York Redoubt facts for kids
Quick facts for kids York Redoubt |
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View at York Redoubt showing its commanding view over the approaches to Halifax Harbour
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| Location | Ferguson's Cove, Nova Scotia, Canada |
| Built | 1793 |
| Governing body | Parks Canada |
| Official name: York Redoubt National Historic Site of Canada | |
| Designated | 1962 |
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York Redoubt is an old fort located on a high cliff. It watches over the main entrance to Halifax Harbour in Ferguson's Cove, Nova Scotia, Canada. This fort was first built in 1793. Today, it is known as a National Historic Site of Canada, a special title it received in 1962.
History of York Redoubt
York Redoubt was a very important part of defending Halifax Harbour for many years. It was especially key during the 1800s and 1900s. Over time, many new parts were added to make it stronger.
During World War II, York Redoubt became a main control center for the harbour's defenses. These defenses included special lookout spots and a hidden underwater minefield. A new gun battery, or group of cannons, was also built below the fort at Sleepy Cove. This battery helped protect an anti-submarine net that stretched across the harbour's entrance. This net ran all the way from Fort McNab on McNabs Island to York Redoubt. The fort was used by the military until 1956.
You can still see many interesting parts of the fort today. These include what is left of the Duke of York's Martello tower, which was built in 1798. There are also other fort structures from around 1800 and 1900. You can also find advanced forts and cannons from World War II. York Redoubt has many examples of rifled muzzle loader cannons from the 1870s. These cannons had special grooves inside their barrels to make shots more accurate.
Outside the main fort, there is a collection of old cannons. One very large cannon is a 9.62-inch breech loader. This type of cannon was loaded from the back, not the front. It used to be set up at the Sandwich Point battery, which was also part of the York Redoubt defense system.
At the water's edge, the Sleepy Cove battery has more structures. This area is now closed to the public. Here, you can find three searchlight stations and two concrete lookout towers. There are also two places where cannons were once set up. These spots first held two 12-pounder guns, which were later replaced with smaller 6-pounder guns.
On June 28, 1985, Canada Post released a special stamp called "York Redoubt, N.S." It was part of a series of stamps about forts across Canada.
Sandwich Point Battery
The Sandwich Point Battery is about one kilometer away from the main York Redoubt fort. It has four places where cannons were set up. These were built during World War I to help protect the entrance to Halifax Harbour.
During World War II, two large 9.2-inch breech-loading cannons were taken away from this battery. However, two 6-inch breech-loading cannons stayed there throughout the war. Today, this battery is no longer used and is part of land owned by the Department of National Defence. This area is strictly off-limits to the public for safety reasons.
