Windsor, Nova Scotia

Windsor, Nova Scotia

In 1878, Windsor was officially incorporated as a town. Its harbour made the town a centre for shipping and shipbuilding during the age of sail. As the port of registry for the massive wooden shipbuilding industry of the Minas Basin, Windsor was the homeport of one of the largest fleet of sailing ships in Canada.

Anne Murray Centre – Springhill, Nova Scotia

On the Way to Windsor, we took a side trip to see the Anne Murray Centre.  Anne Murray grew up in the small Nova Scotia coal mining town of Springhill, far away from the glitter and glamour of Hollywood. Her flight to fame has made Anne Murray a household name in entertainment capitals of the world, and she has amassed more musical awards and accolades than almost any female singer in history.  We saw the mix of awards, photographs, memorabilia and audio-visual highlights of Anne Murray's life and career in a series of displays at the Anne Murray Centre in downtown Springhill.  Murray was the first Canadian female solo singer to reach #1 on the U.S. charts, and also the first to earn a Gold record for one of her signature songs, "Snowbird" (1970). 

THE DILL FARM - Windsor, Scotia

Home of the World’s Largest Pumpkin Variety, “Dill’s Atlantic Giant”.  Developed by the late Howard Dill of Windsor, NS and former 4 time World Champion Grower.  Howard Dill was known affectionately as “The Pumpkin King”.  He developed and patented his trademark variety, “Dill’s Atlantic Giant”.  This variety has now produced specimens weighing over 1600 lbs.  During the months of August and September, the pumpkins are starting to grow and, on average, put on approx. 10-15 lbs per day. we have also entertained many different types of media, such as television crews, newspapers, magazines, radio, etc.  In the most recent years, they have hosted Martha Stewart Television, Farmer’s Almanac TV, National Geographic, The Wall Street Journal, NESN (New England Sports Network) and The Food Network, just to name a few. 

 

Windsor maintains a claim as the cradle of ice hockey, based upon a reference (in a novel by Thomas Haliburton) of boys from King's Collegiate School, during the early 19th century, playing "hurley", on the frozen waters of 'Long Pond' which is adjacent to the school's campus. "Long Pond" is a pond proclaimed by some as the "Cradle of Hockey".  It is located at the farm of Howard Dill. 

Hall’s Harbour – Novia Scotia

Hall's Harbour is a little fishing village on Nova Scotias Bay of Fundy coast. It is reputedly named after Samuel Hall, an American privateer in the American Revolution who used the cove to raid settlements in the Annapolis Valley.  Hall’s Harbour lends it name both to the small fishing hamlet and to the wider community which takes up an area roughly 5 kilometers square. It overlooks the Annapolis Valley on the north and the Bay of Fundy on the east.  Here’s a few pictures of  the small harbour with the tide out.  You can see how they are affected by the fifty foot tides prevalent on the Bay of Fundy.