Georges Island, Halifax Nova Scotia

#GeorgesIslandHalifaxCanada

Finally now since 2020 you can visit this National Historic Site with a ferry ride from the Cable Wharf area on the Halifax Boardwalk and then explore Fort Charlotte
 Lots of history here from its tunnels, fortifications, prison cells, ammunition magazines and much more with guides (in period correct costume) to tell the stories of the area, or if you choose self tours

 Fun Fact
As you walk the island, under your feet it is considered a drumlin from the days of yesteryear
 It is the debris (boulders, clay and gravel) that was left behind from the receding glaciers over
 10,000 years ago.
Interestingly this is how its "big brother"(on the mainland) the Citadel Hill Fort was also formed 

Little know fact that Georges Island (named after King George of England) was earlier selected as the gravesite for the French Admiral Duc dAnvile who had tried to reclaim the Fortress of Louisburg (450 kms or 280 miles from Halifax) from the British military 
After Britain settled in Halifax (1749) a French warship was permitted to visit the harbor to reclaim the Admirals body, then it was shipped back to his home country for proper burial

The first fortifications on Georges Island were constructed in 1750 to protect against any enemy ships from entering the harbor
But with the French Revolutionary Wars beginning in 1792, Halifax became the principal Naval Base in North America for the British, so more upgrades were required
Then the son of King George (Prince Edward) was dispatched and put in charge for the construction of Fort Charlotte on the island 

 

 During the American Revolution the island defense systems were once again updated and renewed 

 But it did not see an attack like other points of my Province of  Nova Scotia as Georges Island was just one of five parts of the Halifax Defense Complex, which included the Citadel, Fort McNab, Prince of Wales Tower and York Redoubt military structures

 

During the 1850s the fort was rebuilt to be mostly subterranean with a maze of tunnels, corridors, storage rooms plus sleeping quarters buried deep inside the island.

 Then in the late 1890s with the rapid pace of weapon development it soon rendered the fortress guns obsolete, so then the British installed a new torpedo system and established a manually operated submarine mine field across the harbor's channel, again by using Georges Island as its base.

 

Other history of Georges Island was the years of the French Acadian Interment Camp
The island was used as a so called holding area for around 900 prisoners, which were then exiled to various parts of North America, Caribbean or some back to Europe. Because of the harsh conditions on the island from the freezing temperatures, malnutrition and disease many died before the transport ships ever arrived This was known as the Great Upheaval ( Le Grand Derangement) during the years of 1755 to 1764 which was a "dark stain" in the history of my area

Something Positive
 Some ended up in Louisiana because of language (still a French Territory at this time) thus brought with them the Cajun Culture which that area is now famous for, that all started here.
 

Finally during the First World War the island was used as an anchor to hold submarine nets to prevent the German U-Boats from entering the inner bay. This was where all the ships would gather to form a convoy to cross the ocean, with the Canadian Navy to provide protection

Atomic Blast
But with that overcrowded harbor, this is was what caused The Halifax Explosion (December 6th 1917) as two ships collided by accident, the Belgian relief vessel Imo and the French munitions
 ship Mont Blanc.
 The end result was the biggest made made explosion before the bombing of Japan by the American Military, with at least 1782 people who lost their lives plus another 9,000 injured from this tragedy
 (many blinded because of the shattered flying glass) 

Boston
This city was one of the first to "step up" and sent by train medical personal, supplies plus equipment. Starting the next year (1918) we Halifax starting sending a Christmas Tree to our "sister city" as i way of saying Thank You 

 

Fun Facts

A) Subterranean Myth; because the island was closed to the general public for so long of course the rumors grew, there is no underground tunnels under the ocean floor that go all the way up to the Citadel Hill Fort

B) Wild Fruit; because of its isolation, it accidentally became a sanctuary for the wild overgrown blueberry bushes

C) Serpents; the island is home to a thriving population of Garter Snakes which are docile
 and completely harmless.
 I remember my first time visiting; (as they had an open weekend to gauge interest) the ladies behind me were always motioning me to lead the way, which in Eastern Canada this is not unusual as we are a friendly bunch or so i thought
 They told me later, yes we are nice but it was because we have a fear of the snakes, so i guess
 you can say i was the "test subject" 😂

Hangmans Beach
People mistake that it was Georges Island for this location, but it was actually Maugher Beach on McNabs Island
The Royal Navy during the Napoleonic Wars (1799-1815) would execute deserters, mutineers
and pirates here.
Their tarred bodies were then left swinging as a gruesome warning to incoming sailors as they entered
Halifax Harbor

Edward Jordan
He was an Irish rebel and convicted pirate who was found guilty of murdering the crew of the
Three Sisters Schooner.
Folklore says his tarred body was on view here at Georges Island, but this was too far inside the harbor to be used as a reminder if you decided to choose this dangerous lifestyle
His hanged remains was on display in Point Pleasant Park near Black Rock Beach

 

The ferry service is provided by Ambassatours Gray Line and the schedule runs
from June to October

Present Times
We just hosted SailGP for the second time and the island (as you can see)
 was a great viewing location for this International Race
This and other events are done here to generate funds to keep this piece of history open for the growing tourism industry here in my City of Halifax