Truro was once known as the "Hub of Nova Scotia" as it is located at the junction between the Canadian National Railway, running between Halifax and Montreal, and the Cape Breton and Central Nova Scotia Railway, running between Truro and Sydney. Until the 1980s, Truro also hosted a junction between the Canadian National and Canadian Pacific Railway's former Dominion Atlantic Railway line running through Windsor and down the Annapolis Valley to Yarmouth, Nova Scotia.
Friday, the weather was cloudy with sunshine at times so we drove into the town of Truro to see the sights. Prince Street buildings reflect the prosperity and economic development through the choice of rocks used for building stones and the architectural style of the buildings. Rocks from local Nova Scotia sources provide a link to the long and interesting geological history of the region.
The use of stone for building construction began in the 1700s in the Truro area. Many of the older buildings on Prince Street are constructed with sandstone and brick.
Tree Sculpture Project - For more than 100 years, the streets of Truro have been adorned with beautiful large elm trees. They discovered Dutch elm disease more than 30 years ago. A committee was charged with the task of removing any diseased trees in order to slow its spreading to healthy elm trees. From November 1999 to November 2000, there were 27 tree sculptures completed. As of June 2008, 43-tree sculptures have been created and 32 pieces are still on display around town.
GIRL GUIDES, Past, Present & Future
The Nature of Tidal Bores - The Bay of Fundy, which holds the world record for the greatest difference in water levels between low and high tides, is one of the most thrilling places in the world to experience a tidal bore. These hydrological marvels tend to be most powerful around a new or full moon, when tidal amplitude is at its greatest. We were in a new moon when we saw the incoming ocean tide enter the basin where we stood. Many people come everyday to different parts of Nova Scotia to see this “bathtub effect” called seiche. Truro is near the head of Cobequid Bay. The location to see the tidal bore is also the location of the First Landing in 1760-62 of English speaking settlers of the townships of Onslow and Truro. Of Ulster, Irish, Scottish and English stock, these pioneers where among those brought to Nova Scotia from New England by the government to take up the lands formerly occupied by the Acadians.
The deeper the water the longer the waves are faster and get ahead of the shorter wave lengths. The tumbling wave (the bore) turns into a series of large swells. The surge only took a matter of minutes to fill the basin from empty to almost high tide.