The star-shaped citadel is one of the great British fortifications of the 19th century.
Here, the swirl of the bagpipes--
--mixes with the crack of rifle fire--
--while the noon-day gun booms overhead. The firing of the Noon Gun is a tradition that has continued unbroken since 1856.
The changing of the guards is interesting to watch.
Guards stand at the fort entrance on shifts of two hours on and two hours off.
They do not move and barely blink an eye.
This is one of Canada’s most popular heritage treasures and is very well done.
The re-enactors were outstanding and told of life and their garrison duties just as it would have been in it’s own era.
The day was easily spent at this huge site overlooking the Halifax harbor, which it protected.
Once the command post of Halifax’s defences, the Citadel still stands watch over the surrounding landscape, just as it did when the city was the principal British naval station in North America.
The fort was so secure that no one ever dared to attack. More than a hundred regiments rotated through here, staying from two to four years at a time.
The last garrison was stationed here in 1906. The fort served through both world wars as a command center and military post overlooking this strategic transit harbor.
To learn more about the Citadel, go to: www.pc.gc.ca/halifaxcitadel
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