Lunenburg, Nova Scotia July 1, 2023

Yesterday, someone asked me on the golf course whether my travels are for pleasure or business. I had to respond that's it is impossible to separate the two. Rarely are my trips not business since I cannot stop seeking out and seeing things to incorporate into various projects. And I can't stop working. 

This was particularly true during a short visit to Lunenburg and Chester following the CIP Conference in Halifax. It has been at least 12 years since I was last in Lunenburg and Chester. It find it hard to believe, but Lunenburg is one of only two North American urban communities designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. https://www.novascotia.com/places-to-go/regions/south-shore/lunenburg (Since you asked, the other is Philadelphia.)

The historic downtown of Lunenburg, with its quaint and colourful buildings is quite remarkable. While there is some new infill development, much appears as it did many decades ago. One difference may be the colour of some buildings. It's hard to believe they are traditional, but I am willing to be proven wrong. 

The following is an extract from a Wikipedia entry:

Lunenburg /ˈluːnənbɜːrɡ/ is a port town on the South Shore of Nova Scotia, Canada. Founded in 1753, the town was one of the first British attempts to settle Protestants in Nova Scotia.

The economy was traditionally based on the offshore fishery and today Lunenburg is the site of Canada's largest secondary fish-processing plant. The town flourished in the late 1800s, and much of the historic architecture dates from that period.

In 1995, UNESCO designated it a World Heritage Site. UNESCO considers the site the best example of planned British colonial settlement in North America, as it retains its original layout and appearance of the 1800s, including local wooden vernacular architecture. UNESCO considers the town in need of protection because the future of its traditional economic underpinnings, the Atlantic fishery, is now very uncertain.

The historic core of the town is also a National Historic Site of Canada.^[2]

During my stay I met a young couple who had lived there all their lives. He worked for High Liner, the major fish processing plant. I was both surprised and disappointed to be told that today the seafood processed in the plant is not locally caught. Most is imported, primarily from Asia. I was not certain if this applies to all seafood, or just the majority. so I checked the High Liner corporate website:  https://www.highlinerfoods.com/company-overview

"Although our roots are in the Atlantic Canadian fishery, we obtain our seafood, raw material and some finished goods for the operation from supply channels around the world, including Europe, East Asia, South America and Alaska."

While this is an interesting story, I was more interested in the buildings and streetscapes. Here are a few photos of what I saw. I highly recommend a visit. 

A young lady I met at the CIP conference suggested I stay at this loft accommodation developed by Brian Mackay Lyons. She offered to check whether there was availability, but when I didn't hear back, I assumed not and booked at another small inn along the main street. https://www.mlsarchitects.ca/whoweare

Typical streetscapes. Not a lot of front yard setbacks!

While the fish processed at the High Liner plant may come from around the world, you certainly feel like you are in a fishing community.

I was curious about the name of this vodka soda. I was told blue lobsters are very rare and hence the name. In case you have never seen a blue lobster...

One of the many colourful streetscapes in the downtown

Since I booked at the last minute, this was one of the only places with available accommodation. It was fine, but I suspect there are many better places to stay.

The view from my room after the fog lifted a bit!

I spent a most enjoyable evening at this small restaurant along the main street, thanks in part to meeting up with a Vancouver area planner. When someone asked towards the end of the evening whether it would be open for lunch the next day, the bartender replied, "yes, as long as it isn't raining too heavily." That's when I noticed there was no roof over the area where the tables were located.