HALIFAX: Warden of the North

by Thomas Raddall ‧ RELEASE DATE: June 18, 1965

There is a great deal more about Halifax here than will interest most non-Canadian readers though the story moves swiftly enough. The author carries us from the earliest Indian settlers in the 15th Century to the latest developments in city planning, or de-planning. For Halifax today is eroding at the core and the money has gone to the suburbs. The town was named in 1749 after the Earl of Halifax whose given name (heaven forfend) was George Dunk. The first civilized inhabitants in the area were summer fur traders and French missionaries and far-wandering fishermen who dried cod on the shore. The British, especially the Bostonians, knew they had to secure Nova Scotia against the French and with it defend all British possessions in North America. At first, Halifax was little more than a transatlantic poorhouse for London's cockneys. During the American Revolution Nova Scotia was our fourteenth colony, but General Washington decided against occupying it -- else the United States would be a much bigger country today. When it deals with historical currents and details of life (rather than street places and names), this book is refreshing.

Pub Date: June 18, 1965

ISBN: 155109715X

Page Count: -

Publisher: Doubleday

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 1965

Categories: NONFICTION