Day 24 of 30 on our 2017 Canadian Maritime Caravan with Yankee RV Tour

Wednesday June 28, 2017, was our free day with no suggested activities from the wagon master. We had some inside information, and opted to carpool to Halifax and go to the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic and enjoy lunch somewhere. Just before downtown Halifax, we passed a schooner in a cove. Too bad the sails were not flying yet!

Driving to Halifax was not bad, but once in downtown Halifax, 90% of it is under construction and half of the parking lots on the map are gone! All four cars finally found parking spots and we set out to meet at the Museum. Just outside of the parking garage, we saw a three-carriage red and white community road train. On the front is had choo, choo, choose … Casino Nova Scotia. It does look like a choo, choo! It is free, with a suggested donation … it was headed in the opposite direction, or we would have considered jumping on it!

On our way from the parking garage to the museum, we did pass a sailor … the Sailor’s Monument at Sacksville Landing. The monument is a tribute to all those valiant men and women who served in the Royal Canadian Navy during World War II. 

When you first enter, there is Merlin, our Rainbow Macaw. He joined the Maritime Museum crew during the Pets at Sea, March Break event in 2006 and has never left! Merlin is particularly fond of green grapes, peanuts, carrots, walnuts and yes, even crackers! Merlin has two meals each day. Rainbows macaws are a hybrid, caused by cross-breeding the Scarlet and Golden Blue macaw. He talks some, but when he is tired of talking, he closes his eyes and ignores you … kind of sounds like our husbands!

The Maritime Museum of the Atlantic, is part of the Nova Scotia Museum, represents the marine history of Nova Scotia and those regions or subjects that are considered significant or of interest to the people of Nova Scotia. The collection belongs to the people of Nova Scotia and is largely developed through the generosity of many individuals. The Royal Canadian Navy, Canadian merchant marine, Nova Scotia small craft and shipwrecks are subjects well represented in the collection, much of which dates from 1850 to the present.

The collection includes over 24,000 artifacts, most of which are on display. They can be found in gallery exhibits and in several specialized display areas. The Museum's collection of 20,000 photographs, its vessel plans and nautical charts are housed in, and accessible through, the Museum's library. The Museum has the largest collection of ship portraits in Canada with over 300 ship portraits of ships such as the Barque John A. Harvie. Other notable artifacts in the Museum collection include the First Order Lens from Sambro Island Lighthouse and Shoes of the Titanic Unknown Child.

The first exhibit we saw was Hope and Survival: The Halifax Explosion Memorial Quilt. Artist and Portia White Prize winner Laurie Swim conceived Hope and Survival: The Halifax Explosion Memorial Quilt in 2000 as a monumental community art project. It features images in fabric based on witness accounts of the event and its aftermath. The accompanying Scroll of Remembrance lists the names in English and in Braille of 1,962 people identified among the perished. The Braille dots were beaded with the assistance of some 400 volunteers.

The next exhibit was “Collision in the Narrows” The Halifax Explosion. The year was 1917 and Halifax, like the rest of the world, was fully embroiled in the First World War. Serving as the assembly and departure point for transatlantic convoys carrying supplies and soldiers to the war effort overseas, the small city was quickly evolving into a world class port and major base of naval operations. Halifax was a hub of activity. Troops bound for battle swept in and out of the city, laborers flowed to and from work as the war created a significant industrial and residential boom, and children of all ages wandered to their schools for lessons. In a time of war and devastation, Halifax was thriving.

That all changed the morning of December 6, 1917. Approximately six minutes after 9:00 am, a dreadful miscommunication between two ships in the harbor resulted in an Explosion of cataclysmic proportions. 2,000 people were killed and 9,000 more were injured. The city was reduced to ruins and debris. Considered Halifax's darkest day, the sheer magnitude of the traumatic event left a lasting impression on the city and its residents. The tragedy bred countless stories of courage and hope that in many ways, shaped what Halifax has become.

This exhibit takes you through the time line of the event, establishing what life in the city was like and breaking down the unfortunate circumstances that caused the tragedy. Featuring personal effects and stories of those who both perished and survived, the exhibit explores the Explosion from an anecdotal perspective, giving you a sense of the devastation that occurred, but more importantly, a sense of the city’s bravery in the face of adversity.

Another must see is the permanent exhibit telling the story of Titanic’s creation and demise, drawing out the key role Halifax played in the disaster. While Titanic’s survivors went to New York, all who perished came to Halifax. The cable ship crews braved awful conditions to recover bodies and invented a unique system to solve the mystery of many unidentified victims. Many kept pieces of Titanic wreckage in their family for generations, preserving wonderfully carved pieces of woodwork found as flotsam after the ships’ sinking on April 15, 1912. The exhibit contains glimpses of personal stories and those of the victims who are buried in Halifax.

Read about life aboard the Titanic, from the crew stoking the boilers to the immigrants in third class to the passengers travelling in first-class style. These menus show the class divisions aboard this luxury liner! In addition to a Titanic deck chair, there are over 50 objects including artifacts, collected as flotsam at the time of the great ship’s sinking, and historic photographs. One of the most poignant objects that evoke the solemn and the personal devastation of the sinking are the shoes of Titanic's Unknown Child and a mortuary bag which was used to identify and safeguard the personal effects of Titanic victims.

The pair of leather children's shoes is believed to be from Body No. 4, the "Unknown Child". This very young boy, recovered by the crew of Mackay-Bennett, was buried at Fairview Lawn Cemetery in Halifax.  In 2007, as a result of extensive DNA testing, the child's shoes were identified as those of 19 month old Sidney Leslie Goodwin from England. The research was reviewed and confirmed in April 2011. Mr. Goodwin was on his way to Niagara Falls for a job offer, the entire family, including Sidney were lost.

The personal effects of Titanic victims were cataloged and bagged.  These bags were central to the system for Titanic body recovery and identification. They were hand stitched from sail canvas by Mackay-Bennett sailors as the bodies were found and proved very effective in keeping personal effects together on the ship and in the morgue. When the Halifax Explosion took place four years later in 1917, the coroner followed the Titanic example and made identical bags to handle the personal effects of Explosion victims.  

We walked a couple blocks to enjoy lunch at Gahan House Brewery. Many of us enjoyed a choice of several of their brews. Island Red Premium Ale, a Beach Chair Summer Shanty and a Blueberry Beer. The food and views were amazing! Plus, we got to watch the bartenders can some of the beers for purchase. A couple of our guys purchased growlers to take home with them! The history of the brewery starts across the Strait. The Gahan Brewery (formerly Murphy’s Brewing Co) was established in March 1997 in Charlottetown, PEI. Due to the increased popularity of the beer, they doubled its production capacity.

In July of 2008, The Gahan Brewery; PEI’s favorite brewery, officially made history with the bottling of two of their handcrafted ales. Island Red Premium Ale and Sir John A’s Honey Wheat Ale were launched as the first two flavors to be bottled by the brewery. In September of 2014 this well-established pub decided to make its way across the Northumberland Strait and open up a sister location on the historic Halifax Waterfront and in turn creating Gahan House Harbor-front for even more Maritimes to visit and enjoy their award winning ales. Gahan is a name unknown in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island today, but in the middle of the 19th century, John Gahan was a prominent merchant, an importer of teas, wines, and family groceries.

At our evening at the campground, we had our road log review with individual highlights of the trip from the caravaneers and a bunch of laughter! Yes, the wind made it a bit chilly for some!