Cunard Lines
Haligonian, Samuel Cunard started Cunard Lines in the 1840s. It is the 2nd oldest cruise line in the world. responsible for famous ships like the Lusitania, Mauretania, Carpathia, Queen Mary and the Queen Elizabeth I and II. In the 19th century, Cunard’s fiercest competitor was the White Star Line, founded in 1871 and funded in most part by J.P. Morgan. The White Star Line set the standard for luxury vessels, whereas Cunard Lines set the standard for efficiency and safety. Given that the Titanic was a White Star ship, which would you choose? In fact, it was Cunard’s Carpathia that first arrived on the scene to rescue the survivors. Cunard was acquired by Carnival Cruise Lines in 1998 after 158 years in business.
The Titanic
Speaking of the Titanic, Halifax was the nearest town to the accident and, while most of the survivors were taken to New York, the intended destination, the bodies of the others were mostly brought to Halifax and many are buried here.
The Explosion
And speaking of tragedies, in 1917 shortly after the Titanic sunk, French ship “Mont Blanc”, full of ammunition picked up in New York and bound for Europe, collided in Halifax Harbor with Norwegian ship “Imo”, headed to New York to pick up supplies for war refugees in Belgium. Mont Blanc caught fire and then, all the ammunition was ignited causing the greatest man-made explosion up until that time, killing thousands of Halifax residents and flattening a good part of the city. Heavy pieces of metal were found up to 7 kilometers away from the harbor!
Bluenose
Canadian dimes feature the image of Bluenose. A racing / fishing schooner designed by Haligonian William Roué.
Transatlantic Communication Cables
Halifax played a key role in establishing transatlantic underwater communications cables, allowing telegraphs to go back and forth between Europe and N. American in minutes, rather than weeks as prior methods required. The cables originated at Cable Wharf built by Western Union in Halifax, which also served as a harbor to service the fleet of cable-laying vessels.
Halifax Central Library
Opened in 2014, and designed jointly by local and Danish architects, is an amazing building, housing not only books, but café’s, an auditorium and various meeting spaces. It is a true community center and reminds one of the world-famous Bibliotheca in Alexandria, Egypt.
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