Canadian Navy Celebrates 100 Years With a Lot of Bangs
Although Canada became independent in 1867 the Royal Navy looked after the Canadian shores until Canada could float its own boats in 1910. This year Halifax joins the rest of Canada in celebrating the centennial of the Canadian Navy.
Almost every major city on the Atlantic coast owes its beginning to being an outpost of some country’s navy, the overwhelming one being the Royal Navy of Great Britain although the Dutch, Spanish and the French were there too. In this regard Halifax is no exception. In the early 1700′s the British set up in Halifax not to colonize (There was far better land in Virginia and the Carolina’s) but to keep an eye on the French, who were on the other side of Nova Scotia, and to make sure the Spanish stayed away.
To kick it off the centennial year over 1000 sailors marched through Halifax to remind Canadians that this small seaport played a large role in both World Wars as marshaling areas for Atlantic convoys that carried troops and war materiel. In addition many a German U-Boat lies on the bottom of the ocean thanks to the voracity of the Royal Canadian Navy, as it was known at the time.
This year look forward to parades, visits of warships from many countries and a grand version of the Royal Nova Scotia International Tattoo as the Canadian Navy comes ashore.
For more information on festivals and celebrations visit Canadian Navy Centennial.
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