News release

TUGS! Highlights March Break at the Maritime Museum

Tourism, Culture and Heritage (Dec. 2003 - Jan. 2011)

They're rough, they're tough, they're TUGS!

The interactive, bilingual Maritime Museum of the Atlantic exhibit will show the whole family why mighty tugboats are some of the hardest working ships around.

This March Break, from March 14 to 22, visitors of all ages will discover the amazing work tugboats do to help keep Halifax Harbour running smoothly. Whether they are towing gigantic oil rigs out to sea or helping huge cruise ships safely into port, sturdy Tugboats prove that big doesn't always mean better.

"Of all the ships that come in and out of Halifax, tugboats are the most visible," said museum manager Kim Reinhardt. "There's Navy pup tugs, fire tugs, harbour tugs, even Theodore Too, TV's celebrity tug. The exhibit and event is a fun way for visitors to discover what makes these ships special."

The exhibit, created by museum staff, breaks down the types of tugboats and their jobs. A section is also devoted to legendary tugboats, such as Foundation Franklin, the sea-going salvage tug famous for her heroic rescues during the Second World War.

"The exhibit is a great mix of tugboats, past and present," said TUGS! co-creator, Gerry Lunn. "It shares stories and objects from tugboats that once sailed the harbour, as well as the ones we can walk the waterfront and see today."

Other highlights include daily performances of the family play, They're Rough! They're Tough! They're TUGS!; tugboat storytelling in the museum's theatre; a "tug simulator" computer game that lets visitors steer an animated tug; face painting; and a kid-sized tugboat visitors can climb aboard.

The Maritime Museum of the Atlantic is located at 1675 Lower Water St., Halifax.