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Tuesday, June 9, 2015

A Week in Nova Scotia - Part 2 - The Halifax Citadel

The Halifax Citadel, the present-day fortress at the top of Citadel Hill in Halifax, Nova Scotia is officially called Fort George.  Named after Britain's King George II, it was completed in 1856, and is the fourth British fort to occupy this high point overlooking the town and harbor of Halifax.  The site is now a Canadian National Historic Site, and features a very nicely laid out Army Museum in addition to the many restored areas which are open and manned by knowledgeable volunteers dressed in period garb, in this case, the soldiers of the 78th Highlanders.  We spent our first afternoon in Halifax here, but first we had to get past the guard at the front gate.


There is an inner and outer ring of high walls, and then some large buildings in the interior courtyard.







The guard on duty at the front gate stood at attention for the entire shift, however the ones inside were more at ease, and gave us explanations of what was going on, and what it was like to be a soldier in the 78th Highlanders in the 1800's.  Each of the restored rooms in the Fort was manned by one or more re-enactors.







There was even a school room where soldiers could advance their education while posted to the Fort.  This soldier is demonstrating an early slide projector, which works just like my Kodak from many years later.




It was a cool, gray day when we were there, and I would imagine that winters here were not all that comfortable.





The gunpowder magazine looked like someplace you didn't want to be in for any longer than absolutely necessary.




The Army Museum was very nicely laid out, with great displays and a lot of information.




The Halifax Citadel was a great place to start our visit to the city, as we got not only a great view looking down on the city, but also a great overview of the history of Halifax, all the way back to its founding by the British in 1749 as a military base from which to counter the French in North America.  



Click here to see more images of the Halifax Citadel National Historic Site and the Army Museum.
     

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San Diego, California, United States
About me . . . When I'm not working I like to be out exploring and photographing. I do this blog just for fun, and to be able to share these images with friends. I hope you enjoy viewing these images as much as I enjoyed creating them.

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Header image: Cibola National Wildlife Refuge, Cibola, Arizona. End image: Downtown San Diego, California skyline from Coronado Island. Profile picture: Craters of the Moon National Monument, Idaho, by Heather Baiamonte.