Canada – Nova Scotia – Lunenburg

2019 MAY 19 —–

After Peggy’s Cove I drove to Lunenburg. I checked into the guesthouse. I was told there is a fantastic view of the town from the golf course, on the opposite side of the bay. As I was driving away from the guesthouse, I realized how close it is to the downtown. After taking my pictures, I came back and parked the car by the guesthouse and continued exploring on foot.

Lunenburg was founded by the British in 1753 in an attempt to settle Protestants in Nova Scotia to displace the Mi’kmaqs and Acadians. The economy was based on offshore fishing and it still has Canada’s second larges fish-processing plant. The town flourished in the late 1800s, building on a steep south-facing hillside with narrow streets. In 1995 the old town was deemed a UNESCO World Heritage Site in order to protect the old house architecture, harbour, and waterfront buildings. It is considered the best example of planned British colonial settlement in Canada. It is also home to the Bluenose II, and my main reason to visit.

On my way to downtown, I found the Ironworks Distillery. It is a micro-brewery that takes its name from the marine blacksmith’s shop that used to inhabit that building. All of their fruits and berries are locally sourced. I sampled a few liqueurs and said I would come back as I did not want to carry anything on my walk. I manged to make it back just before they closed. I bought cranberry, raspberry, and blueberry mini bottles in a handy cardboard sleeve.

The girl at the Ironworks Distillery recommended the Salt Deli for lunch. It was a warm sunny day, so I opted to eat on the patio.

Having a good seafood lunch to sustain me for the remainder of the day, I headed to the Bluenose Company Store where I bought Ed a shot glass with the Bluenose etched onto it. I was going to buy him a Sou’Wester rain hat but they were $55! Albeit, it was the heavy duty variety. I ended up buying a kids plastic one for $12.

Then I went to see the Bluenose II. Bluenose was a fishing and racing schooner built in 1921 in Nova Scotia. She became a provincial icon and Canadian symbol (on our dime and a few times on a postage stamp) She served as a working vessel until she was wrecked on a coral reef off Haiti in 1946. Bluenose II was built in 1963 in commemoration. They were painting and fitting her for her trip to the Tall Ships Challenge Great Lakes Race 2019, so there were no tours.

I went into the Fisheries Museum of the Atlantic, but quickly lost interest. There were lots of fishing rigs, nets, traps that was beyond my understanding. By the time I got to the 3^rd floor, which was all on the Bluenose, I was museum’ed out. The points I do remember were a 11 kg (25 lb) lobster caught in 1977.

The biggest caught lobster was 20 kg (44 lb) and thought to be 50 years old.

There was also a carved wooden cod 4 times larger than normal. Also, there was a porthole with a bullet hole from a rum-running boat from back in prohibition days. I totally forgot to go to the fishing trawler that was included in my ticket.

After that I just walked around the town, which sounds quite laid back, but considering the steepness of the hill, it was quite the workout.

There were so many beautiful and colourful old buildings that I went crazy taking pictures of them all.

Some of the oldest houses had a sign saying how old the house was and who it was built for.

The lampposts on the main street had metal ornaments hanging down in the shape of a lobster, squid, oysters, and other fish.

The inns had interesting names such as Smugglers Cove Inn, and Rumrunner Inn.

I went to the old St. John’s Anglican Church. It was the first church established in Lunenburg and the second oldest remaining Protestant church in present-day Canada. Their ceiling is the claim to fame. Over the alter the ceiling is painted dark blue and has gilded stars. It looks real pretty, BUT the ingenious thing is the stars are not random. In fact, the constellations are placed exactly as they would have been seen on the First Christmas if there were no ceiling there at all. I can only image how they glowed in the candlelight of olden times. The meaning and original designer of the ceiling has been lost. When the church burned on Halloween night in 2001, the ceiling was restored.

Outside of the church was a bell that was bequeathed by a fellow named Jessen. The bell was made in London by the Whitechapel Bell Foundry, the same company that made Big Ben and the Liberty Bell. It was damaged in the church fire and now stands on a pedestal to commemorate the restoration.

I came across the large and beautiful Heritage Bandstand (gazebo) in a large park. It is a 1987 replica of the original 1889 bandstand. It is located adjacent to the Town Hall. What a great spot for community events or concerts!

I eventually had to go to the bathroom. Rather than have people bothering the businesses, there was an old house converted to public washrooms. How clever!

Having wandered Lunenburg all afternoon, I decided to drive to Blue Rocks up the road. I was told it was very picturesque. I found there was not much there but an old fishing village that looked rather sparse and dilapidated.

I was also told that Mahone Bay was a pretty little town. It was only a 15 minute drive so while I was still driving I headed in that direction. The road was very pretty with bush hugging the shoulders and steep curves. The speed limit was posted low, so I had a good chance to enjoy it. Mahone Bay’s claim to fame is the three churches that side almost side-by-side. It is a popular photographed scene, but it was raining when I got there, so it was hard to take a good shot. I ended up buying a postcard. The other thing about Mahone Bay is its reputation for entrepreneurs and start up artisan businesses. Alas, I arrived too late and the shops were closed. It was late and raining so I opted for dinner at a pub then returned to Lunenburg.

The next day I was up early to head to Halifax. On my way out of town I passed by the Lunenburg Academy high on Gallows Hill. This three-storey Victorian wooden building was built between 1893-1895 and is still used as a primary school, with many of its original features still intact, such as stairways, wainscoting, and doorknobs. It is clearly visible entering the town. It sits like a castle on the hill and is surrounded by a huge open playground and seems very Harry Potter-ish.

NOTE: You might notice that I mention “I was told” a lot. This is because the people are SO friendly. They are very proud of their heritage and gladly offer suggestions on things to do and places to see.