HRM Point of Interest #18: G7 Summit Photo

On this spot, near Sackville Landing on the Waterfront, the delegates of the 1995 G7 Summit in Halifax met to take a picture. The delegates gathered around, with their respective security forces standing guard on roof tops, and under the water, and hiding in clouds (or at least I imagine they were hiding in the clouds). The 12:00 noon scheduled photograph time drew near, and as the delegates prepared their awkward smiles a huge cannon blast startled everyone and sent the delegates running.

Security forces had their guns drawn, and everyone searched high and low, but alas no threat could be found as the cannon blast was merely the noon gun fired daily from the nearby Citadel fortress. Then Prime Minister of Canada, Jean Chretien, and the mayor of Halifax both knew about the gun, but had apparently forgotten to inform the other delegates. Oopsy-doopsy....

Note: to my left (right in the picture) you can see the memorial to John Cabot shining (?) in the summer sun (when this photo was taken).

HRM Monument #25: Memorial To John Cabot

In 1497 John Cabot landed at Newfoundland making the "discovery" of Canada. This piece of art was erected by the District of Venice, Italy, in 1997, to mark the 500th anniversary of the arrival of Cabot. While Cabot later sailed down the coast and found Cape Breton Island, I cannot think of any reason why this relief exists on the Halifax Waterfront near Sackville Landing, and not somewhere closer to Newfoundland.