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Halifax is the capital and largest municipality of the Canadian province of Nova Scotia, and the largest municipality in Atlantic Canada. As of the 2021 Census, the municipal population was 439,819, with 348,634 people in its urban area. The regional municipality consists of four former municipalities that were
amalgamated Amalgamation is the process of combining or uniting multiple entities into one form. Amalgamation, amalgam, and other derivatives may refer to: Mathematics and science * Amalgam (chemistry), the combination of mercury with another metal **Pan ama ...
in 1996: Halifax, Dartmouth, Bedford, and Halifax County. Halifax is a major economic centre in Atlantic Canada, with a large concentration of government services and private sector companies. Major employers and economic generators include the
Department of National Defence Department of Defence or Department of Defense may refer to: Current departments of defence * Department of Defence (Australia) * Department of National Defence (Canada) * Department of Defence (Ireland) * Department of National Defense (Philippin ...
, Dalhousie University, Nova Scotia Health Authority, Saint Mary's University, the Halifax Shipyard, various levels of government, and the
Port of Halifax The Port of Halifax comprises various port facilities in Halifax Harbour in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. It covers of land, and looks after of water. Strategically located as North America's first inbound and last outbound gateway, the port of ...
. Agriculture, fishing, mining, forestry, and natural gas extraction are major resource industries found in the rural areas of the municipality.


History

Halifax is located within '' Miꞌkmaꞌki'' the traditional ancestral lands of the
Miꞌkmaq The Mi'kmaq (also ''Mi'gmaq'', ''Lnu'', ''Miꞌkmaw'' or ''Miꞌgmaw''; ; ) are a First Nations people of the Northeastern Woodlands, indigenous to the areas of Canada's Atlantic Provinces and the Gaspé Peninsula of Quebec as well as the n ...
peoples. The Mi'kmaq have resided in Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and Prince Edward Island since prior to European landings in North America in the 1400s and 1500s to set up fisheries. At the time of Confederation of Canada, about 1000 Mi’kmaq lived in the Colony of Nova Scotia. The Mi'kmaq name for Halifax is ''Kjipuktuk'', pronounced "che-book-took". The name means "Great Harbour" in the Mi'kmaq language. The first permanent European settlement in the region was on the
Halifax Peninsula The Halifax Peninsula is peninsula within the urban area of the Municipality of Halifax, Nova Scotia. History The town of Halifax was founded by the British government under the direction of the Board of Trade and Plantations under the co ...
. The establishment of the ''Town of Halifax'', named after the 2nd Earl of Halifax, in 1749 led to the colonial capital being transferred from
Annapolis Royal Annapolis Royal, formerly known as Port Royal, is a town located in the western part of Annapolis County, Nova Scotia, Canada. Today's Annapolis Royal is the second French settlement known by the same name and should not be confused with the ne ...
. The establishment of Halifax marked the beginning of Father Le Loutre's War. The war began when
Edward Cornwallis Edward Cornwallis ( – 14 January 1776) was a British career military officer and was a member of the aristocratic Cornwallis family, who reached the rank of Lieutenant General. After Cornwallis fought in Scotland, putting down the Jacob ...
arrived to establish Halifax with 13 transports and a sloop of war on June 21, 1749. By unilaterally establishing Halifax, the British were violating earlier treaties with the Mi'kmaq (1726), which were signed after Father Rale's War. Cornwallis brought along 1,176 settlers and their families. To guard against Mi'kmaq, Acadian and French attacks on the new Protestant settlements, British fortifications were erected in Halifax (Citadel Hill) (1749), Bedford (
Fort Sackville During the 18th and early 19th centuries, the French, British and U.S. forces built and occupied a number of forts at Vincennes, Indiana. These outposts commanded a strategic position on the Wabash River. The names of the installations were chan ...
) (1749), Dartmouth (1750), and Lawrencetown (1754), all areas within the modern-day Regional Municipality. St. Margaret's Bay was first settled by French-speaking Foreign Protestants at
French Village, Nova Scotia French Village is a rural community of the Halifax Regional Municipality in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia on Chebucto Peninsula The Chebucto Peninsula is a peninsula located in central Nova Scotia, Canada, entirely within the Halifax ...
who migrated from Lunenburg, Nova Scotia during the American Revolution. December 1917 saw one of the greatest disasters in Canadian history, when the , a French cargo ship carrying munitions, collided with the Belgian Relief vessel in "The Narrows" between upper Halifax Harbour and Bedford Basin. The resulting explosion, the Halifax Explosion, devastated the Richmond District of Halifax, killing approximately 2,000 people and injuring nearly 9,000 others. The blast was the largest artificial explosion before the development of nuclear weapons. Significant aid came from
Boston Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...
, strengthening the bond between the two coastal cities. The four municipalities in the Halifax urban area had been coordinating service delivery through the ''Metropolitan Authority'' since the late 1970s, but remained independent towns and cities until 1 April 1996, when the provincial government
amalgamated Amalgamation is the process of combining or uniting multiple entities into one form. Amalgamation, amalgam, and other derivatives may refer to: Mathematics and science * Amalgam (chemistry), the combination of mercury with another metal **Pan ama ...
all municipal governments within Halifax County to create the Halifax Regional Municipality. The municipal boundary thus now includes all of Halifax County except for several First Nation reserves. Since amalgamation, the region has officially been known as the Halifax Regional Municipality (HRM), although "Halifax" has remained in common usage for brevity. On April 15, 2014, the regional council approved the implementation of a new branding campaign for the region developed by the local firm Revolve Marketing. The campaign would see the region referred to in promotional materials simply as "Halifax," although "Halifax Regional Municipality" would remain the region's official name. The proposed rebranding was met with mixed reaction from residents, some of whom felt that the change would alienate other communities in the municipality through a perception that the marketing scheme would focus on Metropolitan Halifax only, while others expressed relief that the longer formal name would no longer be primary. Mayor Mike Savage defended the decision, stating: "I'm a
Westphal Westphal or Westphall may refer to the following people: * Ari Westphal (born 1994), Brazilian fashion model * Bernd Westphal (born 1960), German politician * Brigitta Westphal (born 1944), German painter * Carlo Westphal (born 1985), German profes ...
guy, I'm a Dartmouth man, but Halifax is my city, we're all part of Halifax. Why does that matter? Because when I go and travel on behalf of this municipality, there isn't a person out there who really cares what HRM means."


Geography


Climate

Halifax has a humid continental climate ( Köppen ''Dfb''), bordering on an oceanic climate (Cfb), with warm summers and relatively mild winters, which is due to Gulf Stream moderation. The weather is usually milder in the winter or cooler in the summer than areas at similar latitudes inland, with the temperature remaining (with occasional notable exceptions) between about . January is the coldest month, being the only month with a high that is slightly below freezing at , while August is the warmest. The sea heavily influences the climate of the area, causing significant
seasonal lag Seasonal lag is the phenomenon whereby the date of maximum average air temperature at a geographical location on a planet is delayed until some time after the date of maximum insolation (i.e. the summer solstice). This also applies to the mini ...
in summer, with August being significantly warmer than June and with September being the third mildest month in terms of mean temperature. The January mean is only colder than the isotherm for the oceanic climate. Precipitation is high year-round. Winter features a mix of rain, freezing rain and snow with frequent freeze-thaw cycles. Snowfall is heavy in winter, but snow cover is usually patchy owing to the frequent freeze-thaw cycles, which melt accumulated snow. Some winters feature colder temperatures and fewer freeze-thaw cycles; the most recent of which being the winter of 2014–2015, which was the coldest, snowiest and stormiest in about a century. Spring is often wet and cool and arrives much later than in areas of Canada at similar latitudes, due to cooler sea temperatures. Summers are mild and pleasant, with hot and humid conditions very infrequent. Warm, pleasant conditions often extend well into September, sometimes into mid-October. Average monthly precipitation is highest from November to February due to intense late-fall to winter storms migrating from the Northeastern U.S., and lowest in summer, with August being the year's warmest and driest month on average. Halifax can sometimes receive hurricanes, mostly between August and October. An example is when Hurricane Juan, a category 2 storm, hit in September 2003 and caused considerable damage to the region. Hurricane Earl grazed the coast as a category 1 storm in 2010. In 2019, Hurricane Dorian made landfall just south of Halifax as a post-tropical storm with an intensity equivalent to a category 2 hurricane and caused significant damage across Nova Scotia. Atlantic sea surface temperatures have risen in recent years, making Halifax and the coast of Nova Scotia somewhat more susceptible to hurricanes than the area had been in the past. The highest temperature ever recorded in Halifax was on July 10, 1912, and the lowest temperature recorded was on February 18, 1922. The March 2012 North American heat wave brought unusually high temperatures to the municipality of Halifax. On March 22, the mercury climbed to at the Halifax Windsor Park weather station, and at Halifax Stanfield International Airport. In spite of the possibility of high temperatures, in a normal year there is only one day that goes above . Halifax also has a modest frost count by Canadian standards due to the maritime influence, averaging 131 air frosts and 49 full days below freezing annually. On average the frost-free period is 182 days, ranging from May 1 to October 31.


Metropolitan landscape

As of the 2021 Canadian Census, the Halifax Census Metropolitan Area (''Metropolitan Halifax'') is coterminous with the Municipality of Halifax and the Municipality of East Hants. The total land area of Metropolitan Halifax is 727,622 hectares (7,276.22 km2). The metropolitan area grew between the 2016 Canadian Census and the 2021 Canadian Census. Before the 2021 Canadian Census, Metropolitan Halifax covered 549,631 hectares (5,496.31 km2). After the addition of the Municipality of East Hants, the metropolitan area's land area expanded by 177,991 hectares (1,779.91 km2) to its current land area.


Municipal landscape

Halifax has two distinct areas; its rural area and its urban area. Since 1 April 1996, the entirety of the County of Halifax and all of its places (cities, suburbs, towns, and villages) were turned into communities of a larger single-tier municipality called ''Halifax Regional Municipality''. As of 2021, the total surface area of the municipality is . The Halifax Regional Municipality occupies an area comparable in size to the total land area of the province of Prince Edward Island, and measures approximately in length between its eastern and westernmost extremities, excluding Sable Island. The nearest point of land to Sable Island is not in HRM, but rather in adjacent
Guysborough County Guysborough County is a county in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia. History Taking its name from the Township of Guysborough, which was named in honour of Sir Guy Carleton, Guysborough County was created when Sydney County (Antigonish Cou ...
. However, Sable Island is considered part of District 7 of the Halifax Regional Council. The coastline is heavily indented, accounting for its length of approximately , with the northern boundary of the municipality usually being between inland. The coast is mostly rock with small isolated sand beaches in sheltered bays. The largest coastal features include St. Margarets Bay, Halifax Harbour/ Bedford Basin, Cole Harbour,
Musquodoboit Harbour Musquodoboit Harbour is a natural harbour in Canada on the Eastern Shore of 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 Atlant ...
, Jeddore Harbour, Ship Harbour, Sheet Harbour, and Ecum Secum Harbour. The municipality's topography spans from lush farmland in the
Musquodoboit Valley The Musquodoboit Valley ( ) is a valley and region in the Halifax Regional Municipality of Nova Scotia, Canada. It is administratively located in the municipality's Musquodoboit Valley & Dutch Settlement planning area and the western edge of the ...
to rocky and heavily forested rolling hills. It includes a number of islands and peninsulas, among them McNabs Island, Beaver Island, Melville Island, Deadman's Island and Sable Island.


Regional Centre

The Halifax Regional Centre includes the
Halifax Peninsula The Halifax Peninsula is peninsula within the urban area of the Municipality of Halifax, Nova Scotia. History The town of Halifax was founded by the British government under the direction of the Board of Trade and Plantations under the co ...
, and Dartmouth inside the Circumferential Highway. The new inner-urban-area covers 3,300 hectares (33 km2), and houses 96,619 people in 55,332 dwelling units as of the 2016 Census. The Regional Centre has many public services within its boundaries, and it hosts large entertainment venues ( Scotiabank Centre), and major hospitals (
Dartmouth General Hospital The Dartmouth General Hospital is an acute care hospital in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, Canada. It is a 24-hour emergency, inpatient medical, surgical and critical care facility that has been operating since 1976. It serves approximately 120,000 peo ...
, the
QEII Health Sciences Centre Queen Elizabeth II Health Sciences Centre, in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, is a large teaching hospital and Level 1 Trauma Centre affiliated with Dalhousie University. The QEII cares for adult patients. Pediatric patients within the region are ...
, and IWK Health Centre).


Communities and neighbourhoods

Halifax is geographically large, and there are over 200 official communities-and-neighbourhoods within the municipality. They vary from rural-to-urban. The former
town A town is a human settlement. Towns are generally larger than villages and smaller than cities, though the criteria to distinguish between them vary considerably in different parts of the world. Origin and use The word "town" shares an o ...
of Bedford, and the former-cities of Dartmouth-and- Halifax have maintained their original geographic names. Furthermore, communities that were suburban, or even
rural In general, a rural area or a countryside is a geographic area that is located outside towns and cities. Typical rural areas have a low population density and small settlements. Agricultural areas and areas with forestry typically are de ...
before-1996, now have become more urban and have attained ''community'' status (e.g. Cole Harbour,
Lower Sackville Lower Sackville is a community within the urban area of Halifax Regional Municipality, in Nova Scotia, Canada. History Before the European colonization in 1749, the Mi'kmaq lived in this area for thousands of years. In August 1749, Captain ...
,
Spryfield Spryfield is community within the urban area of Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. History The land now known as Spryfield was first occupied by the Miꞌkmaq people, who hunted and fished at Beaver Lake (now called Long Lake). The Miꞌkmaq wo ...
, et cetera). These community names are used on survey and mapping documents, for 9-1-1 service, municipal planning, and postal service. Prior to the amalgamation of Halifax in 1996, and since its restructure as a
Municipality A municipality is usually a single administrative division having corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate. The term ''municipality'' may also mean the ...
, the growth of Halifax has not only been sustained, but has gradually increased. Many of the present-day-communities within the conurbation have morphed from being primarily rural in the recent-past, to now primarily urban. With the demographic change-and-growth of many communities within urban Halifax, their function-and-role within the conurbation has changed. With this continuous growth, many of the current communities have developed ''de facto'' business districts where residents of their respective communities (and their respective environs) can access needs-and-products that previously would be attained by travelling elsewhere (e.g. to Downtown Dartmouth or to Downtown Halifax).


Community planning areas

Currently, the municipality is divided into 21 community planning areas which are further divided into neighbourhoods. The regional municipality has taken steps to reduce duplicate street names for its 9-1-1 emergency dispatch services; at the time of amalgamation, some street names were duplicated several times throughout the municipality. Current planning areas: *Beaver Bank, Hammonds Plains, and Upper Sackville *Bedford *Cole Harbour/Westphal *Dartmouth *Eastern Passage/Cow Bay *Eastern Shore (East) *Eastern Shore (West) *Downtown Halifax *Halifax *Lawrencetown *Musquodoboit Valley/Dutch Settlement *North Preston, Lake Major, Lake Loon, Cherry Brook, and East Preston *Planning Districts 1 & 3 (St. Margaret's Bay) *Planning District 4 (Prospect) *Planning District 5 (Chebucto Peninsula) *Planning Districts 8 & 9 (Lake Echo/Porters Lake) *Planning Districts 14 & 17 (Shubenacadie Lakes) *Regional Centre Plan Area *Sackville *Sackville Drive *Timberlea/Lakeside/Beechville


Rural landscape

Halifax is centred on the urban core and surrounded by areas of decreasing population density. Rural areas lie to the east, west and north of the urban core. The Atlantic Ocean lies to the south. Certain rural communities on the urban fringe function as suburban or exurban areas, with the majority of those residents commuting to and working in the urban core. Farther away, rural communities in the municipality function like any resource-based area in Nova Scotia, being sparsely populated and their local economies based on four major resource industries:
agriculture Agriculture or farming is the practice of cultivating plants and livestock. Agriculture was the key development in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that enabled people ...
, in the Musquodoboit Valley, fishing, along the coast, mining, in the Musquodoboit Valley and in Moose River Gold Mines and forestry, in most areas outside the urban core. Also, the tourism industry is beginning to change how some rural communities in Halifax function, particularly in communities such as Hubbards, Peggys Cove, with its notable lighthouse and Lawrencetown, with Lawrencetown Beach. There are two other large beaches along the coast, Martinique Beach, near
Musquodoboit Harbour Musquodoboit Harbour is a natural harbour in Canada on the Eastern Shore of 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 Atlant ...
and
Taylor Head Beach Taylor Head Beach is a provincial park on the Eastern Shore of Nova Scotia, Canada. It is located southwest of Sheet Harbour, near the community of Spry Bay. The park has of sandy beach and of scenic hiking trails, varying in length and ...
, located in Spry Bay, within the boundaries of Taylor Head Provincial Park. The northeastern area of the municipality, centred on Sheet Harbour and the Musquodoboit Valley, is completely rural, with the area sharing more in common with the adjacent rural areas of neighbouring Guysborough,
Pictou Pictou ( ; Canadian Gaelic: ''Baile Phiogto'') is a town in Pictou County, in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia. Located on the north shore of Pictou Harbour, the town is approximately 10 km (6 miles) north of the larger town of New Gla ...
and Colchester counties. Most economic activity in the Musquodoboit Valley is based on agriculture, as it is the largest farming district in the municipality. Most coastal communities are based on the fishing industry. Forestry is active in this area as well. It is also prevalent in the Musquodoboit Valley, but it takes a backseat to the more prominent agricultural industry.


Urban landscape

At 23,829 hectares (238.29 km2), Halifax's urban area (defined as ''population centre'' by Statistics Canada) is less-than five-percent of the municipal land area. The area surrounds Halifax Harbour and its main centres are Bedford, Dartmouth, and Halifax (and their respective environs). Between the 2016 Canadian Census and the 2021 Canadian Census, the built-up area of Halifax grew by 357 hectares (3.57 km2) from 23,472 hectares (234.72 km2) hectares in 2016 to 23,829 hectares (238.29 km2) in 2021.


Culture

Halifax is a major cultural centre within the Atlantic provinces. The municipality has maintained many of its maritime and military traditions, while opening itself to a growing multicultural population. The municipality's urban core also benefits from a large population of post-secondary students who strongly influence the local cultural scene. Halifax has a number of art galleries, theatres and museums, as well as most of the region's national-quality sports and entertainment facilities. Halifax is also the home to many of the region's major cultural attractions, such as Halifax Pop Explosion, Symphony Nova Scotia, the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia, The Khyber, the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic and the Neptune Theatre. The region is noted for the strength of its music scene and nightlife, especially within the urban communities. See List of musical groups from Halifax, Nova Scotia for a partial list. Halifax hosts a wide variety of festivals that take place throughout the year, including; the largest Canada Day celebration east of Ottawa, the Atlantic Film Festival, the Halifax International Busker Festival, Greekfest, Atlantic Jazz Festival, the Multicultural Festival,
Natal Day NATAL or Natal may refer to: Places * Natal, Rio Grande do Norte, a city in Brazil * Natal, South Africa (disambiguation), a region in South Africa ** Natalia Republic, a former country (1839–1843) ** Colony of Natal, a former British colony ...
, Nocturne Festival, the Halifax Pop Explosion, periodic Tall Ship events, the Royal Nova Scotia International Tattoo, and Shakespeare by the Sea—to name a few.
Halifax Pride Halifax Pride is an LGBT pride festival, held annually in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. It is the largest 2SLGBTQ+ event in Atlantic Canada,Neptune Theatre, and Rebecca Cohn Auditorium. The Neptune Theatre, a 43-year-old establishment located on Argyle Street, is Halifax's largest theatre. It performs an assortment of professionally produced plays year-round. The Shakespeare by the Sea theatre company performs at nearby Point Pleasant Park. Eastern Front Theatre performs at
Alderney Landing Alderney Landing is a convention centre, art gallery, market, events plaza and theatre facility in Downtown Dartmouth, Nova Scotia. It was opened in May 1999. The theatre hosts many concerts, conventions and other events, and is the home of Halifa ...
in Downtown Dartmouth which can easily be accessed via the Halifax Transit ferry service. There are smaller performance venues at the Halifax Central Library,
Citadel High School Citadel High School is a high school in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. The school opened in September 2007 on the site of the former Bell Road Campus of the Nova Scotia Community College. Its location bordering Bell Road, Trollope Street, and Ahe ...
(Spatz Theatre), and
Halifax West High School Halifax West High School is a Canadian public high school located in the Clayton Park neighbourhood in the Halifax Regional Municipality, Nova Scotia. Encompassing grades 10 through 12, Halifax West High School offers a variety of courses in ...
(
Bella Rose Arts Centre The Bella Rose Arts Centre is a community-based proscenium theatre performing arts centre located inside of Halifax West High School in the Clayton Park neighbourhood of the Halifax Regional Municipality, Nova Scotia. The 600 seat, professional ...
). Halifax has also become a significant film production centre, with many American and Canadian filmmakers using the streetscapes, often to stand in for other cities that are more expensive to work in. The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation has its Atlantic Canada production centres (radio and television) based in Halifax, and quite a number of radio and television programs are made in the region for national broadcast. In 2020, filming began on the series Pub Crawl, which explores the historically significant bars of Halifax. The new Halifax Central Library on Spring Garden Road has received accolades for its architecture and has been described as a new cultural locus, offering many community facilities including a 300-seat auditorium.


Architecture

Halifax's urban core is home to a number of regional landmark buildings and retains significant historic buildings and districts. Downtown office towers are overlooked by the fortress of Citadel Hill with its iconic Halifax Town Clock. The architecture of Halifax's South End is renowned for its grand Victorian houses while the West End and North End, Halifax have many blocks of well-preserved wooden residential houses with notable features such as the "Halifax Porch". Dalhousie University's campus is often featured in films and documentaries. Surrounding areas of the municipality, including Dartmouth and Bedford, also possess their share of historic neighbourhoods and properties. The urban core is home to several blocks of typical North American high-rise office buildings; however, segments of the downtown are governed by height restrictions, known as "view planes legislation", which prevent buildings from obstructing certain sight lines between Citadel Hill and the Halifax Harbour. This has resulted in some modern high rises being built at unusual angles or locations.


Public spaces

The Halifax area has a variety of public spaces, ranging from urban gardens, public squares, expansive forested parks, and historic sites. The original grid plan devised when Halifax was founded in 1749 included a central military parade square, the Grand Parade. The square hosts the City Hall at one end, and is a popular site for concerts, political demonstrations, as well as the annual Remembrance Day ceremony at the central cenotaph. Another popular downtown public space is the timber Halifax Boardwalk, which stretches approximately and is integrated with several squares and monuments. The
Halifax Common The Halifax Common, in local popular usage often referred to as the Commons, is a Canadian urban park in Halifax Regional Municipality, Halifax, Nova Scotia. It is Canada’s oldest urban park. History The Halifax Common was originally a lightly ...
, granted for the use of citizens in 1763, is Canada's oldest public park. Centrally located on the Halifax peninsula, the wide fields are a popular location for sports. The slopes of Citadel Hill, overlooking downtown, are favoured by sunbathers and kite-flyers. The
Halifax Public Gardens The Halifax Public Gardens are Victorian-era public gardens formally established in 1867, the year of Canadian Confederation. The gardens are located in the Halifax, Nova Scotia on the Halifax Peninsula near the popular shopping district of Spri ...
, a short walk away, are Victorian era public gardens formally established in 1867 and designated a National Historic Site in 1984. Victoria Park, across the street, contains various monuments and statues erected by the North British Society, as well as a fountain. In contrast to the urban parks, the expansive Point Pleasant Park at the southern tip of the peninsula is heavily forested and contains the remains of numerous British fortifications. Located on the opposite side of the harbour, the Dartmouth Commons is a large park next to Downtown Dartmouth laid out in the 1700s. It is home to the Leighton Dillman gardens and various sports grounds. Nearby, the Dartmouth waterfront trail stretches from Downtown Dartmouth to Woodside. Among residents of central Dartmouth, the area around Sullivan's Pond and Lake Banook is popular for strolling and paddling. The forested
Shubie Park Shubie Park is a urban park in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia maintained by the Halifax Regional Municipality. Heavily forested, Shubie Park is roughly linear in shape as it is bounded on the north and west by Highway 118 expressway and on the south ...
, through which the historic Shubenacadie Canal runs, is a major park in suburban Dartmouth.
Mainland Halifax Mainland Halifax is the remaining portion of the community of Halifax, without the Halifax Peninsula. History For thousands of years, and currently, Mainland Halifax has been, is, and will be on the unceded ancestral lands of the Mi'kmaq. On ...
is home to several significant parks, including Sir Sandford Fleming Park, gifted to the people of Halifax by Sir Sandford Fleming. It houses the Dingle Tower, dedicated in 1912 by the
Duke of Connaught Duke of Connaught and Strathearn was a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom that was granted on 24 May 1874 by Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland to her third son, Prince Arthur. At the same time, he was also ...
to commemorate 150 years of representative government in Nova Scotia. The Mainland Common, in Clayton Park, is a modern park home to various sports and community facilities. Long Lake Provincial Park, comprising more than 2,000 hectares, was designated in 1984 and affords Halifax residents access to a scenic wilderness in close proximity to the urban communities.


Tourism

Halifax's tourism industry showcases Nova Scotia's culture, scenery and coastline. There are several museums and art galleries in downtown Halifax. The
Canadian Museum of Immigration at Pier 21 The Canadian Museum of Immigration at Pier 21, in Halifax, Nova Scotia, is Canada's national museum of immigration. The museum occupies part of Pier 21, the former ocean liner terminal and immigration shed from 1928 to 1971. Pier 21 is Canada's la ...
, an immigrant entry point prominent throughout the 1930s, 1940s, and 1950s, was opened to the public as a
National Historic Site of Canada National Historic Sites of Canada (french: Lieux historiques nationaux du Canada) are places that have been designated by the federal Minister of the Environment on the advice of the Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada (HSMBC), as being ...
in 1999 and is the only national museum in the Atlantic provinces. The Maritime Museum of the Atlantic is a maritime museum containing extensive galleries including a large exhibit on the famous , over 70 small craft and a steamship . In summertime the preserved World War II corvette operates as a museum ship and Canada's naval memorial. The Art Gallery of Nova Scotia is housed in a 150-year-old building containing nearly 19,000 works of art. The
Black Cultural Centre for Nova Scotia The Black Cultural Centre for Nova Scotia is located in Cherrybrook, Nova Scotia, in the Halifax Regional Municipality. The centre is a museum and a library resource centre that focuses on the history and culture of African Nova Scotians. The orga ...
in Dartmouth reflects the region's rich ethnic heritage. Halifax has numerous National Historic Sites, most notably Citadel Hill (Fort George). Just outside the urban area, the iconic Peggys Cove is internationally recognized and receives more than 600,000 visitors a year. The waterfront in Downtown Halifax is the site of the Halifax Harbourwalk, a
boardwalk A boardwalk (alternatively board walk, boarded path, or promenade) is an elevated footpath, walkway, or causeway built with wooden planks that enables pedestrians to cross wet, fragile, or marshy land. They are also in effect a low type of br ...
popular among tourists and locals alike. Many mid-sized ships dock here at one of the many wharfs. The harbourwalk is home to a Halifax Transit ferry terminal, hundreds of stores, Historic Properties, several office buildings, the Casino Nova Scotia, and several public squares where buskers perform, most prominently at the annual Halifax International Busker Festival every August. Downtown Halifax, home to many small shops and vendors, is a major shopping area. It is also home to several shopping centres, including Scotia Square, Barrington Place Shops, and Maritime Mall. Numerous malls on Spring Garden Road, including the Park Lane Mall, are also located nearby. The area is home to approximately 200 restaurants and bars, offering a wide array of world cuisines. There are also more than 60 sidewalk cafes that open in the summer months. The nightlife is made up of bars and small music venues as well as Casino Nova Scotia, a large facility built partially over the water. Cruise ships visit the province frequently. In 2015, the Port of Halifax welcomed 141 vessel calls with 222,309 passengers.


Sports

Halifax has various recreational areas, including ocean and lake beaches and rural and urban parks. It has a host of organized community intramural sports at various facilities. Public schools and post-secondary institutions offer varsity and intramural sports. The Scotiabank Centre is the largest arena in Atlantic Canada. It plays host to most of the major sporting events and concerts that visit Halifax and is home to several semi-professional sport franchises, including the
Halifax Hurricanes The Halifax Hurricanes are a professional basketball team based in Halifax, Nova Scotia. The Hurricanes were founded as members of the National Basketball League of Canada (NBLC) to replace the Halifax Rainmen, who declared bankruptcy in July 20 ...
of the
NBL Canada The National Basketball League of Canada (NBL Canada; french: Ligue nationale de basketball du Canada) is a Canadian professional men's minor league basketball organization. The NBL Canada was founded in 2011, when three existing Premier Basketb ...
, the Halifax Mooseheads of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League, and the
Halifax Thunderbirds The Halifax Thunderbirds are a professional box lacrosse team in the North Division of the National Lacrosse League (NLL). They play at Scotiabank Centre in Halifax, Nova Scotia. History On September 13, 2018, the NLL approved a franchise reloc ...
of the National Lacrosse League. The Royal Nova Scotia International Tattoo is held here every year. The facility is connected to the Downtown Halifax Link, and directly to the World Trade and Convention Centre. Halifax has also produced many athletes that have competed in each of the four major North American men's professional sports leagues such as Tyrone Williams, two time NFL
Super Bowl The Super Bowl is the annual final playoff game of the National Football League (NFL) to determine the league champion. It has served as the final game of every NFL season since 1966, replacing the NFL Championship Game. Since 2022, the gam ...
champion, NHL Stanley Cup champions, Sidney Crosby, Nathan MacKinnon, and
Brad Marchand Brad Marchand ( ; born May 11, 1988) is a Canadian professional ice hockey left winger and alternate captain for the Boston Bruins of the National Hockey League (NHL). The Bruins selected Marchand in the third round, 71st overall, of the 2006 ...
, NBA players
Lindell Wigginton Lindell Shamar Wigginton (born March 28, 1998) is a Canadian professional basketball player for the Milwaukee Bucks of the National Basketball Association (NBA), on a two-way contract with the Wisconsin Herd of the NBA G League. He played college ...
and Nate Darling who won the 2017 FIBA Under-19 World Cup with Team Canada, and MLB players
Rick Lisi Riccardo Patrick Emilio Lisi (born March 17, 1956 in Halifax, Nova Scotia) is a former Major League Baseball outfielder. He was drafted by the Texas Rangers in the 13th round of the 1974 amateur draft, and played for the Rangers in 1981. The ...
, Shorty Dee, John Doyle, Pat Hannivan,
Vince Horsman Vince Stanley Joseph Horsman (born March 9, 1967) is a Canadian former professional baseball pitcher, who played five seasons in Major League Baseball for the Toronto Blue Jays, Oakland Athletics, and Minnesota Twins. Since 2009, he has coach ...
, and Pat Scanlon. The region has hosted several major sporting events, including the 2003
World Junior Hockey Championship The IIHF World Junior Championship (WJC), or simply the "World Juniors" in ice hockey circles, is an annual event organized by the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) for national under-20 ice hockey teams from around the world. It is t ...
,
2003 Nokia Brier The 2003 Nokia Brier was held at the Halifax Metro Centre in Halifax, Nova Scotia from March 1–9. The defending champion, Randy Ferbey and his team from Alberta were the winners, winning their third Brier in a row. At the Worlds they went ...
, the
2004 Women's World Ice Hockey Championships The 2004 IIHF World Women's Championships were held March 30 – April 6, 2004 in Halifax and Dartmouth, Canada at the Halifax Metro Centre (now known as Scotiabank Centre), and the Dartmouth Sportsplex (now known as Zatzman Sportsplex). The ...
, the 2005 Canadian Olympic Curling Trials, and 2007 World Indoor Lacrosse Championship. From 1984 to 2007, the region was home to the CIS Men's Basketball Championship; the tournament was moved to
Ottawa Ottawa (, ; Canadian French: ) is the capital city of Canada. It is located at the confluence of the Ottawa River and the Rideau River in the southern portion of the province of Ontario. Ottawa borders Gatineau, Quebec, and forms the c ...
,
Ontario Ontario ( ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada.Ontario is located in the geographic eastern half of Canada, but it has historically and politically been considered to be part of Central Canada. Located in Central Ca ...
, from 2008 to 2010 and returned to Halifax in 2011 and 2012. The 2008 Men's World Ice Hockey Championships was held between May 2 and 18, 2008, in Halifax and Quebec City. Halifax was selected in 2006 as the host municipality in Canada's bid for the 2014 Commonwealth Games but withdrew on March 8, 2007, well before the November 9, 2007 selection date, citing financial uncertainties. In February 2011, the municipality hosted the
2011 Canada Winter Games The 2011 Canada Winter Games were held in Halifax, Nova Scotia, from Friday, 11 February 2011, to Sunday, 27 February 2011. Bids Four bids (all from Nova Scotia, as it was that province's turn) were made for the games, and eventually Halifax was ...
. On May 26, 2013, the Halifax Mooseheads capped a 74-win season (going 74-7-3-1) by defeating the Portland Winterhawks 6–4 in the MasterCard Memorial Cup Final, earning their first Memorial Cup in the process. The
Halifax Crescents The Halifax Crescents were an early amateur and later, professional ice hockey team operating in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. The team operated in several leagues, gone defunct and been resurrected. The original club challenged for the Stanley Cup ...
, an amateur and later, professional ice hockey team challenged for the Stanley Cup in 1900 but lost to the Montreal Shamrocks. Halifax is also home to several rugby clubs; the Dartmouth PigDogs, the Eastern Shore Rugby Football Club, the Halifax Rugby Football Club, the Halifax Tars, and the Riverlake Ramblers. The Halifax Gaels are the local Hurling and Gaelic Football team that compete in Canadian GAA events. The municipality is also home to
HFX Wanderers FC HFX Wanderers Football Club, commonly known as HFX Wanderers, and spoken as Halifax Wanderers, is a Canadian professional soccer club in Halifax, Nova Scotia. The club competes in the Canadian Premier League at the top of the Canadian soccer le ...
, a professional soccer club that competes in the Canadian Premier League.


Media

Halifax is the Atlantic region's central point for radio broadcast and press media. CBC Television, CTV Television Network (CTV), and Global Television Network and other broadcasters all have important regional television concentrators in the municipality.
CBC Radio CBC Radio is the English-language radio operations of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. The CBC operates a number of radio networks serving different audiences and programming niches, all of which (regardless of language) are outlined belo ...
has a major regional studio and there are also regional hubs for Rogers Radio and various private broadcast franchises, as well as a regional bureau for The Canadian Press/ Broadcast News. Halifax's print media is centred on its single daily newspaper, the broadsheet ''
Chronicle Herald ''The Chronicle Herald'' is a broadsheet newspaper published in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada owned by SaltWire Network of Halifax. The paper's newsroom staff were locked out of work from January 2016 until August 2017. ''Herald'' management cont ...
'' as well as two free newspapers, the daily commuter-oriented edition of '' Metro International'' and the free alternative arts weekly '' The Coast''. '' Frank'' provides the municipality with a bi-weekly satirical and gossip magazine. Halifax has several online daily newspapers. '' allNovaScotia'' is a daily, subscriber-only outlet which focuses on business and political news from across the province. ''HalifaxToday'' is a free news website, owned by Village Media, which originated from the now-defunct '' Local Xpress'' outlet created by the journalists of the Chronicle Herald during a 2016–2017 strike. The '' Halifax Examiner'' was founded by the former news editor of ''The Coast'' in 2014 and, like ''allNovaScotia'', is supported through subscriptions. From 1974 to 2008, Halifax had a second daily newspaper, the tabloid '' The Daily News'', which still publishes several neighbourhood weekly papers such as ''The Bedford-Sackville Weekly News'', ''The Halifax West-Clayton Park Weekly News'' and the ''Dartmouth-Cole Harbour Weekly News''. These weekly papers compete with ''The Chronicle-Heralds weekly Community Heralds ''HRM West'', ''HRM East'', and ''HRM North''.


Demographics

Between 2016-and-2021, the urban area (''population centre'') and municipal areas experienced strong growth. Over that time-frame; the municipality added 36,688 people (an increase of over 9.1%), and the urban area (''population centre'') added 31,300 people (an increase of over 9.8%). In the 2021 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, the Halifax Regional Municipality had a population of 439,819 living in 190,512 of its 200,473 total private dwellings, a change of from its 2016 population of 403,131. With a land area of , it had a population density of in 2021. At the census metropolitan area (CMA) level in the 2021 census, the Halifax CMA had a population of living in of its total private dwellings, a change of from its 2016 population of . With a land area of , it had a population density of in 2021. As of 2021, the population centre ( urban area) of Halifax housed 348,634 people living in 154,883 of its 162,336 total private dwellings. The human population density of Halifax's population centre was approximately . The 2021 census reported that immigrants (individuals born outside Canada) comprise 50,595 persons or 11.6% of the total population of Halifax. Of the total immigrant population, the top countries of origin were United Kingdom (6,345 persons or 12.5%), India (4,785 persons or 9.5%), China (3,740 persons or 7.4%), United States of America (3,545 persons or 7.0%), Philippines (3,415 persons or 6.7%), Syria (2,085 persons or 4.1%), Nigeria (1,625 persons or 3.2%), Lebanon (1,340 persons or 2.6%), South Korea (1,020 persons or 2.0%), and Iran (980 persons or 1.9%).


Ethnic origins


Language

Mother tongue language (2021)


Religion

According to the 2021 census, religious groups in Halifax included: *
Christianity Christianity is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth. It is the world's largest and most widespread religion with roughly 2.38 billion followers representing one-third of the global popula ...
(231,255 persons or 53.1%) * Irreligion (173,005 persons or 39.7%) *
Islam Islam (; ar, ۘالِإسلَام, , ) is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion centred primarily around the Quran, a religious text considered by Muslims to be the direct word of God (or '' Allah'') as it was revealed to Muhammad, the ...
(13,220 persons or 3.0%) *
Hinduism Hinduism () is an Indian religion or '' dharma'', a religious and universal order or way of life by which followers abide. As a religion, it is the world's third-largest, with over 1.2–1.35 billion followers, or 15–16% of the global p ...
(6,840 persons or 1.6%) *
Buddhism Buddhism ( , ), also known as Buddha Dharma and Dharmavinaya (), is an Indian religion or philosophical tradition based on teachings attributed to the Buddha. It originated in northern India as a -movement in the 5th century BCE, and ...
(2,195 persons or 0.5%) *
Sikhism Sikhism (), also known as Sikhi ( pa, ਸਿੱਖੀ ', , from pa, ਸਿੱਖ, lit=disciple', 'seeker', or 'learner, translit=Sikh, label=none),''Sikhism'' (commonly known as ''Sikhī'') originated from the word ''Sikh'', which comes fro ...
(3,495 persons or 0.8%) *
Judaism Judaism ( he, ''Yahăḏūṯ'') is an Abrahamic, monotheistic, and ethnic religion comprising the collective religious, cultural, and legal tradition and civilization of the Jewish people. It has its roots as an organized religion in th ...
(1,750 persons or 0.4%) * Indigenous Spirituality (210 persons or <0.1%) *Other (3,315 persons or 0.8%) Halifax is a religiously diverse municipality with such landmark religious institutions as St.Mary's Basilica, the
New Horizons Baptist Church New Horizons Baptist Church is a Baptist church in Halifax, Nova Scotia that was established by Black Refugees in 1832. When the chapel was completed, black citizens of Halifax were reported to be proud because it was evidence that former slaves ...
, St. George's (Round) Church, United Rockingham Church, St. Andrew's United Church, the Ummah Mosque and Community Centre, the Centre for Islamic Development, the Vedanta Ashram Hindu Temple, the Atlantic Theravada Buddhist Temple, The Maritime Sikh Society, the Beth Israel Synagogue, the Shaar Shalom Synagogue, and the Universalist Unitarian Church. Halifax also houses the
Atlantic School of Theology Atlantic School of Theology (AST) is a Canadian public ecumenical university that provides graduate level theological education and undertakes research to assist students to prepare for Christian ministries and other forms of public leadership. ...
for religious studies.


Economy

The urban area of Halifax is a major economic centre in eastern Canada with a large concentration of government services and private sector companies. Halifax serves as the business, banking, government and cultural centre for the Maritime region. The largest employment sectors within the municipality include trade (36,400 jobs), health care and social assistance (31,800 jobs), professional services (19,000 jobs), education (17,400 jobs), and public administration (15,800 jobs). The Halifax economy is growing, with the Conference Board of Canada predicting strong 3.0% GDP growth for 2015. Major employers and economic generators include the
Department of National Defence Department of Defence or Department of Defense may refer to: Current departments of defence * Department of Defence (Australia) * Department of National Defence (Canada) * Department of Defence (Ireland) * Department of National Defense (Philippin ...
, the
Port of Halifax The Port of Halifax comprises various port facilities in Halifax Harbour in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. It covers of land, and looks after of water. Strategically located as North America's first inbound and last outbound gateway, the port of ...
, Irving Shipbuilding, the Nova Scotia Health Authority, IMP Group,
Bell Aliant Bell Aliant is a brand name used by Bell Canada for telecommunications services in Atlantic Canada. Prior to 2015, Bell Aliant Inc. (formerly Aliant Inc.) was a separate company providing telecom services in the Atlantic provinces and a few othe ...
, Emera, the
Bedford Institute of Oceanography The Bedford Institute of Oceanography (BIO) is a major Government of Canada ocean research facility located in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia. BIO is the largest ocean research station in Canada. Established in 1962 as Canada's first, and currently ...
, government, banks, and universities. The municipality has a growing concentration of manufacturing industries and is becoming a major multi-modal transportation hub through growth at the port, the Halifax Stanfield International Airport, and improving rail and highway connections. Halifax is one of Canada's top four container ports in terms of the volume of cargo handled. A real estate boom in recent years has led to numerous new property developments, including the
gentrification Gentrification is the process of changing the character of a neighborhood through the influx of more affluent residents and businesses. It is a common and controversial topic in urban politics and planning. Gentrification often increases the ...
of some former working-class areas. Agriculture, fishing, mining, forestry and natural gas extraction are major resource industries found in the rural areas of the municipality. Halifax's largest agricultural district is in the
Musquodoboit Valley The Musquodoboit Valley ( ) is a valley and region in the Halifax Regional Municipality of Nova Scotia, Canada. It is administratively located in the municipality's Musquodoboit Valley & Dutch Settlement planning area and the western edge of the ...
; the total number of farms in Halifax is 150, of which 110 are family-owned. Fishing harbours are located along all coastal areas with some having an independent harbour authority, such as the Sheet Harbour Industrial Port, and others being managed as small craft harbours under the federal Fisheries and Oceans Canada. Other resource industries in Halifax include the natural gas fields off the coast of Sable Island, as well as clay, gold, gypsum, limestone, and shale extraction in rural areas of the mainland portion of the municipality. Limestone is extracted in the Musquodoboit Valley and gold is extracted in Moose River.


Government

The Halifax Regional Municipality is governed by a mayor (elected at large) and a sixteen-person council. Councillors are elected by geographic district, with municipal elections occurring every four years. The current mayor of Halifax is Mike Savage. The
Halifax Regional Council Halifax Regional Council (french: Conseil régional d'Halifax) is the governing body of Halifax, known as the Halifax Regional Municipality (HRM). Halifax is governed by a mayor-council system, where councillors are elected from sixteen geographi ...
is responsible for all facets of municipal government, including the
Halifax Regional Police The Halifax Regional Police (HRP) is one of a number of law enforcement agencies operating in the Halifax, Nova Scotia; the other primaries being the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and the Canadian Forces Military Police. The city also is home to a ...
,
Halifax Public Libraries Halifax Public Libraries (HPL) is a Canadian public library system serving residents of Halifax, Nova Scotia. It is the largest public library system in Nova Scotia, with over 2.8 million visits to library branches and 172,520 active registered ...
,
Halifax Fire and Emergency Halifax Regional Fire and Emergency Services provides fire protection, rescue and first responder assistance throughout Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. History Halifax originated as a British fortification in 1749, followed by Dartmouth in 1750 ...
,
Halifax Regional Water Commission The Halifax Regional Water Commission (HRWC), publicly known as Halifax Water, is the municipal water, wastewater and stormwater utility serving the residents of the Halifax Regional Municipality (HRM), pursuant to the Public Utilities Act. An ...
, parks and recreation, civic addressing, public works, waste management, and planning and development. The provincial legislation that provides governance oversight to the municipality is the Halifax Regional Municipality Charter. The municipality has a proposed operating budget of $869 million for 2015–2016. The municipality also has three
community councils A community council is a public representative body in Great Britain. In England they may be statutory parish councils by another name, under the Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Act 2007, or they may be non-statutory bodies. ...
that consider local matters. Each community council comprises five or six regional councillors representing neighbouring districts. Most community council decisions are subject to final approval by regional council. As the
capital Capital may refer to: Common uses * Capital city, a municipality of primary status ** List of national capital cities * Capital letter, an upper-case letter Economics and social sciences * Capital (economics), the durable produced goods used fo ...
of Nova Scotia, Halifax is also the meeting place of the Nova Scotia House of Assembly, the oldest assembly in Canada and the site of the first responsible government in British North America. The legislature meets in Province House, a nearly 200-year-old National Historic Site in downtown Halifax hailed as one of the finest examples of Palladian architecture in North America.


Education

Halifax has a well-developed network of public and private schools, providing instruction from grade primary to grade twelve; 136 public schools are administered by the
Halifax Regional School Board The Halifax Regional Centre for Education (formerly Halifax Regional School Board) is the public school district responsible for 136 elementary, junior high, and high schools located in the Halifax Regional Municipality in Halifax County, Nova Scot ...
, while six public schools are administered by the
Conseil scolaire acadien provincial The Conseil scolaire acadien provincial is the Francophone school board for Nova Scotia. It was created in 1996. Schools *Centre scolaire Étoile de l'Acadie (pr to 12); Sydney *École acadienne de Pomquet (pr to 12); Pomquet *École Beau-Por ...
. The municipality's fourteen private schools are operated independently. The municipality is also home to the following post-secondary educational institutions: Dalhousie University, University of King's College, Mount Saint Vincent University, NSCAD University,
Nova Scotia Community College Nova Scotia Community College, commonly referred to as NSCC, is a community college serving the province of Nova Scotia through a network of 14 campuses and three community learning centres. The college delivers over 130 programs in five acade ...
, the Halifax campus of Université Sainte-Anne, Saint Mary's University, the
Atlantic School of Theology Atlantic School of Theology (AST) is a Canadian public ecumenical university that provides graduate level theological education and undertakes research to assist students to prepare for Christian ministries and other forms of public leadership. ...
, and several private institutions. The largest of these, Dalhousie University, is Atlantic Canada's premier research-intensive university ranking 7th in Maclean's and 228th in the world. This school is host to most of the province's professional schools while other institutions focus primarily though not exclusively on undergraduate education. The plethora of university and college students contributes to the vibrant youth culture in the region, as well as making it a major centre for university education in eastern Canada.


Transportation


Air

Halifax Stanfield International Airport serves Halifax and most of the province, providing scheduled flights to domestic and international destinations. The airport served 4,083,188 passengers in 2017, making it Canada's eighth busiest airport by passenger traffic. Shearwater, part of CFB Halifax, is the air base for maritime helicopters employed by the Royal Canadian Navy and is located on the eastern side of Halifax Harbour.


Cycling

In recent years, the municipality has also begun to place increased emphasis on developing bicycling infrastructure. Halifax has developed of bikeways, of which are dedicated bicycle lanes.


Road

The urban core is linked by the
Angus L. Macdonald Angus Lewis Macdonald (August 10, 1890 – April 13, 1954), popularly known as 'Angus L.', was a Canadian lawyer, law professor and politician from Nova Scotia. He served as the Liberal premier of Nova Scotia from 1933 to 1940, when he became ...
and A. Murray MacKay suspension bridges, as well as the network of 100-series highways which function as expressways. The Armdale traffic circle is an infamous choke point for vehicle movement in the western part of the urban core, especially at rush hour.


Public transit

Public transit is provided by Halifax Transit, which operates standard bus routes, regional express bus routes, as well as the pedestrian-only Halifax-Dartmouth Ferry Service. Established in 1752, the municipality's ferry service is the oldest continuously running
salt water Saline water (more commonly known as salt water) is water that contains a high concentration of dissolved salts (mainly sodium chloride). On the United States Geological Survey (USGS) salinity scale, saline water is saltier than brackish w ...
ferry service in North America.


Rail

The Halifax Port Authority's various shipping terminals constitute the eastern terminus of Canadian National Railway's transcontinental network. Via Rail Canada provides overnight passenger rail service from the Halifax Railway Station three days a week to
Montreal Montreal ( ; officially Montréal, ) is the second-most populous city in Canada and most populous city in the Canadian province of Quebec. Founded in 1642 as '' Ville-Marie'', or "City of Mary", it is named after Mount Royal, the triple- ...
with the '' Ocean'', a train equipped with sleeper cars that stops in major centres along the way, such as Moncton. The Halifax Railway Station also serves as the terminus for Maritime Bus, which serves destinations across the Maritimes.


Water

Halifax Harbour is a major port used by numerous shipping lines, administered by the Halifax Port Authority. The Royal Canadian Navy and the Canadian Coast Guard have major installations along prominent sections of coastline in both Halifax and Dartmouth. The harbour is also home to a public ferry service connecting downtown Halifax to two locations in Dartmouth. Sheet Harbour is the other major port in the municipality and serves industrial users on the Eastern Shore.


Sister cities

* Hakodate, Japan (1982). The cities chose to twin because they both have
star fort A bastion fort or ''trace italienne'' (a phrase derived from non-standard French, literally meaning ''Italian outline'') is a fortification in a style that evolved during the early modern period of gunpowder when the cannon came to domin ...
s and are both maritime ports. Halifax has donated many fir trees to the annual Hakodate Christmas Fantasy festival. * Campeche, Mexico (1999). Campeche was chosen because, like Halifax, it is "a capital of a state" and is "a city of similar size to Halifax on or near the coast having rich historical tradition". * Norfolk, Virginia, United States (2006). Norfolk was chosen because, like Halifax, its economy "depends heavily on the presence of the Armed Forces, and both cities are very proud of their military history".


Notable Haligonians


See also

*
Halifax (electoral district) Halifax is a federal electoral district in Nova Scotia, Canada. It is one of a handful of ridings which has been represented continuously (albeit with different boundaries) in the House of Commons since Confederation in 1867. The riding of Hal ...
, a federal electoral district since Confederation * Halifax Regional Search and Rescue * Halifax West, a federal electoral district since 1979 * List of municipalities in Nova Scotia


Notes


References


Further reading

* Laffoley, Steven (2007). ''Hunting Halifax: In Search of History, Mystery and Murder''. Pottersfield Press. . * * * *


External links

* {{Authority control 1749 establishments in the British Empire Geographic regions of Nova Scotia Populated coastal places in Canada Populated places established in 1996 Port cities and towns on the Canadian Atlantic coast Regional municipalities in Nova Scotia