Green Gables Heritage Site at Prince Edward Island National Park
The charming Green Gables farmhouse is famous as the inspiration for the setting of “Anne of Green Gables”, Lucy Maud Montgomery's classic tale of the redheaded orphan Anne Shirley. The tale of “Anne of Green Gables”, and the subsequent books in the series, tells the fictional story of Anne’s life on Prince Edward Island from the late 1800s through the first two decades of the 20th century. Montgomery’s cousins David, Jr., and Margaret Macneill owned the Green Gables farm and she grew up nearby in the home of her grandparents. The house and the surrounding areas “Lover’s Lane” and “The Haunted Wood” became part of the stories.
The Green Gables Heritage Site in Cavendish is located within Prince Edward Island National Park along the north shore of the island. Since the original publication of Anne of Green Gables, visitors have come to Cavendish, which was the model for the town of Avonlea, to discover the sights and places that made the book so endearing - even to today, a century later. Nineteen of Montgomery’s twenty published books are set on Prince Edward Island. Montgomery died in 1942 and is buried in the Cavendish cemetery.
The Green Gables Heritage Site presents farm outbuildings and a restored house that represents the late Victorian period. Tours begin at the Visitor Centre. At the centre, visitors are introduced to the history of the site and are shown a video called, “What a Small Big World it is!” The Barn offers displays on the history of the area, including Cavendish and the typical farm life of the period. The biographical film, “A Celebration of Imagination – the Life of L. M. Montgomery”, is shown in the Barn’s theatre. The restored house displays authentic period pieces. From the house, two trails highlight the inspirational sources of the sites in the books. The 30-minute Balsam Hollow Trail begins at Lover’s Lane and meanders through a forest and past a brook. The Haunted Wood Trail travels through woodlands on a 45-minute walk.
The Parks and People Association, Parks Canada's co-operating association on Prince Edward Island operates the Butter Church Café. Snacks and light lunches are available for take-out and may be enjoyed in the picnic area. The Green Gables Gift Shop offers souvenirs, crafts, books, and more.
The Green Gables Heritage Site is open daily from May through the end of October. During the winter schedule, November through early December, and then March through April, the site is open Wednesdays or by special appointment. The site is closed from mid-December through the end of February. The buildings are wheelchair-accessible, except for the second floor of the house. The trails are not wheelchair accessible. The films are closed-captioned.
Magnetic Hill, Wharf Village, Magnetic Hill Zoo, and Magic Mountain Water Theme Park
The stories began in the 1880s – tales of wagons carried behind horses actually running forward up to the horses’ heels when going up hill. In the 1930s, automobiles were rumoured to roll uphill without power. Reporters from Saint John, New Brunswick travelled to Moncton, New Brunswick in 1933 to try to find the magical mountain. After a day of fruitless searching, they stopped to stretch and their car began to roll uphill, without power, and was gaining speed. After hours of testing, they noticed that the water on side of the road ran uphill as well.
With an article published about the strange phenomenon, which they concluded to be an optical illusion, rather than a magnetic force, people began to come to the area to try it for themselves. Cars, vans, trucks, and busses all roll uphill. A young girl named Muriel Lutes saw an opportunity and started to sell ice cream at the top of the hill. Within 20 years, thanks to Muriel, Magnetic Hill began a major tourist attraction for the city of Moncton and the province of New Brunswick. Today, people still flock to the area to try the try it out for themselves and to see if they can figure out if it is real, or an optical illusion. Magnetic Hill Park won a Top Attraction award with Attractions Canada in 2002.
The Magnetic Hill Wharf Village is based on the theme of a traditional Maritime fishing village. The Wharf Village features 5 gift shops, a family style restaurant, a pastry shop, an ice cream parlour, and a fudge factory. The Magnetic Hill Railroad offers trips through the park. After experiencing the Hill, visitors can head to the Magnetic Hill Zoo, the largest zoo in Atlantic Canada. The zoo offers more than 400 animals, representing over 100 different indigenous and exotic species, in the 40-acre park. Popular animals include the Amur Leopard Cat, Baboon, Eurasian Lynx, Western Cougar, Miniature Horse, Siberian Tiger, and many more. The Magnetic Hill Zoo is a member of the Canadian Association of Zoos and Aquariums.
After the zoo, guests can cool off at the Magic Mountain Water Theme Park, the largest man-made attraction in Atlantic Canada. Magic Mountain offers waterslides, tube and enclosed slides, a lazy river ride, a kiddie section, wave pool, and more. (So far, the water on the slides runs downhill.)
Magnetic Hill, Wharf Village, Magnetic Hill Zoo, and Magic Mountain Water Theme Park are open daily in the late spring through early fall.
Maritime Museum of the Atlantic
Halifax, Nova Scotia is home to Canada’s largest maritime museum, the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic. The stated mandate of the museum is “to create for all an awareness, appreciation and understanding of Nova Scotia's marine heritage through collection, preservation, research, interpretation and exhibition”. In recognition of success, the museum has been the recipient of many awards including Attractions Canada 1999 National Award Winner for Best Indoor Site. Combining elements of history, culture, and education, the museum introduces visitors to the steamships, small crafts, wartime convoys, The Battle of the Atlantic, the terrible destruction of the Halifax Explosion of 1917, and the heroic role Nova Scotia played in the aftermath of the sinking of the Titanic. The museum also offers tours of the 1913 hydrographic vessel CSS Acadia, located on the wharf.
In 1912, the “unsinkable” luxury liner Titanic sank on her maiden voyage across the Atlantic. Rescue ships, and ultimately, recovery ships, were sent out from Halifax, Nova Scotia as the city’s location on the eastern coast of Canada was about 700 nautical miles west of where the Titanic went down. The grim task of recovering the dead fell to the Halifax ships. (Survivors went to New York on the Cunard liner Carpathia.) Of the 209 bodies recovered from the Titanic site, 121 were laid to rest in Halifax. A black granite headstone inscribed with the date, April 15, 1912 marks each grave. A few artifacts from the Titanic that were pulled from the waters during the search for victims are on display at the museum.
The Halifax Wrecked Exhibit recounts the most destructive man-made explosion prior to the atomic age. In 1917, World War I caused a significant increase in wartime shipping activity in the Halifax Harbour. Convoys of ships were loaded with troops, food supplies and munitions, all bound for Europe, On December 6th, the French munitions ship Mont-Blanc left her anchorage to join her convoy to make the dangerous transatlantic journey. In the Narrows, the Norwegian vessel Imo struck the bow of the Mont-Blanc and fire broke out. The captain and crew of the Mont-Blanc expecting an explosion took refuge on the Dartmouth shore. Unaware that the ship contained thousands of tons of wet and dry picric acid, tons of TNT, benzol, and gun cotton, the crowds of spectators in the busy harbour gathered to watch. The drifting, abandoned ship burned and came to rest against Pier 6. Shortly after 9 a.m., the Mont-Blanc exploded, leaving not a single piece by the dock where she had rested. Over 1,900 people perished in the disaster, hundreds were permanently blinded or otherwise disabled. Nearly every building in the vicinity: churches, schools, houses, and the docks and ships were demolished. Over 1,600 homes were destroyed and 12,000 homes were damaged leaving over 6,000 people without a home. The museum recounts the story of this tragic event.
The Maritime Museum of the Atlantic’s other permanent exhibits include the Small Craft Gallery, which features 20 of over 70 small craft in the museum's collection. (The other 50 are in the Boat Sheds on the Museum wharves.) The Navy Gallery explores the naval history of Nova Scotia from the Royal Navy dockyard in Halifax (1758) to the creation of the Royal Canadian Navy (1910). The Convoy Exhibit tells the story of Nova Scotia’s struggle to send supplies to Europe during WWII under threat from submarine attacks. The Days of Sail Gallery features models of ships, a sailmaker's loft, and more. The Age of Steam Gallery showcases the development of powered vessels, featuring the locally founded Cunard Line. The Shipwreck Treasures of Nova Scotia explores the number of shipwrecks in Nova Scotia and displays over 100 shipwreck artifacts including rare gold and silver coins. The On the Rocks: Shipwreck Database contains records of over 5,000 shipwrecks.
The Maritime Museum of the Atlantic is open year round and is closed on Good Friday, Christmas, Boxing Day, and New Year’s Day. Hours of operation vary on the season. The Marine Heritage Store is open during museum hours and offers a selection of maritime gifts.
Signal Hill National Historic Site and Cabot Tower
Newfoundland was one of the first discovered places in the New World and St. John’s, the capital of the province of Newfoundland and Labrador, is the oldest English-speaking city in North America. The geographical location of Newfoundland takes it farther into the Atlantic Ocean than any other city in Canada or the United States. For this reason, it was the first approach site for vessels crossing the Atlantic Ocean. One of the most recognised landmarks in the province stands at the entrance to St. John’s.
St. John’s is nestled in the St. John’s Harbour in St. John’s Bay overlooking the Atlantic Ocean. From this vantagepoint, the city was either a popular port or a vulnerable one depending on whether approaching ships were friend or foe. Signal Hill’s strategic location between the great expanse of the Atlantic Ocean and St. John’s Harbour became an important part of the defence of the city and the harbour below. From the top of Signal Hill, flags were flown to indicate the impending approach of a ship, and if it was friendly or hostile.
The last battle of the Seven Year’s War between England and France was fought on Signal Hill in 1762. Occupied by the British, the summit was fortified into a citadel until the British military withdrew in 1870. The vacant barracks were turned into hospitals by the Newfoundland government. Cabot Tower was opened in 1900 to commemorate Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee and the 400th anniversary of Newfoundland’s discovery by John Cabot. The easternmost vantagepoint of Signal Hill served the science of communication and changed our world when Guglielmo Marconi received the first transatlantic wireless signal from the hill in 1901.
Today it is Signal Hill National Historic Site and it is Canada’s second largest historic park. Signal Hill park and the Cabot Tower are open to the public for viewing. Cabot Tower features exhibits on the great achievement of Marconi, and a spectacular panoramic view of the ocean, harbour, and the land from the viewing platform. A gift shop is located in Cabot Tower.
Lookout Trail follows the perimeter of the park and offers interpretative displays on the history of Signal Hill, St. John’s, and Newfoundland. The Signal Hill Tattoo dressed as the Royal Newfoundland Regiment (circa 1800) performs military exercises during July and part of August. Picnic facilities are available on the premises of the Signal Hill National Historic Site. The Signal Hill National Historic Site is open year round and is closed on Christmas, Boxing Day, and New Year's Day.