Citidal

For the last 2,000 miles, or so,we have been receiving messages that the car was due for service soon - the 20,000 mile maintenance. We looked at our travel plans and it seemed that Halifax, Nova Scotia, looked like a likely big city that would have a dealership and we would be there when the car hit 20,000 miles, give or take a few miles.  We checked online and, sure enough, Halifax had a Mercedes dealer, the only one in Nova Scotia, so we called and made an appointment. This morning, when we brought the car in there were 19, 987 miles on the odometer.

In a loner car, we drove to Point Pleasant Park, and then on to the Halifax Citadel. Halifax was founded in 1749, the first of four forts was constructed on the strategic high ground behind the original town site. A second fort was completed during the American Revolution, though this was replaced in the 1790's with the onset of the wars of the French Revolution. Throughout the Napoleonic Wars and the War of 1812, Halifax served as the headquarters for the North American Station of the Royal Navy, with the Citadel as the port's principal landward defense.

With the conclusion of the Napoleonic Wars in 1815, British authorities decided that the old wooden forts defending Canada's strategic strong points, including the Citadel, should be replaced by more powerful and permanent works of stone. Construction began in 1828 and continued until 1856, a period of 28 years. The new fort's purpose was to deter an overland assault on the city and dockyard, and such was its strength and that of the other harbor defenses that no enemy ever dared attack.

The British garrison of Halifax changed frequently, with regiments staying from between two to four years at a time. Thousands of soldiers and their families called the Citadel home. Though British North America became the Dominion of Canada in 1867, the continuing importance of Halifax as a port for the Royal Navy saw British troops remain here until 1906. From that time onward the Citadel was occupied by the Canadian military, with the old fort serving through two World Wars as a transit barracks, an anti-aircraft center, and a parting symbol for the thousands of troops who took ship overseas for the battlefields of Europe.

The tip of Point Pleasant Park looking out to sea.

A Memorial listing all those soldiers from Canada and Newfoundland who lost their lives in the First and Second World War.

This anchor came from the HMCS Bonaventure, an aircraft carrier of the Royal Canadian Navy. It is dedicated to the men and women who died serving in the Canadian Navy during peacetime. (Frederick is standing there to provide scale.)

Point Pleasant Park is tree lined with many walkways and paths. This sculpture is tucked away at the side of a path. (It is of two seals.)

This the Prince of Wales Tower, located in Point Pleasant Park, built between 1796 - 1799. It is one of many fortifications that were built to protect the city.

There were costumed interpreters at the Citadel. These two women represent private's wives. They could charge a penny to wash a soldier's shirt and make more money in a day than their husbands, who made 13 cents a day. 

There are two regiments represented at the Citidal. The two soldiers above are from the tartan-clad 78th Highlanders. The one on the right was our tour guide and the one on the left is demonstrating how he loaded his gun. He fired his gun several times and made lots of noise.

This Signal Mast signals ships arriving in port to the 300 - 400 soldiers at the fort. This is the flag of a commercial ship which was welcomed by the soldiers because it brought food and drink.

This is the changing of the guard that occurs at the Front Gate every hour on the hour. We were told that their hats are a wire frame with ostrich feathers.

In addition to the costumed interpreters at the Citadel, there is an Army Museum. There is currently a special exhibit commemorating the 100th anniversary of the First World War. One of the exhibits talked about a special Jewish unit that was formed. In 1917, Private David Green joined the 39th Battalion and trained at Camp Edward in Nova Scotia. Green later became the first Prime Minister of Israel, David Ben-Gurion.

Halifax has paid a high price for being a center of military activity. During both World Wars the harbor was used as a convoy gathering point so that ships could cross the Atlantic in the safety of numbers to better protect themselves from German submarine attack. In December of 1917, the Mont Blanc, a French munitions ship arriving to join one of these convoys had a fatal collision with a Belgian Relief ship, the Imo. The Mont Blanc was carrying a lethal combination of picric acid, guncotton, T.N.T. and benzol. The explosion which followed the collision was the greatest man-made one the world had seen until the atom bomb was dropped on Hiroshima in 1945. The entire north end of Halifax was wiped out. 1,400 people were killed outright, an estimated 600 died later, another 9,000 were injured and 199 were blinded.

A 1:30 replica of the Vimy Memorial in France which honors all 67,000 soldiers of the Canadian Expeditionary Force who died during the First World War.

The other regiment portrayed at the Citadel is the 3rd Infantry Brigade - yes, their uniforms were copied and used for "Bell Hops"uniforms at U.S. hotels.