Canadian Maritimes Tour
"Maritimes Memories"
September 16
to 27, 2009
Take part in a Knitting-themed Tour to Canada's Maritimes in Autumn 2009.
Come join us for the first Tour for Knitters & Friends to Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island, September 16 to 27, 2009.
Highlights of the Maritime Tour:
- Explore downtown Halifax and Charlottetown;
- Tour the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic. Fortress Louisbourg;
- Private visits with Lucy Neatby and Kathryn Thomas of The Fleece Artist;
- Itinerary includes meeting local guilds and visiting talented craftspeople-quilters, potters, weavers and of course, knitters and designers, plus a specialized mill;
- Travel the storied Cabot Trail, through the Cape Breton Highlands National Park;
- Opportunities to explore your interests: music, bird watching, nature walks; museums and galleries; archeological sites; crafts & culture. Stunning Scenery;
- Small group. Maximum 20 participants;
- Relaxed time for knitting;
- Much, much more!
Should you wish, hotel arrangements can be made for you to arrive early or to
stay on after the formal part of the tour has been completed.
Here's the Itinerary: (Note: minor revisions/adjustments are possible as more opportunities become available. Please visit
regularly.)
Day 1:
Check into our hotel in the central area of Halifax, known as the
Historic Properties, close to the busy wharf. Plan to arrive at the hotel no
later than 4:00 p.m. A reception and special evening dinner have been planned —
an opportunity to meet your fellow tour members and to discuss the plans for our
first Atlantic tour. At this time, maps and supporting information will be
available to help you orient yourself in Nova Scotia’s capital city.
Day 2:
There will be time to explore downtown Halifax—you may like to visit the many
small shops and galleries in the area. Three suggestions include the Mary E.
Black Gallery, the Kyber Centre for the Arts and the Anna Leonowens Gallery.
(Anna’s memoirs inspired the Broadway musical The King and I.)
We’ll meet later to take the ferry across the Halifax harbour to Dartmouth.
Our first stop is lunch at a popular restaurant near the dock in Dartmouth,
before our private meeting with Lucy Neatby at her studio. Lucy will be
waiting to tell us about her designs, answer your questions and will have yarn,
patterns, DVDs and books available for sale. She recently completed filming two
new DVDs in her series.
Day 3:
Today is our opportunity to tour the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic.
You’ll learn about the importance of shipbuilding and seagoing to the province.
There are many interesting exhibits which illustrate these activities, including
a section dedicated to the Halifax explosion 
of 1917, when two warships collided
in the harbour. Halifax was also the centre of rescue attempts during the
sinking of the Titanic and a number of the victims are buried in a local
churchyard.
Before returning to our hotel, we’ll visit the building known as
Pier 21,
dedicated to the many thousands of immigrants, refugees, troops and all those
who arrived by sea over an extended period during the 20th century.
After dinner, we can stroll along some of the downtown streets to gain an
appreciation of the architecture and history of this historic, vibrant city.
Day 4:
After breakfast, we have a treat in store when we visit the Hydrostone Market
located in a specially designed suburb and constructed after the area was
devastated by the Halifax Explosion. The area gets its name from the
‘Hydro-Stone’, a type of concrete block, and is said to be “a splendid example
of an 
English-style garden suburb”.
Kathryn Thomas, owner of the Fleece Artist, which produces the
distinctive range of yarns in wonderful colours, will meet us at her shop and
give us a dyeing demonstration. We’ll also visit the shop of LK Yarns, another
treasure trove of knitting supplies. Before leaving the area, there will be time
for lunch in one of the excellent restaurants in the area.
Leaving Halifax and Nova Scotia, our route will take us briefly to eastern New
Brunswick and the Confederation Bridge. The bridge crosses the
Northumberland Strait and provides Prince Edward Island with a fixed link
to the rest of Canada. It was opened in 1997 and is a stunning 13 km. (8 miles)
in length.
Canada’s smallest province, Prince Edward Island is very significant in its historical importance and well known for its gentle pastoral landscape, fine, sandy beaches and red soil. Its size adds to its charm and makes for easy travelling. Our hotel for the next two days is in the capital city, Charlottetown. We'll be on P.E.I. during the annual International Shellfish Festival, with many special events.
Day 5:
You’ll have a relaxed morning — sit and knit, attend a church service – your
choice. In the afternoon we’ll further explore this friendly, compact city. One
visit will be a tour of Province House, the venue 
where discussions were
held in 1864 that later lead to Canadian confederation. This would be a good
time for a treat when we visit the ice cream parlour called Cows. This
local company was named as producing the world’s best ice cream in an
international competition.
A group dinner is planned for this evening.
Day 6:
After breakfast, we’ll travel in the beautiful rural areas — Cavendish
Beach and the nearby Anne of Green Gables site, one of the most
visited places in Canada.
Before returning to our hotel, we’ll stop at the Prince Edward Island Preserves
Company for a chance to sample and purchase their homemade jams made from island
berries.
Days 7 to 11:
We leave P.E.I. this morning after breakfast. Before leaving this special corner
of Canada, you’ll no doubt add to your yarn purchases when we visit Belfast
Mini Mills for a tour and a chance to purchase from their range of yarns,
roving, felt and felted articles. The mill is where producers of specialized
fibres (such as alpaca, llama, mohair and qiviut) can send their fibres to be
processed. It is also the place where equipment was sent to the faraway Orcadian
island of North Ronaldsay, and was set up to process the fleece of their native
sheep of the same name.
We’ll go to nearby Wood Island and board a ferry for the 75-minute cruise, on a
Northumberland Ferries vessel and a return to Nova Scotia. Our destination is
Cape Breton Island and the village of Baddeck. This will be a time
to view the changing landscape and do some relaxed knitting.
Our hotel in Baddeck is the Lynwood Inn, centrally located for a stroll after
dinner. We’ll visit the well-stocked yarn shop called Baadeck Yarns.
Owner Pat Fields has organized some special events during our stay, including a
meeting with local knitting guild members, quilters and spinners.
Our time on Cape Breton will be a memorable mix of touring and ‘staying put’:
- As we travel the storied Cabot Trail, through the Cape Breton Highlands National Park, we’ll see stunning seascapes and visit some craft shops and an artisans’ cooperative. Rug hooking is a tradition in the area and we’ll see some fine examples in the Acadian village of Cheticamp, especially in the Elizabeth LeFort Gallery and Museum. Whales are frequently sighted in the seas off this coast of Cape Breton that is rich in marine and bird life;
- Hear traditional music at the Gaelic College where Celtic traditions and memories are fostered and preserved. Students come from all over the world to attend this unique institution;
- Time to relax and enjoy the slower pace and friendliness of the area. There will be many opportunities for delicious, homemade meals and we’ll take in at least one community lobster supper;
- While we’re in Baddeck, we’ll visit the museum of Alexander Graham Bell, designated a National Historic Site by the Government of Canada. There are presentations of his many and varied inventions, in addition to the telephone. Bell spent his summers in Baddeck and his former estate is still owned by the family;
- 2009 is the 100th anniversary of the first powered aircraft flight in Canada. The plane was called the Silver Dart and was flown by J.A.D. McCurdy. Although it was a short flight, just a distance of 2400 feet after taking off on the ice of frozen Bras D’Or Lake, it was a monumental achievement. The centennial celebration of this event will take place throughout 2009 on Cape Breton;
The Fortress of Louisbourg, originally built by the French in 1713,
was the site of two pivotal battles where the site was captured, first by New
Englanders and then by the British. To ensure that it didn’t fall into French
hands again, it was razed by the British in 1758. A portion of the former site
has been restored to the way it was in 1744 and is staffed by costumed guides.
It is sometimes referred to as the ‘Williamsburg of Canada’;- A group of local spinners will meet us at the Highland Village for a
visit and demonstration. The Village is a restored living history museum which
celebrates Nova Scotia’s heritage and is also known by its Gaelic name,
An Clachan Gàidhealach; - On our last tour evening, a special dinner is planned.
Day 12:
Today we leave Cape Breton and travel back to Halifax where our tour regretfully
ends. En route there will be time for more knitting and chatting with your
fellow tour members.
Photo credits: Appreciation and thanks to Nova Scotia Tourism, Culture and Heritage.
*Orwell Cove, PEI. Photo by John Sylvester provided courtesy of Tourism PEI