30 September 2025
I begin my day once again with a walk around the gardens, taking in the peonies. It’s Truth & Reconciliation Day for the indigenous people of Canada. The gist of the little book I skimmed yesterday basically noted that the government is moving in the right direction but needs to do more to reconcile the years of brutality and injustice. From the perspective of the US, Canada seems so far ahead in achieving social equities, but I must check my tendency to over-romanticize the Canadian government based on their seemingly functional multi-cultural, democratic society, and understand that this day is just one step towards righting a series of painful national wrongs. But wow! Does the US have some work to do! And aren’t the flowers lovely?
Then we head out to a nearby dumpling restaurant in one of the ubiquitous indoor malls. It’s part of a small food court with Korean, Ukranian and Indian offerings, but we settle for our intended Chinese dumplings. We share an order, and it’s perfect.
I’m not a big shopper, but I love the convenience of a city. I’d just thrown out my broken phone case and I see a “Laptop Repair” store with an entire wall of cases. It was so easy! We pass a small venue with Karaoke & Photo booths, each with an array of costume possibilities. Two families with small children approach as we leave. We end up buying some things at Jennifer’s of NS before heading to the Museum of Natural History via another indoor mall.
Exiting the mall proves to be a challenge, but we manage and are on our way when we pass a small dirt paddock with about five horses in it. Kitty calls them over with some grass and a sweet bay gelding comes over with his tongue hanging out. When we round a corner we find an urban stable, “The Halifax Lancers.”
There’s a small sign at the door, “Visitors, Ring Bell.” Kitty hides while I ring the bell. A young woman, a self-described “barn rat,” appears and invites us in (K had reappeared when she saw the girl). She takes us on a thorough tour. There were no classes in progress, but she and her mother were busy cleaning the stalls and sweeping the aisles. She showed us their indoor arena and mounting blocks for their therapeutic riding program. When she saw our enthusiasm, she recommended we return next summer for their “Bucket List” event, where people over sixty-five who’d wanted one last ride could have one. This may be a possibility for us! The horses and facility were all well-cared for, but I was too busy photographing the horses to remember to get a photo of our kind guide. The Halifax Lancers is a non-profit founded “for the betterment of Halifax youth” and it has endured for years. I’m taken with their mission and how well they are serving the community. They even participate in the Pride parade!
After the Halifax Lancers the Natural History Museum was a bit of a letdown. Maybe it was because it was packed full of families due to the holiday, but we moved through quickly. I enjoyed the exhibits that either focused on or included First Nation people: one about “two-eyed seeing” and another on Mi’kmaq phonetics. A lot of people wore orange (the color for the day) and “We are all treaty people” was a popular slogan. We ended our day back at the Public Gardens and then got ice cream at nearby brewery.
K & L's Travel Blog 