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Photo: Thorfinn Stainforth
Halifax, Nova Scotia

City Focus on Halifax

From the December 15, 2011 Issue of Student Group Tour Magazine

The largest city in Atlantic Canada and the capital of Nova Scotia, Halifax is a city on the move. Known for its rich heritage and bright future, the city is at once a center of government, historical treasure and university town. Many of the favorite attractions, shops and restaurants are located close to the Halifax Harbour waterfront. The schedule of events in Halifax includes live theater, cultural events and the Atlantic Festival of Music. Next held May 2–4, 2012, the festival offers student performance group clinics, adjudicated performances and cash awards for Most Outstanding Performances in all categories.

(877) 422-9334,
www.destinationhalifax.com
www.atlanticfestivalofmusic.ca

Maritime heritage

The sinking of the Titanic, nearly a century ago on April 14, 1912, forever tied the fate of the ship and the port of Halifax. The Maritime Museum of the Atlantic, a part of the Nova Scotia Museum, has a collection of Titanic artifacts in its permanent exhibits. Students can take a seat in a replica Titanic deck chair and explore more of the museum aboard the CSS Acadia while learning about the heritage skill of small-craft boatbuilding. Another exhibit features the beloved kids’ TV character Theodore Tugboat. The museum is located on Lower Water Street, accessible from the Halifax Harbour Walk, a 3-kilometer (1.86-mile) boardwalk that runs through downtown Halifax.

(902) 424-7490
http://museum.gov.ns.ca

Peek under the sea

Canada’s largest center for ocean research is located along the water in Dartmouth, a quick trip from Halifax. For more than a century, the Bedford Institute of Oceanography has been dedicated to studying one of Canada’s greatest natural resources. With a guided tour of the BIO Sea Pavilion along the shores of Bedford Basin, students can get up close to some of the marine animals that inhabit the coastal waters of Nova Scotia. Don’t miss the chance to see the Titanic exhibit that includes a model of what the shipwreck looks like on the Atlantic Ocean floor.

(902) 426-2373
www.bio.gc.ca

Photo: Destination Halifax
Tidal bore thrills, not bores

History on the march

Amid the hustle and bustle of a modern port city, discover a taste of Canada’s history. The Halifax Citadel National Historic Site preserves the military garrison built in 1856, the fourth of British forts located on this site. Along with guided tours, the citadel offers a living history program that explores life in British Canada. In the summer, reenactors play the roles of 78th Highland Regiment, including drummers, soldiers’ wives and store keepers. The Halifax Citadel School Days program, designed for grades 4–6, dishes on Victorian education and mores in a restored regimental classroom.

(902) 426-5080
www.pc.gc.ca

Tidal bore thrills, not bores

Outdoor enthusiasts — and students with a taste for fun — will love this option. When the incoming waves on the Bay of Fundy roll into the Shubenacadie River, the river can change direction before your eyes. The resulting waves are called a tidal bore — and tidal bore rafting is sure to thrill. After students step aboard a zodiac raft, they will head out on the river and experience rapids

worthy of a roller coaster ride. Tidal Bore Rafting Park offers rafting adventures from May 1 to Oct. 31, and its cottages and meeting spaces are available year-round.

(800) 565-7238
www.raftingcanada.ca

Making Canada home

For many immigrants, Halifax was the first place they saw in the New World. The Canadian Museum of Immigration at Pier 21 tells the story of the people who crossed through Halifax before calling Canada home. The main exhibit focuses on the years when Pier 21 was an immigration shed, 1928–1971, and was called Canada’s Ellis Island. In 2010, the museum at the former ocean-liner terminal was added to the list of national museums, the sixth in the country and the only one in Atlantic Canada. Educational tours are given in French and Spanish and are customized for grade levels and other interests.

(902) 425-7770
www.pier21.ca

View Group Tour Media itineraries for Nova Scotia.

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View Group Tour Media Articles from Nova Scotia.