Blog

Our forced stay in Lunenburg brings new meetings and discoveries every day. We are glad that our project is supported both by many organizations in the town and in personal contact with town residents and sailors. We are grateful to the corporation Build New Scotia for providing free docking in the Zwicker Wharf Marina, thanks to Marina Operator Ian for taking care of us and for assistance in sponsorship for our project. Thanks to the President of Adams and Knickle Ltd Jane Ritcey for providing Wi-Fi and refreshments, Greg Trowser from Luna Sea Solutions for warm conversations about our project and Walter Flower for finding a diesel heater for us.
Thanks to Mike (Black Dragon) for the pleasant time spent together and interest in our project and thanks to Colin (Fruition) for his keen interest in our project, I hope that he will be able to find for his yacht a CTD measuring system. Thanks to mechanic Louis for his dedication to fixing our engine, I hope we don’t have any more problems. Thanks to Mike from Ironbound Rigging for advice on rigging and donated steel wire. Thanks to Kathleen from Ocean Gear for helping to purchase an exhaust pipe for the diesel heater. Thank you, Lunenburg, for warmly welcoming us these 12 days!

On a chilly, blustery day, we decided it was finally time to follow through on our long-standing plan to visit the local distillery, Ironworks, and embark on a tour. A few days prior, we had casually dropped by, initially searching for a metal workshop, but to our pleasant surprise, we stumbled upon an exceptional distillery boasting an extensive range of spirits. On that occasion, we had purchased a bottle of Bluenose rum and discovered that they offered tours of the distillery. In all honesty, while we had explored our fair share of wineries, distilleries had yet to make their way onto our radar. Well, let’s see how it works!

Sunday morning, bathed in sunlight and serenity, brimming with divine grace. As we sipped our morning coffee and charted out our plans for the day, a melodious bell rang out, beckoning us. It was the melodious call of the beautiful St. John’s Church, a gem even amid the artistic beauty of Lunenburg. Excited, we hastened to attend the morning mass, eager to immerse ourselves in the city’s life and bask in the splendour of its stained glass windows and the church’s interior.

St. John’s, the second oldest Anglican church in Canada, stands as an architectural marvel in the historical part of Lunenburg, designed in the Carpenter’s Gothic style. Since 1753, it has been a sanctuary of solace for its parishioners. On a fateful Halloween night in 2001, a destructive fire wreaked havoc, consuming 50% of the church. In a remarkable display of devotion, 91% of the parishioners voted for the restoration of the church, an edifice crafted in 1892, instead of opting for a modern replacement or a replica of the original 1754 design or transforming the site into a memorial park.

The church’s doors swung open once more on June 12, 2005. During the reconstruction, a curious mystery unfolded concerning the profusion of golden stars adorning the church’s interior. This enigma piqued the interest of the international media and astronomers. The captivating starry scene above the apse seemingly mirrors the night sky over Lunenburg on the evening of Jesus Christ’s birth.

This time, St. John’s commemorated All Saints and All Souls. We relished the solemn ceremony, accompanied by the resonant choir and the majestic organ. Following the mass, the church hosted a convivial coffee gathering, allowing us to engage in heartwarming conversations with parishioners and Rev. Victoria Byrne, the Priest in Charge. She told us about her oceanographic background and became acquainted with our project with due interest.