I wanted to visit Atlantic Canada in October 2020 when the weather was nice, but it was closed off for pleasure trips sue to the pandemic. New Brunswick and Nova Scotia finally reopened in February 2022, so I jumped at the chance to visit even though it was cold and snowy. To be fair, Prince Edward Island wasn’t open yet and I didn’t have the time to sit on a boat for two days to get to Newfoundland, so the two other new-branded provinces will have to make do until later, probably.
The region is rich with Acadian, French, and British influence in addition to native First Peoples. They’re some of the only provinces to feature more squiggly borders than straight lines. The fishing villages and fortifications of old really remind me of Northern Europe and seventeenth century France. People that are beyond welcoming. Food that makes me homesick for Berlin – poutines râpées that feels like Knödeln and donair that tastes like Turkish döner.
I only wish it was August, so everything would be warm and pleasant with clear roads and I can taste freshly-caught lobster. I missed the sea for several years – I missed it so much I almost forgot what coastal sand smelled like. Then, there’s John – a Scottish friend of mine who’s in Halifax several times a year. We both lived in Ottawa, but the first time we meant was at the end of the land.
In terms of pleasure, I did a lot of reading ahead and planned three major themes for my trip – museums, food, and military history. As with most of my trips, visiting museums is the quickest and easiest way of getting to know local history and get context for its people and architecture. Tasting seafood and Acadian food was the best way to chat with other guests at restaurants to get to know the people. Visiting sites like the Louisbourg Fortress, Halifax Citadel, and Gaspereaux, Beauséjour and Lawrence forts were the most coherent way of understanding its colonial past.
My favourite hotel of the trip was the Château Bedford. The staff were helpful, breakfast was delicious, rooms were surprisingly well-appointed for its sub-$100 rates. That plus I get Wyndham Reward benefits there as a diamond-tier member.
