ROAD TRIP 2024 – CANADA

APRIL 22 – MAY 13, 2024

We finally made it to Nova Scotia, to stop at Gagetown and visit my cousin, Allan. It had been over 20 years since we had seen each other. We had a LOT to catch up on.

We stopped at Peggy’s Cove and the Swissair Flight 111 memorial site.

We then headed to Halifax and took in the Halifax Maritime Museum. Although I had been there before, there is always new things to discover that was previously missed. For example, the breeches buoy. It is a round life preserver with breeches attached. It is used to rescue people from wrecked vessels or otherwise dangerous situations.

A model of a ship made with polished pork and beef bones, made by a German POW held at Amhurst.

and the Goose Boat. It was a small boat covered in snow and ice, to look like an ice floe, and could sneak up on waterfowl. Even though they were made illegal in 1917, they continued to be used until the 1950s. I guess they illuded the cops, too.

We also went to the Halifax Explosion Memorial Bell Tower. On the morning of 6 December 1917, the French cargo ship SS Mont-Blanc collided with the Norwegian vessel SS Imo in the harbour. Mont-Blanc, laden with high explosives, caught fire and exploded, devastating the Richmond district of Halifax. At least 1,782 people were killed, largely in Halifax and Dartmouth, by the blast, debris, fires, or collapsed buildings, and an estimated 9,000 others were injured. The blast was the largest human-mad explosion at the time. It released the equivalent energy of roughly 2.9 kilotons of TNT. Hiroshima was 15 kilotons.

The part that chokes me up is the last telegraph sent by hero Vincent Coleman to warn incoming trains. It is welded into a steel girder in Morse Code. “Hold up the train. Munitions ship on fire and making for Pier 6 … Goodbye boys.”

WE then went to Lunenburg to see the Blue Nose Schooner. She was still wrapped in protective plastic, but we did talk to one of the sailors.

We then backtracked to Halifax and went to Pier 29. It is where my Grandparents first touched Canadian soil in 1929. Pierre spent hours with one of the registry people and traced his family immigration back to the 1700s. It was quite the process, as names were spelled phonetically and sometimes completely misspelled. The assistant was skillful at tracing maiden names and birth dates to string together a nice package for him. He paid a small fee to get the whole thing printed. He later gave the package to his genealogical cousin, Jean Yves.

We went past the beautiful Dalhousie University that was founded in 1818.

We were going to visit Pierre’s friend Brian at his lake house in the middle of nowhere.

It may have been in the middle of nowhere, but it was absolute paradise.

We went on a canoe ride on the lake,

then retired for a relaxing evening in a real bed! (We sleep in the back of the van, otherwise.)

Pierre wanted to look good for his friend and decided to trim his beard a bit. He used the dark windows on the van as his mirror. I was inside, but he did not see me.

We then headed for Prince Edward Island, crossing the Confederation Bridge.

We looked around Charlottetown for an afternoon. The weather was cold so we did not explore as much as I would have liked. But enough to know I would like to return.

There were lots of real old and beautiful houses, that had a kind of Gone With the Wind feel to them.

After a short stop and overnight at Cavendish

We headed to New Brunswick to visit Pierre’s daughter, Caroline. We went out to the beach to look for sea glass one day

and the boys decided to build a fort. They collected driftwood and built a shelter good enough to serve on the TV series Alone. Well, maybe not quite, but it was still a nice structure and time well spent with his grandsons.

These boys never stop! We got back home and before you know it, a group of boys were all playing basketball on the driveway.

Hank had a Social Studies Fair at his school. His project was on the Miramichi fire of 1825. A massive forest fire wiped out the entire town as well as most of a neighbouring town. His exhibition did well and went forward to the Provincial Fair.

One day we drove across Chaleur Bay into Quebec. We headed up to Gaspe Peninsula, on the southern side of the St. Lawrence River, to see the massive Percé Rock. The name Gaspé comes from the Mi’kmaq word gespe’g, meaning “end”, referring to the end of the land.

Percé Rock is 433 metres (1,421 ft) long, 90 metres (300 ft) wide, and 88 metres (289 ft) high at its highest point. It is one of the world’s largest natural arches located in water. It is estimated to be 5 million tonnes. The arch is 15 metres (49 ft) high on its seaward southern end. It was named Percé (“pierced rock”) by Samuel de Champlain in 1607, in reference to the holes he had seen in the massive block of limestone. It is about 0.5 miles (800 m) away from the shore and can be approached on foot via a sandbar at low tide. However, considering that about 300 tonnes of fragile limestone mass are lost to erosion each year, there is a chance it could collapse, so venturing too close could be dangerous. Lots of birds perch and breed on the inaccessible height.

We carried on, passing through quaint fishing villages over crazy crooked and hilly roads.

I particularly like the colourful houses, seemingly in the middle of nowhere.

We went along the St. Lawrence River, so wide we could not see the other shore, and signs warning us of waves crossing the road. It was easy to see why this continues to be a major shipping corridor.

We cut through the middle of the peninsula to save time getting back to Caroline’s and saw some beautiful countryside.

We took Pierre’s two grandsons to Alma, Quebec to meet Pierre’s Mom and their great grandmama Therese. It was a 5 hour journey, but it passed quickly with the boys entertaining themselves and chatting as we went.

We booked a small apartment Airbnb for the four of us. In the morning I asked the boys how they liked their eggs. The next day, Pierre cooked the eggs. They said, “It’s good, Grandpa, but not as good as Irene’s.” LOL, out of the mouths of babes!!

We drove around Alma, showing the boys where Grandpa Pierre grew up, where great grandpapa had his furniture store, as well as other sites relevant to their heritage.

We also went to visit Pierre’s cousin, Jean Yves, at his lake house on Lac St. Jean. The boys had a great time wandering around the bushes and along the lake while Pierre & Jean Yves looked over the genealogical information collected at Pier 29.

After dropping the boys off with their Mom near Quebec City (we met half way), we carried on to Saint-Calixte to visit Pierre’s friend Ray. He lives on a beautiful acreage with a trout pond and lots of wild turkeys and deer wandering through his yard. It is always a pleasure to visit his little piece of paradise.

We had to stop for some maple syrup from the maple syrup farm near Ray’s while in the area.

We headed to Montreal to visit more of Pierre’s family. He had not seen these cousins in 40 years! He called his cousin Ron, who said to meet at his mother’s house. Marie is his Mom’s older sister. Pierre assumed Ron had taken over his mother’s house, since she would be 97 years old now. Wrong! Marie lived in her own house, all by herself! Amazing! The kids take turns checking on her, but she was fairly mobile and had all her wits about her. We spent the night at Shirley’s house, just down the street.

The next day we went into Montreal and spent the day wandering around the old city.

The first place we wanted to see was Notre Dame Basilica.

The very first church on this location was built in 1672. Interior decoration and choir were added in the late 1700s. By 1824, the congregation had completely outgrown the church; and a new building was commissioned, with a goal of accommodating a congregation of up to 10,000.

The interior of the current church is amongst the most dramatic in the world and regarded as a masterpiece of Gothic Revival architecture. The vaults are coloured deep blue and decorated with golden stars, and the rest of the sanctuary is decorated in blues, azures, reds, purples, silver, and gold.

It is filled with hundreds of intricate wooden carvings and several religious statues.

Approximately 11 million people visit Notre-Dame Basilica every year, making it one of the most visited monuments in North America. In 2023, Notre-Dame was named the 6th most beautiful building in the world, by a system that analyzes TripAdvisor reviews. (Notre-Dame de Paris was 2nd and Barcelona’s Sagrada Familia was 1st)

The stained glass windows along the walls of the sanctuary do not depict Biblical scenes, but rather scenes from the religious history of Montreal.

The pipe organ dates back to 1891. It has 7000 pipes, the longest being 9,75 metres (32 feet) and the shortest a mere 6.35 mm (1/4 inch) long. It has four keyboards, and 99 stops using electromagnetic action and an adjustable combination system.

To say we were impressed, is an understatement.

The Basilica is directly across the street from Place D’Armes Square. First developed in 1693, it is the second oldest public site in Montreal. It was originally called Place de la Fabrique but renamed in 1721 when it became the stage of military events. It was also used as a hay and wood market before developing into a Victorian garden after it was acquired by the city in 1836.

Standing in the centre of the Square, in of a water basin formed by four half-circles, is a monument to Paul de Chomedey, the founder and first governor of Ville-Marie (the original name of Montreal). At the base of the monument are 4 statues of historical figures from that era, a French officer, a merchant man, a French nurse responsible for starting the first hospital, and an Iroquois warrior, representing the Six Nations Confederacy.

 Other notable structures surrounding the square are: Saint-Sulpice Seminary, the second oldest structure in Montreal,

New York Life Building, erected in 1887–1889, it was the tallest commercial building in M Montreal with the first eight floors were designed for retail office space, that quickly filled with the city’s best lawyers and financiers. When the clock tower was completed, the owner filled the ninth and tenth floors with the largest legal library in the entire country as a gift to tenants. 

Aldred Building, an art deco building

Bank of Montreal head office. Founded in 1817, it is the oldest bank in Canada, and still remains the bank’s legal headquarters.

and 500 Place D’Armes, an out of place modern building amongst the previous historical buildings.

Outside of the building are two statues, known as The Two Snobs, that humorously depict the cultural discord the used to prevail (some would argue it is still prevalent) between French and English Canadians. Inspired by the historical site of the building, the artist decided to express this historical divide. Fortier, the artist, intentionally divided the piece into two clear segments to accentuate the distance between the two parties. Both characters stand on the ground and face away from each other on opposite sides of the building.

On the south side corner of the tower, an Englishman, represented as a thin, elegant, pretentious man, wearing a grid pattern suit with a bow tie, firmly presses a pug against his chest and stares with condescension at the Notre-Dame Basilica, a symbol of the religious dominance of the Catholic Church in Quebec.

On the north side corner of the same tower, a Frenchwoman represented as a small, elegant, snooty lady, wearing a Chanel-style suit, rubber-zippered high-heeled shoes covers and an imitation beret, firmly holds a French Poodle against her chest and stares with discontent at the head office of the Bank of Montreal, a symbol of the English power. Both dogs are attracted to each other but are made to stay away and far apart by their owners.

We also saw the Montreal City Hall

Built in 1705 as the residence of then-governor of Montreal, Claude de Ramezay, the Château Ramezay was the first building proclaimed as a historical monument in Quebec and is the province’s oldest private history museum.

We wandered through Marché Bonsecours, the main public market in Montreal for over 100 years.

Notre-Dame-de-Bon-Secours Chapel is one of the oldest churches in Montreal. It was built in 1771 over the ruins of an earlier chapel.

The Montreal Clock Tower, also known as the Sailor’s Memorial Clock, marks the entrance to the Old Port of Montreal.  The construction of the tower began in 1919, and was finished in 1922, as a dedication to the seamen who died in WWI.  The Clock Tower is 45 m (148 ft) tall with 192 steps from the bottom to the top of the tower. It was closed when we were there. The tower consists of four translucent clock faces, each being 3.7 m (12 ft) in diameter.

From there, we had a nice view of the Jacques Cartier Bridge.

We then decided to hike up to Mont Royal. Along the way, we saw some beautiful old buildings.

We drove parked behind the old Royal Victoria Hospital, situated on the southern slope of Mount Royal. What a beautiful building and site! When the original building was built of Montreal limestone and completed in 1893, it was hailed as the “finest and most perfectly equipped (hospital) on the great American continent”. It has turrets and sun porches and looks like an old castle. New wings were added in the same style in 1905, 1920 and 1950. At one time it even had a pool and patio. It is now a historic site part of McGill University.

The southeast portion of the former hospital complex is being turned into a centre for teaching, research and innovation. The cost of the project, including planning, restoring and construction, is estimated at $870 million. Completion is expected in 2028. There is a lot of contamination inside all of the old buildings, such as asbestos and lead paint. Although a lot of the post-war buildings will have to be demolished, every effort is being made to keep most of the non-contaminated materials, such as the limestone, to be reintegrated into the new construction. I can only hope they keep with the beauty of the old architecture, but I doubt it….

We walked along beautiful shady paths

and climbed the 400 steps up to the viewing area. We could see the entire city.

Not far away was the Chalet du mont Royal (Welcome Centre) which dates back to 1931. It was commissioned by the Mayor to help offset unemployment during the Great Depression. It looked like we were standing in a huge upside down boat.

We spent another night at Pierre’s cousin’s place then headed to Hudson, PC to visit his other cousin, Michael. We were given directions but also told that when we see a huge house, that is his. Huge house is right!

He was also situated on the shore of the Ottawa River. We sat on the shore and enjoyed the beautiful scenery while the guys caught up after 50 years!

The next day we headed to Ottawa to visit the Canadian War Museum. There was a life-sized scene of Cyprus, where he served in 1974. He said it was very realistic.

There was lots of personal items with the story that went with the item. It was very well done and made the museum come alive.

There were also miniature replicas of the Vimy Ridge memorial, with explanations for each statue. I fully intend to go to Vimy to see the real thing.

We ended the museum tour looking at the tanks and armoured vehicles. Pierre knows every piece of machinery by name! I tried to test him by standing in front of the plaque, but he generally had more information than was printed. If they ever need a new curator for this job, he would be the perfect candidate!

We then headed to Pierre’s old military stomping grounds, Pembroke & Petawawa. Specifically, we went to the Petawawa Airborne Museum. It was a small museum but VERY well done. I learned more about the Airborne than any other museum we had been to (and we go to a LOT of war museums!)

There was a mannequin of a jumper. Pierre noticed that he was kitted out wrong. I told him to tell the curator. He was hesitant, but I said these things need to be right. When he explained to the lady what was wrong and why it was wrong, she thanked him. She said the museum is, of course, for the general public, but it is more for the men who served. For the correction to come from an Airborne jump instructor held a lot of weight.

The town of Pembroke was quaint, with old houses neatly situated on large lots.

Pierre insisted we go to a take-away Chinese restaurant that he used to frequent when he lived there. It was really good, but more expensive than he remembered. We ate it at the water’s edge, like a picnic.

We took an afternoon and simply chilled at the library. We discovered that we need to do this a bit more often, as we tend to go-go-go all the time. It was nice to catch up on the news and for me to sort through my pictures.

We needed the rest because the next part of our journey was not a happy one. Sadly, our dear friend Denis Boisvenue passed away earlier in the spring and we were headed to his celebration of life ceremony. We were making plans to visit him and Rosan when we got the call that he passed away in a quad accident. Our last text from him said “See you soon”

It was a bitter-sweet event with lots of Airborne buddies in attendance. You are sorely missed, Denis.

We headed to Huntsville to spend the night with Patti and Richard. It is always a pleasure to visit the Land of Peace and Quiet.

Then we headed to Toronto, where we had a short visit with Real and Linda

before we had to catch our flight London UK to see my kids.