Halifax – Day 5, part 1

There was a lot of adventure today so I’m going to split up the day into three posts. There was a light rain so made plans to go to the Art Gallery and Museums. First though, a big thank you to my friend Freddie Arps who is looking after my 2 pugs, Eve and Raisin, while I’m gone. I was really missing them and she sent me photos of them missing me. 

On my walking food tour yesterday, Gio at the Prince George Hotel was our first stop. It is a 4 diamond restaurant. I went there for breakfast because I wanted Eggs Benedict with real Hollandaise sauce – and the chef did not disappoint.

Lots of history with St. Paul’s Anglican Church being the oldest building. The door was open and the resident priest was on hand to tell stories. Normally, during the summer, there are students. I was fortunate to have him around to answer my question. See the top row of 5 windows…

They have a ghost story about the day of the Halifax explosion. The priest was in the church at the time but did not survive. His ghost still haunts the place and if you look closely at the 3rd window, you can see his profile.

Took this in the evening but when the door is open, that is when visitors can enter. Built in 1750, it is a designated heritage building.

There is a piece of iron that was embedded into the wall from the Halifax Explosion.

There are 2600 pipes with the organ.

At the back of the church there is the only original stained glass window that survived the explosion.

St Paul’s has the longest running Sunday School.

Beneath the floor is the crypt with about 20 distinguished Haligonians. Under this piano is a German colonel who was a mercenary, employed by the British against the French.

In 1813, the British frigate “Shannon” and the U.S. ship “Chesapeake” fought just outside Halifax. A cannon from each ship is on display by the provincial government building. The ship was captured and brought into the harbour on a Sunday. It’s said that the morning service in the church emptied to see the ship.

The Shannon gun was brought up to the Halifax Citadel and used as the Noon and Evening gun until 1905. Below is the U.S. gun