Coastal Maine includes several peninsulas. Today we drove to the tip of St. George Peninsula. Point Clyde is its southernmost village. It’s where the Wyeth family spent their summers. The Marshall Point Lighthouse sits on the tip. The keeper’s house is now a museum and a gift shop.

The Marshall Point Lighthouse was featured in the movie Forrest Gump. Tom Hanks, as the character of Forrest Gump, finishes his cross-country running on the run way of the Lighthouse. A photograph of Hanks, with a letter of appreciation from a producer, is displayed in the museum.

On our way back we stopped at Owls Head. When we were there earlier in the week, we noticed that the path to the Lighthouse forked, continuing on to the Lighthouse or off to the beach. We wanted to check out the beach.

The short path led you through a wooded area, opening up to West Penobscot Bay and the rocky beach named Lucia Beach.

We’ve been staying in the mid-coast region of Maine. Today we spent the day in Rockland, not to be confused with Rockport; two different towns, right next door to each other.

We headed to the Rockland Harbor Trail, a nice walking path that mostly skirts the harbor. A section of the trail parallels now-abandoned train tracks. There are steps down to a small, sandy beach aptly named “Sandy Beach”.

Michael went ahead for a brisk walk. I strolled, stopping frequently to check out the wildflowers.

We capped off our Harbor visit with a stop at The Farnsworth Museum. Rockland has become known as The Art Capital of Maine. It has two well-respected museums – The Farnsworth and The Rockland Contemporary Art Museum – and over 20 art galleries. All in a town with a population of 7,172.

Lucy Copeland Farnsworth was the daughter of a local prominent businessman. She was the youngest of 6 siblings. Never married, she died in 1935 at the age of 97. She outlived her family.

In her will, Farnsworth directed the bulk of her inheritance to establish an art museum in her father’s name and to fund the preservation of the house her father had built in 1854. William A. Farnsworth Library and Art Museum – now known simply as the Farnsworth Art Museum – officially opened in August, 1948. The Farnsworth is dedicated to collecting and preserving American and Maine-inspired art. It’s mission is to celebrate Maine’s role in American art.

The Museum was showing 2 major exhibitions: several Wyeth exhibits and Ashley Bryan: Beauty in Return.

Andrew Wyeth (1917-2009) is considered one of the greatest 20th century American artists. He and his family summered in coastal Maine. Much of his art was inspired by Maine’s residents and coast. His father N. C. (Newel Convers) Wyeth, and his son Jamie Wyeth are also celebrated artists.

Wyeth’s wife Betsy supported and championed their art. After her death in 2020, the Farnsworth Museum received a gift – at Betsy’s bequest – of 27 works by the three Wyeth artists.

Ashley Bryan was born in Harlem in 1923 and raised in the Bronx. He came to Maine in 1946 to attend the first Skowhegan School of Painting summer program. He was enchanted by the communal character of life on the islands, which reminded him of stories told by his Antiguan immigrant parents and grandmother. Bryan eventually returned to the area, making it his summer home. He taught Art at Dartmouth College. When he retired in 1988, he made Maine his year round residence.

Widely recognized in the field of children’s literature, he authored and illustrated over 50 children’s books. His books brought the oral tradition of African folk tales and African American spirituals to new audiences. His books were vibrantly illustrated books meant to be read aloud. Ashley Bryan died in February, 2022.

Both exhibitions were wonderful. My only familiarity with Wyeth was through his best known work, Christina’s World, which is set in Maine. (The house in the painting is known as the Olsen House, owned and operated by the Farnsworth Art Museum.) I was glad to see more of his work and to get a close look at his approach to his art.

I had never heard of Ashley Bryan, but I will definitely check out his books. His art is often stylized, but always lively and joyful.

Today we made our way to Lincolnville Beach. But first, a stop at the Lobster Pound Restaurant, right by the beach.

We drove to the Rockport Marine Park. The Park has a marina, a grassy area nice for picnicking and several benches scattered along the edge. Once a working harbor, it’s now home to pleasure boats. There were a group of kids, probably 11-12 years old, taking turns jumping into the water at the end of the Park.

The Park has a tribute to Andre the seal. Andre, abandoned as a pup, was rescued by a local diver who raised him until he was old enough to swim in the ocean. When Andre reached adulthood the diver negotiated a deal with the New England Aquarium – Andre would winter in the aquarium and summer in Rockport’s waters.

The park also has a commemoration to Rockport’s once thriving 19th century limestone industry. In 1817 three hundred casks of lime were shipped to Washington DC to use in the rebuilding of the Capitol damaged in the War of 1812. Remnants of several kilns are still preserved at the Park.

We’re spending the final week of our trip in Rockport, Maine. Today we stopped to check out the Owls Head Lighthouse. The short trail to the lighthouse overlooks Penobscot Bay.

Owls Head Light was authorized by President John Quincy Adams in 1825 to mark the entrance of Rockland Harbor on the Penobscot Bay. The granite tower is only 30 feet high. It sits on a high cliff, 100 feet above sea level.

Owned by the Coast Guard, the light has been automated since 1989. The former keepers house at the foot of the hill where the lighthouse sits is now a Coast Guard station. Some USCG personnel live there.

The path was lined with fir trees, framing views of the Bay beyond.

Goodbye Bay of Fundy. Adeus Rio Fundo. Until next time.

Goodbye Canada. Au Revoir. Nmultis (the Mi’kmaw don’t have a word for goodbye, they say “see you later”.)
Tomorrow we’ll be back in the States; first a week-long stay in Maine, then home. Minus the stifling heat and humidity of PEI that left me feeling like a rag doll and the unpleasant campground stay there, it’s been a near perfect trip. So much natural beauty and interesting history and culture packed into a relatively small region.

I do love Atlantic Canada. I have family – on my mother’s side – that immigrated to Canada (Ontario and British Columbia). So maybe it could have been an option for my parents. (Not really. The U.S. was the obvious choice for reasons too complicated to explain in a blog post). But I can dream and wish my father had immigrated to Canada instead of the U.S. The Canadian spirit is much more my style.

To wrap up our visit, here are some tidbits about Canada:

The name Canada is derived from the Huron-Iroquois word ‘kanata’ meaning village or settlement.

Canada is the second largest country in the world in area (after Russia).

The current population of Canada is 38,443,362 (2022). The total land area is 3,511,022 sq. miles. That’s 11 Canadians per square mile.

Despite Canada’s size, it is one of the world’s most sparsely populated countries.

Canada consists of 10 provinces and 3 territories. Can you name them? Can you name Canada’s capital city? (Answers below)

Although Canadians are comparatively few in number, they have crafted what many observers consider to be a model multicultural society.

The Official Languages Act of 1969 gave French and English equal status in the Federal government. Federal services must be offered in both languages.

Canada shares a 5,525-mile long border with the U.S. (including Alaska). It’s the longest border in the world not patrolled by military forces.

Canada’s coastline is the longest in the world. It has 125,567 miles of coast.

The majority of Canadians live within 185 miles of the international boundary. Nine out of 10 Canadians live within 100 miles of the U.S. border.

As of 2018, (according to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) Canada is the most educated country in the world; 56.27% of Canadians aged 25-64 had a post-secondary education.
The U.S. was ranked 6th, with 45.67% of Americans having a post- secondary education.

Canada spends less of its GDP on health care (10.4% vs 16% in the U.S.) yet performs better than the U.S. on two commonly cited health outcome measures, the infant mortality rate and life expectancy.

Canada has one of the highest immigration rates in the world. Between 1990 and 2008, the population of Canada grew by over 5,000,000 people.

Annually, Canada becomes home to around a tenth of the world’s resettled refugees.

Canada has 2 national sports – lacrosse and ice hockey – as recognized by the 1994 National Sports of Canada Act.

Nunavut, meaning “Our Land” in the language of the Inuit, is Canada’s newest, largest and northernmost territory. Created in 1999, it was separated from the Northwest Territories giving autonomy to the Inuit people. Nunavut has a population of 35,944 residents, as of the 2016 census.

Northrop Frye (1912-91) was a Canadian literary critic who wrote about his understanding of the Canadian identity based on Canadian literature. His assessment was that “The central fact of Canadian history is the rejection of the American Revolution.” He went on to write that contemporary Canadians are inclined to favor orderly central government and a sense of community over individualism; in international affairs, they are more likely to serve the role of peacemaker instead of warrior, and, whether at home or abroad, they are likely to have a pluralistic way of viewing the world.

Answers
Provinces: Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, Ontario, Prince Edward Island, Quebec, Saskatchewan
Territories: Yukon, Northwest Territories, Nunavut
Capital city: Ottawa

We visited the Quaco Museum today. It’s one of those small museums rich with local history. We got a personal tour with a very knowledgeable docent. Quaco was the original name of the area, claimed as the ancestral lands of the Maliseet peoples, an Algonquian-speaking First Nation. Quaco is believed to mean “haunt of the hooded seal”.

St. Martins was settled in 1783 by a battalion of the King’s Orange Rangers from Orange and Duchess Counties, New York, in the Hudson Valley. The Rangers were colonists who fought for the British in the Revolutionary War. The Loyalist soldiers were granted land by the King in appreciation for their loyalty.

The docent shared an interesting story about the village’s shipbuilding history. David and Rachel Vaughan settled in St. Martins shortly after they married in the mid 1800s. David, at his wife’s urging, funded the building of a ship that he named “Rachel”. They mortgaged their farm to pay for it. He captained the “Rachel” on several trading voyages to Nova Scotia. In the fall, he ventured out to Newfoundland. The ship became frost-bound and he had to wait until spring to return.

In his absence, Rachel organized to have timbers cut and ready to build another ship upon David’s return. Local lore has it that Rachel scolded her husband for thinking of going back to either farming or to being only a ship’s captain, insisting that there was more money to be made in shipbuilding. She was right.

Mathias Moran, a member of the Orange Rangers, was one of the original settlers of St. Martins. He settled in 1783 on the land he’d been granted by the King. His son, James, went on to become a shipbuilder. The Morans and the Vaughans were the two most prominent shipbuilders in Atlantic Canada.

The Century Farm Family Campground – where we’re staying- is located on Mathias Moran’s original land grant. It was the site of the Moran shipbuilding operation. When wooden ships were replaced by steam powered ships, the Moran family turned to farming. And now it’s a very nice campground that we get to enjoy.

The Museum was filled with period pieces with interesting stories to go with them. Many of the items were donated by local residents.

A tea set was brought in by someone who found the boxed set while cleaning out his attic. He planned to give it to a local thrift store, then remembered the museum. Turned out to be a complete set of Limoges china – expensive porcelain china only made in a specific region of France

The docent asked us if we knew the expression, “mad as a hatter”. A popular 19th century top hat was made of felted beaver fur. Mercury was used in the process of felting the fur. Many of the milliners developed neurological symptoms of mercury poisoning, making them seem “insane” or “mad”. So, ‘mad as a hatter’ was born.

I’ve been captivated by the wildflowers we’ve come across on this trip. Recently, the clouds have caught my attention. Now if only there was an app for identifying cloud types. Here’s a catalogue of a few cloud pictures (with wildflowers snuck in)

The St. Martins Sea Caves were formed by the constantly changing tide cycle of Fundy Bay. At low tide you can walk into the caves. At high tide you would have to kayak to explore.

There’s a lovely older gentleman who greets you when you arrive at the campground. He leads you to your campsite in his golf cart. He’ll even help you pull into your campsite and help you unhook your car, if you need help. He gives you the run down of the local attractions. He points out the beach access and invites you to contact him with any questions. The campground sits on what was once his family’s farm. He clearly takes pride in the campground. Now we know why.

It’s Wednesday. It has been raining off and on all day, mostly on. Occasionally there’d be a downpour. And it’s been windy. The wind’s been whistling around the RV all day. It sounds like a kid playing a recorder, badly.

Late in the afternoon there was a break in the rain giving us a chance to venture out. We needed a couple of grocery items so we headed to Huttges General Merchants on Main St., a family business operating for over 40 years.

Yesterday we had seen a sign at The Caves Restaurant, a cute restaurant right across from the sea caves. The sign proclaimed that they served award-winning, world famous chowder. I had to check it out. After the grocery store we headed to the restaurant. I had the seafood chowder. Michael ordered chowder made with haddock. “No shellfish”, the server assured us. We sat on the deck, the benches still damp. But we ate looking out at the caves and the stirred up waters of the Bay.

So here’s the scoop.
Inukhsuk (pronounced ‘ih-nook-suuk’, the plural is ‘inuksuit’) were used by the Inuit, the Indigenous peoples of the Arctic and northern regions, as directional markers. The traditional meaning of the Inukshuk is “Someone was here” or “You are on the right path.” The stone sculptures were used as markers for hunting grounds, to indicate a food source, like a hidden food store or a good fishing spot, and as navigational aids. Inuksuit were also used to herd and hunt caribou: women and children would chase caribou towards the rock piles while male hunters waited behind them with bows and arrows.

The sculpture on the restaurant’s counter is a very loose interpretation of an Inukshuk. Based on what I’ve read, the Inuit never built Inukshuk with a head, legs and arms.

Apparently the stacking of stones, what I thought of as stone sculptures, is an Instagram trend. But naturalists and environmentalists worldwide are increasingly alarmed. Moving rocks can have unintended consequences for insects, animals and even the land. Some creatures use rocks as shelter and live in the water pockets that the rocks naturally create during low tide. Moving stones can cause erosion and damage animal ecosystems.

As one person said, “True inukshuks served a purpose. This (rock stacking) is simply environmental graffiti. Want to stack rocks? Become a mason; we have a shortage of those in Canada.”

We had our first ever dinner guests at the RV.

Aaron and Paris, with Skylar in tow, spent a week camping in one of the Bay of Fundy Campgrounds. They timed their stay to overlap with ours. We had them over for dinner on Saturday night. I’ve mastered cooking for two in the RV, cooking for four was a little more challenging. But it was worth it. We thoroughly enjoyed their company.

We intended to get a picture of the four of us, but we got distracted and forgot. Sorry Paris. We didn’t mean to exclude you.

Our campground is in West River just outside of Alma. We spent most of Friday and part of Saturday at the Park. What a wonderful experience.

POLLINATORS GARDEN
We started at the Pollinators Garden, near the Visitors Center.

From the educational panel at the Garden:
“One out of every 3 bites you eat is grown with the help of pollinators – bees, butterflies, flies, moths, mice and birds – that carry pollen, flower to flower, to help plants reproduce by producing fruits, nuts and seeds. Some pollinator species are in severe decline due to loss of habitat and food sources.”

MCLAREN POND MEDICINE TRAIL
Our next stop was M’pisum Awti’j – the Fundy Aboriginal Medicine Trail or the McLaren Pond Medicine Trail. The trail takes you around the pond, with several educational panels on the Mi’kmaq’ knowledge of medicinal plants and their people’s relationship with the Earth.
“All living things on Mother Earth have a spirit and must be respected.”

An educational panel tells us that McLaren Pond is a kettle pond – a footprint of a glacier. As the glacier melted away a little chunk of it was left intact. Gravel around it collapsed forming a pond. The average kettle pond is about 30 feet deep. McLaren Pond is 65 feet deep, leading locals to refer to it as the bottomless pond.

SHIPHAVEN TRAIL
After lunch at Herring Cove we headed to the Shiphaven Trail and learned about Point Wolfe River and the area’s logging industry. Point Wolfe River is a tidal river, a river that’s influenced by the tides. As an estuary of the Bay of Fundy its depth varies widely.

In the 1800s Point Wolfe River was the “highway” for delivering freshly milled lumber to the port of St. John, NB. The forests along the river were eventually depleted. Under the Park’s stewardship the forest is recovering from 100 years of logging.

The northeast corner of North America is the only place in the world where Red Spruce live. They are a key tree species of the Acadian forest. Their presence indicates a healthy forest. Red Spruce can live 350 years and reach a height of 80 feet. Along the Fundy coast, researchers discovered a healthy Red Spruce estimated at least 445 years.

CARIBOU PLAIN TRAIL
Woodland caribou once wintered in this area. The trail takes you through a peaceful mixed forest, then opens up to a swamp brook. A boardwalk takes you across the wetlands.

As we explored the Park we noticed many trees had a “moss” draped on the branches. Neither of us recognized it and speculated as to what it could be. On the Shiphaven Trail we learned that it’s lichen (LY-ken). Not a moss, lichen are a complex life form, a result of a symbiotic relationship between a fungus and an alga. Wikipedia tells me that there are 20,000 known species.

Most of the lichen we saw were attached to dead branches. It looked like it was harming the tree. But the educational panel, and everything else I read, reassured us that lichen are not parasitic. They are self-sustaining and attach to many surfaces including inanimate ones. Lichen are very sensitive to air pollution and their presence indicates good air quality. But lichen attached to a tree probably means the tree is already in decline. Lichen is rarely found on a healthy tree.

CANNONTOWN BEACH
The beach is a saltwater beach. There’s a saltwater swimming pool opposite the beach.

The first time we visited the Park we vowed to return. We’ve come back for a longer stay, but it still wasn’t enough time. Next time, we’ll plan ahead and reserve a campsite in the Park. Then we can enjoy more of what the Park has to offer.

The Bay of Fundy is a wonder. It’s home to the world’s highest tides. The highest recorded tidal difference was measured at over 53 feet, as high as a 3-story building. The funnel-shaped Bay creates the phenomenon – twice a day – of visibly reversing tides called tidal bores.

As the high tide moves into the confined space of the Bay, the water “piles up”, then, with the moon pulling it back for low tide, the water suddenly and visibly reverses direction. It’s something to see. On our first trip to Nova Scotia 33 years ago, we watched the reversing tide sitting on a small set of bleachers set up as an observational spot. It was a popular stop off, with folks sitting and waiting for the tide to reverse as they watched. They could’ve sold popcorn.

Not only is the Bay of Fundy famous for high tides, but its shoreline- cliffs and beaches are home to the world’s most complete fossil record of life 300 million years ago. In 2014, an international panel of experts included the Bay as one of the seven natural wonders of North America. In 2007, the region was designated a UNESCO World Biosphere Reserve, celebrating the area’s unique ecosystem, landscapes, and cultures. And the Cliffs of Fundy is a UNESCO Global Geopark.

Established in 1948, the Park packs a punch for its small size of 80 square miles. Located in the Acadien Forest eco-region, its terrain is varied. In addition to its forest, it contains multiple rivers and valleys, lakes, peat bogs, bubbling streams, over 25 waterfalls, covered bridges, beaches and rugged coastline.

There are 28 hiking trails. The trails range from easy trails, some are handicapped accessible, to trails for experienced hikers. Hikers are asked to register before heading out on the difficult trails – in case they need rescue. In addition to its beaches, the Park has a salt water swimming pool heated by solar panels. It has a 9-hole golf course, highly rated by golfers (I wouldn’t know.)

I was surprised to learn that ‘Fundy’ derives from the Portuguese word for ‘deep’ – fundo. As I’ve researched the history of the Maritimes, I’ve read brief references to the Portuguese navigators who explored this part of North America. But it was always as a passing mention, with the focus generally on the French and British explorers.

Now I’ve learned that the Portuguese navigator, João Alvares Fagundes, was the first European to arrive at the Fundy Bay coast in 1520, one of several expeditions to Nova Scotia and Newfoundland. There’s a plaque honoring him at the Halifax waterfront. If I’d known about it when we were there I would have definitely sought it out.

In the early 1600s, Portuguese fishermen from mainland Portugal and the Azores came to the area for the cod fisheries. There’s some evidence that a Portuguese settlement was established on Cape Breton, but didn’t survive. But the Portuguese did leave a lasting mark in the Maritimes regarding place names.

Historians believe the name “Fundy” dates to the 1500s, when Portuguese explorers referred to the Bay as “Rio Fundo” or “deep river.” There’s evidence that Labrador was named for João Fernandes Lavrador, a Portuguese explorer who discovered Labrador. Early settlers named the large peninsula for him.

Today, there’s a village named Portuguese Cove on the Chignecto peninsula in Nova Scotia. The name comes from the Portuguese fishermen who, in the 1700s, spent many summers fishing in the area. And Portugal Cove, one of the oldest communities in Newfoundland, was founded by the Portuguese. In 1696 it was attacked and burned by the French.

Newfoundland’s Manuel River is thought to have been named by the Portuguese explorer Miguel Corte-Real for King Manuel I of Portugal. (An interesting side note: Manuel I was king during the Inquisition. He had a friendly relationship with Portugal’s Jewish community – until he married Isabella and Ferdinand’s daughter. The marriage contract required he agree to the persecution of Jews and Muslims as heretics.)

On a 1502 map, Newfoundland is referenced as “Terra Del Rey de Portugall”, the Land of the King of Portugal. I’ve long been inexplicably drawn to Newfoundland. It was on our itinerary for the 2020 RV trip that never was. I wanted to spend a month there. Maybe the spirits of my Portuguese ancestors still rest there, beckoning me to go and explore the remote province.

In an earlier post I said the mainland of Nova Scotia was surrounded by the Atlantic. I was misinformed by the Canadian Encyclopedia. Michael set me straight. What a world! You can’t even trust an encyclopedia.

Here’s the facts:

The Nova Scotia mainland is mostly surrounded by waters from the Atlantic Ocean, but it is also touched by the waters of the Gulf of St. Lawrence. Nova Scotia’s only land boundary – which it shares with New Brunswick – is the Chignecto Isthmus. From the Mi’kmaq “Siknikt” meaning “drainage place”, the Chignecto Isthmus is about 14 miles long. (An isthmus is a narrow piece of land that connects two large land masses that are otherwise separated by water. I did not know that.) To the northeast of the Isthmus is the Northumberland Strait, fed by the Gulf of St. Lawrence and to the southwest is the Bay of Chignecto which is fed by the Atlantic Ocean via the Bay of Fundy. The rest of the mainland faces the Atlantic Ocean.

Fun fact: Panama is the world’s largest isthmus.

On Sunday we explored the western side of St. Margaret’s Bay, along the Aspotogan Peninsula. Aspotogan comes from the Mi’kmaq – Ashmutogun or Ukpudeskakun meaning “block the passageway” or “where the seals go in and out.

The coastline was very different from the eastern shore. When we visited Peggy’s Cove the coastline was rugged. We didn’t see any beaches. The western shore of the Bay had beaches, nestled in small coves all along the shore. There were a couple of provincial beaches – Cleveland Beach and Bayswater Beach. But most beaches were alongside the road and you just parked on the street and walked a few yards to the beach.

We stopped at Queensland Beach and sat on the wall soaking up the atmosphere. This beach definitely had an Atlantic Ocean feel, like the beaches back home. From the color of the water to the waves high enough for body surfing, there was a familiar feel to it. Michael pointed out that even the air smelled familiar – salt air. We ventured down to the water and walked along the shore. The water was bracingly cold, but not too cold. It felt good.

We entered the town of Bayswater and remembered it was the site of the other Swissair Memorial. We pulled over to check it out. This site felt different from the Whalesback site near Peggy’s Cove. Where the Whalesback site sat on harsh, eerie landscape, the Bayswater site, in a treed area, felt peaceful and quiet, like a cemetery. I don’t know if it was intentional, but it was a fitting atmosphere as the passengers and crew are buried here. I thought I had read that only some of the victims were here, but in fact, all of the remains recovered are buried at Bayswater.

It’s that time again. We’re getting ready to move onto the next leg of our travels, the Bay of Fundy, New Brunswick. Here are some interesting facts to wrap up our stay.

The Mi’kmaq name for Halifax is K’jipuktuk, anglicized as Chebucto (che-book-too).

Halifax is located in the Appalachian Mountains region.

Halifax is the capital of Nova Scotia.

Technically, Halifax isn’t a city. It’s a regional municipality made up of Halifax, Dartmouth, Bedford and the Municipality of Halifax County. It was incorporated in 1841.

As of 2016, the population of Halifax was 403,131. 

The poverty rate in Halifax was 8.3% in 2020.  Although this rate is the highest across peer cities, Halifax has experienced the second-largest decline since 2015 of similar cities.

Halifax is a major economic center of Canada.

Halifax is the 8th fastest growing city in Canada, growing at 9.1%. Top honors goes to Kelowna, B.C at 14%. Kelowna? Never heard of it.

Nova Scotia set a new immigration record in 2021, with more than 9000 newcomers.

Immigration is a key priority for the Provincial Government in addressing Nova Scotia’s acute demographic challenge. By 2030—less than a decade away—more than one in four Nova Scotians will be aged 65 and over.

A resident or native of Halifax is referred to as a Haligonian.

The downtown and waterfront area lays on the Halifax Peninsula, a sub-peninsula of the much larger Chebucto Peninsula that extends into Halifax Harbour. (Peggy’s Cove is on the Chebucto Peninsula).  That’s a lot of peninsulas (peninsulae??)

Halifax Peninsula is home to Downtown Halifax, the financial and economic heart of the municipality, which was also the site of the first European settlement.

The Halifax Transit Ferry connects Halifax to Dartmouth. In operation for 269 years, it’s the oldest salt-water passenger ferry service in North America. 

Halifax Harbour is a major port used by many shipping lines. It’s administered by the Halifax Port Authority. 

Halifax’s waterfront boardwalk is one of the longest in the world, close to 2.5 miles long.

Halifax is home to 6 colleges, including the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design (NSCAD). 

NSCAD was founded in 1887 by Anna Leonowens, an India-born British travel writer. Her memoir was the inspiration for  Margaret Landon’s novel, Anna and the King of Siam (1944). The novel was adapted into the Rodgers and Hammerstein Broadway musical, The King and I. 

NSCAD was the first degree-granting art school in Canada. 

Halifax is a college town. There are 81 post secondary students per 1000 people in Halifax.

We can attest to the growth boom in Halifax. There’s lots of building construction going on in the downtown area. And several high-rise apartment buildings are going up. At points, the downtown reminded me of a mini mid-town Manhattan, but with shorter high-rises.

I was thrilled to learn that the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia in Halifax has a permanent exhibit of Canadian folk artist, Maud Lewis. The exhibit includes a restoration of her tiny, one-room house that was her largest canvas. This was long before living in a tiny house was cool, rather than a by-product of poverty.

If you’ve never heard of Maud Lewis I strongly recommend watching the 2016 film, “Maudie”. A friend recommended it when it first came out. It stars Sally Hawkins (from The Shape of Water) and Ethan Hawke. It won awards from multiple award granting associations. It won seven Canadian Screen Awards, including best picture, best director, best original screenplay and awards for both leading actors and supporting actor. I think it’s still on Netflix.

Maud Lewis (1903 – 1970) was born in rural Nova Scotia, near Digby. Born with physical deformities, later believed to have been juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, she grew up in a middle class family, thanks to her father’s successful blacksmith and harness making business.

Lewis’ mother taught her to hand-paint Christmas cards, which they sold to neighbors. She learned to play piano, a pastime she enjoyed until arthritis in her hands made it impossible to play. Painfully shy and reclusive, she was teased and bullied by classmates, the likely reason she left school with only a 5th grade education.

Both her parents died in the late 1930s. Her only sibling, an older brother, claimed the family’s inheritance for himself, making no financial provision for his sister. To know the rest of her story you have to watch the movie, which is mostly factual. I don’t want to ruin it for anyone.

Maud was an insatiable painter, always creating. With no formal training and limited funds to purchase art supplies, she used any available surface as a canvas. Near the end of her life, severely disabled, she spent her time sitting in a chair painting every surface in her house.

Her small paintings – a small surface was all she could manage – have been described as child-like, but demonstrating sophisticated technique. You would think her difficult and tragic life would result in dark and gloomy art. On the contrary, her art is brightly colored and whimsical and a joyful representation of her small corner of the world.

After husband Everett Lewis’ death in 1979, the house was uncared for and deteriorating.  In 1984, the government of Nova Scotia bought it and entrusted its care to the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia. A painstaking conservation effort restored the house close to its original state. It was the Gallery’s largest conservation project.

Here’s a virtual tour of the Maud Lewis gallery at the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia: https://matterport.com/discover/space/axp4RuWWLWA

I loved the movie when I watched it. Lewis’ life and art seemed to me a perfect example of the indomitable human spirit and the power of the creative impulse. I was grateful to get the opportunity to see her art in person.

In this 1965 video, you can hear Maud herself talk about her art. https://youtu.be/xIr8PAO0RSA