It may not be the most exciting corner of Canada, but it is home to my wife’s family. That made it the place to visit recently, and offered us a chance to see a bit of the hometown. My siblings-in-law took us out to see a few of the sights around town:
Presenting Lunenburg Academy — while it’s a little difficult to see the eclectic architecture, the 19th century building draws from the Second Empire and the Queen Anne revival traditions. Burnt down in 1893, the building you see dates from its 1895 reconstruction / restoration. It’s not quite Harry Potter, but it was used as an elementary school.
Nearby the academy is a graveyard — as if elementary schoolers needed a better incentive to behave. The row of seven gravestones implied a family, including a few that looked to die rather young…
To put it mildly, Lunenburg is a summer destination. That means most of the town shuts down in the middle of the winter, and I can’t blame them when it’s this cold. Harbor (or harbour, if you like) tours are available from this area, as is the Fisheries Museum of the Atlantic.
Even in the wintertime, it’s a rather picturesque area.
Later on, we made our way to a monument commemorating the Sack of Lunenburg — but first, we had to get there.
It’s a rare moment when my wife misses the point. This odd sign, along with ‘The Lane”, were along the way.
The main highlight of the Sack of Lunenburg: one of six cannons used in the defense (defence?) of the city in the 18th and 19th centuries. Plenty of panels and stone monuments are around as well, but this lends itself quite nicely to all the fun pictures one can take with a cannon…
Ahh, yes, did I mention it’s bloody cold outside? It had snowed the day before…
The cold is perhaps one good reason to duck into the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic. This is a great place to meander, including some of the Titanic remnants that have been preserved.
And then there’s the Citadel — a principal naval station in the British Empire that dates to the mid-19th century. Since the Citadel is only ‘officially’ open from May to October, there’s little chance of seeing some of the extras. That was a little unfortunate as timing goes, but whatever. If you go during the spring or summer, there’s the Army Museum, the 78th Highlanders putting on a show, a souvenir shop, and plenty more…
During the winter, though, you’re more likely to find people sledding down the hill than meandering through the brick walls. There’s still plenty of history around, and it’s a great view of the city.
Capping off the day — Cheese Curds (380 Pleasant Street, Dartmouth, NS) complete with some delectable poutine. Get a burger if you want, or go for the donair poutine like I did. Om nom nom. Just don’t get the double unless you’re exceptionally hungry — the single is more than enough for most folks…
Not pictured (for obvious reasons) is the Mic Mac Mall, a fairly typical Western mall. Instead, I end this post with a sunset near my in-law’s house. Keep your eyes on Worthy Go for the next post about the Maritime Museum!
