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Photo taken at Sooke Potholes Provincial Park
"Not all classrooms have four walls."
"Not all classrooms have four walls."
- Unknown
Citadel Hill - Halifax, NS
Citadel Hill - Halifax, NS
The Halifax Citadel is a large fortification located on Citadel Hill in Halifax, NS and is now a National Historic Site. The Halifax Citadel was built by the British with large stone walls and designed in a star-shape to enhance arcs of fire. Due to potential threats of the French and the Americans, the fortification was constructed on elevated ground between 1828 and 1856 by the British in order to protect Halifax, the harbour, and its naval station against enemy threats. However, as time passed the British gifted the Halifax Citadel Canadian Department of Militia and Defence in 1906 and as a result, the fort became an essential part of the Canadian military through both World Wars as it was used for soldier barracks and also served as an important line of defence against German threats. Although the fortification never saw battle, the large presence was enough to intimidate potential enemies. As years passed following World War II, the Halifax Citadel became neglected and the walls and buildings began to deteriorate. However, in 1951 the Citadel was transferred to Parks Canada and began to undergo decades of significant restoration to recreate the 19th century design in order to provide visitors with the most authentic experience possible today. The Halifax Citadel offers a variety of activities, such as tours, a "Soldier for the Day" program, a hands-on experience to fire a 1869 rifle, opportunities to explore the grounds, and much more.
Halifax Waterfront Boardwalk
Mark IX 21 in. Whitehead Torpedo
Hotchkiss Gun
Halifax Harbour - Halifax, NS
Halifax Harbour - Halifax, NS
The Halifax Harbour is a major tourist attraction and offers a variety of restaurants, shopping centres, arts, boat tours, events, and much more. Many of these attractions take place along the Halifax Waterfront Boardwalk and is easily accessible for everyone. Along the Halifax Boardwalk you'll also come across two major opportunities you won't want to miss, the Halifax Seaport Farmer's Market and the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic. Firstly, the Seaport Farmers' Market was established in 1750 and is the oldest continuously operating farmers' market in North America. The market was initially utilized to sell produce and livestock provided by the Acadians of Annapolis Valley and local farmers. Today, the farmers' market hosts live music and offers a wide range of vendors. Secondly, the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic is very exciting and offers a great opportunity for experiential learning. The museum introduces exhibits including, but not limited to: the Royal Canadian and Merchant Navies, Nova Scotia's involvement in the aftermath of Titanic disaster, both World Wars, the Battle of the Atlantic, and the Halifax Explosion of 1917. Although each exhibit offers a unique experience, the most interesting for me are the Halifax Explosion of 1917, the World Wars, and the Battle of the Atlantic.
Prior to the atomic bomb the largest manmade explosion was in fact the Halifax Explosion. The Halifax Explosion of 1917 exhibit provides very detailed information to better understand the significance of the disastrous event. The Halifax Explosion occurred in "the Narrows" of the harbour between Halifax and Dartmouth when two ships collided, the Mont-Blanc and the IMO. The Mont-Blanc was a French munitions and general cargo ship that was proceeding through the harbour and into the Bedford Basin (a large enclosed bay). The IMO was a Norwegian ship that chartered to Belgian Relief had already left the Basin, entered the Narrows, and was heading out to sea. As the two ships collided the Mont-Blanc caught on fire and drifted towards Halifax where it blew up. The explosion was catastrophic as hundreds of people died instantly, hundreds more were consumed by the flames and collapsed buildings, thousands were injured, streets were ablaze, and Halifax was left in serious distress. People were immediately left homeless, hospitalized, and permanently debilitated. Part of the Mont-Blanc anchor was found over 3 kilometres from the explosion site and remains there today. Barbra Orr, a young girl who was trying to get a closer look, was suddenly swept off her feet with great force and soared through the air until she landed, over half a kilometre away from where she first stood. Halifax relied heavily on donations from near and far to assist the people affected by the disaster and to rebuild the city to what it once was. To this day, Nova Scotia gifts an enormous Christmas tree every year to Boston, in gratitude for the donations of goods and money (over $750,000) from the state of Massachusetts after the explosion.
As mentioned earlier, the other exhibits that attracted my interest were the World Wars and the Battle of the Atlantic. These exhibits are relatively intertwined and display original: newspapers, letters from soldiers, Navy League Ditty Bags (a small gift bag full of clothing, food, and sundries for sailors in the World Wars), and many other various items all incased in glass. These exhibits also feature naval weaponry from the World Wars, such as: a Mark IX 21 in. Whitehead Torpedo used during World War II, a Mark I contact mine used in both World Wars, and a Hotchkiss Gun used in World War II. Both, the Mark IX 21 in. Whitehead Torpedo and Hotchkiss Gun from the museum can be seen in photos on the left.
Parliament Hill - Ottawa, ON
Parliament Hill - Ottawa, ON
Parliament Hill is the home of Canada's federal government and offers various forms of history, arts, and architecture. When the Centre Block was rebuilt, architectures actually left large blank stone blocks for stone carvers to design in order to illustrate Canada's history and culture through art and is admired by everyone who visits. The Centre Block has a many portraits on display including present and former Canadian monarchs and prime ministers. I feel very fortunate to have visited Parliament's Centre Block as the building is currently undergoing renovations for the next decade and as a result, is closed to the public until completion. My favourite part of visiting Parliament Hill's Centre Block is the library. The craftsmanship in the library is simply second to none. The library's white pine panelling is decorated with white marble busts and carvings of various textures, flowers, and mythical creatures. Although not much of the library is accessible to the public, I find a story behind it simply fascinating.
The vast majority of Parliament Hill's original Centre Block was reconstructed after being severely damaged as a result of a fire that ensued in February of 1916. The flames managed to engulf the entire original Centre Block except for one part at the rear of the building, the Library of Parliament. Due to the long corridor and the foresight of the librarian, Alpheus Todd, iron fire doors were installed on the library as per Todd's request. Prior to evacuating due to the fire, the iron doors were slammed shut in order to preserve the information and documentation stowed in the library. As a result, the Library of Parliament is the only original part of the Centre Block, however, it's notable that the library has undergone minor renovations. The ignition source of the fire still remains unclear, many believe it was German saboteurs, some believe it was faulty wiring, while others blame reckless smoking. One thing that's certain is the ignition source of the fire that burned down Parliament Hill's Centre Block has remained a mystery for over a century.
Parliament Hill's Centre Block
Parliament Hill's Centre Block
Street view of Parliament Hill's Centre Block
Library of Parliament located in the Centre Block
Library of Parliament located in the Centre Block
White marble statue of Queen Victoria in the centre of the library sculpted in 1871
Rideau Canal - Ottawa, ON
Rideau Canal - Ottawa, ON
The Rideau Canal is a historic Canadian tourist attraction and is a must visit if you're in Ottawa. The Rideau Canal Skateway in Ottawa, ON is known as the world's largest skating rink at 7.8 kilometres in length. The canal offers various recreational activities, such as: boating, canoeing/kayaking, fishing, cycling along the canal, cross-country skiing, and of course, skating. Although the Rideau Canal is a major tourist attraction today, many people don't realize it was initially designed and constructed for military purposes.
Following the War of 1812, Canadians wanted to ensure a secure route for supply and communication between Montreal and Kingston. The St. Lawrence River was previously used to ship supplies, however, the waterway is part of the international boundary between Canada and the United States. If the United States invaded Canada via the St. Lawrence River the route between Montreal and Kingston would have been severed. In the event of further conflict with the United States, it was decided the most secure route would be through the interior of Canada. As a result, the Rideau Canal was constructed between 1826-1832 to link Ottawa and Kingston. The canal is 202km in length, 19km of which was manmade, with 47 locks. The canal is also lined with thick stone walls along the bank where necessary, such as the downtown core of Ottawa and the lockstations. The Rideau Canal never served its initial military purposes as conflict between Canada and the United States subsided. Today, the Rideau Canal is a World Heritage Site and the majority of the lockstations and swing bridges remain as they were originally engineered in the 19th century, non-mechanical.
Cinnamon Hill Golf Course - Montego Bay, Saint James Parish, Jamaica
Cinnamon Hill Golf Course - Montego Bay, Saint James Parish, Jamaica
While in Jamaica I had the opportunity to play a round of golf in Montego Bay on a PGA certified golf course, Cinnamon Hill. The name, "Cinnamon Hill," is derived from the wild cinnamon trees that grew on the property. Although the front 9 was full of breath taking oceanfront views, the back 9 was what I was most excited for. As mentioned on the Social Studies page, I have a strong interest in slave history. As Cinnamon Hill is built on a large (400 acres) sugarcane plantation from the 17th century, I was eager to golf this course and expand my knowledge of this site. Along the course are preserved historic sites, such as an aqueduct built in 1761 that was also used to grind sugarcane. Another interesting fact I learned while on the course was from one of our caddies, Chris. While on the 15th hole Chris informed us that the waterfall behind the green was used for a scene from the movie "Live and Let Die", a James Bond movie from 1973.
Cinnamon Hill Golf Course aqueduct constructed in 1761
Nine Mile, St. Ann's Parish - Jamaica
Nine Mile, St. Ann's Parish - Jamaica
A large rainwater catchment can be seen in the upper left corner of this photo.
Nine Mile, Dry Harbour Mountains - St. Ann's Parish, Jamaica
Nine Mile, Dry Harbour Mountains - St. Ann's Parish, Jamaica
Nine Mile is a district in St. Ann's Parish and is famously known as the birthplace and resting place of Bob Marley. However, Marley is not the only piece of history that has derived from the mountainous region in St. Ann. These mountains were also some of the original homes and camps for Jamaican Maroons during the Atlantic Slave Trade. Jamaican Maroons are African people who used mountains to escape slavery. They would then developed their own free communities and way of life by incorporating cultures with other slaves who escaped. Today, Nine Mile is a major tourist attraction in Jamaica for obvious reasons, but it's also very enlightening to witness the different lifestyle in the mountains, such as their rainwater catchments systems. Due to no rivers or streams and limestone bedrock, rainwater simply runs down to the coast. Although access to water is still clearly an issue in this region, without rainwater catchments the community in the region would face extreme hardships indefinitely.
Puerto Plata - Dominican Republic
Puerto Plata - Dominican Republic
Although Cinnamon Hill was the first time I was able to venture around a sugarcane plantation from the slave era, I received another opportunity while in the Dominican Republic, except this time it was much more of a faster pace than a golf cart and extremely muddy. My fiancé and I went on a dune buggy tour made multiple stops, such as at the beach with breathtaking ocean views, a restaurant to experience local cuisine and coffee, and as mentioned above, a sugarcane plantation for the slave era. Unfortunately, the remains of any infrastructure on the plantation property from the slave era was essentially absent. However, the tour also provided opportunities for brief visits with local children who would stand along the paved streets. Many of the children didn't speak much english, if any at all, and were typically hoping for money. We didn't bring much for Dominican pesos on the tour, but we did find quite a bit of Canadian coins in my backpack to give the children for more of a keepsake. We also packed a small portion of gummy candies that we gave to the children, which they were just as excited for as the Canadian coins. Overall, the sugarcane plantation from the slave era wasn't what I hoped it would be, driving the dune buggy through the Dominican Republic was exciting, but the smiles of those young children when given (small) gifts was an experience I will always remember.
Whale Watching - Rosario Strait, WA, USA
Whale Watching - Rosario Strait, WA, USA
Whale watching is a unique opportunity I took advantage of while living on the Pacific Coast. Whale watching is an outstanding educational resource in a variety of ways and will attract student interest in one form or another. Research even suggests that many students are able to better retain and recall information from class trips and tours. An experience such as this for students will ensure student understanding to be successful as it easily meets different learning styles, such as visual, auditory, and kinesthetics. Overall, the experience provided me with a ton of new knowledge and a deeper appreciation not only for local species, but aquatic life as a whole. Although some trips for educational purposes are not accessible or feasible, there are many that are and should be utilized when appropriate.
Cathedral Grove - Vancouver Island, BC
Cathedral Grove - Vancouver Island, BC
Cathedral Grove is an old forest located in Macmillan Provincial Park on Vancouver Island. Cathedral Grove is the home to a variety of ancient and humungous trees, such as Douglas firs, spruce, and western red cedars (Thuja plicata). The largest tree in the park is an 800+ year old Douglas fir at the height of a staggering 250 ft and has a circumference of 30 ft. To put it into another perspective, the Leaning Tower of Pisa stands at a height of 187 ft. Again, to put it into another perspective, when Christopher Columbus arrived to North America in 1492, this large Douglas fir was already over 300 years old.
When exploring the forest you may notice the bark from some of the western red cedar trees are actually stripped. The reason for the stripped bark is not an act of vandalism, nor did anyone take the bark as a souvenir. In fact, some of the stripped bark of western red cedars dates back to the early 1100's as Indigenous peoples used it for traditional and cultural purposes. The bark stripped from the western red cedar was commonly used by the local Indigenous peoples for woven baskets, or heavy duty ropes. As western red cedar doesn't rot, Indigenous peoples used these trees for traditional items, such as canoes, monumental carved poles, and masks. In fact, the majority of coastal totem poles are created by Indigenous peoples using western red cedar trees as it's easy to carve and again, doesn't rot. Cathedral Grove has multiple walking trails that offer a unique experience in a natural environment and various learning experiences.
Standing inside a Douglas fir tree at Cathedral Grove
T.rex Discovery Centre - Eastend, SK
T.rex Discovery Centre - Eastend, SK
Meet "Scotty", the world's largest Tyrannosaurus rex! Scotty was first discovered near the small town of Eastend, SK in 1991, however, it took more than a decade to remove the skeleton from the sandstone blocks. Scotty's skeleton was located on a hillside in the Frenchman River Valley and due to lack of road accessibility, heavy work horses were used for excavation as vehicles were unable to access the site. Approximately 65% of the skeleton was recovered at site and revealed to be one of the most complete T.rex skeletons ever discovered intact. Palaeontologists have reported that Scotty stands at 18 ft. tall, 43 ft. long, and a living weight at ~19,500 lbs. During the prehistoric era, Scotty suffered various injuries that are evident on the skeleton, including broken ribs and severe damage to its tail believed to be bite marks from another T.rex.
"Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn't do that by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbour. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover."
"Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn't do that by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbour. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover."
- Mark Twain
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