Historic Day Trip to Windsor, Nova Scotia
NS Annapolis Valley Town is Home to Museums, Hockey, American Humor
Aug 21, 2009
Just 45 minutes from Halifax, the town of Windsor offers the Victorian grandeur and intrigue of what was once the capital of Nova Scotia. This Annapolis Valley town lays claim to being the birthplace of ice hockey and is where the "Father of American Humor" Thomas Chandler Haliburton lived and wrote his tales of Sam Slick.
Exploring the historic homes, now-quiet port, hockey history, and friendly town of Windsor makes for a relaxing and educational day trip from Halifax.
Sam Slick and Haliburton House Museum in Windsor, NS
A visit to the Haliburton House with its expansive lawns, history as a gypsum mine, orchard of twisted apple trees, and roomy main house will interest history lovers. But even those who prefer an active day trip will find that the expansive grounds make the estate a fabulous spot to picnic, walk, and enjoy the quiet.
Built in 1836, the house was home to Judge Thomas Chandler Haliburton who penned the wildly popular Sam Slick stories. Although not as widely known today, Haliburton's fictional clock peddler character coined such phrases as:
- It's raining cats and dogs.
- Facts are stranger than fiction
- Quick as a wink
- Every woman is wrong until she cries, and then she is right; immediately.
414 Clifton Ave., Windsor NS. 902-798-2915
Windsor, NS Shand House Museum
This gingerbread-style house offers keen insight into late 1800s and early 1900s life thanks to the preservation behest of former-owner Gwendolyn Shand. In the 1890s newly weds Clifford and Henrie Shand wowed the neighbors and Windsor elite with luxuries like indoor plumbing, hidden buzzers to call the maid, and a hillside tower offering views of what was once a bustling harbor.
Seeing the photos of son Clifford's bicycling days, an attic still packed with children's things, and posing for a photo on the replica penny-farthing bicycle are highlights of a visit to this Windsor museum.
389 Avon St., Windsor NS. 902-798-8213
Hockey History in Windsor, NS
The hotly disputed beginnings of hockey lead to Long Pond at King's-Edgehill School. Author T.C. Haliburton wrote about playing "Hurley" at King's-Edgehill in the early 1800s. Today visitors can hunt down the birthplace of hockey in Windsor at the pond off Clifton Ave.
Other Windsor Day Trip Activities
Fort Edward (902-798-4706) is a national historic site preserving Nova Scotia's last blockhouse. The fort featured largely in the explusion of the Acadians. For more on the Acadians and 1755 expulsion, travelers can continue west on Highway 101 to Grand Pré Historic Site where a memorial church, statue of Evangeline, and interactive exhibits commemorate the mass deportation.
At just 45 minutes from Halifax, Windsor makes an appealing getaway, either as an exploration of Nova Scotian history or as the start to longer Annapolis Valley vacation.
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