Halifax, My Home

The Henry House
is another of my favourite restaurants/pubs. It has dining over two floors in a historic listed building on the south end of Barrington Street, downtown Halifax. The house was built in 1834 built of ironstone and granite. The main floor is a restaurant and the lower floor is a pub. There is also a private dining area on the upper floor. This used to be the home of the Granite Brewery which was the name of the building for awhile but the brewery facilities have been moved elsewhere though their very excellent ales are still on tap here.

Their menu offers traditional pub fare as well as fresh local seafood and divine desserts. There is a kids' menu and brunch is served on weekends. I can't really say what is my favourite dish here but I've never had a bad meal and always enjoyed the atmosphere and friendly staff. With an appetiser, main meal and dessert, you could be looking at $20.00 or so, more with a drink. Portions are good sized as well.

Location is on the south end of Barrington Street, just across from the Via train station and Westin Hotel. The number 9 and 7 busses stop right outside. Parking space behind the building is limited. There are side streets but there's a grocery store across the way as well and you could park there.

Across the harbour from Halifax, in Dartmouth, you will find Celtic Corner, another Irish style pub with excellent food. It's easy to get to by the ferry, it's right across the street from the ferry terminal/library complex. Many busses stop nearby, traveling from the Dartmouth bus terminal just across from the McDonald bridge. From downtown Halifax, the 61 will take you right there, or you can transfer from a 1 or 10 (Westphal) which are the main two busses that travel from downtown Halifax to Dartmouth.

The Celtic Corner specializes in pub grub and features entertainment with origins from the U.K., Ireland and the east coast of Canada mainly from Thursday to Saturday nights. Fill up on fresh salads, pastas, meat and seafood pies, seafood and lots of great appetisers to share. One of the best items on the menu is the Maple Curry Chicken (yes, really!) and they do a really great weekend brunch as well. There's a main room and another off to one side and a couple of "snugs" in the back. There's a small fireplace near the stage which is great for getting cozy in winter. It can get quite crowded on a Friday or Saturday night, though, so get there early. Appetizer and main will probably cost close to $20.00 with taxes included not including drinks.

Bish is one of the top restaurants in Halifax and can hold its own against any world class restaurant. This is the place to go for fine dining, that means it will cost you plenty but Bish is an experience you won't forget if you really want to splurge.

They are located on the south end of the Halifax Waterfront in the Bishop's Landing development. There's a bit of parking nearby but there are also parking lots along the waterfront and you can stroll the boardwalk to get there on a nice summer night. You can sit outside in the summer if you wish and watch the boats on the water and people strolling by.

The food is exquisitely prepared and presented with top of the line fresh ingredients. While very expensive, they do offer fixed price menus with two choices each for starters, main dish and dessert. Wine or drinks are extra. If it's possible to splurge on a budget, this will be your best bet.

There are some fabulous seafood dishes but they also do a few vegetarian dishes and various other meats including beef, lamb and veal. Desserts are an exquisite temptation. The wine list is extensive and will run you a minimum of $40 for a bottle but the average price is probably closer to $60 for a bottle of good wine.

Opa! is a Greek phrase for Good Health, Cheers, and Glad to see you all rolled into one! Opa! is also the name of a great Greek restaurant in downtown Halifax. It's on the end of Argyle Street, next to the Argyle Bar and on the corner of Argyle and Blowers Street. The building used to be a bar that closed after many years. Several bars and restaurants tried the location but until Opa! none of them were successful.

Opa is decorated in true taverna style and has two sections. The back section is in a room with a wall of windows and it's like an atrium. They can open the windows in summer to let the breeze in, too. I believe there are a few steps to get in the building and a few to one part of the restaurant but i think most of the tables are accessible and there's an outdoor patio in the summer.

Prices range from 10 - 18 dollars for lunch, and about double that for various main dishes but the evening menu has many different items and large platters of combinations so you can share and split the bill. Lots of Greek wine will go well with the menu, also, and the desserts are very yummy!

Perk's isn't strictly speaking a restaurant though they do offer light lunches. It's a coffee shop with a location on the Halifax waterfront just by the ferry terminal and one on Quinpool Road but it's one of the great ones! They have two locations in local malls (MicMac and Halifax Shopping Centre) as well. They offer a custom European style blend of coffee. Almost all of their deserts and cakes are made on the premises and trust me, they are to die for! They do all the special coffee and tea drinks (chai, lattes, cappucino, etc. They have smoothies and Italian sodas. They offer free wi-fi as well.

My favourite location is the original one on the waterfront. You can sit and enjoy a drink and sit on the patio to people watch. There's always so much going on on the waterfront, especially in summer.

They are also licensed so you can also enjoy a beer or a glass of wine. They used to have a news stand but have now turned that into a gallery featuring local artists.

The Lower Water Street location is right at the ferry terminal. In summer they also have an ice cream stand out front. Wheelchair accessible.

Halifax Harbour is a source of transportation, recreation and the waterfronts of Halifax and Dartmouth are also the sites of lots of activities. There is a ferry that crosses the harbour in two locations (see another review for details). There are pleasure boats that will use the harbour in good weather. It's not uncommon to see white sails dotting the water in the breezy sunny days we get in the summer.

Halifax harbour is industrial. There is a major shipyard betweet the two bridges, a power plant, an oil refinery as well as a naval base and a Canadian Coast Guard base on its shores. There are two major container ports so there's always massive ships plodding slowly up and down the water, followed closely by tugboats.

At the end of the Halifax Peninsula, there's a large natural park, Point Pleasant Park, which looks out on the mouth of Halifax Harbour. This also has trails where dogs can go off-leash and on the water side, there are picnic tables and places to sit and watch the world go by.

In the downtown Halifax side of the waterfront, a boardwalk stretches from the Casino to the container piers in the south. Along here are shops and restaurants, several museums and a crystal factory. This is also where you will find several festivals through the summer including the very popular Busker festival in August. The Tall Ships dock here every few years and draw in thousands. There are also celebrations in conjunction with holidays such as Canada Day and the city's "birthday" Natal Day, the first weekend in August and at those times, you will probably find marquees set up with music and entertainment with fireworks being shot over the water at night.

On the Dartmouth side, there's a lovely park, and the ferry terminal building also houses the public library and a theatre and farmer's market. Outside this building, there is an events plaza with an outdoor stage. Here's where you will have concerts and festivals such as the Multicultural festival. The plaza will have tents and marquees set up for food and displays with performances going on on stage.

On the Eastern Shore of Dartmouth, there's another boardwalk lined with little craft shops and restaurants, called Fisherman's Wharf. This is also a nice place to spend an afternoon.

In the harbour are several small islands. George's Island used to have a fort on it and you can still see the remnants of it now. It's not accessible to the public but one of the larger islands, McNab's, can be accessed via a ferry from the Fisherman's Wharf area in woodside. It's a popular spot for camping or picnicking.

The Old Triangle is an Irish pub downtown, just a block from the waterfront and across the street from historic Province House. It has three levels with live music on the main level and a couple of cosy nooks to hide away in in the back/ third level, The Snug.

The food in this pub is excellent. I've never had a bad meal there yet. The menu has items with Irish theme names which might be a bit twee but don't let that put you off. You will find the food fresh and well prepared and very, very tasty. They have seafood, pasta, salad, sandwiches, pub grub and some Irish favourites like Guinness and Steak pie and Irish Stew. There's everything from starters to pub grub to main dishes. They have a small kids' menu, a great Sunday brunch and daily lunch specials.

They pour a perfect pint of Guinness and have a good selection of import beers on tap and bottle.

They also have traditional Irish music most nights of the week. On Sunday afternoons, twice a month, you can see a demonstration of Irish set dancing as well.

This is one of my favourite places to eat in Halifax. It can get quite busy but it's well worth it!

Check out their website and menu

There has been a formal garden in this general spot in Halifax since the early 19th century. The Horticultural Society established and opened formal Victorian gardens to the public in the mid 19th Century and the Halifax Public Gardens is deemed a historic site now. The Gardens are open between mid May and the end of October. Thousands of people, both tourists and locals alike, love to come to this little oasis in the city centre to enjoy a warm, sunny, summer day. There are many lovely flower beds and rare trees in the gardens as well as a large duck pond populated with ducks, of course, and a smaller pond where two white swans generally hang out. There is also a little stream near the main entrance, crossed by a small stone footbridge which is very picturesque.

One of the main attractions and photo stops is the red and white gazebo/bandstand in the centre. There are rows of park benches there and there is often a concert on a Sunday afternoon. Summer will see many wedding parties having their photos taken against the beautiful flowers and trees.

You cannot walk on the grass through most of the park but there is an area near one end where you can lay on the grass or let the little ones run around. There are fountains and ponds, flowers and trees.

In 2003, Hurricane Juan did a lot of damage to the Gardens but thanks to contributions, there has been a lot of restoration work done. There are fewer trees than there used to be, but the gardens still look lovely and it's still a great place to come.

There's a small cafe and new toilet facilities by the gazebo and nearby Spring Garden Road has restaurants and coffee shops where you can pick up a snack and a drink and take it into the park to enjoy. Along the fence on Spring Garden Road, craft vendors and artists show and sell their wares as well.

The Public Gardens is located on Spring Garden Road between South Park Street and Summer Street. Any bus that goes down Spring Garden Road will stop there and the free summer city centre shuttle, FRED (Free Rides Everywhere Downtown) stops there as well. It's a short walk from Citadel Hill and the fortress and the Natural History Museum is just around the corner further down Summer Street.

The centre of Halifax is dominated by a big hill and on top of the hill is a restored Citadel, a star shaped fortress that was constructed shortly after the city was founded in 1749. There have been several forts here over the years, the current one dates to 1856. The fort was built for defence but has never fired a gun in aggression. The only cannon that goes off these days is one that fires to mark noon every day.

The Citadel is open mainly from May to October though the grounds are open all year round. There are no services for tourists in the winter with one exception. The fortress holds a Victorian style Christmas celebration on several Sundays in December. The cost is $11.50 for an adult during June to September, with a lower cost in May and October. The fortress is free on Canada Day, July 1, when there are demonstrations, music and activities to celebrate Canada's birthday.

The soldiers you see dressed in period costume belong to the 78th Highlander regiment and most are summer students. Many will wear kilts and the rest wear regular uniform. they are trained in rifle and cannon drills as well as learning the history of the fort so that they can take turns guiding the visitors. You can usually join a walking tour around the fortress for free. This takes you into the barracks, in and around the compound and inside the walls themselves.

The view from the Citadel overlooks the downtown core and harbour and the hill itself is popular for sunbathers and kite flyers. The site is designated a National Historic site and is run by Parks Canada. It's well worth a visit with lots of displays and things to see. There's a military museum in the barracks as well as a gift shop, coffee shop and toilet facilities.

It's easy to get to. Find the hill. Walk up. There are stairs on the harbour side, and two roads lead up to the hill. Drive slowly, though as the road is narrow and there's a stop light as you come into the parking lot. Bus tours of the city drive up the hill and stop here and the free city centre shuttle that runs in the summer also comes up.

Point Pleasant Park is on the south tip of peninsular Halifax. When the city was founded in the 1700s, there was a garrison here, built to monitor the comings and goings in and out of the harbour. There are still some remnants of batteries and a Martello tower in the park. The park has been used for recreation since the mid 1800s and is a very popular spot for locals and tourists alike who want to get away from the city streets and enjoy the sunshine.

The park also has a small beach but currently, it's not advised to swim there as the harbour is polluted. There is a harbour cleanup project underway, so maybe in future years, you'll be able to swim there again but it's still a good place to sit or let the kids play in the sand.

There are roads and paths through the wooded park and clearings where you can spread a blanket and have a picnic. Along the shore road, there are some picnic tables as well. At the Cambridge Battery, about a 10 minute walk from the upper entrance, all summer long, there are performances by the Shakespeare by the Sea company, every evening except Mondays and weekend matinees. They charge about 10 dollars per performance, and will provide chairs or you can bring your own blankets to sit on.

PPP is also partly a dog-park. You can let your dog run off leash in the interior of the park (not along the coastal roads or in the parking lots) but you must have control of your animal and locally owned dogs must be licensed according to Halifax's bylaws. You must pick up after your dog, as well.

The views from the park, over the harbour and NorthWest Arm (inlet) are great! On a sunny day you can watch the sailboats along with regular harbour water traffic (tugs, container ships, etc.) In 2003, a hurricane decimated the tree population of the park. There are some areas that lost 70% of the trees. Restoration work is ongoing and someday this park will be fully forested again.

The park is at the south end of the peninsua. Follow Barrington Street to the end, where it turns a corner into Inglis Street. At Tower Road lights, turn left and follow to the end of that road. Turn left and follow Point Pleasant drive to the parking lot of the park. If you turn right, you'll see the upper parking lot on the left as well for the other main entrance. Bus number 9 goes right into the parking lot and serves Tower Road, Inglis Street and Barrington street in the downtown area, up to the bus terminal (Via Duffus, Lady Hammond and Connaught) at the West End shopping mall area. There are toilet facilities through the park as well as at the main entrance. There's a snack bar at the main entrance and an ice cream shack by the beach as well.

The Maritime Museum of the Atlantic is one of the "must see" attractions in Halifax, along with the Citadel. It explores the seagoing history of Halifax including merchant, military, fishing and other aspects of the ocean. This is the oldest Maritime museum in Canada (60 years old in 2008) though not at this location. In fact, it lived part of it's life in the Citadel. The current building opened it's doors in 1982.

There is also an excellent exhibit on the Halifax Explosion which was the largest man made explosion before the nuclear age. (This was caused by two ships that collided in the harbour, on December 6, 1917. One was carrying explosives and combustible materials for WWI). You can learn about shipwrecks, about building boats, you can find out about Canada's navy in the wars. There are models, photos, artifacts. Another big attraction is an exhibition on the Titanic. Many of the Titanic victims are buried in Halifax and the museum has quite a few artifacts salvaged from the wreck.

You can see scale models of tall ships, cruise ships, steam powered liners. There is a replica of a ship carpenter's shop, a sail loft displaying sail makers' tools and other artifacts. There's a gift shop as well.

The museum is on the Halifax waterfront on Lower Water street. There's a pay-and-display parking lot beside it and a parking garage a few blocks away. There is no cafe on site but there is no shortage of places to find some good food and drink within steps of the museum.

The museum opens at 9:30 a.m. and closes at 5 in the winter and 5:30 in summer but is open all year round on Tuesday nights until 8. In winter, November through the end of April, it is closed on Mondays and it's closed Dec. 24, 25, 26 and Jan. 1. It is fully accessible for people with mobility issues. The adult entry price tops at $8.75 but about half that price in winter. There are seniors and kids' discounts and you can also get a family pass. You can also get a season pass that lets you return all year for $22.50 per adult, an amazing value. Also included in the price is access to the CSS Acadia which is an old scientific research ship docked outside the museum.

Halifax is a city of festivals in the summertime. The season starts off in early June with the Greek festival. This is held on the grounds of the Greek Orthodox Church in Herring Cove. They feature music, dancing and food, glorious food! That's the main reason people go there, to enjoy the wonderful food, all made by members of the Greek community. There are outdoor barbeque pits and inside, you will be able to get platters of Greek specialties like spanakopita and stuffed vine leaves as well as syrupy sweet baklava. Limited parking, along the road mainly but there are busses that go there from the West End mall terminal.

The next big festival is the Multicultural Festival. This is held near the end of June in the Dartmouth events plaza at the ferry terminal. There are large marquees erected, some of which feature crafts and displays from many countries in the world. The most popular tent is the food tent where there are vendors of many foods and delicacies from around the world for you to try. Go hungry, come home full to bursting! You'll have to have a bit of cash in your pocket though, it costs to get in to the festival (though they do offer family passes and you can get advance weekend passes at any branch of the Royal Bank after June 1) and each item of food you want to try costs anywhere from 1 to 3 or 4 dollars. I generally go with $20.00 and have a scope about to decide which looks appetising. I like to try some different things that I wouldn't normally be able to get, such as sweets from Portugal, or something smoked from Iceland. Outside under the canopy on the events stage there will be an amazing array of performances from all cultures. The music and colour, the grace and talent are enough to keep you there all day watching. You can pay for a weekend pass or just a day pass.

The Busker festival takes place in early August for 10 days. Street performers from all over the world put on their acts in front of crowds all along the Halifax waterfront boardwalk. The event is free but most of the acts will ask you for donations. There will also be vendors of all sorts set up along the boardwalk. There are a lot of acrobatic type acts, many musicians and a few performance artists.

The JazzEast festival in July attracts lots of people to various venues around the city. There are usually free outdoor concerts happening and there's an outdoor marquee and stage on Spring Garden Road as well. Many of the venues will charge admission, of course, as tickets and seating will be limited. If you like Jazz, it's a fine time to visit Halifax.

Other cultural weekend festivals include the Italian festival in September at the Italian Cultural Centre at 2629 Agricola Street (again, go for the most excellent homemade food!!), Lebanese festival at the Lebanese cultural centre, and the Polish Festival (at a local church), all usually later in the summer. The Halifax Comedy Festival was held in April in 2008 but has been a summer festival as well in the past.

Betweem 1928 and 1971 over 1.5 million immigrants passed through Halifax on their way to new lives in Canada. They arrived by ship and landed at Pier 21 in the south end of Halifax. The museum is housed in the last remaining immigration clearing shed in Canada and is named for it and it's mission is to explore the immigration experience that so many thousands went through. The facility is also a research centre for people wanting to trace their geneology. The museum aims to celebrate all immigrants to Canada from the early days after the country was formed in 1867 onwards, bringing a large multicultural building block to Canada.

The original Pier 21 was a complex of buildings that included access to the trains. Now it houses a bright museum, with a wall of windows overlooking the harbour and George's Island. The cruise ship docks are also just next to it. There are thousands of photographs, written histories from people who want to tell their stories, interactive displays, artifacts and even an old railway car with a video of highlights of the country from coast to coast. There is of course, a gift shop and cafe and there are research facilities as well. It is wheelchair accessible.

The museum is located at the south end of the city on Marginal Road. Easiest way to get there is to go down Barrington Street to South Street where you will see the Westin Hotel and Train station. Turn left on South Street, a short left and a quick right onto Terminal Road. Follow that down and round to the right. You can also go south on HOllis Street as far as the road goes, then turn left onto Terminal Road as above. There's a parking lot there that costs $2 per hour. Alternatively, park anywhere along the waterfront or take the ferry to Halifax and walk the boardwalks all the way down. It would take about 15 minutes (or longer if you're strolling) to walk from the Halifax ferry terminal to Pier 21. There is no bus that serves Marginal Road but in the summer months you can catch the free downtown shuttle, FRED, that goes right to the door. Metro Transit bus numbers 9 and 7 go down Barrington to the train station area.

The museum is open 7 days a week in summer from 9:30 to 5:30. Winter hours (November 29 to March 31) 10:00 to 5:00, closed on Sunday and Monday. In April the winter hours are in effect but they are only closed on Sunday. Closed Dec. 25, 26 and Jan. 1. Costs are $8.50 for an adult with discounts for children and senior. There's a family rate as well.

Website

The Art Gallery of Nova Scotia is soon to celebrate their 100th year. It began life as the Nova Scotia Museum of Fine Arts and has has many homes, including a powder magazine in the Halifax Citadel. It moved into it's current building, a fine old Victorian heap, in 1988 and 10 years later, the AGNS took over two floors of a neighbouring building as well. The two are connected underground by another exhibition space. The main building is the 1865 Dominion Building at what used to be called "Cheapside" but is now flanked by Hollis Street and Bedford Row. It is only steps from the ferry terminal and waterfront where there is a pay and display parking lot.

The Art Gallery has permanent exhibitions that celebrate Nova Scotian, eastern provincial, and Canadian art and has a special gallery on Maud Lewis, a folk artist who painted bright coloured works on anything she could find. In recent years, the gallery has hosted some amazing travelling exhibitions including Impressionist works, Egyptian art and mummies, a Rodin perspective, and a study of Marilyn Monroe. At entry fees of $12.00 for adults (discounted for Seniors and children, with family rates as well), it's a little on the pricey side for Halifax but it's well worth a visit. The gallery shop is comprehensive and the cafe is one of the nicest and most elegant places to have lunch downtown yet with reasonable prices.

The gallery holds art classes and workshops, especially for kids but also for adults. They sometimes have lunchtime events and often have films and tours. Check the website for events each month.

Opening hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily and open Thursday evenings until 9 p.m. Daily tours at 2:30 p.m. and on Thursday at 7:30 p.m. as well. The gallery is fully wheelchair accessible with ramps and lifts.

The Seahorse was founded in 1948 and is one of the oldest pubs in Halifax. It's a basic bar, not pretty, not fancy and it's got an eclectic mix of clientele. You might see university students, art students, military (sailors), office workers and the like. The menu is standard pub grub and it's pretty darn good grub, too. They often have live music as well as DJ nights and and Open Mike night. Square and long scarred wooden tables, vinyl booth seats and wooden chairs, the bar has more character than style but those that like it, like it a lot. It's underground so there is no outdoor light. Find it on Argyle Street, a block south of the Parade Square on the harbour side. You'll see the Seahorse sign over the door, enter and go down the stairs. No wheelchair access, unfortunately.

Something unique on the waterfront is a crystal shop where you can actually watch the craftsmen blow the crystal the old fashioned way. They open the side to the parking lot so people can stand and watch. They blow the molten crystal, shape it and engrave it all by hand with traditional methods. I've been on a tour of the Waterford Crystal factory in Ireland and although this is much smaller, the traditions and skills are every bit as good. The founders of NovaScotian Crystal are in fact skilled craftspeople from Ireland where jobs were becoming thinner on the ground. They came to Halifax in 1996 and opened the factory here to huge success.

The shop shows off the exquisite pieces large and small. It's not cheap, but it's unique and a very special souvenir of Halifax to take home with you. Every piece is made right there in the factory by hand.

The address says George Street but the factory is actually right on the waterfront by the ferry terminal in Halifax. Perks coffee shop is across the small parking lot from it. You can't miss it!

On the Dartmouth side of Halifax Harbour is an often overlooked historic house. Quaker House only small, just a few rooms down and a few up but it's one of the oldest houses in Dartmouth and dates back to 1785. It's been expanded since then but restored to that era. It was owned by a barrell maker who came to the area as one of a group of Quakers who came here for the whaling industry. There are some interesting displays in the house including a preserve whale's eye in a jar and some wonderful scrimshaw, which is carvings on whale teeth.

The museum is only open from early June to very early September. It's closed for lunch (1 - 2 p.m. and is only open from Tuesday to Sunday until 5 p.m. It's one of two historic houses as part of the Dartmouth Heritage Museum. The other one, Evergreen House is a few blocks away and has artifacts from Dartmouth's past. That location also has a little gift shop. Evergreen House is at 26 Newcastle Street and was the home of local folk lore teller Helen Creighton.

Entry to the museums are free but donations are gladly accepted. Quaker house is easily reached from the Dartmouth downtown ferry terminal, walking across Alderney Drive at the corner lights and going up 2 blocks. The house is on the north side of the street.

Keith's Brewery is the oldest working brewery in North America. Alexander Keith founded it in the early 1800s and his beer has been brewed here in one location or another ever since. The current location is in the old stone brewery building near the waterfront. Alexander Keith owned this building as well as a home on Hollis Street, just above it (Keith Hall). The beer was brewed in the Olands' brewery for some time but moved back to the historic listed building which also houses the Halifax Farmers' Market, also one of the oldest markets in Canada.

Currently, they offer a brewery tour with costumed actors as guides. The tour takes you back to what Halifax was like in the mid 19th century and is an interactive tour that will hold the interest for all ages. Children are allowed at the tour though, of course, not allowed to "taste test".

The tour runs all year round but in winter (November to April) it is just held on weekends. The cost is $15.95 per adult with discounts for seniors, children, family rates and group rates are also available.

On a Saturday morning, you can also visit the Farmer's market. Browse through the various rooms and corridors and shops where you will find produce, wine, cheese, crafts and all sorts of interesting things. The market is very popular and well worth a visit. There's no cost for the market, only the tour. I think the tour is probably wheelchair accessible but not all of the market is. You can enter from Lower Water street or from a small side parking lot where there is an accessible entrance. There are several very good restaurants in the building as well.

The Halifax Highland Games and Scottish Festival is held on a Saturday in July every year. Up to this year (2008) it has been held at the Wanderers Grounds in Halifax, near the foot of Citadel Hill. This year the organizers were a bit late booking the field and lost the venue so scrambled to find a new one. They found a field and booked it. They used the Dartmouth Commons on the other side of the harbour and the venue was perfect! There is a large ball field behind Bicentennial school by Dartmouth High School and all the tents and events were set up there. The Commons below that was an ideal space for practicing and setting up "camp" for the various pipe bands and groups.

They have a row of marquees set up to feature various clans with geneology information, photos and people to talk to. Some of the booths are selling items of interest and there are also other booths selling Celtic jewelry, souvenirs and accessories that you might need if you are in a pipe and drum band or if you compete in the dance and folk competitions. Lots of plaid everywhere! There is usually a kiosk set up by a travel agent with information on Scotland and Ireland and this year there was also a representative of the Dartmouth Heritage Museum. Over one area that has a life as a baseball field in it's everyday life, you will see various pipe bands and drummers competing. There's a main stage for the opening ceremonies and which later is the scene for the dancing competitions. Girls in kilts or folk costumes fling and stomp and dance in various categories ranked by age and type of dancing.

The day starts off with a parade of the massed pipe and drum bands and let me tell you, when hundreds of bagpipes raise the call of the Highlands, your heart pounds! The pipes must have truly sounded fearsome back in the days when it was the call into battle! These days, the pipes and drums are played by people of all ages, male and female. There was a demonstration of the 78th Highander drill team in full dress uniform. These men work at the Halifax Citadel all summer long as guides and guards and putting on demonstrations for the tourist so they do learn the maneuvers for real, recreating life as a soldier in the garrison.

The popular event, however, is the heavy events area. This is where you will see tall, burly men with arms the size of tree trunks hefting and throwing boulders, rocks on sticks and chains, and flinging 20 foot poles nearly the size of a telephone pole end over end. That's the "glamour" event, the caber toss. It takes a lot of strength but also a huge amount of skill to overend it just right. The aim is to heave it high enough so that it lands on one end and falls over in a straight line from the person that threw it, a "12 o'clock" throw. If the caber doesn't flip over, the angle it falls is measured in degrees instead of clock time. This is usually the last event of the day. I can't imagine how they must have any energy left after all the heavy throwing all day!

This was the first year for the event at the Dartmouth venue but it was very successful and it appears they may return there in future. It cost 12 dollars for an adult entry to the grounds this year. There were lots of places you can lay a blanket or portable chair. They also have a few food kiosks and a beer garden area too where later in the afternoon, you will be able to hear some local entertainment. All in all a very enjoyable day and the weather this year couldn't have been more perfect for it!

There has been a ferry across Halifax Harbour connecting the cities of Halifax and Dartmouth since 1752, shortly after the cities were founded. Currently it is a foot passenger ferry (and bikes) but previous to the first suspension bridge built in the 1950s, the ferry carried cars and, before that, I imagine, horses and carraiges.

The ferry is a nice way to see the Halifax skyline from the water as well. Ferries run all day from about 6 a.m. weekdays until midnight. The cost is $2.00 per trip, less for seniors, students and children. Kids under 5 are free. You can get a paper transfer that will then let you catch a bus from either side as it's all part of the Metro Transit system. That means a paper transfer from a bus will allow you on the ferry, as well.

The ferry ride across the harbour, downtown to downtown, takes about 12 minutes. There is also a ferry connecting the Eastern part of Dartmouth (Woodside) which runs during the morning and afternoon rush hours only. The main downtown ferry runs half hourly in the mornings on weekdays after 9 a.m., evenings on weekdays after 6 p.m. and on weekends, and quarter-hourly in the weekday afternoons and weekday morning rush hour starting at 6:30 a.m. It only runs until midnight (last boat leaves Halifax for Dartmouth at 11:45 p.m. but if there are special events on like the Busker Festival or the Tall Ships then it will run until about 2 a.m.

The Dartmouth side of the ferry lands at a public library and in that building also is a Saturday morning farmer's market, a theatre and there's a park nearby. Also in the area are shops and one or two pubs and restaurants that I would recommend. You can get busses from Alderney drive to MicMac Mall and other shopping areas.

Halifax only has bus and a passenger ferry for public transportation at the moment. The bus network is fairly good and will take you most anywhere you need to go. Some routes are less busy and only run hourly but most run on a 20 - 30 minute schedule, some more frequently during morning and afternoon rush hours. Schedules and route maps are here on the Metro Transit website.

There is an Access-a-Bus service for disabled passengers (you must register) and many of the regularly scheduled busses are low-floor accessible busses that have space for up to 2 wheelchairs.

The busses are in the process of having global satelite systems installed and there will be a real-time schedule that you can see on screens at central points or hear over the phone from each stop. It's called GoTime and that's available now but it just gives you the next scheduled bus. If the bus is late, it won't tell you that yet, but it will do. Each bus stop sign has a number on it to call.

Busses currently (2009) cost $2.25 per trip. The driver does not make change so you must have the exact amount. Seniors, children and students cost less. Students need to have ID. You can then ask for a transfer and will be given a slip of paper, colour coded by day. Show that to the driver of the next bus. Transfers are good for about an hour and a half. You can use the transfer to return on the same bus you started out on. Transfers are also good for the ferry.

There are three express routes as well, though more are planned. One goes from Cole Harbour in Dartmouth to downtown Halifax, one goes from the Woodside ferry to the Cole Harbour terminal and the other from Sackville to downtown Halifax. They cost an extra 50 cents on top of the regular fares but there is no reduction for students, only seniors and children. The Woodside route only runs at morning and afternoon rush hour to coincide with the Woodside Ferry which also only runs during morning and afternoon peak on weekdays. The other two only run weekdays but run all day. You can get a transfer to another bus or the ferry and you can use a regular transfer plus 50 cents to get on one. These busses are air conditioned and have comfy seats and because they are called "MetroLink" you will often hear people calling it The Link for short.

There are no day passes available at this time but you can buy a monthly pass which is good for a calendar month, i.e. June. These are available from about the 20th of the previous month until the middle of the month they're for. There is no reduction for buying it after the first of the month. It costs $70 for an adult, less for seniors and students. Students must display the pass with an id. A Metrolink pass costs $85 with no reductions for seniors or students.

Tickets can be purchased for $18 for an adult and student (cheaper for children or seniors), this is a sheet of 10 tickets. They can be used on the MetroLink plus 50 cents. Use a ticket, ask for a transfer as above.

Another service that Metro Transit offers in conjunction with the Downtown Business Association is FRED which stands for Free Rides Everywhere Downtown. This is a free, low floor accessible shuttle that runs a circular route around the downtown core between the casino on the north end of the downtown area to Pier 21 in the south end. It goes up to the fortress on Citadel Hill and up Spring Garden road to the Public Gardens as part of it's route. find out more information and a route description here.

There are several ways of finding out what's going on in Halifax, as far as venues, gigs and other events. Of course there's the main daily newspaper, The Chronicle Herald, but for less than mainstream alternative gigs, or for notices of meetings, rallies, sales, and all sorts of things, you can check out the notice posts. There are about a half dozen scattered around downtown Halifax. These were built to attempt to stop people from taping and stapling notices to telephone poles and fences around town. People still do that, but it has cut down a bit on that.

Another way to find out what's on, including good listings for the clubs, cinema and galleries is the free and totally irreverent weekly newspaper, The Coast. You'll find this in stands and in coffee shops all over Metro.