Katherine Bickford

High tide, low tide – Harbourville

Posted on April 29, 2019 by Katherine

Nova Scotia,Canada,Atlantic Canada,Maritimes,fish boats,ocean,wharf,dock,pier,tides,Bay of Fundy,Harbourville

High tide in Harbourville, looking down at the lobster boat Fundy Breeze, and the scallop draggers Shell Stalker and Dakota & Boys.

And Fundy Breeze and Shell Stalker at low tide.

Nova Scotia,Canada,Atlantic Canada,Maritimes,fish boats,ocean,wharf,dock,pier,tides,Bay of Fundy,Harbourville

Posted in fisheries, fisheye, fishing boats, Nova Scotia, ships, spring | Tagged Atlantic Canada, Bay of Fundy, Canada, dock, fish boats, Harbourville, Maritimes, Nova Scotia, ocean, pier, tides, wharf | Leave a comment

High tide, low tide – Harbourville

Posted on April 25, 2019 by Katherine

Nova Scotia,Canada,Atlantic Canada,Maritimes,fish boats,ocean,wharf,dock,pier,tides,Bay of Fundy

Dakota & Boys, Shell Stalker and Fundy Breeze – Harbourville

Dakota & Boys, Shell Stalker and Fundy Breeze at high tide, and then Shell Stalker and Fundy Breeze at low tide.

Nova Scotia,Canada,Atlantic Canada,Maritimes,fish boats,ocean,wharf,dock,pier,tides,Bay of Fundy

And then we have Krista M at a high tide, and again at a low tide. These are not spectacular tides, but they do show the range of water levels in the Bay Of Fundy.

Nova Scotia,Canada,Atlantic Canada,Maritimes,fish boats,ocean,wharf,dock,pier,tides,Bay of Fundy

I often get to see the bottom of ships by using an underwater camera, and sometimes I can just wait and walk around. Fun…

Nova Scotia,Canada,Atlantic Canada,Maritimes,fish boats,ocean,wharf,dock,pier,tides,Bay of Fundy

Posted in fisheries, fishing boats, Nova Scotia, ocean, ships | Tagged Atlantic Canada, Bay of Fundy, Canada, dock, fish boats, Maritimes, Nova Scotia, ocean, pier, tides, wharf | Leave a comment

Radio Controlled Trains – Wright’s Cove

Posted on April 25, 2019 by Katherine

halifax,rail,train,industry,gypsum,history,Nova Scotia,Atlantic Canada,National Gypsum

Radio controlled trains – beware!

There I was in town-town (the city, HRM…) with some time on my hands, so I decided to take a drive down Wrights Cove Road to see if I could get a glimpse of Wrights Cove.

Nope – but I did see this sign, which is totally cool and was somewhat unexpected as I had thought that gypsum mining and transport by train was a thing of the past in Nova Scotia.

I had based my conclusion after researching the dormant rail line and disused train cars that can be seen in Windsor – they were used to transport gypsum from the Fundy Gypsum Company mines. These cars are used to transport gypsum from the National Gypsum mine in east Milford to the National Gypsum ship loading facility in Wright’s Cove.

halifax,rail,train,industry,gypsum,history,Nova Scotia,Atlantic Canada,National Gypsum

In operation since 1954, the mine is the largest gypsum quarry in the world. In 2015 it received approval for an expansion that would allow mining for at least 20 more years.

halifax,rail,train,industry,gypsum,history,Nova Scotia,Atlantic Canada,National Gypsum

I love exploring and learning about what was, what is, and perhaps what will be…

Posted in Halifax, history, Nova Scotia, rail | Tagged Atlantic Canada, gypsum, Halifax, history, industry, National Gypsum, Nova Scotia, rail, train | Leave a comment

Walton Harbour – Minas Basin

Posted on April 24, 2019 by Katherine

Walton Harbour – looking north onto the Minas Basin

Walton Harbour – looking north onto the Minas Basin

Walton Harbour – looking north onto the Minas Basin

I had stopped here to take a look at the Walton Lighthouse, and lingered a bit longer on a rainy day to enjoy the beauty of the outlet of the Walton River flowing into the Minas Basin.

Beautiful. I need to come back at a low tide and explore…

Walton Harbour – looking north onto the Minas Basin

Posted in history, Minas Basin, Nova Scotia, ocean, river, spring, video | Tagged Atlantic Canada, Canada, Hants County, Highway 215 Nova Scotia, history, Minas Basin, Nova Scotia, ocean, Spring, Walton | Leave a comment

Walton Harbour Lighthouse

Posted on April 24, 2019 by Katherine

Built in 1873, the 9.4 meters tall Walton Lighthouse is the last original lighthouse in Hants County.

Walton Lighthouse

Nova Scotia,Canada,Atlantic Canada,lighthouse,ocean,history,Minas Basin,spring,Hants County,Walton

Built in 1873, the 9.4 meters tall Walton Lighthouse is the last original lighthouse in Hants County. It was once the brightest light on the Minas Basin in the upper Bay of Fundy, guiding ships into Walton Harbour where pulpwood, gypsum and barite were loaded. Walton Harbour was the busiest port in Nova Scotia in the 1950’s.

When shipping into Walton Harbour declined in the 1970s, the lighthouse was decommissioned, and after standing vacant for nearly two decades the lighthouse was slated for demolition by the Department of Fisheries and Oceans.

Under the Heritage Lighthouse Protection Act, federally owned lighthouse properties can be transferred to new owners wishing to take advantage of their heritage designation or tourism potential. In 1991 the Municipality of East Hants acquired the Walton Lighthouse. Subsequently, on August 12, 1992, Walton Lighthouse received Municipal Heritage Property designation, and on April 12, 2012, the Walton Lighthouse received Provincial Heritage Property status.

Built in 1873 by Timothy Parker who became the first lightkeeper at Walton
Cost to build: $620
Initial light source: 2 flat-wick lamps with 18-inch reflectors and 2 lamps with 12-inch reflectors
In 1986 the light was converted to an automatic system with an electronic flash
In 1999 a gas light matching the original was installed
Lighthouse pattern: visible 10 seconds and dark 3 seconds then visible 4 seconds and dark 3 seconds

Posted in history, lighthouse, Minas Basin, Nova Scotia, ocean, spring | Tagged Atlantic Canada, Canada, Hants County, Highway 215 Nova Scotia, history, lighthouse, Minas Basin, Nova Scotia, ocean, Spring, Walton | Leave a comment

Windsor & Hantsport Railway Company

Posted on April 23, 2019 by Katherine

Windsor,Nova Scotia,railway,trains,history,gypsum,Spring,Highway 101 - Nova Scotia,Windsor & Hantsport Railway Company

The Windsor and Hantsport Railway is a 90.1 km railway line between Windsor Junction and New Minas with a spur at Windsor which runs several miles east, that served gypsum quarries located at Wentworth Creek and Mantua. It suspended operations in 2011.

Windsor,Nova Scotia,railway,trains,history,gypsum,Spring,Highway 101 - Nova Scotia,Windsor & Hantsport Railway Company

The mainline and related spurs were formerly owned by the Canadian Pacific Railway subsidiary Dominion Atlantic Railway from 1894-1994 before being sold to the shortline holding company Iron Road Railways. The Windsor and Hantsport Railway began operations on Saturday, August 27, 1994, making it Nova Scotia’s second shortline railway after Cape Breton and Central Nova Scotia Railway, which was formed one year earlier.

Upper Water Street overpass over Windsor & Hantsport Railway Company tracks

Upper Water Street overpass over Windsor & Hantsport Railway Company tracks

The track is still in place, and gypsum cars can be seen from the highway, sitting on the tracks waiting for a potential reopening of the gypsum mines.

Posted in history, Nova Scotia, rail, spring, trains | Tagged gypsum, Highway 101 - Nova Scotia, history, Nova Scotia, railway, Spring, trains, Windsor, Windsor & Hantsport Railway Company | Leave a comment

Cornwallis Inn

Posted on April 22, 2019 by Katherine

Maritime Express Cider Co,Maritime Express Cider,railway hotel,history,Kentville,Nova Scotia.Cornwallis Inn,Cornwallis Hotel

The Cornwallis Inn in Kentville began as the Aberdeen Hotel, a wooden second empire style hotel built in 1892 behind the Kentville Station. It was purchased by the Dominion Atlantic Railway in 1919, renovated, landscaped, and renamed the Cornwallis Inn.

In 1930 the Cornwallis Inn was demolished and replaced by a larger Cornwallis Inn on Main Street. It opened on December 9, 1930 after a construction period of two hundred and eight days.

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The Cornwallis Inn was considered one of the most architecturally beautiful hotels in Canada. It contained ninety guest rooms (including four luxury suites) and ten sample rooms for commercial travellers. The hotel had a head porter, bell boys, maitre d’hote, accounting department, chef, maid service, full kitchen and dining-room staff, clerks, stationary engineers and drivers.

Maritime Express Cider Co,Maritime Express Cider,railway hotel,history,Kentville,Nova Scotia.Cornwallis Inn,Cornwallis Hotel

In 1963 the well-kept flower beds, shade trees, shrubbery, and walks were removed to accommodate retail shops. In 1973 the Cornwallis Inn shut down, and remained closed until until extensive renovations were completed in 1976.

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