Nova Scotia General Information Area: 52,841 sq km (20,402 sq miles). Population: 909,282 (1996). Population Density: 17.2 per sq km. Capital: Halifax. Population: 360,000 (official estimate 1998). GEOGRAPHY: Nova Scotia comprises the peninsula of Nova Scotia, connected to the mainland by a narrow isthmus, and Cape Breton Island in the northern part of the province, linked by the world’s deepest causeway which is 1.6km (1 mile) long. The Atlantic batters the eastern shore. The Bay of Fundy separates the southern part of the peninsula from the mainland, with the Gulf of St Lawrence to the north. The northeast is rural and rocky, while the south and southwest are lush and fertile. The Fundy region’s red soil was originally part of the present North African continent. Much of the province is covered by rivers. The land rises to 540m (1770ft) on the northeast islands. Language: Although Canada is officially bilingual (English and French), English is the main language spoken in Nova Scotia. Time: GMT - 4 (GMT - 3 in summer). Note: Summer officially lasts from the first Sunday in April to the Saturday before the last Sunday in October. Public Holidays Public holidays as for the rest of Canada (see general Canada section), with the following dates also observed: Dec 24 2003 Christmas Eve (half a day). Dec 24 2004 Christmas Eve (half a day). Note: An additional holiday is given where there is a recognised Provincial or Civil holiday in a specific area. If there is no recognised holiday, this falls on the first Monday in August. Travel - International AIR: Air Canada (AC) offers direct flights from London and other major centres. Icelandair, Canada 3000, Air Transat and Continental Express Airlines all offer flights from major European centres. Air Canada and Canada 3000 fly to Halifax from Ottawa, Montréal and Toronto. Air Nova also offers local flights between Halifax and Sydney. There are also flights into Halifax from all major Canadian cities, and from Boston, Newark, Detroit, London, Reykjavik, Frankfurt/M, Amsterdam, Munich, Hamburg, Düsseldorf and Berlin. International airports: Halifax (YHZ) (website: www.hiaa.ca), 35km (21 miles) from the city. Airport facilities include duty-free shops, car hire, currency exchange, ATMs and restaurants. SEA: There are regular sailings to Nova Scotia from Portland and Bar Harbor, Maine (USA), New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland. North America’s fastest ship The Cat operates between Yarmouth and Bar Harbor in the USA (travel time – 2 hours 45 minutes). Several ferries and shipping lines offer local services in and around the province. Enquire locally for further details. A growing number of cruise lines also visit Halifax as part of the New Atlantic Frontier itinerary. Ferry and cruise operators include Bay Ferries, Marine Atlantic, Northumberland Ferries and Prince of Fundy Cruises. RAIL: VIA Rail trains run from Montréal to Halifax (the Ocean line) six times a week with bus connections to the rest of Nova Scotia. ROAD: The Trans-Canada Highway enters the province from New Brunswick and ends at North Sydney on the northeast coast. Smaller provincial highways branch off it and circumnavigate the coastline. Ferry services or causeways connect most islands with the mainland. Bus: Acadian Lines provides services throughout the province. There are connections with SMT Eastern from New Brunswick, Voyageur from Quebec and Ontario, and Greyhound from the USA. Car hire: There are agencies at Halifax and Sydney airports and throughout the province. URBAN: Comprehensive bus services are provided in the Halifax-Dartmouth area by Metro Transit, which operates a zonal fare system. There are connections with the harbour ferry on both sides. Accommodation Nova Scotia offers a wide range of accommodation and campsites. Advance reservations are recommended, especially during the summer. All establishments are inspected and recommended by Tourism Nova Scotia. Farmhouse holidays are possible and many Nova Scotians provide ‘bed & breakfast’ for visitors in the tourist season (late April to November). For information and reservations, call Nova Scotia’s ‘Check-in and Reservation Service’ (tel: (800) 565 0000 (toll free in USA and Canada) or (902) 425 5781; fax: (902) 424 2668; website: www.explorens.com or www.checkinnovascotia.com). Grading: Some accommodation is graded on a voluntary basis according to the Canada Select Accommodations Grading Program as follows: 1-star: Basic, clean, comfortable accommodation; 2-star: Basic, clean, comfortable accommodation with extra amenities; 3-star: Better quality accommodation with a greater range of services; 4-star: High-quality accommodation with extended range of facilities, amenities and guest services; 5-star: Deluxe accommodation with the greatest range of facilities, amenities and guest services. CAMPING/CARAVANNING: Much of Nova Scotia is luxuriant parkland, and one of the best ways to see the province is by motorhome or camper; a number of companies can arrange rentals, with a range of fully equipped vehicles. For further information, contact Canadream Campers (website: www.canadream.com). Full details can be obtained from Tourism Nova Scotia (see Contact Addresses section) which also publishes a comprehensive guide to the province. Introduction HALIFAX: The provincial capital is the commercial, administrative and maritime centre for the whole of Atlantic Canada. Situated at the mouth of the Bedford Basin, it is the second-largest natural harbour in the world (after Sydney in Australia) and has a long and distinguished history as a naval and military base. Harbour tours and deep-sea fishing charters are available. Despite the city’s boom over the past 15 years, the historic ‘Waterfront Area’, comprising important 18th- and 19th-century buildings, has been kept intact. Excellent shopping, nightlife and restaurants are to be found in both the old and new sections of the city. Worth seeing are Province House, the birthplace of Canadian democracy in 1819; St Paul’s, the oldest Protestant church in Canada; the Museum of Natural History; the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic (featuring Titanic exhibits) and the 17-acre Victorian Halifax Public Gardens. The 1km-long (0.6 miles) Boardwalk is also worth a visit. Halifax itself is dominated by the Citadel, a star-shaped granite fortress built in 1749 and one of Canada’s most visited National Historic Sites. It is known for its kilted regiment and changing of the guard display. A good view of the city and harbour can be had from its ramparts. ELSEWHERE: Touring Nova Scotia is easy. The 560km-long (350 miles) peninsula features a series of interconnecting scenic routes, each one with a different view of a celebrated shore. The Cabot Trail, voted North America’s most spectacular ocean drive by the American Bus Association, is a ribbon of road around the northern highlands of the province which passes through Cape Breton Highlands National Park. The Lighthouse Route travels the southern shore where seafaring traditions are especially strong. The Evangeline Trail is a rural road that goes through the beautiful Annapolis Valley, known for its orchards, forts and Victorian mansions. The Sunrise Trail follows the Northumberland Strait which features 35 sandy beaches and the warmest waters north of the Carolinas. Dartmouth, across the mouth of the harbour from Halifax, is a vibrant and green community, featuring many parks and walking trails and with easy access to the unspoiled coastal beauty of the Eastern Shore. West of Halifax, a coastal road skirts around the fishing villages set in the deep bays and inlets of the southern shore. En route to the port of Yarmouth are: Peggy’s Cove, known for its rugged and beautiful coastal scenery and as Canada’s most photographed lighthouse; Mahone Bay; and Lunenburg, a German settlement established in 1753 and now a listed UNESCO World Heritage Site. North of Liverpool on this route is Kejimkujik National Park which offers wilderness trails, canoeing and winter sports. After Yarmouth the coastal road runs northeast by French-speaking Acadian villages such as Metaghan and Church Point, which are dotted along the Bay of Fundy. Nearby, Port Royal and Fort Anne are the sites of some of the earliest French settlements in Canada. Grand Pré National Park commemorates the expulsion of 2000 Acadians from Nova Scotia in 1755 and is the site of Longfellow’s Memorial. From Amherst, the gateway town to the province, a coastal road on the north shore leads to Cape Breton Island (see below) across a 1.6km-long (1 mile) causeway. The north shore displays strong Scottish influences. Street signs in Pugwash are in English and Gaelic and highland games are held annually in Antigonish. Cape Breton Island attracts many nature lovers. Some of the island’s most spectacular scenery can be found at the Cape Breton Highlands National Park. There is superb inland sailing in the Bras D’Or Lakes. Sydney, a centre of shipping and industry, is the island’s main city. Southeast of this is the Fortress of Louisbourg, North America’s largest historical restoration. Baddeck on Cape Breton Island is home to the Alexander Graham Bell Museum. Bell (1847-1922) made Baddeck his home in the latter part of his life and his final resting place. Sport & Activities Outdoor pursuits: Nova Scotia’s system of 120 provincial parks encompasses nearly 35,000 hectares (86,500 acres) of forested landscapes, heritage sites and beaches (scattered along an 8050km-long (5000 miles) coastline). A network of interconnecting scenic routes provides easy access to these areas (see Resorts & Excursions section). Amongst the wide range of possible outdoor activities, watersports predominate. Sailing, kayaking and canoeing (along the coast or on the myriad inland kayaking routes, particularly those in Kejimkujik National Park), swimming (notably at Melmerby Beach in the Northumberland Strait) and deep-sea fishing are all popular. Anglers intending to fish in Nova Scotia’s 9000 freshwater lakes require a valid fishing licence, which is obtainable from any Department of Natural Resources office in the province. Tidal bore rafting is available on the Minas Basin, located in the Bay of Fundy (see also the New Brunswick section), which has one of the highest tides in the world. The Fundy Shore Eco Tour is a self-guided nature and heritage tour featuring 37 observation points. Dolphin- and whale-watching tours leave from a string of ports along the coast – those from Digby Neck (two daily trips from June to early October) and Westport are among the best. Fossil hunting enthusiasts may sign up for a cliff tour at Joggins, while visitors interested in geology can look for amethyst, agate, quartz and jasper around Parrsboro. The Provincial Wildlife Park at Shubenacadie is home to the province’s most characteristic wildlife, which includes moose, bear, cougar, coyote, the Sable Island horse and the bald eagle (of which Nova Scotia has a particularly high population). Tourism Nova Scotia (see Contact Addresses section) provides a range of brochures (for example, the ‘Complete Guide for Doers and Dreamers’) to help visitors with planning an active holiday. For general information about sport and activities in Canada, see the main Canada section. Social Profile Food & Drink: Seafood features strongly on most menus; popular local dishes include scallops, fried, baked or grilled and usually served with tartar sauce. Fish and clam chowders and solomon gundy (a herring dish) are also popular and, of course, lobster and salmon. Lunenburg sausage exemplifies the German influence, as do hugger in buff, fish and scrunchions, Dutch mess and house bunkin, all names for tasty combinations of fish and potatoes covered in cream sauce with onions and salt pork. Desserts make use of plentiful fruit and berries and include a stewed fruit and dumplings dish called grunt, and baked apple dumplings wrapped in pastry and served with cream, sugar or lemon sauce. Beer and alcoholic beverages are sold by the glass in licenced restaurants (food must also be ordered) and in licensed lounges (opening hours generally 1100-1400). Beer by the bottle and draught beer is sold by the glass in taverns, pubs and beverage rooms, which offer great snacks and light meals, opening hours are normally from 1000 until early morning the next day. The Pub District in Halifax is said to be one of the best in North America, with over 55 establishments; the minimum drinking age is 19 years old. Nightlife: Nightclubs are mostly centred in Halifax. Scottish bagpipe music and Gaelic songs can be heard all over the territory in concerts, bars, hotels and restaurants. Professional and amateur theatre is very popular; details of forthcoming attractions are available from Tourism Nova Scotia. Special Events: For full information on special events, contact Tourism Nova Scotia (see Contact Addresses section). The following is a selection of special events and festivals held in Nova Scotia in 2003: Feb 13-16 East Coast Music Awards, Halifax. May 22-25 The Lights Along the Shore Lighthouse Festival, Lighthouse Route May 25-Jun 8 Scotia Festival of Music, Halifax. Jun 20-22 Nova Scotia Multicultural Festival, Dartmouth. Jun 26-29 Privateer Days, Liverpool. Jun 29-Jul 7 Nova Scotia International Tattoo, Halifax. Jul 5 Halifax Highland Games. Jul 10-13 Pictou Lobster Carnival. Jul 13-19 World Theatre Congress and Festival, Halifax. Jul 16-20 Yarmouth Seafest; Festival of the Tartans, New Glasgow. Jul 18-27 Atlantic Jazz Festival, Halifax. Aug 1-2 Louisbourg Crab Festival. Aug 1-3 Mahone Bay Wooden Boat Festival. Aug 6-10 Digby Scallop Days. Aug 28-31 Yarmouth Cup Ocean Races. Aug 28-Sep 7 Atlantic Fringe Festival, Halifax. Sep 6-7 Nova Scotia International Air Show, Eastern Passage. Sep 12-20 Atlantic Film Festival, Halifax. Sep 26-27 Oktoberfest, Tatamagouche. Oct 3-5 Great Scarecrow Festival & Antique Fair, Mahone Bay. Oct 4-26 Pumpkin People Festival, Kentville. Oct 10-18 Celtic Colours International Festival, Cape Breton. Oct 12 Windsor Pumpkin Regatta. Business Profile Commercial Information: The following organisation can offer advice: Atlantic Provinces Chamber of Commerce, Suite 21, 236 St George Street, Moncton, New Brunswick E1C 1W1 (tel: (506) 857 3980; fax: (506) 859 6131; e-mail: apcc@atcon.com or info@apcc.ca; website: www.apcc.ca). Conferences/Conventions: Nova Scotia has a wide range of conference and convention venues. The Halifax Metro Centre arena in downtown Halifax has facilities for 10,000 people. Connected to this is the World Trade and Convention Centre, a striking landmark building made of brick and glass with a sumptuous interior. It has three convention floors, all with excellent catering and audio-visual facilities, and enough room for 2600 people at a stand-up reception or 1700 for a banquet. A number of hotels in Halifax and Dartmouth offer good meeting facilities. The Dartmouth Sportsplex arena is another excellent large group facility. The city of Sydney offers Centre 200, an arena and convention complex built in celebration of Sydney’s bicentennial in 1985, with various flexible meeting rooms for trade shows, receptions and banquets for up to 800. There are also some meeting facilities in more rural settings: The Pines Resort, overlooking the Annapolis Basin and the Bay of Fundy; Dundee Resort, overlooking the Bras D’Or Lakes; Keltic Lodge, overlooking Cape Smoky and the Atlantic Ocean; Liscombe Lodge, tucked into the evergreens where the Liscomb River meets the sea; and Lansdowne Lodge, east of Truro along the Glooscap Trail and near the beautiful Upper Stewiacke Valley. For more information, contact the Greater Halifax Conventions and Meetings Bureau, Suite 423, 1800 Argyle Street, Halifax, NS B3J 3N8, Nova Scotia (tel: (902) 422 9334 or (877) 422 9334 (toll free in USA and Canada); fax: (902) 492 3175; website: www.meethalifax.com). Climate Moderately cold winters, warm summers and long, mild autumns. Nova Scotia has a mild overall climate due to ocean currents. Required clothing: Light- to mediumweights in summer months. Heavyweights in winter. Waterproofing is advisable all year. Copyright © 2003 Columbus Publishing Ltd.