Sports and the Great Outdoors

In October 1850, student John B. Young wrote to his "Dear Papa", George R. Young, telling him about a big sporting event he had recently attended at the Garrison, including 150-yard, 250-yard, and half-mile races. A highlight was climbing the greased pole: "several tried it but none suceeded till a man of war sailor threw of his jacket ascended the pole and carried of the prize [.] this in a manner which would make any person laugh [.] by means of his hand he scraped of the grease and conferred it [on] his trousers...." The prize was $2.00 and a leg of mutton.

Haligonians either participated in or observed a wide array of summer and winter sports offered locally: baseball, quoits, football, tennis, cricket, archery, boxing, swimming, rowing, sailing, yacht racing, horse racing, polo, fishing, hunting, skating, hockey, curling, coasting and snowshoeing — to enumerate only the more obvious. Although most present-day sports were introduced in the first half of the nineteenth century — often by the British forces stationed here — wage-earners worked long hours and had few holidays; only a small proportion of the population was able to participate. At the time of Confederation, sporting events were informal and games were played between amateurs. However, in the last quarter of the nineteenth century, many athletic clubs were formed locally, and sporting events came to be organized in a more professional manner.

Regardless of the season, sporting activities in Halifax have traditionally focused on the water, a fact observed by The Official Bicentenary Guide Book 1949: "The City has a great tradition in the field of sport. But it was in the aquatic centre of North America that Halifax won international fame." The first harbour regatta was held under the auspices of Admiral Lake in 1826. Yachting, rowing, schooner racing and swimming all developed into highly competitive activities. Skating was especially popular as a winter sport for everyone, favourite locations being Chocolate Lake, the North West Arm, the Dartmouth Lakes, and Bedford Basin when sufficiently cold enough to be safe. Curling was also played on ponds near Tower Road and on the Dartmouth Lakes.