Blue Diamond Tours
207-4 Caxton Close B3M 4J5 Halifax, NS, Canada

Fall lobster season on the Bay of Fundy. Taken Nov 23, 2020 off of Green's Point.

105.9 SEASIDE-FM News - A special tree received a heartfelt farewell today, Nov. 16. The 45-foot white spruce is a thank-you gift to the people of Boston for t...heir immediate support following the Halifax Explosion of 1917. "Nova Scotia will never forget those who were lost and injured as a result of the explosion, and the support from the people of Boston," said Premier Stephen McNeil. "This year's Tree for Boston is dedicated to health-care workers, honouring both the 1917 response and those taking care of us on the frontlines of the COVID-19 pandemic. We are thankful for the compassion and kindness shown in times of need." Due to the pandemic, the province is partnering with Port of Halifax, PSA Halifax and Eimskip Canada to transport the tree on a container vessel. The tree will leave Halifax on Wednesday, Nov.18, and be delivered to its new home on Boston Common within days. Events will be virtual this year, but Nova Scotians and Bostonians can take part in the celebrations by following the Tree for Boston on social media leading up to the one-hour virtual tree-lighting ceremony on Thursday, Dec. 3 at 8 p.m. AST. The broadcast is expected to reach an audience of more than 200,000 viewers on WCVB Channel 5 Boston, and highlights the Celtic Colours International Festival featuring performances by the Barra MacNeils and Sarah and Elizabeth MacInnis with Jenny MacKenzie. (CNS)

From our friends at "The Friends of Sable Island Society" : The first volume of "Sable Island Stories" is now ready to purchase! For the next three months it is only available online from Amazon. You can purchase a Kindle eBook for yourself ($9.99 CAD) and order paperbook copies ($20 CAD) as gifts to be mailed directly to recipients around the world. All proceeds will support our charitable programs. ... Full details are available on our website at https://www.sableislandfriends.ca/sable-island-stories-vol/

When you're trying to better understand the present for a community its often insightful to view the past. A friend connected us with a site called whatwasthere....com. Though the descriptive information accompanying the photos may not be totally accurate it, we do get a taste. "This cooperage was opened by J. Chandley Smith in June 1917. When demand was high, they manufactured over 13,000 items annually.In 1994, the old building was demolished for the Scarlet Letter Film Production set. Occupying the newly erected building, the present Shelburne Barrel Factory is the only surviving privately-owned cooperage in Atlantic Canada." The most popular room at The Cooper's Inn is called the 'J. Chandley Smith' after Mr Smith, the cooper who owned the inn property for six decades. See more

Today, November 20, I arrived safely to my final destination on the #BostonCommon. The City of Boston gave me a very warm welcome. Be sure to watch me light up... the sky on Thursday, December 3 on the WCVB Channel 5 Boston at 8:00 p.m. (AST) or 7:00 p.m. (EST): https://novascotia.ca/treeforboston . REM Transport Ltd Boston Parks and Recreation Department See more

Broad Cove, Nova Scotia Dedication to the Conrad's Turn up your volume!

Christmas 2020 has arrived at the gazebo in St. Bernard's Park in Enfield, Nova Scotia.

For our Canadian Customers : It's been 8 months since the pandemic started....and winter is looming. Mental health issues related to our lockdown and the pandemic are especially hard for people with depression and other mental concerns. The Canadian Mental Health Association, has a 24-hour helpline: 1-833 456-4566 or Klinic Crisis Line 1-888-322-3019 Toll Free. To our international customers we hope your faring well, if you have similar concerns we urge you to reach out to your local associations just the same. Blue Diamond Tours is wishing you good health and safety !

Interesting ....

What a bore! Yesterday Friday November 20th while on an errand to Truro, N.S. from Eastern Passage , N.S. (Roughly a forty-five-minute drive from Halifax) me and my boys decided to check out the new natural playground at the Salmon River Tidal Bore park. The park had started construction in 2018 however for most of our travelers this wasn’t on their list of things to do however from time to time and all things considered some clients requested to view the tricky scheduled ti...dal bore at this site. As a parent I was extremely impressed as this natural park isn’t something I’ve seen in the province of Nova Scotia. Parent/Toddler Swings, musical instruments, A full play kitchen and what could be better than having to take one of three slides just to get into the park and all the while surrounded by the Salmon River, The red iron rich Fundy soil and its natural wonder of the tidal bore. Did I mention the windmills in the background? For those of you not aware, Truro’s marvellous tidal event had daily draw of tourists and locals alike in our Pre-Covid pandemic times. The tides usually come in and out over six-hour cycles, but the top of the bay near the Salmon River’s mouth is shallow and narrow. This shallow and narrow bay entrance near Truro causes the tide to go from low too high in just one hour. At the same time, water from the Salmon River flowing out into the sea is pushed back by the strong tide. As the incoming tide reverses the river’s flow, it fills up the watercourse like a bath tub in a tidal ‘bore’ wave. The wave can be roughly one metre high on some days. While not as dramatic as some tidal bores elsewhere in the world such as China’s Qiantang River however when combined with the other wonders that Nova Scotia and the Bay of Fundy offers such as Burntcoat Head Park, Hall’s Harbor and other sites and accompanying communities I believe it’s something that can be found in no other place. The wave comes in at set times every day and in our time and as mentioned before the pandemic hundreds of tourists line the Salmon River’s banks every summer to watch the spectacle, while during our time there the park’s lot did have a few visitors however it seemed it was locals trying to catch a quiet lunch break in their vehicle before returning to work. As a full-time stay-at-home dad now, it gives gentle reflection on the state of tourism for our part of the world and its effect on operators like us and others, it draws the thought that we do hope everyone is safe and well in health mentally and physically to enjoy days like this. In the quiet parts of our season both and the beginning of the year of last and the end we took videos of the bore which you can watch here: April : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vgq2LISslIU September : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vgq2LISslIU

Ryan- The Nova Scotia tree for Boston from Richmond County is on its way!!! This year the tree is going by boat!

In honour of Terry Fox. Another beauty flight path from Dimitri Neonakis! Thanks Dimitri! #FrankieHollywoodnMJ

Mel: If someone in your family is a big fan of ships, theyll want to see this one. The largest containerized cargo ship to ever make port in Canada is in Ha...lifax right now. The CMA CGM Brazil 366 metres long and 51 metres wide and is one of the biggest ships in the world. It can carry 15,000 containers! Photo via Port of Halifax https://twitter.com/portofhalif/status/1304025653814202369 Update: The ship is on the way to NYC, set to make port there Sept 12.

Lost footage of Halifax in the 1940s & 1950s.

Blue Diamond Tours solemnly remembers the SwissAir Flight 111 disaster and the 229 lives lost. On this day in 1998 a private memorial service for families was held at a Halifax hotel ballroom. Forensic medical experts collect blood samples from victims relatives to compare DNA to help identify remains. Blue Diamond Tours also remembers kindness and strength of the more than 3,000 people who worked on the recovery effort that included local fishermen, tour boat operators, t...he Canadian Forces, the Canadian Coast Guard, the RCMP and the United States Navy. On a cloudy evening on Sept. 2, 1998, 229 souls boarded Swissair Flight 111 at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York for a flight heading to Geneva, Switzerland. The plane, a McDonnell Douglas MD-11, was piloted by Urs Zimmermann, 50, and co-pilot Stephan Loew, 36. They along with the 12 other crew members welcomed 215 passengers as they boarded the flight. The flight took off at 9:18 p.m. AT. It was known as the United Nations airbus as many passengers were foreign dignitaries or UN workers returning to the organizations headquarters. Passengers on the flight also included lawyers, students and even a world-famous scientist all headed on the seven-hour flight along the Atlantic coast up to Nova Scotia, over Greenland and Iceland, before landing in Geneva. Roughly 53 minutes into the flight at 10:10 p.m. AT, flying at an altitude of 33,000 feet, the pilots noticed an abnormal odour and began to investigate. There was some smoke in the cockpit, but not in the passenger cabin and the crew believed it was coming from the air conditioning system. Four minutes later the pilot declared Pan Pan Pan an international signal indicating a problem thats not yet an emergency. The pilot requests a diversion to Boston. The flight crew dons oxygen masks as the pilots begin working through a checklist for when smoke is detected in the cabin. But unbeknownst to the crew, a fire had ignited in the ceiling above the cockpit bulkhead and was spreading rapidly through the walls of the doomed jet. At 10:31 p.m. residents in St. Margarets Bay in Nova Scotia were awoken by a thunderous sound as Swiss Air Flight 111 struck the frigid water, nose first and almost upside down, killing all 229 onboard. A nearly five-year investigation by Canadas Transportation Safety Board concluded that an electrical short circuit, likely from the wiring of the in-flight entertainment system, ignited the covering of the thermal acoustic insulation in the planes fuselage.

From our friends at Memory Lane Heritage Village : https://heritagevillage.us20.list-manage.com/track/click

From our friends at Memory Lane Heritage Village : September visiting hours will be Thursday to Sunday, 9:30 AM to 4:00 PM. Last day of operations will be September 27th. Open Labour Day Weekend Saturday September 5th to Monday September 7th... Museum Hours: 9:30am to 4pm Cookhouse Hours: 11am to 3pm Free Admission for the 2020 season. Donations appreciated. We have special plans for Labour Day long weekend to make the most of the last days of summer at Memory Lane, with volunteer animators on the grounds all weekend! Labour Day Special Menu - Salt Cod Dinner Salt cod with pork scraps, boiled potatoes, mashed turnip, brown bread. Comes with drinks and dessert of apple crisp or gingerbread. All for $16. Regular cookhouse chow will also be available, including our new picnic lunch options.

Even though COVID-19 travel restrictions are in effect we are lucky enough to be able to traverse the Atlantic Provinces and of course taken in our own province. Our owner operator took some familiar steps from previous tours and visited the south shore this past week and visited a fan favorite from our heavy touring seasons of past. Bob says .. another must stop for anyone visiting this part of New Scotland ... the chowders, soups and the TOTALLY AWESOME LOBSTER ROLL or SA...NDWICH .... a too many dessert options to mention ..CHECK IT OUT YOURSELF http://joannsdelimarket.ca Since 1986 we have delighted in providing delicious gourmet food to both residents and visitors to Mahone Bay. What started as a simple fruit stand has grown into a market, gourmet deli, bake shop, cafe, jammery and ice cream parlor.

For those of you whom are in the Atlantic Bubble and wish to partake in some sailing in Halifax, See Dan our go-to for our previous seasons touring packages !

From our friends at the "Friends of Public Gardens" Society in Halifax The Jarvis Bequest - A lasting legacy Sometime in 2003, Pj. Temple received some very surprising news - Mary Margaret Sid Jarvis of Halifax had left The Friends of the Public Gardens a substantial bequest in her will, $131,000! The money was donated in memory of her father, Thomas Wallace, and was intended for capital improvements to the Halifax Public Gardens. The Friends were asked to choose and overs...ee projects of substance that would have a positive, and lasting impact on the general publics enjoyment of the Gardens. The Friends delivered on that obligation. In 2009, The Friends started the Victoria Jubilee Campaign with the objective of raising $1MM to make badly needed restorations to the Victoria Jubilee Bandstand, its urns, and the Victoria Jubilee Fountain. We committed $100,000 of the Jarvis Bequest money and pledged to raise $100,000 more by appealing for public donations. With our $200,000 committed, HRM contributed $300,000. Peter Bigelow from HRM helped us apply for and receive a $500,000 matching grant under a federal plan for restoring national historic places. The million dollars was secured! Who was Mary Margaret SidUarvis? Sid Jarvis (born 1908 - died 2003) was an avid gardener with special knowledge about herbs. She was a native Haligonian, the second child (and oldest girl) of 15 children born to Tom J. Wallace (T J.) and Ada McNeill. Ahead of his time, TJ., an optometrist, named his company TJ. Wallace, Sons and Daughters. Sid was very close to her father, and had wonderful memories of walks in the Halifax Public Gardens with him. Sids older brother, unable to say sister, called her siddie and Siddie or Sid became a life-long nickname. Sid met and married Robert Jarvis during World War 11 and lived in Toronto after the war. As a widow, Sid moved back to Halifax, living close to, and spending much time in the Gardens. Sid also left bequests to a Bursary Fund at St. Francis of Xavier in memory of her mother, Ada McNeill Wallace (who graduated from the Secretarial School there) and to Convent of the Sacred Heart where Sid was educated.

From the "Friends of Seble Island Society" Theres just one month of summer left in this full-of-surprises year! We hope that youve been able to make a habit of physical distancing and other recommended actions in order to stay healthy. Sable Island National Park Reserve, naturally isolated due to its location, is probably one of the safest places in the world right now. Recently some limited day-trips have been allowed and work is underway on several research projects. Fr...Continue reading

I didnt know this was an annual event......

Some good old fashioned North Atlantic fog moving into the harbour, early evening, Woodside, Dartmouth, 11 August.

Car on Ferry at Little Narrows, Cape Breton. Undated.

Barrington at Prince street, Halifax. Circa 1945

From our friends of the Public Gardens Society Halifax : Camp Hill Cemetery Take a walk on the Other Side The Halifax Public Gardens provides an opportunity to stroll through serene and peaceful formal Victorian gardens. Manicured lawns, well-defined pathways, neo-classical Goddess statues and ornate fountains and buildings capture a walkers interest. A walk of an entirely different nature, equally serene, awaits those who venture across Summer Street to the Camp Hill Ceme...tery. Here you will enter the tranquility of an urban forest and walk through a cemetery steeped in local and international history. The Cemetery paths are a little rough, theres limited seating, no bathrooms and the environs need some sprucing up. However, the Cemetery is a lovely public place to wander, and it has the potential to become a wonderful place to learn stories from Nova Scotias past. Camp Hill Cemetery was established in 1844. It was open to all, but burials were segregated by race early in its history. As well as last resting places for many notable Nova Scotians such as Joseph Howe, Robert Stanfield and Viola Desmond, it provides interment for people from afar caught up in wars, tragedies and other activities reflecting Nova Scotias fascinating past. See more

A Blue Diamond Tours standard stop while in P.E.I. and a favorite of all driver/guides. New Glasgow Lobster Suppers is the Original PEI Lobster Suppers. This third generation family restaurant has been serving lobster in New Glasgow since June 24th, 1958. You will find them nestled in the village of New Glasgow, PEI on Route 258, off Highway 13 just 10 minutes from Cavendish Beach National Park. New Glasgow Lobster Suppers offer up only the freshest of everything. From their... lobster served the Island way straight from their own lobster pound on site, holding upwards of 20,000 lbs where a continuous flow of frigid salt water ensures the quality of your meal. To thier potatoes, because everyone knows nothing beats an Island potato. What started as a fundraiser has grown into a family business which continues to be operated by two of the original founding families, The Nicholsons and The MacRaes. Since 1958, New Glasgow Lobster Suppers has been proudly supporting The Islands Agriculture and Fishing Industries and in turn the Islands economy. New Glasgow Lobster Suppers seasonally employ upwards of 100 employees each year, with many returning year after year. While many changes have touched this quaint little village the values and dedication of those that created this Island tradition still exists in the daily operation of New Glasgow Lobster Suppers. By opening their doors for those within the community they support growth and strengthen ties within the community. Fundraisers are a way of life here in Prince Edward Island; they aid those in need and strengthen community ties. The Annual New Glasgow Christian Churchs Turkey Dinner, The Gulf Shore Consolidated Schools Annual Spaghetti Spooktacular Dinner and The Annual New Glasgow Womens Institute Coffee with a Flare Fashion Show are just a few examples of such events hosted at New Glasgow Lobster Suppers. In addition to these we are actively involved with other organizations throughout Prince Edward Island. New Glasgow Lobster Suppers also has had a long standing relationship with The New Glasgow Fire Department, having had members of the founding Junior Farmers as well as the current management team being volunteer fire fighters for over 25 years. See more

Joy mixed with grief. Resilience and Canadian spirit at its best. Welcome Home HMCS Fredericton. Thank you for your service. We are grateful and proud.

Live from pier 21 today !

Takes your breath away .........gorgeous.

The 57th anniversary of the launch of the Bluenose 11 from Smith and Rhuland shipyard in Lunenburg. July 23, 1963.

A shot of Nova Scotia from the international space station

From our friends at Genealogical Association of Nova Scotia (GANS) When Objects Tell a Story Suzanne Nicole Harris submitted this photo of a quilt made by her grandmother in the 1960s. Her grandmother Marie Julie Burke(ne Gallant), went by the name Lily and was born in 1901, at Port Hill, PEI. She died in 1993, Charlotte- town, PEI. Lily married Joseph Anthony Burke (1905 - 1967) in July of 1924.... The quilt was given to Suzannes parents in the 1970s, and she received the quilt, upon returning to Canada from the UK in 1998. I remember momgiving it to me as we were essentially starting from scratch in our apartment in Halifax. Suzanne also has fond memories of she and her sister visitng their grandmother in Charlottetown, when both were young girls. Her grandmother made several quilts, some now owned by her cousins. Each quilt was created using fabric from outgrown clothes and essen- tially any fabric she could make use of. My favourite square is the one with the orange corduroy fabric.

RCMP honours Nova Scotia

The Confederation Bridge joins the eastern Canadian provinces of Prince Edward Island and New Brunswick, making travel throughout the Maritimes easy and convenient. The curved, 12.9 kilometre (8 mile) long bridge is the longest in the world crossing ice-covered water, and continues to endure as one of Canadas top engineering achievements of the 20th century. The decision to replace the existing ferry service with a fixed link followed a heated debate throughout the 1980s. F...armers, fishermen, tourism operators, and residents of Prince Edward Island had sharply contrasting opinions about how year-round access to the mainland would affect their way of life and livelihood. Eventually, it was decided that the debate would be settled at the polls. The federal department of Public Works and Government Services selected its favourite bridge design out of several proposals from the private sector, and on January 18, 1988, Premier Joseph Ghiz asked Prince Edward Islanders to make the final decision in a plebiscite. At the polls, 59.4% of Islanders voted Yes to a fixed link. After four years of construction using crews of more than five thousand local workers, the Confederation Bridge opened to traffic on May 31, 1997. Today, the Confederation Bridge is operated by Strait Crossing Bridge Limited, headquartered in the shadow of the bridge in Borden-Carleton, Prince Edward Island.

From our friends at Genealogical Association of Nova Scotia (GANS) RCMP Graves Recovery Project The RCMP, being a paramilitary organization, provides regimental grave markers for members with pensionable service, if they choose. Some of those were born in the 1800s and buried across the country in various marked and unmarked graves. Graves across the country are also visited and inspected yearly to determine their condition and repairs made accordingly. The RCMP Graves Re...covery Project, was established by RCMP Veterans Association member, Tom Lowe to deal with as many as 300 grave sites of members, who passed away in Nova Scotia, and it is estimated that perhaps half of those passed away with pensionable service, and we have no record that they received the benefit. When located, photographed, GPS recorded and if there is an existing reference to their service, they will be added to the list of graves that are inspected annually. Research continues to locate any surviving family members and seek their approval to have some reference to their relatives service applied to an existing headstone or requesting the instal- lation of a regimental marker. Non regimental markers are marked with an appropriate crest of the RCMP to show the affiliation with the Force. Heritage Memorials has been a very supportive company in this endeavor, assisting with the cleaning of memorials when required and providing the expertise to replace and or repair memorials as needed. If any readers of this bulletin are aware of a grave site in relation to the above criteria, you are encouraged to contact either of the two following persons who will gladly investigate the request and follow through with the appropriate action. Tom Lowe: 902-835-0691 [email protected] Parker Rodd: 902-830-7777 [email protected] See more

Blue Diamond Tours thinks that Mother Webbs is a reliable place. Super-fast service and consistent awesome food. Perfect if youre traveling ! some even say they have the best steaks in Canada, from coast to coast and nothing else compares. Among the restaurants in Antigonish, Restaurants Canada lists Mother Webbs as Canadas 5th oldest. They lead all Antigonish Restaurants for serving succulent steaks. Thats for over 50 years since 1964. Located 4 minutes east of Antigo...nish town. Its on exit #35 off the Trans-Canada highway. Look for their big red roof! They still stay with the old-fashioned recipes. Since 1964, Mother Webbs has been famous for its awesome food and instant service. It is a leading icon for Antigonish restaurants for more than 49 years. They have a sterling reputation for food and service. That reputation is a priority for the friendly well-trained staff. The same family owners are still hands-on, and they are still driven to stay #1. See more

A lovely Sunday afternoon spent socially distancing with Mrs. Cumminger. #SherbrookeVillage2020 #50In2020

Nova Scotias amazing geology got wonderful recognition yesterday with the creation of the Cliffs of Fundy UNESCO Global Geopark! Nova Scotia has not always lo...oked the way it does today. The province is comprised of at least three different continents that came together as a result of tectonic plate movement hundreds of millions of years ago. The Earths surface is made up of a dozen large tectonic plates and a number of smaller ones. These plates move imperceptibly - a few centimetres per year - and over the course of millions of years continents and oceans move and change shape. The plates pulling apart cause fractures or deep rifts in the Earths crust, both on land and under the sea, and plates colliding with each other form mountain ranges and new islands as the rock is forced upwards. When all the continents collided 300 million years ago, they formed the supercontinent Pangea, the most recent of a series of supercontinents that have been formed in Earths 4.5 billion-year history. At that time, the northern half of Nova Scotia was attached to western Europe and the southern half was connected to North Africa. About 200 million years ago Pangea began to pull apart, creating new land masses, such as Nova Scotia. The continents as we know them today look like they fit together like a jigsaw puzzle because they were joined at one time. Much of Nova Scotias geology its underground physical structure matches parts of Europe and North Africa as a result of our connection to those continents so long ago. Tectonic plate movement has also caused huge changes in Nova Scotias climate. At different times over hundreds of millions of years Nova Scotia has been covered in seas, desert and several kilometres of ice! Nova Scotia was much closer to the equator during Pangea and it had very little rain (maybe just once or twice a year) and summers were about 20 degrees Celsius hotter than they are now. Tectonic plate movement continues today and the next supercontinent is predicted to form within the next 250 million years. Nova Scotia indeed, the whole world will look very different in millions of years than it does now.

Leaving the wharf

Joggins Fossil Cliffs on the Bay of Fundy in Nova Scotia is Canadas 15th UNESCO World Heritage Site. At Joggins you will be able to observe and have accessibility to 15 kilometres of magnificently exposed layers of rock revealing the worlds most complete fossil record of life in the Coal Age when lush forests covered Joggins and much of the worlds tropics, 300 million years ago. In these coastal cliffs, rare fossils reveal details of life as it was in the Coal Age. Co...nstant erosion from the Fundy tides, rising and falling up to 13 metres (42 feet) in Joggins twice daily, creates possibilities for exposing new fossils. With careful observation, visitors may find fossils on the beach that have fallen from the cliffs, or view the spectacular sandstone layers that entomb ancestors of the first dinosaurs. It is all here, at the Joggins Fossil Cliffs, waiting to be discovered. See more

Todays travel moment is brought to you by the beautiful Bay of Fundy and Five Islands - a stunning must-see part of Nova Scotia. Witness the highest tides in t...he world from the nearby cliffs or walk the ocean floor at low tide. have you ever been? Featured Photo of dramatic skies over Five Islands by Len Wagg Photography #rediscovernovascotia #novascotiastatycation Five Islands Provincial Park: https://bit.ly/2NRP9rm