Halifax Citadel Photo by Kat Gurholt
People love old forts. Even if you are anti-military the old forts bring out a feeling of timelessness that anyone can enjoy.
The Citadel in Halifax is a great facility that has been used for everything from a real fort to a prisoner of war camp. Today it houses one of the best military museums in the country as well as a living museum featuring the 78th Highlanders.
The citadel was patterned after British designs in the early to mid-1800’s that featured a star shap and a dry moat. This was so that the attacking force would be subject to crossfires from any angle and woe betide the soldiers who tried to enter the moat. However, the fort never fired a shot in anger.
Completed in 1856, this version of the Citadel is the fourth built since 1749 on the same hill overlooking the harbour. It still features a working cannon that is fired every noon hour, even on Christmas day. Inside are many of the original barracks, fireplaces, muskets and powder magazines. These stand ready to fight an enemy that never did attack - the Americans. After the Civil War the modern technology had rendered the non-rifled barrels of the cannons obsolete and it could have been bombarded from miles away. But no one came.
Today there are some fine shoes there and a living history featuring the 78th Highlanders, who proceed to do a daily routines as tourists wander by. They even fire off their muskets as they train.
Parks Canada does a great job keeping up the fortress and has spent years rebuilding it to its former glory. It is a definite must-see for any trip to Halifax.
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