Written by doberlady on 24 Aug, 2004
Lunenburg wasn't really a planned destination but had I known what the community had to offer, it certainly would have been! Located in Nova Scotia on highway 103 at exit 11, Lunenburg was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1995, recognizing it as…Read More
Lunenburg wasn't really a planned destination but had I known what the community had to offer, it certainly would have been!
Located in Nova Scotia on highway 103 at exit 11, Lunenburg was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1995, recognizing it as an outstanding example of a planned European colonial settlement.
We happened into the community as it was celebrating the Fishermen's Picnic and Reunion. The waterfront was filled with entertainments and food stands, horse and carriage rides were offered as well as cruises on the ship, The Bluenose II, a wooden mast schooner.
Lunenburg, officially founded in 1753, was a world-class fishing and shipbuilding port. The rigid grid of streets laid out from the harbor created a particularly compact settlement which is still evident today. The wondrous wooden homes lining the original street grid have earned the city the recognition as a National Historic District as well as the UNESCO designation.
Although thee waterfront today is still the home to numerous fishing vessels it will never attain the fame of the time of the first Bluenose. The original Bluenose was built in Lunenburg to compete in the America's Cup, race between fishing schooners from Canada and the United States. Controversy in the early 1900's and Canadian pride lead to the construction of the Bluenose and its competition through 1932 in a series of Canadian-US races. In 1932 the Bluenose was retired from fishing and served as show boat touring the Great Lakes and even crossing the Atlantic to England. She later was used in the Caribbean, where in 1946, she struck a reef, was damaged beyond repair and sunk. She was later commemorated on the Canadian $.10 coin. The Bluenose II, a replica of the original Bluenose, was launched in Lunenburg on July 24, 1963 and still docks there regularly.
In addition to the beautifully conserved and restored architecture in the city, a not to be missed sight is the Fisheries Museum of the Atlantic reflecting the fishing and sailing heritage and the stories of the men who fished the Grand Banks for cod beginning in the 16th century.
Incidentally, I saw my first, and only, RCMP person in the traditional red coat! I was told this is strictly formal attire and worn for parade or portrait occasions. What a disappointment, I expected Sgt. Preston of the Yukon and his great dog, King!!!