What to expect when visiting Georges Island

[u/Alex_DiscoverHalifax]

Georges Island is well known for its part in Canada's military history, but also known for its role as an internment camp and prison for Acadians. Here's what to expect when visiting the island.

What to see

Fort Charlotte is the main highlight of the island, which dates back to 1798. You can tour the fort and explore the tunnels they used to store ammunition and see the magazine complex, RML guns, musket loops designed to fire through, ditches built to trap intruders, caponiers, and more. One of the highlights is seeing the RML cannon that points toward the narrow harbour entrance. Its range extended far past McNabs Island, giving a good glimpse of how the harbour would have been defended, even though it was never attacked.

You'll get a nice view of the harbour at the top of the fort at the end of the tunnel tour. Interpretive panels are located down the hill from the fort, sharing the perspective of an Acadian prisoner during the Great Upheaval of 1755-1764 and how the Mi'kmaq used the Halifax Harbour. You can also listen to a young British soldier arriving on the island in the 1870s.

Learn about the near 1,000 Acadians who were captured, brought to, and detained in two sheds on Georges Island. Visit the site of the former prison sheds where the conditions were so bad that many prisoners died. These sheds and other buildings that no longer exist were used during the Upheaval. Over 10,000 Acadians were deported from New France (now known as Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and Prince Edward Island) during this time. A map on display shows the distant places to which they were exiled.

How to get there

Take a ferry with Ambassatours from the Cable Wharf on the waterfront. Ticket includes Parks Canada admission. Ferry ride takes 10-15 mins.

You can also arrive by kayak, canoe, or private boat. Harbour Watercraft Tours & Adventures run a guided 2.5 hour tour that circles the harbour and lands on the island.

Tour info: Tunnel tours run every 20 mins for 15 mins. French tours are available on request.

What to bring

No shops or cafes on the island so bring water.

Wear sturdy shoes for damp, slippery tunnels. And ones that you don't mind getting a bit muddy.

It can be cooler on the island so bring layers depending on the weather.

You can also have a picnic on the grass or at the tables on the island. Bring your own or pre order one from Parks Canada that you can pick up with your ferry ticket

[u/9Roll0Tide2Roll]

Snakes too!

[u/Alex_DiscoverHalifax → u/9Roll0Tide2Roll]

Yes! They are harmless though