Cunard Celebrates Heritage and Legacy of Founder in Halifax

[tcook052]

http://www.marketwatch.com/story/cunard-celebrates-heritage-and-legacy-of-founder-in-halifax-2011-09-26

 

SOUTHAMPTON, England, Sep 26, 2011 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- On the occasion of Queen Elizabeth's maiden call to Halifax, Nova Scotia yesterday, Cunard celebrated the legacy of Sir Samuel Cunard, who hailed from Halifax and established the iconic ocean liner company bearing his name more than 171 years ago.

 

In honour of the maiden visit of Cunard's newest ocean liner and the recent revitalization of the Halifax Seaport and waterfront, The Halifax Foundation re-dedicated the majestic statue yesterday which had been re-located last year to a more prominent position, adjacent to the Cunard Centre, overlooking the harbour and Georges Island. On hand to join the festivities were many members of the Paton Family, direct descendants of Samuel Cunard, whose younger members, Geoffrey, age 7; Ben, age 11; and Sam, age 13 cut the commemorative ribbon during the re-dedication. At that moment, Queen Elizabeth sounded her whistle in acknowledgement of the historic occasion.

 

Captain Christopher Wells, master of Queen Elizabeth, and members of the ship's company joined the re-dedication ceremony on the waterfront. In his remarks Wells said, "The city of Halifax holds unique significance to Cunard Line, and we are proud to join Samuel Cunard's descendants as we celebrate this special occasion. It is truly gratifying to see this majestic symbol of Samuel Cunard's legacy take such a prominent position on the waterfront; it stands as a beacon to visitors from all over the globe, which is fitting since Samuel Cunard made far-reaching travel possible for untold millions."

 

"Today marks another noteworthy moment for the city of Halifax and the Cunard legacy," said Alan R. Abraham, vice chairman of The Halifax Foundation. "Five years ago, we celebrated one of Halifax's finest with a bronze statue of his likeness. We recognize his contributions to the city of Halifax again today and honour him with the re-dedication of his statue."

In 2006, The Honourable Alan R. Abraham of The Halifax Foundation, along with John Langley, chairman of the Cunard Steamship Society, spearheaded the initiative to create a bronze statue of Sir Samuel Cunard, which was dedicated in October of that year and has presided over Halifax's waterfront to recognize one of the city's most famous and influential individuals. The statue depicts Cunard standing beside a ship's telegraph, symbolic of steamship travel and the company he established.

"Cunard history and heritage is widespread as one might expect after 171 years, and counting. It was here that founder Samuel Cunard was born, later establishing a company which has no equal in the annals of ocean liner history. Today in Halifax was a great day for celebrating the man and his legacy," said John Langley, who is considered to be the foremost expert on the life of Samuel Cunard and who authored his biography, "Steam Lion."

 

"We're honoured to be included as one of Queen Elizabeth's calls in her first year of operation," said Cathy McGrail, manager of Cruise Development at the Halifax Port Authority. She added, "We're delighted to have Captain Wells and crew join the re-dedication of the Samuel Cunard statue, which has become a signature attraction to our port."

Prior to her maiden call to Halifax, Queen Elizabeth made her inaugural visit to Boston, before continuing up the eastern seaboard through Maine. She completes her maiden New England & Canadian Adventure voyage with a maiden call to Quebec City, Quebec and Cornerbrook, Newfoundland before returning to Southampton, England.

 

Debuting in October 2010, Queen Elizabeth became the third Cunard liner to bear the illustrious "Elizabeth" name. Art Deco features throughout the ship pay homage to the original Queen Elizabeth, reflecting The New Golden Age of Ocean Travel. On board, guests savour the sense of occasion by dressing up for glamourous evenings at Royal Nights themed balls, and enjoy countless offerings and amenities from Champagne Afternoon Tea in the Garden Lounge to an extraordinary dining experience in The Verandah, a contemporary French restaurant that pays tribute to the legendary Verandah Grills aboard the original Queen Elizabeth and Queen Mary.

 

For more information about Queen Elizabeth or to book a voyage, consult your travel agent, call toll-free 1-800-7-CUNARD or go to http://www.cunard.com .

[lannp]

The statue of Sir Samuel was originally located further along the boardwalk and Sir Samuel faced the water. I saw the new location close to the cruise terminal last October and sadly Sir Samuel now has his back to the water instead of facing towards his ships when they visit.

[david,Mississauga]

The statue of Sir Samuel was originally located further along the boardwalk and Sir Samuel faced the water. I saw the new location close to the cruise terminal last October and sadly Sir Samuel now has his back to the water instead of facing towards his ships when they visit.

 

That is indeed a good point, but most of the time the Cunard ships dock at Pier 22, not Pier 20 as the Queen Elizabeth did this time. From my observations (both in Halifax and on the Webcams) Queen Mary 2 has always used Pier 22. Pier 22 has the shops and it appears the largest ship of the day will be assigned this pier. There is now a farmers' market in Pier 20. Another reason for having Sir Samuel facing the city is that most people viewing the statue will do so from that point of view.

 

For our annual rail trip to Halifax we always plan on being able to view and photograph a Cunard ship. So the inaugural arrival in Canada of the QE provided the "excuse" (as if we needed one) for this excursion. A harbour-view room in the Westin (formerly CNR) hotel adjacent to the VIA Rail station provides the best view for this. This time there were nine of us travelling together and several are ship-buffs as well as rail-buffs - could you travel with finer people? We did not know about the re-dedication ceremony, so it was a pleasant surprise to be able to attend this. The inaugural arrival in Canada of the QE did not attract the huge crowds and publicity that the QM2 did in 2004. But a significant crowd lined the adjacent boardwalk for the 5:00 p.m. departure. The ship pulled "up-harbour" further than most ships do in order to go around Georges Island. Several extra blasts of the whistle pleased the crowd.

[soblue]

Sir Samuel before his move! :confused:

 

Why did they move him?

 

 

Andrew

 

 

The statue of Sir Samuel was originally located further along the boardwalk and Sir Samuel faced the water. I saw the new location close to the cruise terminal last October and sadly Sir Samuel now has his back to the water instead of facing towards his ships when they visit.

[lannp]

I had seen Sir Samuel in his original postion a few years ago further along the boardwalk so I was surprised last October to see he had been moved. I'm not positive but the walk along the boardwalk seemed different and there is a new building so perhaps his statue stood in that spot?

[david,Mississauga]

I had seen Sir Samuel in his original postion a few years ago further along the boardwalk so I was surprised last October to see he had been moved. I'm not positive but the walk along the boardwalk seemed different and there is a new building so perhaps his statue stood in that spot?

 

One of the speakers at the re-dedication said that the original location was meant to be temporary. I had not known that. That location was at the beginning of the boardwalk close to a plaque honouring the Royal Canadian Navy in front of the Port Administration building. Its new location is only a short distance away - maybe 100 metres. At the time of the original unveiling five years ago the nearby Pier 20 was just a large shed. Part of that pier was demolished, a small part kept for handling passengers, but most of it has since been turned into a permanent farmers market. Sir Samuel's statue is now in a more prominent position.

[lannp]

Yes, it was close to these memorials.