Turning back time as tall ships sail into Brockville

The Tall Ships Festival is a sight that takes you back in time, a time when tall ships ruled the waves.

Nearly a dozen such vessels will drop anchor in Brockville this weekend, including a piece of Canadian history, the Bluenose ll.

“I always say there’s two good jobs in Canada, one is looking after the Stanley Cup and the other one is looking after the Bluenose,” said Phil Watson, the schooner’s captain.

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Watson has been associated with the vessel since 1987. He says the principal job of the Bluenose ll is as an ambassador for the province of Nova Scotia, travelling around, telling the history of the ship, and the history of the original ship.

“The original was built in 1921, she was a fishing schooner, she spent her whole life as a fishing schooner off the Grand Banks of Newfoundland. She came to fame because they were racing fishing schooners then, so best American, best Canadian, she won her first race in the race in 1921, her first series of races, and held the trophy for the next 17 years, until 1938.”

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Brockville is the 10th and final stop on the Great Lakes Tall Ship Challenge.