Natural Elements, NRCan's Monthly Newsletter

Busting Halifax Harbour Myths

If you live in or have visited Halifax, chances are you have had a conversation about the myths and lore surrounding the harbour. Tourists and residents alike have pondered such questions as: “Is it true that there are underwater tunnels from the Halifax Citadel to Georges Island?” or “Are the bridges really cursed?” and “Did the Halifax Explosion leave a huge crater on the bottom of the harbour?”

A high-resolution map of the Halifax Harbour on display at the Bedford Institute of Oceanography.

Just recently, Natural Resources Canada’s Geological Survey of Canada (GSC) invited the public to voyage beneath the waters of the harbour and learn the facts at the Bedford Institute of Oceanography (BIO) Open House, which took place October 20–21. Jacob Verhoef, Director of GSC Atlantic, explains: “Since the BIO is located right on Bedford Basin, we are all fascinated with exploring the geological history of the harbour to understand what lies on the surface and beneath the seabed of this busy port.” Accordingly, GSC and its partners launched a new exhibit and Web site dedicated to the geology, science, history and myths of Halifax Harbour.  

“The exhibit also has a three-dimensional relief model of the harbour where you can get a first hand look at the harbour floor,” says Nancy Macdonald of Natural Resources Canada, who helped create the exhibit. “We don’t normally get to see this, so it’s really interesting to pull back the waters and peer into the depths of the harbour.” The Halifax Harbour Web site accompanying the exhibit provides even more information on the geological processes and human activity that made the harbour what it is today.

And as for the myths of Halifax Harbour? GSC science has shed new light on Halifax’s notorious harbour mysteries.

An aerial photograph showing the relative location of Citadel Hill and Georges Island. One of the Harbour myths suggests that a tunnel beneath the Harbour connects the two early fortifications.

Myth 1: Are there tunnels under the harbour? The myth says that the British military built tunnels between the Halifax Citadel and Georges Island, two of the forts that defended the port. This myth gets fuelled every time work is done on the downtown streets. On many occasions, street excavations have broken into chambers and tunnels lined with brick, some of which were large enough to walk through and headed to the harbour between Georges Island and the Citadel. So can we take a stroll to Georges Island under the harbour?

While it is a romantic idea that the military covertly moved under the harbour, it is a myth. While studying the harbour, GSC scientists used seismic-reflection systems to peer beneath the harbour bottom and produce images of the layers of sediments and rocks. The result? Images of the seabed between the island and the shoreline show no evidence of tunnels. In similar surveys of tunnels in other cities, they clearly show in the imagery. Thus, there do not appear to be any underwater tunnels between Georges Island and the Citadel.

Myth 2: Is there a curse on the bridges? An ancient legend claims that a curse was put on The Narrows by an Aboriginal man seeking revenge for the death of his girlfriend. The curse states that “Three bridges will fall in these waters.” Two bridges have been built across The Narrows, and both disappeared due to strange circumstances. Will the A. Murray MacKay Bridge, the third built, be able to withstand the curse?

Using side-scan sonar and multibeam bathymetry, GSC scientists uncovered the mystery why these two bridges collapsed and why it is likely that the MacKay Bridge will be immune to the curse.

Researchers discovered the remains of the two original harbour-crossing bridges that were built at the same location, approximately 500 metres south of the MacKay Bridge. The first bridge, built in 1884, had been constructed on wooden piers on bases of rock ballast, which ships carry to make them more stable. On September 7, 1891, a hurricane hit Halifax Harbour with winds reported to be as high as 112 kilometers per hour. Damage was done to the docks of the harbour, and the bridge collapsed during the night.

The second bridge was built in 1893 on the same location, using piles pounded into the seabed for support. It was unstable after completion, so granite blocks were placed on the seabed beside the bridge and connected with cables. Unfortunately, the bridge floated away on July 6, 1893, after a strong tide lifted it from its foundation. GSC researchers determined that this occurred because the pilings were not properly driven into the hard seabed.

So is the “Curse of the Narrows’ Bridges” a myth? We’ll leave that to your imagination. But rest assured that the MacKay Bridge, unlike the earlier bridges, is built on solid bedrock and well supported.

Myth 3: Did the Halifax Explosion leave a large crater on the bottom of Halifax Harbour? This myth originated from a book by Hugh MacLennan that recounts damage to the harbour floor: “Underneath the keel of the Mont Blanc the water opened, and the Harbour bottom was deepened twenty feet along the channel of The Narrows.” Survey information shows that there is no crater from the explosion. Also, the seafloor does not have the large pieces of debris that would be expected following the destruction of a vessel of the size of the Mont Blanc. It is suspected that post-explosion clearance and dredging programs may have removed the debris.

Myths busted! Next time you wander along the boardwalks, sense the history of the harbour and imagine all that has occurred and remains hidden beneath the waves. For more information on the Bedford Institute of Oceanography, visit www.bio.gc.ca.