Hal-Con Sci-Fi, Fantasy & Comic Convention, commonly known as Hal-Con, was founded in the 1970s and revived in the 2010s. It is traditionally an annual weekend event held in
Halifax,
Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia ( ; ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada. It is one of the three Maritime provinces and one of the four Atlantic provinces. Nova Scotia is Latin for "New Scotland".
Most of the population are native Eng ...
in Atlantic
Canada
Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...
during the middle of Fall.
Originally showcasing
comic books
A comic book, also called comicbook, comic magazine or (in the United Kingdom and Ireland) simply comic, is a publication that consists of comics art in the form of sequential juxtaposed panels that represent individual scenes. Panels are of ...
, games, science fiction/fantasy and film/television, and related popular arts, it has grown to encompass the full spectrum of
geekdom, including
comic books
A comic book, also called comicbook, comic magazine or (in the United Kingdom and Ireland) simply comic, is a publication that consists of comics art in the form of sequential juxtaposed panels that represent individual scenes. Panels are of ...
,
science fiction
Science fiction (sometimes shortened to Sci-Fi or SF) is a genre of speculative fiction which typically deals with imaginative and futuristic concepts such as advanced science and technology, space exploration, time travel, parallel unive ...
,
fantasy
Fantasy is a genre of speculative fiction involving Magic (supernatural), magical elements, typically set in a fictional universe and sometimes inspired by mythology and folklore. Its roots are in oral traditions, which then became fantasy ...
,
gaming
Gaming may refer to:
Games and sports
The act of playing games, as in:
* Legalized gambling, playing games of chance for money, often referred to in law as "gaming"
* Playing a role-playing game, in which players assume fictional roles
* Playin ...
,
science fantasy
Science fantasy is a hybrid genre within speculative fiction that simultaneously draws upon or combines tropes and elements from both science fiction and fantasy. In a conventional science fiction story, the world is presented as being scientif ...
,
Renaissance
The Renaissance ( , ) , from , with the same meanings. is a period in European history marking the transition from the Middle Ages to modernity and covering the 15th and 16th centuries, characterized by an effort to revive and surpass ideas ...
,
anime
is Traditional animation, hand-drawn and computer animation, computer-generated animation originating from Japan. Outside of Japan and in English, ''anime'' refers specifically to animation produced in Japan. However, in Japan and in Japane ...
,
furry,
cyber goth
Cybergoth is a subculture that derives from elements of goth, raver, rivethead and cyberpunk fashion.
Opinion differs as to whether cybergoth has the requisite complexity to constitute a subculture, with some commentators suggesting that it is ...
,
cosplay
Cosplay, a portmanteau of "costume play", is an activity and performance art in which participants called cosplayers wear costumes and fashion accessories to represent a specific character. Cosplayers often interact to create a subculture, ...
, and anything else of the fantastical while still having enough appeal for even the most casual fan. The gathering includes entertainment for most tastes from music, stage show, and small social gaming circles, and the chance to rub elbows with the famous and infamous of geek pop-culture.
Activities and events
* Celebrity Q&A sessions
* Autograph and photo booths
* Guest lectures
* Authors readings
* Anime and video rooms
* Artist alley
* Charity auction
* Specialty vendors
* Discussion panels
* Masquerade dance
* Costume contest
* Dressing in costume
* Gaming demonstrations, tournaments and play
Community involvement
Year round events
Hal-Con is active in the HRM community, promoting both the convention and Geek Culture. They hold events throughout the year leading up to the convention. These events include BBQs, dances, movie nights, game days, and they even participate in local parades and zombie walks with the help of fans.
Community Parades
Hal-Con loves to participate in community celebrations - especially parades. Below is a sample list of the parades and awards won in parades around Halifax Regional Municipality.
* Eastern Passage Summer Carnival Parade – 2012–Present (Award Winner – 2012, 2014, 2015, 2016)
* Chronicle Herald Parade of Lights – 2012–Present (Award Winner – 2012, 2014, 2015)
* HRM Pride Parade – 2012–Present (Award Winner – 2016, 2017)
* Natal Day Parade – 2012–Present (Award Winner – 2013, 2015)
* St. Patrick's Day Parade – 2013-2015 (Award Winner – 2014, 2015)
* Annapolis Valley Apple Blossom Parade with Eastlink – 2014
* Multicultural Festival Parade – 2014
* Sackville Patriots Day Parade – 2014 (Award Winner – 2014)
* Halifax Official Zombie Walk – 2012-2014
* Cole Harbour Harvest Festival Parade – 2012, 2013
* Spryfield Annual Christmas Parade – 2012, 2013 (Award Winner – 2012, 2013)
Hal-Con also hosts and organizes their own Halloween parade (2012–present).
Charity
Hal-Con is active in charity events. Each year they host a live charity auction at the convention as well as numerous silent auctions with profits going to the
IWK Children's Hospital and
Kids Help Phone
Kids Help Phone (french: Jeunesse, J’écoute) is a Canadian charitable organization that provides online and telephone counselling and volunteer-led, text-based support in English and French to youth across Canada. Kids Help Phone also prov ...
. They also participate with local groups such as Let It Roll
The Board Room Game CafeCape and Cowl Collectiblesan
Gelatinous Dudes to help with numerous charity fund-raising events with the funds going to local children groups, IWK Children's Hospital, Kids Help Phone, special needs camps, and Japan Disaster Relief.
In the first five years (2010–2015), they raised over $45,000 for charity.
Awards
* 2016:
The Coast, Best Of: Best Place to Volunteer (Bronze)
* 2015:
The Coast, Best Of: Best Place to Volunteer (Silver)
* 2015: Destination Halifax: Spirit of Halifax
* 2014:
The Coast, Best Of: Best Festival (Bronze)
Mascot
The Hal-Con mascot is named Nelson, which is a robot shaped like the
Halifax Town Clock
The Town Clock, also sometimes called the Old Town Clock or Citadel Clock Tower, is a clock tower located at Fort George in the urban core of Halifax, the capital city of Nova Scotia.
History
Prince Edward, Duke of Kent, the commander-in-c ...
. The mascot is seen on Hal-Con promotional material and appears at every community event possible, as well as at the convention itself. Since the introduction of the mascot costume Nelson has appeared in numerous parades, played Laser Tag, avoided the undead in the Halifax Zombie Walk, and even ran a 10k marathon for charity.
An origin story for the mascot of Nelson explains how an alien from the planet Teebius named Nee comes to Earth, befriends a mouse named Zipper, makes a home with Zipper in a "Liveable Space Operating Node" (LSON) Robot, and decides to combine his name with the Robot's to become "Nelson".
In 2015 the Hal-Con website was redesigned, and the origin story was not included with the new website. However, on the new website is an entry for Nelson on the Hal-Con About Us web page, which provides a smaller description for the mascot:
Hal-Con history
The Old
Hal-Con has a long history in Halifax, and was running annually for many years from the late 1970s through the 1980s. The convention began at
Dalhousie University
Dalhousie University (commonly known as Dal) is a large public research university in Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia ( ; ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada. It is one of the three Maritime provinces and one of the fou ...
's School of Library Service as HalyCon I, and it was held on March 17, 1977. Then in 1978, the Halcon Science Fiction Society was launched by Bob Atkinson, John Bell, Sheldon Goldman, George Allanson, and Chris Kolovaris and the convention was renamed "Halcon" for Halcon II held March 9–11, 1979. Since Halcon came about as a result of Halycon, the numbering continued from the original event. Halcon II featured Ben Bova and Spider & Jeanne Robinson as guests. Then Halcon 3 was held in 1980 with author A.E. van Vogt as the featured guest, and the convention continued to be held annually until 1987. Halcon 10 was held in 1987 at
The Westin Nova Scotian
The Westin Nova Scotian is a Canadian hotel located in Halifax, Nova Scotia, owned and operated by New Castle Hotels and Resorts. It was built in 1928 by the Canadian National Railway as the Nova Scotian Hotel and after several changes of owner ...
Hotel, and it would be the last Halcon until 2010.
The New
In 2010 the Hal-Con convention underwent a spiritual revival. The new Halcon, now called "Hal-Con", took the meaning of the old convention, the want to bring like-minded people together for fun, but did it under entirely new management and with modern convention practices. The official organizing committee is made up of volunteers who want nothing more than to make a successful convention in Atlantic Canada. Planning for the 2010 convention began in 2008, and was able to bring in nearly 1500 attendees to the
Lord Nelson Hotel
The Lord Nelson Hotel & Suites, commonly referred to as the Lord Nelson Hotel, is a Canada's grand railway hotels, grand hotel in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. It is located on the corner of Spring Garden Road, Halifax, Spri ...
in Halifax. Since 2010 the convention has grown steadily, having had to move its venue after its first year, and was in the
World Trade and Convention Centre
The World Trade and Convention Centre (WTCC) was a convention centre and office complex in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, adjacent to the Scotiabank Centre. The facility had of meeting space and a 20,000 square foot ballroom. It was replaced by t ...
and
Scotiabank Centre
Scotiabank Centre (formerly known as Halifax Metro Centre) is the largest multi-purpose facility in Atlantic Canada, located in the heart of downtown Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. The main entrances to the building are located on Brunswick Str ...
in downtown Halifax until 2017. In 2018 the convention moved to the
Halifax Convention Center
The Halifax Convention Centre is the main conference centre in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. It opened on December 15, 2017 in Downtown Halifax, replacing the older World Trade and Convention Centre.
The Halifax Convention Centre is part of the ...
, where it is currently held.
Event history
References
External links
Official siteOfficial TwitterFacebook PageGoogle+ PageYouTube ChannelInstagram
{{Multigenre conventions in North America
Science fiction conventions in Canada
Multigenre conventions