History
 Steeped
in a history of wooden ships and iron men, Hantsport is a picturesque
Town in which you may spend a few hours or a few days. Your first stop
might be Churchill House. A grand Victorian home tucked among stately
cedars and oaks trees. The Churchill House, once known as The Cedars,
was the wedding gift of shipbuilding magnate Ezra Churchill to his son,
John. Upon touring the house, you will view exquisitely decorated
molding, original flooring, and wall coverings embossed with the
Churchill Coat of Arms. Records of many of the ships that were built
and that sailed from this tiny hamlet are archived in the former
nursery. Be sure to ask your guide about the legend of Ondine and the
painting that behaves mysteriously during a full moon.
 Nearby
on the lawn of the Baptist Church is the cairn of William Hall, a local
naval hero whose valour during the Relief of Lucknow in 1857 earned him
the Victoria Cross. Friday evenings in the summer offers another unique
glimpse into HantsportÙs heritage, as Nova Scarcity Storyteller,
Heather Davidson, regales residents and visitors alike with tales of
the Towns illustrious forefathers through her Candlelight Cemetery
Tours. A trip to the wharf at the end of William Street offers a view,
one of natureÙs most extraordinary spectacles the rise and fall of the
worldÙs highest tides. These tides lift fishing boats and tug boats
alike skyward at high tide, and then ever so gently sets them on the
ocean floor at tideÙs ebb. Hantsport is set to be this fall the home of
North AmericaÙs fastest ship loading facility. With every freighter
that arrives 40,000 tonnes of raw gypsum must be loaded and the boat
departed within three hours, at full tide. If you time your visit well,
you can explore the shoreline just west of the Town along Blue Beach on
the Horton Bluff Road. This area has become a famous site for fossils
and ancient track ways. Those less geologically inclined may still
enjoy a stroll along the dark shale and a view of the Avonport
Lighthouse. Here you may chance upon the resident eagles, or voracious
herons stalking along the mudflats. Beachcombing and fossil hunting are
best done during a retreating tide. (Tide times as well as docking
times for gypsum boats are available at the Hantsport Tourist Bureau.
Feel free to ask the friendly tourism staff for information about
events, accommodations, and restaurants in the area.)
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