” is called “The Gentle Island” for good reason.
Its sandy beaches, pastoral landscapes featuring red earth embraced by emerald-green fields and woods lend it a peaceful, laid-back ambience that’s a dramatic contrast to other parts of the rugged Atlantic coast like Newfoundland.
No wonder this landscape provided inspiration for author Lucy Maud Montgomery’s classic, international bestselling children’s book, Anne of Green Gables.
The red-headed imp of a girl was my and countless others’ heroine while growing up, and so it’s no surprise that my world-class destinations here include the Confederation Centre of the Arts, as well as Prince Edward Island National Park of Canada, which both have Anne connections.
Historically speaking, the smallest province in Canada was the birthplace of Canada.
The Charlottetown Conference was held in the capital city, Charlottetown, on September 1 to 8, 1864.
Elected officials met to discuss the possibility of a Maritime Union but they didn’t stop there.
When Upper and Lower Canada (now Ontario and Quebec) members asked to join in, together they dreamed a grand notion: a confederation of the provinces which would become Canada.
Three years later, the vision of Confederation was realized, and Canada was born.
Let’s take a glimpse into this gentle isle.
CHARLOTTETOWN
Imagine a colourful array of buskers, actors and musicians thronging an outdoor amphitheatre in the heart of historic Charlottetown.
Now imagine a cultural centre whose raison d’être is to celebrate Canada’s birthplace and you have the Confederation Centre of the Arts.
Here find a theatre, art gallery, and an ongoing art education program through hands-on classes for children and adults.
The building itself has been recognized for being a superior example of brutalist architecture, which contrasts intriguingly to Charlottetown’s heritage buildings.
In 2015, Architecture Canada and Heritage Canada National Trust awarded the Centre the Prix du XXe Siècle Award.
This prize recognized the fact that the Centre takes in a full block in the heart of the city, meaning that it’s both accessible and representative of being a symbol of the significance of PEI’s artistic community.
And what a symbol it is.
For instance, Anne of Green Gables – The Musical™ has been running for 51 consecutive seasons, winning it Guinness World Record designation.
In fact, more than 70 original musicals have been developed at this Centre since its opening in 1964.
So come.
Celebrate the arts.
Take in a musical or play at one of the Centre’s three theatres, and view the latest exhibits in the art gallery.
PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND NATIONAL PARK
Because it’s one of the most-visited Canadian national parks, this stunning environment of dunes, beachfront, lagoons and woodlands require constant ecological monitoring to ensure its delicate biodiversity remains protected from enthusiastic visitors.
Along the shore, sage-coloured marram grasses growing on dunes bend and nod, waving in the face of gusty offshore breezes.
“White horse” waves roll in, making their unforgettable background soundscape as holidaymakers stroll seemingly endless beaches.
Children build sandcastles adorned with seashells and happily bury their parents up to their necks in the sand – that enchanting, hilarity-filled pastime of youth.
Meanwhile, the park is noted also for its endangered species.
Birdwatchers flock here to see an increasingly rare shorebird, the piping plover.
They construct their nests on the beaches and in spring you may discover Parks Canada naturalists have cordoned off the nesting areas.
Bring binoculars and you’ll possibly be delighted by the glimpse of a tiny fluff ball on skinny legs (a plover chick) dashing about on the sand.
Use field glasses, too, while walking on boardwalks through wetlands to get a closer look at stately great blue herons as they stand patiently waiting, hunting fish.