Tourism Nova Scotia / Dean Casavechia
Retail relaxation
Nova Scotia boasts many amazing shopping destinations By Alec Bruce
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laces to stock up on the essentials (or indulge your passions) abound in every region of Nova Scotia. Find a locally made piece of pottery, jewelry or artwork. Sample a local chocolatier’s delicious treats. Plan a day shopping for national and international brands. It’s all here. While in Halifax, head over to Dartmouth Crossing. Home to a second-tonone collection of leading consumer items for the entire family. The shopping area’s outlet stores offer savings in a convenient and unique shopping destination. On the other side of the bridge, the Halifax Shopping Centre has exclusive stores in a beautiful shopping environment. Stroll through North End Halifax’s famous Hydrostone District, recipient of the Nova Scotia Build Heritage Award. From the ashes of the catastrophic Halifax Explosion, which shattered the city’s North End in 1917, rose this splendid example of an English-style garden suburb. Find a
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unique treasure, beautiful local fashion, bespoke jewelry, a terrific cup of coffee or a great glass of wine. Heading to the South Shore? Downtown Lunenburg is a UNESCO World Heritage Site that has become a shopping mecca for hip, suave urbanites. Find unique, locally made items of every variety, from handmade crafts for the home to unique treasures for the garden. Travelling through the heart of the Annapolis Valley, past rolling fields of apple orchards and vineyards, you are bound to come across unique shops and galleries bursting with locally created items. Discover everything from jams, chocolates and fresh lobsters to quilts, pottery, paintings, clothing, and even wool products featuring the name of the sheep it was sheared from! As you travel along the upper shoreline of the Bay of Fundy, where the fossil-rich caves and cliffs beckon, you’ll want to make sure you get something local to celebrate your discoveries. Whether it’s gems in jewelry or a wheel of gouda
cheese from a nearby cheese house, discover an area rich with artists and artisans as you explore the region that inspires them. In downtown Truro, walk the heritage district and visit the boutique shops on Saturday morning. Not far away is the famous Mastodon Ridge. Here you’ll see Marvin the mastodon peering down at you from a hill beside the highway in Stewiacke. Stop for a fun family photo, play a round of mini golf, grab a bite to eat, and learn about Marvin and the Bay of Fundy at the visitor centre. Spend a day in Baddeck, in the heart of Cape Breton on the beautiful Bras D’Or Lake. This town, the site of Alexander Graham Bell’s summer home, offers a unique retail experience with shops, boutiques and galleries infused with Gaelic traditions and local history. The Alexander Graham Bell Museum also has a lovely little gift shop to check out.
