The Fairview Cemetery

There had been countless Titanic events throughout the week in Nova Scotia, and while I wasn’t able to catch them all I wanted to make sure I visited the Titanic memorial at the Fairview Cemetery. I ended up biking to the grounds, and watched as people from all walks of life quietly walked through the rows of graves. I have to admit I was concerned that people would be a bit “off” at these graves. Many of these people likely didn’t have a clue who any of these Titanic victims were, and I was no different. I feared that young girls would be crying out for Jack Dawson, the fictional character from James Cameron’s film. But it was nothing like that.

The Unknown Child

Young and old stared at the stones, reading the inscriptions to themselves. I watched as a young girl laid out flowers in front of the tomb of the youngest victim. I small boy who had remained unknown until 2011, 19-month-old Sidney Goodwin. He was an English child whose entire family died in the sinking. I watched an elderly couple hold eachother as the women shed a tear, perhaps for the unknown child, perhaps due to the heart warming sentiment of the youth of today honouring a child who never got to lead a full life.

The Brave Crew of the Titanic

I walked the rows and read the names, the numbers, the dates. Many of the men who perished in this tragedy were my age. Men in their young twenties. I couldn’t help but shake my head in disbelief, I asked myself “Would I have been so brave had I been put in that situation?“. I decided it was time to leave, and found one last stone stone to photograph. The stone was that of Everett Edward Elliot. It poetically read “Each man stood at his post while all the weaker ones went by, and showed once more to all the world how Englishmen should die.”

Remembering the Victims of the Titanic in Halifax Nova Scotia is a post from: I Backpack Canada

cc licensed ( BY ND ) flickr photo shared by EyeofJ

Rainbow Haven Beach

Located just outside of Lawrecentown and Cow Bay is the Rainbow Haven Provincial Park. This beach offers full ammenities including boardwalks, restrooms, and a canteen that serves your typical beach canteen food groups. Popcicles, freezies, burgers, fries, and those addictive 5c candies. The drive is about 30 minutes long from downtown Halifax, and includes a drive by the famous set (or what’s left of it) of the showcase TV show “Trailer Park Boys”.

The beach and it’s boardwalks are great, and though the water can be a bit chilly at times the water’s great. The beach is large enough to show up with a large group to setup up “shop” for the day and just stretch on your own turf of sand. However, I should note that due to it’s proximity to Halifax it can get busy here. Thankfully the beach is long enough that you can usually find your own spot away from the hoards. This beach also seems to be quite popular with the Ed Hardy wearing types who are all too keen to “take a lap” around the beach in order to strut their stuff. If you can get past that you’ll have a great time at Rainbow Haven.

cc licensed ( BY NC ND ) flickr photo shared by newminaswilders

Clam Harbour Beach

Another gorgeous natural beach on Nova Scotias eastern shore, Clam Harbour Beach is a great place to check out if you love safety. The Nova Scotia Lifeguard Service has been supervising Clam Harbour since 1978. If you’re not a strong swimmer, or with somebody who isn’t, rest easy knowing the boys and girls in Red & Yellow can keep and eye on you (Weekends only!).

Clam Harbour beach is a bit further away, it takes roughly an hour to get there from downtown Halifax, but if you’ve got the fuel it’s a great place to check out. There’s plenty of parking nearby, as well as a full concession including restroom, an interpretive center along with some boardwalks.

cc licensed ( BY ND ) flickr photo shared by Ashley Coombs

Crystal Crescent Beach

One of the more popular beaches in the Halifax area, Crystal Crescent Beach offers folks a bit of everything. There are some great hiking and biking trails nearby, several picnic areas, and some incredible waters to get your swim on! Crystal Crescent is great for a day at the beach, or if you’re feeling adventurous – a place to throw caution (and your clothes) into the wind. I know what you’re thinking…”Finally, a place to show off my birthday suit!” – hold tight though. There’s some unwritten rules.

Crystal Crescent is made up of 3 beaches, the first two beaches are for clothed patrons, while the 3rd (a 15 minute walk or so) will lead you to the land of sand and skin. A few common courtesies, no cameras and no sex, gawkers and scallywags looking to laugh it up are also discouraged. If you’re not brave enough for the nude scene, worry not. The first two beaches are great – and for those of you with a family no need to worry. The nudists don’t leave their area.

cc licensed ( BY NC ND ) flickr photo shared by eskimo_jo

Lawrencetown Beach

Lawrencetown Beach is a south facing 1.5 km long and is sort of Halifax’s extreme playground. Surfers, kiteboarders, windsurfers, and extreme castle builders flock here in the summer to practice their art. If you’re new to the world of surfing, there’s a couple surf schools who operate in the area and are happy to show you how to rip it up, or at the very least stand up.

If relaxing is more your thing, there’s plenty of room for that. Just note that because Lawrencetown is blasted by so many waves the beach does change, which means it can be sandy one year, and a bit rockier another. Regardless, there’s usually plenty of space to lay down a towel and do your best seal impression. The beach has several supervised areas, some boardwalks, along with restrooms, showers a large picnic area and a canteen.

cc licensed ( BY NC SD ) flickr photo shared by FormFunction

Martinique Beach

Hands down the longest white sand beach in Nova Scotia, Martinique Beach is located at the end of East Petpeswick road. This incredible beach has some great surfing, which means rentals and lessons can be found right near by (see Happy Dudes Surf Emporium). If you’d rather lounge around and watch some serious birds (not talking about girls in bikinis here) you’ll be pleased to hear there’s also a bird sanctuary at Martinique where visitors can scout a variety of birds according to season. Seals have also been known to pop in and out of this area so keep your eyes peeled.

Driving from downtown Halifax to Martinique will take you almost exactly an hour. While Martinique is still very popular, due to its longer drive the crowds tend to be smaller than Rainbow Haven. Martinique Beach has several supervised areas, large picnic areas, boardwalks and hiking paths, along with restrooms and change rooms.

cc licensed ( BY NC ) flickr photo shared by alex_ferguson

Queensland Beach

Queensland Beach isn’t the largest beach by far, but it makes up for its size by it’s great location. This Beach is one of the most popular beaches on the South Shore. The water in St Margarets Bay is a bit warmer than any of the real coastal beach locations near Halifax, which is part of the reason why this beach draws such big crowds. Queensland Beach is located just outside of Hubbards, a cute little town famous for it’s Shore Club.

Drive time to Queensland Beach from Downtown Halifax will take approximately 45 minutes. There’s supervised areas, picnic tables, some hiking paths, along with outhouses & change rooms.

Think I’m missing any other great local Halifax beaches? I’d love to hear from you in the comments!

The Halifax Beach Guide – Nova Scotia’s Summer Playground is a post from: I Backpack Canada

Before I get started, I should mention I love beer. Not like alcoholism ”love”, but I appreciate a cold devil on a hot day. Heck, any day will do! Despite this love and affection I have for beer, I am by all means not a snobby Beer Connoisseur. I’m not all that picky when it comes to what I’m drinking. So long as she’s cold, chances are I’ll give it a thumbs up, or at the very least won’t completely hate it. I’d like to think my tastes have grown up a bit though; and I think I have some of these incredible brewery’s in Halifax to thank.

The Halifax Macrobrews

Alexander Keiths

One of the oldest commercial brewery’s in North America was started in Halifax, way back in 1820. Many Haligonians pride themselves on the Keiths brew. Beer Snobs will tell you Keiths IPA doesn’t taste a thing like the original Keiths recipe, which is probably true; but that doesn’t stop the entire city from calling Keiths “their” beer.

Keiths is now owned by the beer-giants at Labatts. By all means not the best beer of the bunch in my honest opinion, but well worth the try, simply for historical value. As the saying goes, “Those who like it, like it a lot”. The same passion likely holds true for those on the other side of the fence. Regardless, if you’ve never been to Canada, its a must try beer.

Head down to the Red Stag Tavern (in the Historic Alexander Keiths Brewery), for a pint and a plate of amazing nachos (whats up caramelized onions!), don’t forget to check out their rooftop patio.

Keiths Brewery Tour

Tours through the Historic Brewery on Lower Water St are about $20. You typically get 2 or 3 beers out of it and are given a great little history lesson on the life of Alexander Keith. Be warned, its one of those Tours with actors pretending to be in the 1800′s. So if that’s not your cup, I’d stick with finding a pub nearby.

Olands Export Ale

In 1867 the Oland Family started brewing tasty tasty beer and it wasn’t long before they started shipping their suds all over Eastern Canada & the Maritimes.The Olands Family first started with Moosehead, and later with Olands Export Ale in the 1920′s. The Olands family eventually sold off the brewery to Labatt’s in the 70′s though. While it’s still brewed in Halifax at the Olands Brewery, some say they’ve lost some of their “Beer Cred” for being owned by Labatts. Try their “Schooner” beer, named after the BlueNose that the Olands Family helped fund and build.

Olands Brewery doesn’t do tours, but will occasionally host Open Houses. Read The Coast to watch for those events. In the meantime, park your keester at a pub, or head to the nearest NSLC for a case of Olands.

The Halifax Microbrews

Garrison Brewing Co

As with most microbrews, Garrison’s is very young compared to the old timers above. Garrison’s got their start in 1997, and have been picking up awards along the way since for their microbrews. Their flagship brew is the Irish Red, but my personal favourite as of lately is their Tall Ship Amber. Their modern facilities are very inviting, and the location is superb. The perfect stop after enjoying the Halifax Boardwalk. Garrison offers up a pretty awesome tour for groups of 10 or more as well. They run for $12 per person, but you definitely get your money’s worth as there are plenty of beers to “sample”.

They’ve got an awesome little gift shop where you can pick up cold Growlers (large jugs of beer) along with your standard beer bottles. They also offer 6oz samples for $2.00 each, which can be a great way of putting each of their beers into your mouth. Be sure to follow them on twitter. These guys are about as local as you can get. Added bonus, their beers have no preservatives.

Propeller Brewery

Like the folks at Garrison, this craft brewery got started in 1997 and has been invading pubs & fridges of residents of Halifax ever since. Located along the eclectic Gottingen Street, this little brewery concentrates on beer for locals. You can taste the love they put into it. Stop by the Prop Shop for their extremely cheap Growlers. A small deposit is required for the massive bottle, but once you have one, refills are only 9 dollars.

Propeller Brewery does offer tours for groups. Having been on several brewery tours, I think this one might be my personal favourite. Depending on how many people are in your group, it’ll cost between $15 and $20; but I assure you that you’ll get your moneys worth. Their brewery tour consists of walking into a back-room with a couple giant tables, a bar with every Propeller Beer on tap, and an iPod plugin for your group to listen to your own choice of music. Basically you sit, and drink. Half way through the “Tour” they ask if anyone wants to see how their beer is made; but it isn’t required. They’re just as happy to let you continue drinking as much as you can in your allotted time.

Granite Brewery

There is a wild history behind the Granite Brewery. They got their start in 1985 in Gingers Tavern as the first Brew Pub east of the Canadian Rockies. It was also one of the oldest taverns in Halifax, going back as far as 1948. This may not seem that old, but one has to remember Nova Scotia was a dry province for a couple decades during prohibition. Unfortunately, Gingers has closed its doors for good, but the brewery that helped make Gingers famous lives on.

The Granite Brewery is now located in the North End of Halifax, at 6054 Stairs Street between Robie and Kempt. They also have another location in Toronto. The Halifax location concentrates on the producing and selling their beer, so don’t expect to find food here. They’re famous beers are still being served all over Halifax, including the Henry House, Obladee, and the Lions Head Tavern. Of coarse you can always pick up bottles & kegs right at the Brewery. Be sure to try their “Peculiar Strong Ale” – it’s delightfully strong and pleasantly awesome!

Rogues Roost

This little brewpub is close to my heart solely for the fact that their IPA is probably the best in town, and also because they’re trivia on Wednesday nights is a blast. Located on Spring Garden Road, you can find a window seat and people watch for hours. Their beer is brewed in small batches with no preservatives and is extremely amazing. I have yet to try every beer they have on tap, but I’ve put enough of a dent in their menu to know that their award winning brewmaster knows what he’s doing.

Rock Bottom Brewery

Another Spring Garden Brewery slash restaurante in downtown Halifax. This tucked away micro brewery is located below Your Father’s Moustache, a popular upstairs restaurante with an awesome rooftop patio. But ignore that patio will ya? Go downstairs, park your keester, and prepare for some mind-blowing brews. Order up a Fathom Red Ale for a robust brew, or go extra crazy and order a Sable Island Wheat Ale (What is Sable Island?). They’re beers are some sort tasty and come highly recommended by drinkers & eaters.

The folks at Rock Bottom also rock a mean trivia on Tuesday nights, which typically leads to some clever questions & some hilarious team names.

The Hart & Thistle

Along the boardwalk of Halifax is a waterfront Gastropub and Brewery called The Hart & Thistle. They serve up some great food with a mean microbrew. Their beer menu changes often; but you won’t be disappointed stopping in for something random. This little restaurantes a perfect spot to take in the Halifax Harbour and truly feel that “Nova Scotian Pride” locals talk about so often.

Staff at the Hart & Thistle is more than happy to talk beer and flavours with patrons. On a recent lunch break I was convinced by the cute tattoo’d waitress to give the American Pale Ale a try. I never got around to thanking her, but it was incredible on that particular hot summer afternoon.

Halifax is always called one of the most “Walk-able” cities in Canada. While prairie people such as myself will say that’s total bullshit (Have you seen the hills?!), everything is very close by. This convenient civic trait makes for an amazing “Micro-brewery Pub Crawl”. Do your mouth & self a favour, grab some friends, stop by a brewery  in Halifax for some serious sud action.

Have you been to any of these breweries? What’s your thoughts on their beer?

8 Rockin’ Breweries in Halifax Nova Scotia! is a post from: I Backpack Canada

Music by Of Porcelain

The Time lapse is of Halifax, Nova Scotia, and features several boats, the Halifax Harbour, and the iconic MacDonald Bridge. My personal favourite part is when you see a young couple pop into frame to take photos. If you stay til the end, you’ll see an eerie red glow emanating from behind the camera. That’s actually one of the lights along the boardwalk slowly charging up as it gets darker out. All in all, it was fun and I’ll definitely be doing it again.

Have you tried any of the time-lapse apps on your iphone? What’d you think?

Photo Du Jour – Time Lapse of a Halifax Sunset is a post from: I Backpack Canada

1. Point Pleasant Park

Located about 3km south of downtown Halifax, Point Pleasant Park can provide a full days worth of enjoyment for people of all ages. It’s absolutely free for everyone, so hang onto that money for patio beers, souvenirs or some of that famous Cows Ice Cream (located on the boardwalk by the Lower Deck Pub & Grill). Point Pleasant Park has a whackload of trails for hiking and biking (no biking on weekends). There’s a supervised beach, which while locals will tell you not to swim in, is “apparently” now safe for the public after the city fixed some sewage issues. If hiking, biking, or swimming isn’t your thing there’s plenty of grass to park your keester on for a picnic or a read. If boat watching is more your thing, be prepared to be pleasantly distracted by the number of container ships, cruise ships, yachts, and sailboats you’ll see float by. While walking through Point Pleasant Park you should also expect to see plenty of old historic pieces, including cannons, old forts, and my personal favourite, Prince of Wales Tower.

2. The Halifax Public Gardens

Located on the corner of Spring Garden Road and South Park St, the Halifax Public Gardens is another quiet refuge from the occasional busy streets of Halifax. Upon walking in the Gardens you’ll notice the incredible smells of thousands of flowers and the gentle sounds of flowing streams. The Halifax Gardens are great for a long stroll or for a relax and read session. It can get busy in here during the summer months, so be sure to have a Plan B in your back pocket incase crowds aren’t your thing.

3. The Halifax Common a.k.a The Commons

Definitely a more “local” park than the Halifax Public Gardens, the Halifax Common (Or “The Commons”) is where families, students, couples, and the occasional band of hippies go to enjoy the sun. It’s only about a 10 minute walk from downtown. The North Commons has several softball diamonds, a couple walking paths, a fountainand plenty of room to starfish on the warm summer grass to partake in the worlds greatest hobby, cloud-watching. If you’re bored of the massive fields, head to the Central Commons (just across the road), where you’ll find , an outdoor pool, a skateboard park, tennis courts, a fountain, and a few more fields to sprawl in.

Fun fact about The Commons, it was originally pasture land for horses and cows of citizens and military forces.

4. The Halifax Boardwalk

The Halifax Boardwalk extends across the entire Downtown Halifax waterfront, just below Lower Water St. The Boardwalk is hands down one of the few things I’d say you have to check out while in Halifax. Sure, it’s a little touristy at times and can get pretty hectic with how many people check it out. But a walk down the Boardwalk in the early morning with your coffee or after finishing a meal out on the town is probably one of the coolest free things to do in Halifax. If you want to walk the entire Boardwalk, head down to the Casino and start walking south. You can actually get all the way to the new Farmers Market. Along the way expect to find pubs, artists, buskers, Fish & Chips, Beaver Tails, Souvenirs, Boat Tours, Historic Boats, shops, and some great scenic vistas to snap a photo or two.

5. The Halifax Seaport Farmers Market

Take a break from the Halifax Boardwalk and check out the new Farmers Market in Halifax. This complex was just recently finished, and is filled with vendors from all over Nova Scotia. While entry is free, the goods are not. But even if you don’t plan on spending anything, it’s just a great building to walk through. Whether it’s coffee, food, fresh legumes, fruit, or meat, you’ll have a tough time not coming home with something. If you’re a robot and have no interest in food, you’ll be happy to hear there are plenty of vendors selling art, trinkets, souvenirs, and other knick-knacks. Don’t miss checking out of the best views in town, head upstairs to the rooftop of the Farmers Market, there’s a few benches up there for the public along with the best view of Georges Island.  The Farmers Market is open daily, all year round!

Halifax Farmers Market Hours

• Tuesday 8:00 AM – 4:00 PM
• Wednesday 8:00 AM – 4:00 PM
• Thursday 8:00 AM – 4:00 PM
• Friday 8:00 AM – 4:00 PM
• Saturday 7:00 AM – 4:00 PM
• Sunday 8:00 AM -4:00 PM

6. Get out on the water with the Halifax Ferry

While this is a stretch on the word “Free”, I like to think of it as “pretty much free”, which means it’s being included whether you like it or not. For $2.00, you can get a round trip ticket on the Halifax Ferry to Dartmouth. It is the cheapest way to get on the water and provides some fantastic views of downtown Halifax and Dartmouth. During the summer months, scoring an upstairs seat on the Ferry can mean a fantastic reprieve from the Halifax summer heat. The Ferry Terminal is located just down from the new Tim Hortons (With Cold Stone Creamery), right near where they park Thomas The Tug Boat. If you’re heading to Dartmouth for the afternoon, walk up to “Two If By Sea” for Halifax’s best coffee and the most mind-blowingly-awesome cheese croissant I’ve ever eaten.

Edit – The Cost went up from $2.00 to $2.25! Don’t be sad though, now you can break a dollar and spend those quarters on the candy machines in the ferry terminal! 

7. Free Halifax Concerts at Grand Parade & Alderney Landing

Halifax has a large and thriving music scene, and if you play your cards right you might be in for experiencing some world class live music, for free! Every summer there is at least one or two free shows worth checking out at either Grand Parade (across the street from the Dome) or at Alderney Landing (in Dartmouth). Natal Day consistently brings free concerts to Halifax. Be sure to check out their schedule. This year, Natal Day is putting on Wintersleep, Gloryhound, Town Heroes, and Jay Smith at Alderney Landing, on July 30th.

8. Watch Buskers in Halifax

For 10 days in August, Buskers from all over the world head to Halifax to perform their acts. Be it music, theatre, or dare-devil-esque performances. Watching is completely free, but I highly suggest tossing what you can into their hats if you really enjoyed the show. While the International Busker Festival in Halifax is definitely the show stopper, there is always busking going on in Halifax. If you’re in town, look for Buskers on Spring Garden Road (Typically near the library), downtown Barrington Street, or along the boardwalk. There are plenty of talented local buskers in Halifax, including Fiddlers, Guitarists, Sax Players, and my personal favourite, this one African-Canadian guy who is the worlds greatest karaoke singer (find him along the Boardwalk).

9. Visit A Halifax Cemetery

If it’s a depressing kind of day, maybe the fog rolled in, and the sun is hiding, experiencing some of the historic cemeteries in town can be a surreal change from the upbeat streets of Halifax. There are two cemeteries I’d recommend checking out. The first being the Old Burying Ground, located on the corner of Barrington Street & Spring Garden Road, which contain the remains of some of the earliest Canadians. While most of the names are pretty hard to make out from weathering, it’s still a neat little spot in the middle of downtown. If you have wheels, be they bike or car, wander up to the Fairview Lawn Cemetery. It’s located in North Halifax, on Windsor St. What’s unique about this cemetery is that many of the remains of victims from the Titanic ended up there. Apparently there’s even a Jack Dawson there, which gets a lot of attention care of James Cameron’s famous film.

10. Listen to the Cannon go off at Noon on Citadal Hill

Everyday at Noon, a cannon goes off in downtown Halifax, shaking the bodies of locals and tourists, and typically scaring both. If you play your cards right, you can experience the whole event in the most up-close and personal way possible. Head up to Brunswick Street and look for the Halifax Clock Tower. Walk up the hill, or take the Citadel Hill Tour if history is your thing (costs about $8.00 for the tour), and wait. If you can make sure you’re there for noon, you are in for a treat. As the thunderous roar from that cannon goes off, you’ll witness dozens of people on the hill and along Brunswick Street freak out, then laugh as they remember “Oh, just the noon cannon, woops!”

11. Halifax Historic Sites

History Buffs will love Halifax. The amount of historic properties, forts, churches, and ships in this city is border-line crazy. Best of all, many of these sights are free, or damn-near free. Stroll through Point Pleasant Park and check out the Prince of Wales Tower, or walk along the boardwalk and hop on the H.M.C.S Sackville, the C.S.S Acadia, or if you’re timing is right, the infamous Bluenose (the boat on the Canadian dime). For a city thats so youthful and vibrant, it’s great to see so much historic “stuff” being preserved.

12. Ride the FRED bus

If you’re in Halifax during the Summer without any wheels, fret not. FRED will take you just about anywhere in downtown Halifax, for FREE. FRED (Free Rides Everywhere Downtown) runs between July 3rd and October 22nd. This vibrantly coloured bus runs seven days a week between 10:30am and 5:00pm. An on-board tour guide rides everywhere with FRED and provides a commentary on Halifax and its many historical locations. Even if you have nowhere to go downtown, hopping on the FRED can be a great way to get your bearings in Halifax. Check out the FRED Schedule to find out where it stops. Just a heads up, the FRED is not an alternative to get anywhere fast as it has a habit of being late. If you need to be somewhere fast, you can get from one end of downtown Halifax to the other for about $10 in cab fair.

Edit – March 7th, 2012 – Unfortunately FRED no longer exists. The public bus’s are also cheap ($2.25) or you can look into grabbing a a pass with the Big Pink Sightseeing Bus’s!

 Map of Free Things To Do In Halifax

Have I missed any must-do free activities in Halifax? Love to hear from you in the comments!

12 Free Things to do in Halifax, Nova Scotia is a post from: I Backpack Canada

Welcome to Jakes Landing

After a relatively long and cramped road trip, we pulled up to Liverpool Adventure Outfitters, located along the water of Jakes Landing. We promptly unloaded all of our gear from the car to the canoes. At $35 a day, we were all laughing. After the gear was finished, it was time to unload the beverages. I performed the famous awkward beer unload. I had an excuse saved up already, waiting to be questioned by a Park Ranger. “No Mr. Park Officer Sir, these beers are for the entire group…We plan on having a quiet evening looking for nocturnal birds while enjoying a beer or two”. A towel was ready nearby to toss on top of the other six “Two-Fours” and the bottles of liquor still in their brown bags. No need to make a reputation for ourselves before we even get a taste.

Note: Most parks allow drinks (Cans & Plastic only – but always double check); however, it’s an unwritten rule that you shouldn’t start cracking them nor flaunting them until you’re out of plain view of workers, children, and other thirsty patrons waiting in line for their canoes.

Low Riding Lake Chariots

Our lake chariots were full and riding low with the sheer amount of camping gear & wobbly pops. I carefully entered my canoe, in hopes of not being that boob on the trip who tips all of our stuff and watches as the river takes our drinks for a ride. Fortunately, my paddle eventually dripped into the water of Kejimkujik. The water was a still mirror. Part of me felt guilty for ruining the tranquility of the entire scene. Birds were chirping, a light ripple bubbled from what I assume was a fish, a calm breeze pushed through the green of the trees, and here we were. Two beer deep, laughing, listening to the Beastie Boys on a set of crappy speakers and paddling out to our own private island. I thought to myself, its a good thing we’re on a remote island, because I would hate to be the Nature-Loving solo camper who got stuck with the campsite next to us. Can someone say “No Sleep Til Brooklyn!”

Transforming Engaged

Paddling our rental canoes soon became a game of cat and mouse, followed by the occasional game of transformers, where we’d join canoes into a colossal mega-canoe. Hell-bent on having a good Canada Day. The sun was out in full force, scorching the trees, warming the water, and burning the uncovered shoulders of campers. I breathed in the sunshine, “Not gonna get me this time sunshine…SPF 30 my friend, do your worst!”. As the minutes approached further into the hour, the horsin’ around slowed down and we began concentrating on paddling.

That’s our island!

The paddle playlist continued, keeping us  on time with one another. With each pull, the canoe approached closer and closer to our new home for the weekend. Roughly an hour later, we pulled our canoes over the natural beach of our island. Laughter, Woots, and a high 5 or two were shared as we laughed at the immensity of this campsite. It was the size of a city block, with designated areas for tents, its own outhouse, a firepit, two picnic tables, and a giant pile of wood. Pretty standard for a campsite, but for some reason, everything seemed better here.

This is where things get a little hazy, and I’d be hard pressed to do much more writing about the rest of that day. Maybe it was the bottle of whiskey, maybe it was the beer, maybe it was the good people and the great weather. Whatever it was, that experience was my own, and I look back on that with my own fond, short bursts of memory and hilarity. I celebrated my 23rd Canada Day and survived. Beans, sausages, hangovers, pancakes, bacon, whiskey, beer, and all. Nobody said Canada Day was healthy, but it is always worth a smile or two.

What did you do for Canada Day?

Canoeing and Island Camping in Kejimkujik National Park is a post from: I Backpack Canada

This isn’t the first time I’ve written about this holiday, nor will it likely be the last. I’ve been asked by several people what my plans are for Canada Day. One would expect a guy who writes about Canada to have something grand, immense, and insane planned. “Shotgunning 3 beers into my mouth while riding a giant firework into Parliament while screaming EH Crazy”. While that would be incredibly badass, my plans are a little more humble, but I’d have to say they’re equally as awesome.

Tomorrow morning myself and 11 friends (who are spread out all over Atlantic Canada) are roadtripping to one of Canada’s most unacknowledged National Parks and camping there for several nights. Kejimkujik National Park, Nova Scotia. Nope, not a typo (at least I hope not). Pronounced Keh-Je-Ma-Coo-Jick, or Keji for short. The name Kejimkujik means “Tired Muscles” in Mi’kmaq. So typical facts aside, theres something like 4 rivers that run through here, along with some incredible wildlife, including Moose, Deer, Beaver, Black Bears, and Loons (made famous by the Canadian Loonie).

Cool, camping, standard Canada Day activity right? Wrong! This isn’t your run-of-the-mill “Pull your car into your campsite, unload your tent, build a fire, have a beer” type of campground. We’re going inland. Far. We rented some canoes, and rented an Island Campsite. We’ve got to canoe for a good hour + just to find our little secluded campsite. While the party may not have much for fireworks, nor live music (unless you count some Koombaya around the Campfire), there shall be many drinks being consumed on this little shin-dig.

I’ll be sure to take pictures and try my best to get a signal to throw some photos up on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram (if you follow me – username: corbinfraser) In the meantime, I wanted to share with you guys some of my favourite posts I wrote that I think could be helpful if you’re planning a Canada Day getaway.

Canada Day Resources

My old post of Canada Day Celebrations across this great nation!

Going Bungee Jumping In Canada? Give this a read!

Find out the Best Places in Canada to Surf!

Try a new beer this Canada Day! Read 10 Must try Beers from Canada

If you’re camping you’ll want to eat right. Read Top 7 Must Have Foods for Camping

Get your fix of live music, but first read The Ultimate List of Canadian Summer Music Festivals

Follow a fellow Canadian or two – Read 6 Canadian Travel Bloggers You Should Be Following

Listen to this! Great Canada Day Celebration Song!

What are your plans for Canada Day? I’d love to hear from ya.

Happy Canada Day – Lets Get Traditionally Drunk! is a post from: I Backpack Canada

I loved the fact that Halifax & the Canada Games went out of their way to showcase their local Atlantic music talent, including the likes of Joel Plaskett, Sloan, Hey Rosetta!, Matt Mays, Great Big Sea, and CBC Radio 2′s own Buck 65. Some more artists that joined the party included Hawksley Workman, Rawlins Cross, Old Man Luedecke, Radio Radio, and City & Colour.

Despite the freezing cold, and the fact that these shows were held mostly during the week, the support from local Haligonians and the Canada Games participants was quite astounding. I’ve never been to a show that big at the Grand Parade, but it seems to have gone on without a hitch. Keep it up Canada Games! I look forward to seeing you wherever you’re held next year!

2011 Canada Games Rocked Celebration Square is a post from: I Backpack Canada