The Citadel, Halifax, Canada (A Step Back In Time)

584

07 October 2012

R. Linda:

We decided to spend a day touring the Halifax Citadel which be Canada's largest port fort. It is now a historical site with a living history programme that be quite impressive. It reminded me of the fort on George's Island in Boston Harbour but larger. Through re-enactment, the fort literally comes to life, thanks to the 78th Highlanders and the 3rd Brigade, Royal Artillery.

As you drive up you can see the massive fort from the street. The Old Town Clock dominates one of the hills and acts as a landmark for the Citadel. As you drive up, you get really spectacular views of the city of Halifax below.

 

The Old Town Clock (Garrison Clock)

We drove up to the gates, got our passes and parked between the walls. I thought it was interesting that the walls on both sides are covered on top by grass. But deep inside them are tunnels with slots on either side where riflemen were posted if invaders came. You wouldn't know the slots were for that purpose, maybe for water runoff, so this I thought quite ingenious that as soon as the enemy had come between the walls they'd be fired on and they wouldn't get far.

Gun slot

We entered one of the tunnels that took us to the parade ground. There we found a bustling fort filled with latter-day soldiers and tourists. There were guides dressed in Highland gear to either take you on a guided tour or there to answer your questions as you came upon them.

We decided to stroll around before going in to watch the obligatory film on the history of the Citadel and came upon a Highland guard dressed in the MacKenzie tartan. He was a pleasant sort and told us that a canon demonstration was about to be addressed if we took the stairs to our right.

                                                                                         

Helpful guard

As we got to the top of the stairs three soldiers were leading four tourists in an exercise in how to fire a canon. It was a very amusing demonstration, made to inform but with a smile. We all chuckled at the antics. I was disappointed it wasn't firing time so we didn't get to see the canon fired.

                                                                                        

The woman was the best of the four participants, she was very serious about getting that canon ready to go. I found out later that there is a programme for anyone interested in becoming a soldier for a day. If I was staying longer I'd do it! They made it look like not only an enjoyable experience but you'd learn a lot in the process.

Besides canon and rifle-firing demos, there was a sentry change I didn't catch on camera because it happened so quick. Down where our Highlander Guard had been it was time for sentry change, and as I watched, one of the guards missed his step going into the guard house and while it wasn't funny to him to nearly fall down, the other guards had a hoot over it. Tonya came rushing over to see what was going on and her only question was, "So is he gone commando?" Not "Is he hurt?" No, no, she wanted to know what was under his kilt. Figures. And the answer is, I don't know because he didn't fall that hard. Gees!

We left the upper fort for the movie on the fort. This was strange, you went to one theatre for the first part of the history lesson on the fort, then moved to another for the next stage and then another. It was a good way of keeping tourist flow contained and no one grumbled about having to get up to go to another theatre. One of the films had Tonya in a tizzy to find out that during the war of 1812, the film stated the Americans invaded Nova Scotia and she said it was the other way around. I wasn't about to debate her on it, but she seemed stunned to hear her country was an aggressor according to Canadian history.

But that quandary messing around with her brain was soon dispelled by this:

Yee-ah the piper on the left of the picture just took her mind off invasion

We got back down in time for the music and it was rather a unique effect to hear the bagpipes. The sounds didn't bounce off the walls, it seemed to permeate them in such a way if you closed your eyes you would think you were in the Scottish Highlands. There was something about the sound that made the experience of the fort enhanced.

Everyone seemed rapt at the sound of the pipes

The gent in highland gear on the right explained that if we were interested in learning to play the bagpipes, there was individual and group instruction available. I had to hold the wife back from jumping on that or the piper. Anyway, HE got a laugh out of her antics.

 

With music school over, we went on to the coffee shop for a bite of lunch and then to walk that off we wandered about the parade grounds and through the inner fort. 

 

 

Looking towards the barracks

                                                                                    

The grass-works above the fort

 

Re-enactor off for lunch

 

People appearing after luncheon

We had a full day and an enjoyable one. The fort was in use by the British Royal Navy up until 1906. It has a long history stemming from 1749 to the present day. What a treasure this place is and worth the day we spent there. Tonya was lax to leave, she was still looking for that piper and she actually found him, but he was too quick for her.

 

In all fairness he didn't have a clue the wife was salivating and on the hunt. I just take these things in stride, I know she's not going anywhere. What is it about a man in a kilt anyway?

Gabe
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