Pier 21

Day 2 was my day to discover Pier 21 the very site where my father had arrived as a landed immigrant on July 13, 1949.

Canadian Museum of Immigration Pier 21



Pier 21 is a National Historic Site which was the gateway to Canada for one million immigrants between 1928 and 1971. It also served as the departure point for 500,000 Canadian Military personnel during the Second World War. Today, Pier 21 hosts the Canadian Museum of Immigration at Pier 21—Atlantic Canada’s only national museum!

 The T.S. Arosa Klum was the passenger ship my mother travelled on when she arrived in Quebec City.

 My father's ship was the General J.H. McRae. The resettlement officer issued his immigration visa from Munich Germany on June 2, 1949. He was to travel to the country of milk and honey to seek freedom from oppression. Entering and looking on to the harbour of Halifax, I can only imagine how he must of curiously observed his new homeland with much reverence.

After spending a day or two in Halifax seeing the sights, he boarded a train bound for the farmlands outside of Ottawa where he worked for a year as a farmhand and then on to Toronto.

Halifax, Nova Scotia Canada 2011

In July and August Peter was hired as the camera operator for a CBC pilot series called Mr. D. that was being filmed in Halifax. So I surprised him by flying out to spend a week with him while he was working. I had never been to the east coast before so I was anxious to see the city and visit Pier 21 where my father had landed some 70 odd years ago.
My walking tour began at Citadel Hill or more historically known as Fort George. The Citadel sits on the highest point of land looking down onto the harbour. It was actually completed not to long ago in 1856 after twenty eight years of construction.

Everyday at noon there is a ceremonial firing of the noon gun.

Fort George has a living history program featuring animators portraying life in the fort where soldiers of the 78th Highland Regiment, the Third Brigade of the Royal Artillery, soldiers wives, and civilian tradespersons re-enact life in 1869....not for the faint of heart I'm sure!

My next stop was the Public Gardens that is by far one of the best displays of a Victorian public park in North America.

The park has iron railings, a bandstand, winding paths, green lawns, trees, shrubs and elaborate carpet bedding displays. Today this park still remains one of the best escapes, a timeless reminder of what life was like before we all got too busy to smell the roses.

Proceeding on my walking tour I headed south and then on to Spring Garden Road and found myself infront of a magnificent granite faced church with a very tall spiral called St. Mary's Basilica.

St. Mary's Basilica

St. Mary's was consecrated on October 19, 1899. It was made a basilica by Pope Pius XII in 1950 and is the catholic church of the Archdiocese of Halifax.

Directly across from St. Mary's is a very interesting graveyard.

Located at the intersecting streets of Spring Garden and Barrington, The Old Burying Ground is a public park where walking between headstones is encouraged by the well kept green spaces. Over the decades some 12,000 people were interred but today only 1,200 headstones exist.

Lilydale to Warburton Rail Trail

The Warburton Rail Trail was established in 1996 and has been continually developed and maintained by a combination of local volunteers, particularly the Friends of the Lilydale to Warburton Rail Trail, as well the Local Council and State and Federal governments. Over several years a significant amount of effort went into clearing the land, restoring 13 bridges and surfacing of the trail.

Victoria Railways' Albury Express in the 1890's

Warburton Express

also known as the Warburton Trail it is a walking, cycling and horse-riding track in eastern Victoria. It runs 30 km between Lilydale and Warburton along the former Warburton Railway line and lucky for us just happened to be accessible from where we were staying in Wandin.

With a backdrop of mountains including Yarra Ranges National Park this trail passes through a scenic landscape following the Yarra River valley.

So in the mornings Arlene and I would get our walking gear on and head out onto the trail for a brisk walk.

Seville Station is a wonderful rest stop that we came upon one day where you can take a break from the trail and sit and enjoy a breakfast and a beverage.

Interestingly the cafe is built around one of the historic train cars.

when you are hot and sweating anything advertising cold is a welcome relief...

Here Arlene and I are enjoying our morning with a breakfast bacon/egg bun and delicious cappuccino!

this had to be the best cappuccino we ever had but we were not alone....

a very bold magpie was eyeballing our breakfast sandwiches.

yikes!

There are 25 Rail Trails in Victoria and South Australia for more information visit

http://www.railtrails.org.au/

inside the train

An interesting discovery....a water filling station nolonger in use.

the original tin roof

the door to exit to connecting coaches

Arlene resting inside the coach, what fun this must have been in it's time.

a quick stop before heading back onto the trail.

the birds overhead confused us many a time thinking that a bike was approaching and ringing it's bell.

The Gears where you can rent a bike to ride the trail.

an enjoyable walk that Arlene and I will cherish.

The trail meanders through scenic bushland, open river flats and some of the many farms in the area.

There are many rare species of plants and animals to be seen by the keen observer along the trail.

Galah or also known as the Red Breasted Cockatoo

ha! fooled ya....no koalas..this one was in a santuary!