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Archive for the 'Celebrate Canada 2010' Category
The Cabot Trail is hard on brakes, suspension and gas!
Not many fishermen fish on Sunday, but there were a few boats out in the waters this morning.
Donald MacIassic
Can you believe that I stopped at the MacIassic’s place just to take a photo of the barn, and ended up having Lobster bunch?
Good thing I dressed up for Sunday brunch!
Donald and his beloved “Shylow”.
Putting Shylow in the stable.
Faces Of The Day
Blessing of the Boats in Dingwall
Once the boats have been blessed, they parade out of the harbour and circle around and come back to the wharf.
A young boy looks out at the deep, dark sea.
The Rusty Anchor Restaurant
A young girl follows her father up the driveway.
Cape Breton Highlands National Park
Mya catches a nap after doing the dishes.
McPherson’s Cemetery
A man in his yard with his barking dog near Bay St. Lawrence.
Young Evan
Faces of the day, Cabot Landing
An early morning talk on the beach at Cabot Landing.
Breakfast in their home away from home.
Wharf at the Bay St. Lawrence
Steaming into port with the first day’s catch of Lobster…today would normally be the season’s biggest catch, however many fishermen were less than impressed with their haul.
Allan re-hook’s his fishing line with brand new hooks.
Hines the Fisherman
A father and son take in the sights and sounds down at the Bay St. Lawrence.
Sorting the Day’s Catch
Heading home after a day of fishing on the Bay St. Lawrence.
This young boy was out helping his father fish.
Two Thumbs up!
Joe “Buck” has been collecting moose and deer antlers for over 23 years.
Meat Cove is at the northern most tip of Nova Scotia.
Meat Cove
A room with a view!
Please Note – The cellphone towers aren’t so frequent in the small fishing villages along the Cabot Trail, so sorry for not being able to update the blog daily. Please check back to see more from the Cabot trail in the next 48 hours. It’s raining cats and spitting dogs, but we’ll be able to find something to photograph, providing the wind hasn’t blown it across the highway or into the sea.
Fly Fishing Near Ingonish
View From Little Smokey Mountain
No one told me the roads were so hilly and curvy on the Cabot Trail, which might have been a good thing, because it would have intimidated me knowing what hazards lay ahead. This is a good stretch of pavement, much of the Cabot Trail is just that…a trail, with potholes and pushed out sections all joining together to make one big suspension-busting experience.
A Canadian flag greets this family at the entrance way to their home. Cape Bretoner’s fly the Canadian flag everywhere.
Neil’s harbour is a classic Cape Breton fishing village along the Cabot Trail. Lobster season is set to open tomorrow and there is a buzz in the air with everyone getting their boats, fishing gear and minute by minute weather reports for the 5 AM start. With Lobster being the main economic generator, each of the 60 days that the Lobster season is open is important. Fishermen will check the traps each day for the first couple of weeks and then every other day after that, with the lobster numbers decreasing steadily over the 60 days.
Young Ben and his father cut up mackerel for bait used in the lobster traps.
High School is out for the days leading up to the opening of the Lobster season, and everyone has to help out however they can. These boys help bait each of the 275 traps. A smelly job.
Baiting the traps which are to be set tomorrow.
Opening morning of the lobster fishing season, I arrive at the wharf at 5:08 AM to photograph the boats leaving the harbour, but I’m eight whole minutes late and the entire harbour is empty. Out at sea, around Neil’s Harbour I can see the fishing boats bobbing up and down in the four foot swells. It’s a windy morning, making it even more of a pain to set the lobster traps off the side of the boats. Each boat is loaded to capacity with lobster traps which weigh in at 100 pounds.
Hazards are around every corner, with the winds reaching 35 km/hr even the most seasoned fisherman must keep a keen eye out for rocks and other boats.
Sunrise over Neil’s Harbour
Heading out to sea with a second batch of traps. Each fishermen is allowed 275 Lobster traps.
Tying Down the Lobster Traps
Everyone gets involved on the first day of Lobster season.
High School kids throw a Grad BBQ down at Neil’s Harbour to raise funds for their Grad.
Flag Of The Day
Jean is the captain of the Switzer Bedford, and was our host for the hour and a half adventure.
We took a tug boat across the Halifax harbour to tug a tanker which has unloaded its load and was now heading out to the open sea.
Getting ready to leave the harbour.
Looking back at Macdonald Bridge
Heading Out into the Harbour
We followed the lead tug to the tanker called the Norient Solar.
The workers head from the warmth of the ship to the open deck to untie the tanker.
On Deck
Tim shoots as the tugboat approaches the side of the tanker.
The Switzer Bedford pulls the Norient Solar out from the shore so that it can turn around.
Checking the Rope
With both tugs pulling the tanker, the job gets done epediently.
With the job all done, the rope is released and dropped down.
Jean is in control, and all goes according to plan, despite a slight delay.
Back from the job in time for another boat to head out.
The lighthouse helps to guide the way.
Annapolis Royal is located in the western part of Annapolis County. Known as Port-Royal to France until being renamed in 1710 by Britain, the town is located in an area that claims to have the second oldest continuous European settlement in North America. The community is situated at the western end of the fertile Annapolis Valley, nestled between the North and South mountains which define the valley. The Bay of Fundy is just over the North Mountain, 10 kilometers out of town, and the Annapolis Basin forms the waterfront for this historic town. Directly opposite Annapolis Royal on the northern bank of the river is the community of Granville Ferry.
Buffleheads break through the still waters of the Annapolis River.
Golden Morning Light in the Annapolis Basin
The town of Granville Ferry sits nestled in the hills across from Annapolis Royal.
Nova Scotia Scenic Moment
The Ryan Royale
The crew of the Ryan Royale fixes their gear and gets ready to head out for some more scallops.
Lighthouse in Annapolis Royal
A local enjoys a stroll by the water on the wooden walkway in Annapolis Royal.
Downtown Annapolis Royal is home to many small businesses and brightly-colored historical buildings.
Fort Anne National Historic Site of Canada is Canada’s oldest. It is a present-day reminder of a time when conflict between Europe’s empire builders was acted out on the shores of the Annapolis River. It offers a sweeping view of the beautiful Annapolis Basin from the centre of Annapolis Royal.
The Fort Anne Museum exhibits highlight the history of the fort.
Fort Anne
As the focal point for French and British settlement and as the seat of government of Acadia and then Nova Scotia, Fort Anne National Historic Site played an important role in Canadian history. The site was the scene of numerous battles as France and England fought for control of North America in the 17th and 18th centuries. Both imperial powers considered the conquest of this fortified site as the key to domination of the part of eastern Canada known by the French as “Acadie” and by the British as “Nova Scotia.” The site has been fortified since 1629 when the Scots who came to colonize “Nova Scotia” (New Scotland) built Charles Fort. After the colony reverted to France in the 1630s, French colonists replaced the Scots. Their leader, Charles de Menou d’Aulnay, built the first of four French forts, possibly incorporating parts of the Scots’ fort. Two make-shift forts succeeded d’Aulnay‘s fort. Then, in 1702, the French began construction of the Vauban earthwork that still stands to-day.
These hills are an example of Vauban fortifications.
Historic Fortification in Saint Anne
Once a sight of conflict, strife and war, children now run free on the battlefields.
Dean and Tyler play frisbee on a brisk day in Annapolis Royal.
Mirror Moment
These gentlemen acquired some vintage horse tackle to use as decorations from the auction in Lawrencetown.
Dale and Ervin
Kathy runs the A.J. Meats and Grocery store in Lawrencetown. Not only does she sell delicious homemade pork sausages, but she also makes a mean banana bread.
This mural in Windsor sums up the flavor of the area. In 1878, Windsor was officially incorporated as a town. Its harbour made the town a centre for shipping and shipbuilding during the age of sail. As the port of registry for the massive wooden shipbuilding industry of the Minas Basin, Windsor was the homeport of one of the largest fleet of sailing ships in Canada.
Built in June 1750 by Major Charles Lawrence, Fort Edward protected the route from the new capital, Halifax, to the Annapolis Valley. It was garrisoned by the British army until the 1820s. The blockhouse at Fort Edward is the oldest blockhouse in Canada, and one of the oldest buildings in Nova Scotia. It is a National Historic site of Canada.
Fort Edward
This way to the Ferry…
The Princess of Acadia has a Starbucks in the Rising Tide Cafe, a Little Mates Quarters for kids, the Fundy Grill restaurant if you’re hungry and the Sea Breeze lounge if you’re thirsty. You can watch a movie onboard, play in the arcade, or try your luck on the VLTs. You can even hook up your own laptop to the internet, or surf free-of-charge on the Ferry’s computers. It’s a pretty cushy three-hour trip, but it can be a bit rocky, so you may want to bring some Gravol if you get nauseous.
The Princess of Acadia leaves the Saint John Harbour at 9:00 a.m., bound for Digby.
The van is loaded, and we are ready to go!
Phyllis passes the time with a crossword puzzle.
2nd Officer Kevin Arsenault
Steward (1) Brian Cousins
QM (1) Carven Chamberlain
Captain Oral Hamilton
The captain watches the ferry pull up along the 60 foot high pier. The tide at the Bay of Fundy can rise as much as 30 feet.
Two Longshoremen wait for the ferry to dock.
Flags are stored on the bridge, and each flag has a meaning.
Tying up the ferry.
Departing the ferry from the vehicle deck.
Canadian Flag on a Fish Farm, Digby, Nova Scotia.
Canadian Mosaic 