Cadillacs, cannons, and sea caves Find new delights on the undiscovered South Shore STORY AND PHOTOS BY DARCY RHYNO
I
awake to the sound of the cannon and the sun piercing my tent as it rises over the campground. Here at the Ovens Natural Park on the shores of Lunenburg County, the cannon fires several times a minute. The source of the boom, caused by the waves breaking inside the sea caves, is just a short walk from here. For an early morning stretch, I follow the cliff edge trail to the stairs that leads down to the viewing platform at the mouth of Cannon Cave. Standing at the railing, I peer into the cave that’s well lit now by the rising sun and watch as a gentle swell makes its way past
Fort Point Lighthouse
me to break at the back of the cave, the sound echoing off the stone walls to create a resounding “boom.” Cannon Cave at the Ovens is well known among local campers and even further afield in Nova Scotia, as is its history as the site of a 19th century gold rush. But like so many other unique attractions along Nova Scotia’s South Shore, it’s overshadowed by some of the country’s best-known attractions like the UNESCO World Heritage Site of old town Lunenburg, the Bluenose, Peggy’s Cove, and the streetscape in Mahone Bay of the three churches. There is no scene more evocative of the East Coast than tiny Peggy’s Cove, a stone’s throw from the open North Atlantic. Its
wharves, boats, and shacks seem to recall a simpler time of hard work, safe haven, and close-knit communities. And yet, it’s just one of many similar scenes up and down this rugged coastline. At Port Medway, the wharf and fishing boats at the mouth
in Liverpool.
Above: Hank Snow sculpture in front of his museum, Liverpool; Crosscut sawing at Wild Axe Park, Barrington.
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