Maritime Minute

Nestled along the shores of the Bay of Fundy you'll find Hall's Harbour, one of the more active small fishing ports in the area. Borrowing it's name from Captain Samuel Hall, local legend claims some of his treasure is buried near the shore.

Located along the entrance to Halifax Harbour, you'll find a 200-year-old fishing village that has been transformed into a popular tourist destination. Fisherman's Cove, in Eastern Passage, offers a peak into Nova Scotia's past while continuing to be a living fishing village.

The Kejimkujik National Park and National Historic Site of Canada covers over 400 square kilometers of Nova Scotia's wilderness in two distinct environments. Named after Kejimkujik Lake, the main park is located inland between Annapolis and Queens counties.

Settled in 1605, Port-Royal is located along the north shore of Nova Scotia's Annapolis Basin. Established by the French as a fur-trading colony, it was the first permanent European settlement in Canada.

The coastline around Parrsboro Nova Scotia is renowned for it's abundance of cliffs that contain fossils of prehistoric animals and plants. In fact, a world-famous dinosaur discovery that was made there in 1984 is the largest of its kind ever made in North America!

Along Nova Scotia's south shore you'll find Old Town Lunenburg, designated as a World Heritage Site in 1995. The town was originally settled in 1753, and since so much of it's early architecture has been preserved, it is perhaps the best surviving example of a British colonial settlement in North America.

Situated along Nova Scotia's Yarmouth and Acadian Shores, the community of Pubnico is home to the oldest region in the province that still remains Acadian today. Le Village historique acadien de la Nouvelle-Écosse...also known as The Historical Acadian Village of Nova Scotia...depicts over 300 years of Acadian history.

Carved into the coastline of Nova Scotia's Minas Basin is Cape Blomidon. Its high cliffs provide a spectacular view, as the world's highest tides wash the shore below. Local folklore claims it was home to the legendary Glooscap, the Mi’kmaq’s great man-God. In the 1700s, the area was settled by New England immigrants.

Covering 40 hectares of pristine forest in Central Nova Scotia, Shubenacadie Wildlife Park is home to 26 species of mammals and 65 species of birds -- some of them formally designated as "at risk" in Nova Scotia. Shubenacadie is the only Wildlife Park in the world that can boast being home to Sable Island Ponies.

Nestled along St. Mary's River, in Guysborough County Nova Scotia, you'll find Historic Sherbrooke Village. The area was originally settled in the 1600s by the French, but was later taken over by the British. The community prospered from the farming, fishing and timber trades, as well as the gold rush in the 1800s.

Sitting proudly along the shores of Nova Scotia's Annapolis River is the Fort Anne National Historic Site. Many battles were won and lost here as the French and English fought for control of North America. The area was originally settled as Port-Royal, but when it fell to the British in 1710, it was renamed Annapolis Royal in honour of Queen Anne.

Nestled along Nova Scotia's South Shore, you'll discover the picturesque town of Mahone Bay. Originally settled in 1754, the primary industry of the town was wooden boat building. The Settler Museum and annual Classic Boat Festival celebrate the town's shipbuilding heritage. Today, Mahone Bay is home to many art galleries, specialty shops and living museums.

The Bay of Fundy is brimming with marine wildlife, and Nova Scotia’s Fundy Coast is one of the best places to experience it. Each Spring and Summer a variety of whales, porpoises, seabirds and dolphins make their way back to the waters off Nova Scotia as part of their annual migration. And each year thousands of people head out on the water to witness it first hand.

Once known as “Isle Royale”, Cape Breton Island is home to the largest historical reconstruction in North America. Fortress Louisbourg was a completely fortified town built by the French in 1719. During the war between England and France, it was seized by the British and completely destroyed in 1758.

Living off the land has always been a way of life in Nova Scotia. That is no more evident than at Ross Farm Museum, located just 20 minutes North of the Chester Basin. Settled in 1816, Ross Farm is typical of the many small farms that existed throughout Nova Scotia when the province was still being settled.

Sitting high above Halifax Harbour Nova Scotia is one of the most important historic sites in Canada -- the Halifax Citadel. The first fort was built here in 1749 by the British to defend against a growing number of French settlements in the region. Though never attacked, the Citadel was a strategic base for the British Empire until 1906.

Nestled in Lunenburg Harbour Nova Scotia, you'll find "The Ovens Natural Park" -- 190 acres of coastal forest overlooking the famous sea caves carved into the shoreline below. Originally part of the local gold rush of the 1800s, the area was once home to a town of over a thousand residents.

Marking the eastern entrance to St. Margaret’s Bay, Peggy’s Cove is one of the busiest tourist attractions in Nova Scotia. Settled in 1811, local folklore has several origins for the tiny village's name. Some claim Peggy was an early settler while others say she was a young survivor from a shipwreck.

Located on the south shore of Nova Scotia, Oak Island is one of about 360 small islands in Mahone Bay. Though small in size, it is huge in reputation because it is believed to be the location of the so-called Money Pit -- a structure some suggest was built by pirates to hide their treasure.

Originally settled in the late 1600s, the area was home to a group of French colonists who had migrated north from Port Royal. Here, they were able to build an independent community, away from the war between England and France.