Halifax is the capital and most populous municipality of the
Canadian province
Canada has ten provinces and three territories that are sub-national administrative divisions under the jurisdiction of the Constitution of Canada, Canadian Constitution. In the 1867 Canadian Confederation, three provinces of British North Amer ...
of
Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada, located on its east coast. It is one of the three Maritime Canada, Maritime provinces and Population of Canada by province and territory, most populous province in Atlan ...
, and the most populous municipality in
Atlantic Canada
Atlantic Canada, also called the Atlantic provinces (), is the list of regions of Canada, region of Eastern Canada comprising four provinces: New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, and Prince Edward Island. As of 2021, the landma ...
. As of 2024, it is estimated that the population of the Halifax
CMA was 530,167, with 348,634 people in its
urban area
An urban area is a human settlement with a high population density and an infrastructure of built environment. Urban areas originate through urbanization, and researchers categorize them as cities, towns, conurbations or suburbs. In urbani ...
.
The regional municipality consists of four former municipalities that were
amalgamated in 1996:
Halifax,
Dartmouth,
Bedford
Bedford is a market town in Bedfordshire, England. At the 2011 Census, the population was 106,940. Bedford is the county town of Bedfordshire and seat of the Borough of Bedford local government district.
Bedford was founded at a ford (crossin ...
, and
Halifax County.
Halifax is an economic centre of Atlantic Canada, home to a concentration of government offices and private companies. Major employers include the
Department of National Defence
A ministry of defence or defense (see spelling differences), also known as a department of defence or defense, is the part of a government responsible for matters of defence and military forces, found in states where the government is divided ...
,
Dalhousie University
Dalhousie University (commonly known as Dal) is a large public research university in Nova Scotia, Canada, with three campuses in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Halifax, a fourth in Bible Hill, Nova Scotia, Bible Hill, and a second medical school campus ...
,
Nova Scotia Health Authority
The Nova Scotia Health Authority is a provincial health authority serving Nova Scotia, Canada. It is the largest employer in the province, with more than 23,000 employees, 2,500 physicians and 7,000 volunteers working from 45 different facilities. ...
,
Saint Mary's University, the
Halifax Shipyard, various levels of government, and the
Port of Halifax. Resource industries found in rural areas of the municipality include agriculture, fishing, mining, forestry, and natural gas extraction.
History
The
Mi'kmaq
The Mi'kmaq (also ''Mi'gmaq'', ''Lnu'', ''Mi'kmaw'' or ''Mi'gmaw''; ; , and formerly Micmac) are an Indigenous group of people of the Northeastern Woodlands, native to the areas of Canada's Atlantic Provinces, primarily Nova Scotia, New Bru ...
name for Halifax is , pronounced "che-book-took". The name means "Great Harbour" in the
Mi'kmaq language
The Miꞌkmaq language ( ; ), or , is an Eastern Algonquian language spoken by nearly 11,000 Miꞌkmaq in Canada and the United States; the total ethnic Miꞌkmaq population is roughly 20,000. The native name of the language is , or (in some ...
.

The first permanent European settlement in the region was on the
Halifax Peninsula. The establishment of the ''Town of Halifax'', named after the
2nd Earl of Halifax, in 1749 led to the transfer of the colonial capital from
Annapolis Royal.
The establishment of Halifax marked the beginning of
Father Le Loutre's War
Father Le Loutre's War (1749–1755), also known as the Indian War, the Mi'kmaq War and the Anglo-Mi'kmaq War, took place between King George's War and the French and Indian War in Acadia and Nova Scotia. On one side of the conflict, the Kingdo ...
. The war began when
Edward Cornwallis 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
The Acadians (; , ) are an ethnic group descended from the French who settled in the New France colony of Acadia during the 17th and 18th centuries. Today, most descendants of Acadians live in either the Northern American region of Acadia, ...
and French attacks on the new Protestant settlements, British fortifications were erected in Halifax
(Citadel Hill) (1749), Bedford (
Fort Sackville) (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 who migrated from
Lunenburg, Nova Scotia
Lunenburg () is a port town on the South Shore (Nova Scotia), South Shore of Nova Scotia, Canada. Founded in 1753, the town was one of the first British attempts to settle Protestants in Nova Scotia.
Historically, Lunenburg's economy relied o ...
during the American Revolution.
December 6, 1917, saw one of the great 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
On the morning of 6 December 1917, the French cargo ship collided with the Norwegian vessel in the harbour of Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. ''Mont-Blanc'', laden with Explosive material, high explosives, caught fire and exploded, devastat ...
, devastated the
Richmond District in the North End 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 is the capital and most populous city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the United States. The city serves as the cultural and Financial centre, financial center of New England, a region of the Northeas ...
, strengthening the
bond between the two coastal cities.
The four municipalities in the Halifax urban area had been coordinating delivery of some services through the Metropolitan Authority since the late 1970s, but remained independent towns and cities until April 1, 1996, when the provincial government
amalgamated 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, regional council approved the implementation of a new branding campaign for the municipality. 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.
Geography
Climate
Halifax has a
humid continental climate
A humid continental climate is a climatic region defined by Russo-German climatologist Wladimir Köppen in 1900, typified by four distinct seasons and large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot (and often humid) summers, and cold ...
(
Köppen Köppen is a German surname. Notable people with the surname include:
* Bernd Köppen (1951–2014), German pianist and composer
* Carl Köppen (1833-1907), German military advisor in Meiji era Japan
* Edlef Köppen (1893–1939), German author ...
''Dfb''), with warm summers and relatively mild winters, which is due to
Gulf Stream
The Gulf Stream is a warm and swift Atlantic ocean current that originates in the Gulf of Mexico and flows through the Straits of Florida and up the eastern coastline of the United States, then veers east near 36°N latitude (North Carolin ...
moderation. The
weather
Weather is the state of the atmosphere, describing for example the degree to which it is hot or cold, wet or dry, calm or stormy, clear or cloud cover, cloudy. On Earth, most weather phenomena occur in the lowest layer of the planet's atmo ...
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 daylight (i.e. the summer solstice). This also applies to the minimum ...
in summer, with August being significantly warmer than June and with September being the third mildest month in terms of mean temperature.
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 The name Earl has been used for eight tropical cyclones in the Atlantic Ocean.
* Hurricane Earl (1980) — a Category 1 hurricane that drifted over the central Atlantic Ocean without affecting land.
* Hurricane Earl (1986) — a Category 2 hurric ...
grazed the coast as a
category 1 storm in 2010. In 2019,
Hurricane Dorian
Hurricane Dorian was an extremely powerful and catastrophic tropical cyclone, which became the most intense on record to strike The Bahamas. It is tied with the 1935 Labor Day hurricane for the strongest landfall in the Atlantic basin in term ...
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. In 2021
Hurricane Ida hit the region with minor damage. In 2022,
Hurricane Fiona hit as a category 2 storm, although damage was relatively minor in Halifax, with downed trees and widespread power outages for days. Atlantic
sea surface temperature
Sea surface temperature (or ocean surface temperature) is the ocean temperature, temperature of ocean water close to the surface. The exact meaning of ''surface'' varies in the literature and in practice. It is usually between and below the sea ...
s 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 are only three days that go 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 2021 Canadian census was a detailed enumeration of the Canada, Canadian population with a reference date of May 11, 2021. It follows the 2016 Canadian census, which recorded a population of 35,151,728. The overall response rate was 98%, whic ...
, 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
The metropolitan area grew between the
2016 Canadian Census
The 2016 Canadian census was an enumeration of Canadian residents, which counted a population of 35,151,728, a change from its 2011 population of 33,476,688. The census, conducted by Statistics Canada, was Canada's seventh quinquennial census. ...
and the
2021 Canadian Census
The 2021 Canadian census was a detailed enumeration of the Canada, Canadian population with a reference date of May 11, 2021. It follows the 2016 Canadian census, which recorded a population of 35,151,728. The overall response rate was 98%, whic ...
. Before the
2021 Canadian Census
The 2021 Canadian census was a detailed enumeration of the Canada, Canadian population with a reference date of May 11, 2021. It follows the 2016 Canadian census, which recorded a population of 35,151,728. The overall response rate was 98%, whic ...
, Metropolitan Halifax covered After the addition of the
Municipality of East Hants, the metropolitan area's land area expanded by 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
Prince Edward Island is an island Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. While it is the smallest province by land area and population, it is the most densely populated. The island has several nicknames: "Garden of the Gulf", ...
, and measures approximately in length between its eastern and westernmost extremities, excluding
Sable Island
Sable Island (, literally "island of sand") is a small, remote island off the coast of Nova Scotia, Canada. Sable Island is located in the North Atlantic Ocean, about southeast of Halifax, Nova Scotia, Halifax, and about southeast of the clo ...
. The nearest point of land to Sable Island is not in HRM, but rather in adjacent
Guysborough County. 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
Halifax Harbour is a large natural harbour on the Atlantic coast of Nova Scotia, Canada, located in the Halifax Regional Municipality. Halifax largely owes its existence to the harbour, being one of the largest and deepest ice-free natural har ...
/
Bedford Basin,
Cole Harbour,
Musquodoboit Harbour, Jeddore Harbour, Ship Harbour, Sheet Harbour, and Ecum Secum Harbour. The municipality's topography spans from lush
farmland
Agricultural land is typically land ''devoted to'' agriculture, the systematic and controlled use of other forms of lifeparticularly the rearing of livestock and production of cropsto produce food for humans. It is generally synonymous with bot ...
in the
Musquodoboit Valley 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
Sable Island (, literally "island of sand") is a small, remote island off the coast of Nova Scotia, Canada. Sable Island is located in the North Atlantic Ocean, about southeast of Halifax, Nova Scotia, Halifax, and about southeast of the clo ...
.
Regional Centre
The Halifax Regional Centre includes the
Halifax Peninsula, and
Dartmouth inside the Circumferential Highway. The new inner urban area covers 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 is home to large entertainment venues, such as
Scotiabank Centre, and major hospitals, including
Dartmouth General Hospital, the
QEII Health Sciences Centre, and
IWK Health Centre
IWK Health is a major women's and children's (pediatric) hospital and trauma centre in Halifax, Nova Scotia that provides care to maritime youth, children and women from Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island and beyond. The IWK is the ...
.
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 type of a human settlement, generally larger than a village but smaller than a city.
The criteria for distinguishing a town vary globally, often depending on factors such as population size, economic character, administrative stat ...
of
Bedford
Bedford is a market town in Bedfordshire, England. At the 2011 Census, the population was 106,940. Bedford is the county town of Bedfordshire and seat of the Borough of Bedford local government district.
Bedford was founded at a ford (crossin ...
, and the former cities of
Dartmouth and
Halifax have maintained their original geographic names. Furthermore, communities that were
suburban
A suburb (more broadly suburban area) is an area within a metropolitan area. They are oftentimes where most of a metropolitan areas jobs are located with some being predominantly residential. They can either be denser or less densely populated ...
, 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 are typically desc ...
before 1996, now have become more urban and have attained ''community'' status (e.g.
Cole Harbour,
Lower Sackville,
Spryfield
Spryfield is a 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 Provincial Park (Nov ...
, et cetera). These community names are used on survey and
map
A map is a symbolic depiction of interrelationships, commonly spatial, between things within a space. A map may be annotated with text and graphics. Like any graphic, a map may be fixed to paper or other durable media, or may be displayed on ...
ping documents, for
9-1-1
911, sometimes written , is an emergency telephone number for Argentina, Canada, the Dominican Republic, Fiji, Jordan, Mexico, Pakistan, Maldives, Palau, Panama, Iraq, the Philippines, Sint Maarten, the United States, and Uruguay, as well as ...
service, municipal planning, and postal service.
Before the
amalgamation of Halifax in 1996, and since its restructure as a
municipality
A municipality is usually a single administrative division having municipal corporation, corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate.
The term ''municipality' ...
, the growth of Halifax has gradually increased. Many of the present day communities within the
conurbation
A conurbation is a region consisting of a number of metropolises, cities, large towns, and other urban areas which, through population growth and physical expansion, have merged to form one continuous urban or industrially developed area. In most ...
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
A conurbation is a region consisting of a number of metropolises, cities, large towns, and other urban areas which, through population growth and physical expansion, have merged to form one continuous urban or industrially developed area. In most ...
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 products and services without travelling long distances (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
The Atlantic Ocean is the second largest of the world's five borders of the oceans, oceanic divisions, with an area of about . It covers approximately 17% of Earth#Surface, Earth's surface and about 24% of its water surface area. During the ...
lies to the south. Certain rural communities on the urban fringe function as
suburban
A suburb (more broadly suburban area) is an area within a metropolitan area. They are oftentimes where most of a metropolitan areas jobs are located with some being predominantly residential. They can either be denser or less densely populated ...
or
exurban
An exurb (or alternately: exurban area) is an area outside the typically denser inner suburban area, at the edge of a metropolitan area, which has some economic and commuting connection to the metro area, low housing-density,
and relatively hi ...
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 encompasses crop and livestock production, aquaculture, and forestry for food and non-food products. Agriculture was a key factor in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created ...
, in the Musquodoboit Valley,
fishing
Fishing is the activity of trying to catch fish. Fish are often caught as wildlife from the natural environment (Freshwater ecosystem, freshwater or Marine ecosystem, marine), but may also be caught from Fish stocking, stocked Body of water, ...
, along the coast,
mining
Mining is the Resource extraction, extraction of valuable geological materials and minerals from the surface of the Earth. Mining is required to obtain most materials that cannot be grown through agriculture, agricultural processes, or feasib ...
, in the Musquodoboit Valley and in
Moose River Gold Mines and
forestry
Forestry is the science and craft of creating, managing, planting, using, conserving and repairing forests and woodlands for associated resources for human and Natural environment, environmental benefits. Forestry is practiced in plantations and ...
, in most areas outside the urban core. Also, the
tourism
Tourism is travel for pleasure, and the Commerce, commercial activity of providing and supporting such travel. World Tourism Organization, UN Tourism defines tourism more generally, in terms which go "beyond the common perception of tourism as ...
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 and
Taylor Head Beach, located in
Spry Bay, within the boundaries of
Taylor Head Provincial Park.
The northeastern area of the municipality, centred on
Sheet Harbour
Sheet Harbour is a rural area, rural community in Nova Scotia, Canada. It is located in the eastern reaches of the Halifax, Nova Scotia, Halifax Regional Municipality, approximately northeast of the central urban area of the municipality, co ...
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'' Miꞌkmawiꞌsimk: ''Piktuk'') 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) nor ...
and
Colchester
Colchester ( ) is a city in northeastern Essex, England. It is the second-largest settlement in the county, with a population of 130,245 at the 2021 United Kingdom census, 2021 Census. The demonym is ''Colcestrian''.
Colchester occupies the ...
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 , Halifax's
urban area
An urban area is a human settlement with a high population density and an infrastructure of built environment. Urban areas originate through urbanization, and researchers categorize them as cities, towns, conurbations or suburbs. In urbani ...
(defined as ''population centre'' by Statistics Canada) is less than five percent of the municipal land area.
The area surrounds
Halifax Harbour
Halifax Harbour is a large natural harbour on the Atlantic coast of Nova Scotia, Canada, located in the Halifax Regional Municipality. Halifax largely owes its existence to the harbour, being one of the largest and deepest ice-free natural har ...
and its main centres are
Bedford
Bedford is a market town in Bedfordshire, England. At the 2011 Census, the population was 106,940. Bedford is the county town of Bedfordshire and seat of the Borough of Bedford local government district.
Bedford was founded at a ford (crossin ...
,
Dartmouth, and Halifax (and their respective environs).
Between the
2016 Canadian Census
The 2016 Canadian census was an enumeration of Canadian residents, which counted a population of 35,151,728, a change from its 2011 population of 33,476,688. The census, conducted by Statistics Canada, was Canada's seventh quinquennial census. ...
and the
2021 Canadian Census
The 2021 Canadian census was a detailed enumeration of the Canada, Canadian population with a reference date of May 11, 2021. It follows the 2016 Canadian census, which recorded a population of 35,151,728. The overall response rate was 98%, whic ...
, the
built-up area
Buildup may refer to:
* Atomic buildup
In atomic physics and quantum chemistry, the Aufbau principle (, from ), also called the Aufbau rule, states that in the ground state of an atom or ion, electrons first fill Electron shell#Subshells, sub ...
of Halifax grew by from in
2016
2016 was designated as:
* International Year of Pulses by the sixty-eighth session of the United Nations General Assembly.
* International Year of Global Understanding (IYGU) by the International Council for Science (ICSU), the Internationa ...
to 23,829 hectares (238.29 km
2) in
2021
Like the year 2020, 2021 was also heavily defined by the COVID-19 pandemic, due to the emergence of multiple Variants of SARS-CoV-2, COVID-19 variants. The major global rollout of COVID-19 vaccines, which began at the end of 2020, continued ...
.
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 Art Gallery of Nova Scotia (AGNS) is a public provincial museums of Canada, provincial art museum based in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. The art museum's primary building complex is located in downtown Halifax and takes up ...
,
The Khyber
The Khyber Centre for the Arts (est. 1995) is a queer-led artist-run centre located in downtown Halifax NS. The centre presents non-commercial artwork, offers a self-led platform for artists and their practices, and aims to disrupt systemic caus ...
, the
Maritime Museum of the Atlantic
The Maritime Museum of the Atlantic is a maritime museum located in downtown Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada.
The museum is a member institution of the Nova Scotia Museum and is the oldest and largest maritime museum in Canada with a collection o ...
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 Day is a non-statutory holiday in Nova Scotia, Canada, celebrated on the first Monday in August. It coincides with other Civic Holidays across Canada.
History
Natal Day was originally celebrated on June 21, to commemorate the establishmen ...
,
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 is the largest LGBT event in Atlantic Canada and one of the largest in the country. Many of Halifax's festivals and annual events have become world-renowned over the past several years.
Halifax is home to many performance venues, namely the Music Room, the
Neptune Theatre, and
Rebecca Cohn Auditorium. The Neptune Theatre, established in the 1960s and 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 in
Downtown Dartmouth which can easily be accessed via the
Halifax Transit ferry
A ferry is a boat or ship that transports passengers, and occasionally vehicles and cargo, across a body of water. A small passenger ferry with multiple stops, like those in Venice, Italy, is sometimes referred to as a water taxi or water bus ...
service. There are smaller performance venues at the
Halifax Central Library,
Citadel High School (Spatz Theatre), and
Halifax West High School (
Bella Rose Arts Centre).
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
The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (), branded as CBC/Radio-Canada, is the Canadian Public broadcasting, public broadcaster for both radio and television. It is a Crown corporation that serves as the national public broadcaster, with its E ...
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.
In addition to the Atlantic International Film Festival, the independent
Carbon Arc Cinema programs a number of smaller specialty film festivals each year alongside a weekly program of
rep cinema films at the
Nova Scotia Museum of Natural History.
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 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 ...
.
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
Dalhousie University (commonly known as Dal) is a large public research university in Nova Scotia, Canada, with three campuses in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Halifax, a fourth in Bible Hill, Nova Scotia, Bible Hill, and a second medical school campus ...
'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
Halifax Harbour is a large natural harbour on the Atlantic coast of Nova Scotia, Canada, located in the Halifax Regional Municipality. Halifax largely owes its existence to the harbour, being one of the largest and deepest ice-free natural har ...
. 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
A military parade is a formation of military personnels whose movement is restricted by close-order manoeuvering known as Drill team, drilling or marching. Large military parades are today held on major holidays and military events around the ...
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
Remembrance Day (also known as Poppy Day owing to the tradition of wearing a remembrance poppy) is a memorial day observed in Commonwealth of Nations, Commonwealth member states since the end of the First World War to honour armed forces me ...
ceremony at the central
cenotaph
A cenotaph is an empty grave, tomb or a monument erected in honor of a person or group of people whose remains are elsewhere or have been lost. It can also be the initial tomb for a person who has since been reinterred elsewhere. Although t ...
. Another popular downtown public space is the timber
Halifax Boardwalk
The Halifax Waterfront Boardwalk is a public footpath located on the Halifax Harbour waterfront in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada.
Constructed of durable heavy timber, the Halifax boardwalk is open to the public 24 hours a day. The boardwalk als ...
, which stretches approximately and is integrated with several squares and monuments.
The
Halifax Common, 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, 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
The North British Society (also known as "The Scots" and "Scots Club") was founded in Halifax, Nova Scotia in 1768, the oldest Scottish heritage society outside Great Britain. North British is an adjective used as an alternative to "Scottish".
...
, 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, through which the historic
Shubenacadie Canal runs, is a major park in suburban Dartmouth.
Mainland Halifax is home to several significant parks, including
Sir Sandford Fleming Park
Sir Sandford Fleming Park is a Canadian urban park located in the community of Jollimore, Halifax, Jollimore in Halifax Regional Municipality, Nova Scotia, Halifax Regional Municipality. It is also known as Dingle Park or simply The Dingle, name ...
, gifted to the people of Halifax by Sir
Sandford Fleming
Sir Sandford Fleming (January 7, 1827 – July 22, 1915) was a Scottish Canadian engineer and inventor. Born and raised in Scotland, he immigrated to colonial Canada at the age of 18. He promoted worldwide standard time zones, a prime meridian, ...
. It houses the Dingle Tower, dedicated in 1912 by the
Duke of Connaught 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, 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 () 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 of national historic significance. Parks C ...
in 1999 and is the only
national museum
A national museum can be a museum maintained and funded by a national government. In many countries it denotes a museum run by the central government, while other museums are run by regional or local governments. In the United States, most nati ...
in the Atlantic provinces. The
Maritime Museum of the Atlantic
The Maritime Museum of the Atlantic is a maritime museum located in downtown Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada.
The museum is a member institution of the Nova Scotia Museum and is the oldest and largest maritime museum in Canada with a collection o ...
is a
maritime museum
A maritime museum (sometimes nautical museum) is a museum specializing in the display of objects relating to ships and travel on large bodies of water. A subcategory of maritime museums are naval museums, which focus on navy, navies and the m ...
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
A corvette is a small warship. It is traditionally the smallest class of vessel considered to be a proper (or " rated") warship. The warship class above the corvette is that of the frigate, while the class below was historically that of the sloo ...
operates as a museum ship and Canada's naval memorial. The
Art Gallery of Nova Scotia
The Art Gallery of Nova Scotia (AGNS) is a public provincial museums of Canada, provincial art museum based in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. The art museum's primary building complex is located in downtown Halifax and takes up ...
is housed in a 150-year-old building containing nearly 19,000 works of art.
The
Black Cultural Centre for Nova Scotia in Dartmouth reflects the region's rich ethnic heritage.

Halifax has numerous
National Historic Sites, most notably
Citadel Hill (Fort George)
Citadel Hill is a National Historic Site in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. Four fortifications have been constructed on Citadel Hill since the city was founded by the British in 1749, and were referred to as Fort George—but only the third fort ...
. 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 typically built with wooden planks, which functions as a type of low water bridge or small viaduct that enables pedestrians to ...
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
Street performance or busking is the act of performing in public places for gratuities. In many countries, the rewards are generally in the form of money but other gratuities such as food, drink or gifts may be given. Street performance is pr ...
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.
Media

Halifax is the Atlantic region's central point for radio broadcast and press media.
CBC Television
CBC Television (also known as CBC TV, or simply CBC) is a Television in Canada, Canadian English-language terrestrial television, broadcast television network owned by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, the national public broadcasting, p ...
,
CTV Television Network
The CTV Television Network, commonly known as CTV, is a Television in Canada, Canadian English-language terrestrial television network. Launched in 1961 and acquired by BCE Inc. in 2000, CTV is Canada's largest privately owned List of Canadian ...
(CTV), and
Global Television Network
The Global Television Network (more commonly called Global, or occasionally Global TV) is a Television in Canada, Canadian English language, English-language terrestrial television, terrestrial television network. It is currently Canada's se ...
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 below ...
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
The Canadian Press (CP; , ) is a Canadian national news agency headquartered in Toronto, Ontario. Established in 1917 as a vehicle for Canadian newspapers to exchange news and information, The Canadian Press has been a privately-held company, pr ...
/
Broadcast News.
Halifax's print media is centred on its single daily newspaper, the broadsheet ''
Chronicle Herald'' as well as two free newspapers, the daily commuter-oriented edition of ''
Metro International
Metro International is a Swedish media company based in Luxembourg that publishes the freesheet newspaper ''Metro''.
The company was founded by Per Andersson, and started as a subsidiary of the Modern Times Group along with Viasat Broadcast ...
'' and the free alternative arts weekly ''
The Coast''.
Halifax has several
online daily newspapers. ''
allNovaScotia
allNovaScotia is an online newspaper based in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada.
History
Founded in March 2001 by David Bentley and his daughter Caroline Wood, the subscription news service focuses on business and political news throughout the prov ...
'' is a daily, subscriber-only outlet which focuses on business and political news from across the province.
''CityNews Halifax'', associated with the
CJNI-FM radio station, was created from a merger of the former News 95.7 and ''HalifaxToday'' (previously ''
Local Xpress
''Local Xpress'' was an online newspaper based in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. It was founded in 2016 by 57 members of the Halifax Typographical Union's newsroom unit while on strike from ''The Chronicle Herald'', the city's daily newspaper. The ...
'') news websites. The ''
Halifax Examiner
The ''Halifax Examiner'' is an online newspaper based in Halifax, Nova Scotia. It was founded in 2014 by Tim Bousquet, former news editor of '' The Coast'' alternative weekly paper. Bousquet, known for covering local politics and undertaking long ...
'' 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''.
Sports
Halifax is represented by four professional sports teams, with teams in the
National Lacrosse League
The National Lacrosse League (NLL) is a professional box lacrosse league in North America. The league comprises 14 teams8 in the United States and 6 in Canada. The NLL is headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
...
(NLL), the
Canadian Premier League
The Canadian Premier League (CPL or CanPL; ) is a professional Association football, soccer league in Canada and the highest level of the Canadian soccer league system. The league comprises eight teams, from five of provinces and territories of ...
(CPL), the
Northern Super League
The Northern Super League (NSL; ) is a Canada soccer league system#Women, top-division professional women's association football, women's soccer league in Canada. The league is owned and operated by Project 8 Sports, Inc., and includes six team ...
(NSL) and
The Basketball League
The Basketball League (TBL), formerly North America Premier Basketball (NAPB), is a professional basketball league. The league began operating in North America in 2018 with eight teams, and has since expanded.
TBL's regular season runs from Feb ...
(TBL). Also, Halifax has a
semi-professional
Semi-professional sports are sports in which athletes are not participating on a full-time basis, but still receive some payment. Semi-professionals are not amateur because they receive regular payment from their team, but generally at a cons ...
sports team in the
Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League
The Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League (QMJHL; , LHJMQ), formerly the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League is one of the three major junior ice hockey leagues that constitute the Canadian Hockey League (CHL). The league includes teams in Quebec ...
(QMJHL), which is part of the
Canadian Hockey League
The Canadian Hockey League (CHL; , LCH) is an umbrella organization that represents the three Canada-based major junior ice hockey leagues. The CHL was founded in 1975 as the Canadian Major Junior Hockey League, and is composed of its three me ...
(CHL).
The city is also home to four universities that have athletic programmes.
The city's major sports venues include the
Scotiabank Centre (formerly the Metro Centre), the
Halifax Forum, the
Wanderers Grounds
Wanderers Grounds is a sporting complex in Halifax, Nova Scotia, and home to Canadian Premier League professional soccer club HFX Wanderers FC.
The grounds are part of the Halifax Commons. The land was used in the 1880s by the Halifax Wanderer ...
and various university sports facilities, such as
Huskies Stadium.
Professional and semi-professional sports

Halifax is home to the
Halifax Mooseheads
The Halifax Mooseheads are a Canadian junior ice hockey team in the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) based in Halifax, Nova Scotia. The team was founded in 1994 and began play in the Dilio Division of the QMJHL for the 1994–95 ...
the semi-professional
major junior
Junior ice hockey is amateur-level ice hockey for 16 to 20 year-old players. National List of members of the International Ice Hockey Federation, Junior teams compete annually for the IIHF World Junior Championship. The United States men's nationa ...
hockey
''Hockey'' is a family of List of stick sports, stick sports where two opposing teams use hockey sticks to propel a ball or disk into a goal. There are many types of hockey, and the individual sports vary in rules, numbers of players, apparel, ...
club of the
Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League
The Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League (QMJHL; , LHJMQ), formerly the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League is one of the three major junior ice hockey leagues that constitute the Canadian Hockey League (CHL). The league includes teams in Quebec ...
(QMJHL). Founded in 1994 and began play in the Dilio Division of the QMJHL from the
1994–95 season,
[ Mooseheads history] the Mooseheads were the first team from
Atlantic Canada
Atlantic Canada, also called the Atlantic provinces (), is the list of regions of Canada, region of Eastern Canada comprising four provinces: New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, and Prince Edward Island. As of 2021, the landma ...
to join the QMJHL. In 2013 the Mooseheads capped a 74-win season (going 74–7–3–1) with a QMJHL's
President's Cup championship. Following the President's Cup, while hosting the tournament, the Mooseheads also won the CHL's
2013
2013 was the first year since 1987 to contain four unique digits (a span of 26 years).
2013 was designated as:
*International Year of Water Cooperation
*International Year of Quinoa
Events
January
* January 5 – 2013 Craig, Alask ...
Memorial Cup
The Memorial Cup () is the national championship of the Canadian Hockey League (CHL), a consortium of three Junior ice hockey, major junior ice hockey leagues operating in Canada and parts of the United States. It is a four-team round-robin tou ...
. They have appeared in the President's Cup Finals four additional times:
2003
2003 was designated by the United Nations as the International Year of Fresh water, Freshwater.
In 2003, a Multi-National Force – Iraq, United States-led coalition 2003 invasion of Iraq, invaded Iraq, starting the Iraq War.
Demographic ...
,
2005
2005 was designated as the International Year for Sport and Physical Education and the International Year of Microcredit. The beginning of 2005 also marked the end of the International Decade of the World's Indigenous Peoples, Internationa ...
,
2019
This was the year in which the first known human case of COVID-19 was documented, preceding COVID-19 pandemic, the pandemic which was declared by the World Health Organization the following year.
Up to that point, 2019 had been described as ...
and
2023
Catastrophic natural disasters in 2023 included the Lists of 21st-century earthquakes, 5th-deadliest earthquake of the 21st century 2023 Turkey–Syria earthquakes, striking Turkey and Syria, leaving up to 62,000 people dead; Cyclone Freddy ...
. They also hosted the
Memorial Cup
The Memorial Cup () is the national championship of the Canadian Hockey League (CHL), a consortium of three Junior ice hockey, major junior ice hockey leagues operating in Canada and parts of the United States. It is a four-team round-robin tou ...
tournaments two additional times in
2000
2000 was designated as the International Year for the Culture of Peace and the World Mathematics, Mathematical Year.
Popular culture holds the year 2000 as the first year of the 21st century and the 3rd millennium, because of a tende ...
and
2019
This was the year in which the first known human case of COVID-19 was documented, preceding COVID-19 pandemic, the pandemic which was declared by the World Health Organization the following year.
Up to that point, 2019 had been described as ...
.
The
Halifax Thunderbirds is the city's
National Lacrosse League
The National Lacrosse League (NLL) is a professional box lacrosse league in North America. The league comprises 14 teams8 in the United States and 6 in Canada. The NLL is headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
...
team when it relocated in September 2018 from
Rochester. Unfortunately on March 12, 2020, during their inaugural year, the season was cut short due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Although the team did not have the chance to finish their season, they were awarded two league awards: Defensive Player of the Year and Executive of the Year. After the 2020–2021 season was fully canceled, the team returned for their 2021–2022 season which they reached their first playoffs, where they were defeated by the
Toronto Rock
The Toronto Rock are a Canadian professional box lacrosse team based in the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area that competes in the National Lacrosse League (NLL). The team was the first Canadian franchise in the NLL. The Rock play their home ga ...
14–13 in overtime in the conference semi-final.
Halifax's first professional soccer club is the
HFX Wanderers FC
Halifax Wanderers FC, also written as HFX Wanderers FC, is a Canadian professional Association football, soccer club in Halifax, Nova Scotia. The club competes in the Canadian Premier League (CPL) at the top of the Canadian soccer league syste ...
and are part of Canada's primary national soccer league, the
Canadian Premier League
The Canadian Premier League (CPL or CanPL; ) is a professional Association football, soccer league in Canada and the highest level of the Canadian soccer league system. The league comprises eight teams, from five of provinces and territories of ...
. On May 25, 2018, the team was officially announced
and that they would be playing at a temporary stadium on Halifax's
Wanderers Grounds
Wanderers Grounds is a sporting complex in Halifax, Nova Scotia, and home to Canadian Premier League professional soccer club HFX Wanderers FC.
The grounds are part of the Halifax Commons. The land was used in the 1880s by the Halifax Wanderer ...
. They played their first league game on April 28, 2019, in 1–0 away loss to
Pacific FC
Pacific Football Club is a Canadian professional soccer club based in Greater Victoria, British Columbia. The club competes in the Canadian Premier League, playing home matches at Starlight Stadium located in Langford.
History
On May 5, 20 ...
.
The city's other professional soccer club, and newest professional team, is the
Halifax Tides FC. The club competes in the
Northern Super League
The Northern Super League (NSL; ) is a Canada soccer league system#Women, top-division professional women's association football, women's soccer league in Canada. The league is owned and operated by Project 8 Sports, Inc., and includes six team ...
, in the highest level of the
Canadian soccer league system
The Canadian soccer league system, also called the Canadian soccer pyramid, is a term used in soccer to describe the structure of the league system in Canada. The governing body of soccer in the country is the Canadian Soccer Association (CSA), ...
. The club's inaugural season began in 2025, and it was first incorporated as Atlantic Women's FC Limited in early 2024, as one of the league's six founding franchises.
The Tides play their home games at the
Wanderers Grounds
Wanderers Grounds is a sporting complex in Halifax, Nova Scotia, and home to Canadian Premier League professional soccer club HFX Wanderers FC.
The grounds are part of the Halifax Commons. The land was used in the 1880s by the Halifax Wanderer ...
in downtown Halifax.
Finally, the newest revival of professional basketball in Halifax, the
Halifax Hoopers. The Hoopers are part of the North Atlantic division of
The Basketball League
The Basketball League (TBL), formerly North America Premier Basketball (NAPB), is a professional basketball league. The league began operating in North America in 2018 with eight teams, and has since expanded.
TBL's regular season runs from Feb ...
. The team was announced in August 2024
and started their season in 2025.
Former professional teams
The city had a team in the
National Basketball League of Canada
The National Basketball League of Canada (NBL Canada; ) was a Canadian professional men's minor league basketball organization. The NBL Canada was founded in 2011, when three existing Premier Basketball League teams joined with four new franchis ...
(NBL Canada) called the
Halifax Hurricanes. The team succeeded the
Halifax Rainmen who had previously played in the
American Basketball Association
The American Basketball Association (ABA) was a major professional basketball league that operated for nine seasons from 1967 to 1976. The upstart ABA operated in direct competition with the more established National Basketball Association thr ...
and
Premier Basketball League before joining the NBL Canada and later declaring bankruptcy in July 2015. The Hurricanes won the NBL Canada championship in their inaugural season. Unfortunately the Hurricanes have since ceased operations, and as of November 2021, the team has left the NBL Canada.
Between 1971 and 1993, Halifax was home to three separate teams in the
American Hockey League
The American Hockey League (AHL) is a professional ice hockey league in North America that serves as the primary developmental league of the National Hockey League (NHL). The league comprises 32 teams, with 26 in the United States and 6 in Cana ...
. The
Nova Scotia Voyageurs (
Montreal Canadiens
The Montreal Canadiens (), officially ' ( Canadian Hockey Club) and colloquially known as the Habs, are a professional ice hockey team based in Montreal. The Canadiens compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic D ...
affiliate), the
Nova Scotia Oilers (
Edmonton Oilers
The Edmonton Oilers are a professional ice hockey team based in Edmonton. The Oilers compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division (NHL), Pacific Division in the Western Conference (NHL), Western Conference. Th ...
affiliate) and finally, the
Halifax Citadels
The Halifax Citadels were a professional ice hockey team based in Halifax, Nova Scotia. They played in the American Hockey League between 1988 and 1993. They were created by the relocation of the Fredericton Express and filled a void left by th ...
(
Quebec Nordiques
The Quebec Nordiques (, pronounced in Quebec French, in Canadian English; translated "Northmen" or "Northerners") were a professional ice hockey team based in Quebec City. The Nordiques played in the World Hockey Association (1972–1979) an ...
affiliate). They played from 1971 to 1984, 1984 to 1988, and 1988 to 1993, respectively.
The
Halifax Crescents, an amateur and later, professional ice hockey team challenged for the
Stanley Cup
The Stanley Cup () is the championship trophy awarded annually to the National Hockey League (NHL) playoff champion. It is the oldest existing trophy to be awarded to a professional sports franchise in North America, and the International Ic ...
in
1900
As of March 1 ( O.S. February 17), when the Julian calendar acknowledged a leap day and the Gregorian calendar did not, the Julian calendar fell one day further behind, bringing the difference to 13 days until February 28 ( O.S. February 15 ...
but lost to the
Montreal Shamrocks.
University sports
Halifax is home to seven degree-granting
post-secondary
Tertiary education (higher education, or post-secondary education) is the educational level following the completion of secondary education.
The World Bank defines tertiary education as including universities, colleges, and vocational schools ...
educational institutions with four of them having athletic programmes. Two of the schools,
Dalhousie University
Dalhousie University (commonly known as Dal) is a large public research university in Nova Scotia, Canada, with three campuses in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Halifax, a fourth in Bible Hill, Nova Scotia, Bible Hill, and a second medical school campus ...
and
Saint Mary's University are part of the
U Sports
U Sports (stylized as U SPORTS) is the national sport governing body for universities in Canada, comprising the majority of degree-granting universities in the country and four regional conferences: Ontario University Athletics (OUA), Résea ...
league, while
Mount Saint Vincent University
Mount Saint Vincent University, often referred to as the Mount, is a public, primarily undergraduate, university located in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, and was established in 1873. Mount Saint Vincent offers undergraduate Arts, Science, Edu ...
and
University of King's College
The University of King's College is a public university, public Liberal arts college, liberal arts university in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Halifax, Nova Scotia.Roper, Henry. "Aspects of the History of a Loyalist College: King's College, Windsor, and ...
are a part of the
Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association
The Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA, ) is the national governing body for organized sports at the college level in Canada.
National championships
CCAA members currently compete for national championships in the following sports:
...
(CCAA).
Dalhousie University's varsity team goes by the moniker
Tigers. They have teams for basketball, hockey, soccer, swimming, track and field, cross country running, and volleyball. The Tigers garnered a number of championships in the first decade of the 20th century, winning 63 AUS championships and two U Sports championships.
Halifax's other U Sports university, located in close proximity to Dalhousie University, is Saint Mary's University with the moniker of the
Huskies. Known for their football programme, the Huskies play at
Huskies Stadium and won back-to-back
Canadian University Football Championships (2001 & 2002), only the third university to do so.
Huskies Stadium was used on June 11, 2005, and again on July 29, 2023, to host an exhibition game of the
Canadian Football League
The Canadian Football League (CFL; , LCF) is a Professional gridiron football, professional Canadian football league in Canada. It comprises nine teams divided into two divisions, with four teams in the East Division (CFL), East Division and f ...
called
Touchdown Atlantic. The games were played between the
Hamilton Tiger-Cats
The Hamilton Tiger-Cats are a professional Canadian football team based in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. They are currently members of the East Division (CFL), East Division of the Canadian Football League (CFL). The Tiger-Cats play their home game ...
and the
Toronto Argonauts
The Toronto Argonauts (officially the Toronto Argonaut Football Club and colloquially known as the Argos) are a professional Canadian football team based in Toronto, Ontario. The Argonauts compete in the East Division (CFL), East Division of t ...
and the
Saskatchewan Roughriders
The Saskatchewan Roughriders are a professional Canadian football team based in Regina, Saskatchewan. The Roughriders compete in the Canadian Football League (CFL) as a member club of the league's West Division. The Roughriders were founded in 19 ...
and
Toronto Argonauts
The Toronto Argonauts (officially the Toronto Argonaut Football Club and colloquially known as the Argos) are a professional Canadian football team based in Toronto, Ontario. The Argonauts compete in the East Division (CFL), East Division of t ...
, respectively.
Finally, two of Halifax's smaller universities are part of the
Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association
The Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA, ) is the national governing body for organized sports at the college level in Canada.
National championships
CCAA members currently compete for national championships in the following sports:
...
(CCAA).
Mount Saint Vincent University
Mount Saint Vincent University, often referred to as the Mount, is a public, primarily undergraduate, university located in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, and was established in 1873. Mount Saint Vincent offers undergraduate Arts, Science, Edu ...
, home to the Mystics, competes in the
Atlantic Collegiate Athletic Association (ACAA), a member of the CCAA, in Women's & Men's Basketball, Women's & Men's Soccer, Cross Country and Women's Volleyball. The Mystics hold a championship titles in all sports, making them the most acclaimed team of the ACAA division.
University of King's College
The University of King's College is a public university, public Liberal arts college, liberal arts university in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Halifax, Nova Scotia.Roper, Henry. "Aspects of the History of a Loyalist College: King's College, Windsor, and ...
is also a member of the ACAA. The varsity athletics teams at the University of King's College are named the Blue Devils. Sporting teams include men's and women's basketball, soccer, badminton and rugby, and women's volleyball.
From 1984 to 2007, the region was home to the
CIS Men's Basketball Championship; the tournament was moved to
Ottawa
Ottawa is the capital city of Canada. It is located in the southern Ontario, southern portion of the province of Ontario, at the confluence of the Ottawa River and the Rideau River. Ottawa borders Gatineau, Gatineau, Quebec, and forms the cor ...
,
Ontario
Ontario is the southernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. Located in Central Canada, Ontario is the Population of Canada by province and territory, country's most populous province. As of the 2021 Canadian census, it ...
, from 2008 to 2010 and returned to Halifax in 2011 and 2012.
Events
Over the past several decades, Halifax has hosted many major sporting events, including the following:
*
1999 Four Continents Figure Skating Championships
The 1999 Four Continents Figure Skating Championships was an international figure skating competition in the 1998–99 season. It was held at the Halifax Metro Centre in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Halifax, Canada on February 21–28. Medals were award ...
*
2003 World Junior Ice Hockey Championship
*
2003 Nokia Brier
*
2004 Women's World Ice Hockey Championships
*
2005 Canadian Olympic Curling Trials
The 2005 Canadian Olympic Curling Trials were held from December 3 to 11 at the Halifax Metro Centre in Halifax, Nova Scotia. The winning teams represented Canada at the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin, Italy
Italy, officially the Italian ...
*
2007 World Indoor Lacrosse Championship
*
2008 IIHF World Championship
The 2008 IIHF World Championship was played between May 2 and May 18, 2008 in the Canadian cities of Halifax, Nova Scotia, Halifax (Nova Scotia) and Quebec City (Quebec). The two venues were the Halifax Metro Centre and the Colisée Pepsi. T ...
(Co-hosted with
Quebec City
Quebec City is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Quebec. As of July 2021, the city had a population of 549,459, and the Census Metropolitan Area (including surrounding communities) had a populati ...
)
*
2011 Canada Winter Games
*
2020 IIHF Women's World Ice Hockey Championships (Co-hosted with
Truro, Nova Scotia
Truro (Scottish Gaelic: ''Trùru'') is a town in central Nova Scotia, Canada. Truro is the shire town of Colchester County and is located on the south side of the Salmon River (Nova Scotia), Salmon River floodplain, close to the river's mouth ...
) Although, the tournament was cancelled due to
COVID-19
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. In January 2020, the disease spread worldwide, resulting in the COVID-19 pandemic.
The symptoms of COVID‑19 can vary but often include fever ...
.
*
2023 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships (Co-hosted with
Moncton, New Brunswick
Moncton (; ) is the most populous city in the Canadian province of New Brunswick. Situated in the Petitcodiac River Valley, Moncton lies at the geographic centre of the Maritime Provinces. The city has earned the nickname "Hub City" because ...
)
*
2023 North American Indigenous Games
Halifax was selected in 2006 as the host municipality in Canada's bid for the
2014 Commonwealth Games
The 2014 Commonwealth Games (), officially known as the XX Commonwealth Games and commonly known as Glasgow 2014 (; ), were an international multi-sport event celebrated in the tradition of the Commonwealth Games as governed by the Commonwea ...
but withdrew on March 8, 2007, citing ballooning costs from final estimates of $1.7 billion up from $785 million.
Amateur and club sports
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
Hurling (, ') is an outdoor Team sport, team game of ancient Gaelic culture, Gaelic Irish origin, played by men and women. One of Ireland's native Gaelic games, it shares a number of features with Gaelic football, such as the field and goa ...
and
Gaelic Football
Gaelic football (; short name '')'', commonly known as simply Gaelic, GAA, or football, is an Irish team sport. A form of football, it is played between two teams of 15 players on a rectangular grass pitch. The objective of the sport is to score ...
team that compete in
Canadian GAA events.
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.
Demographics
Halifax CMA
At the
census metropolitan area
The census geographic units of Canada are the census subdivisions defined and used by Canada's federal government statistics bureau Statistics Canada to conduct the country's quinquennial census. These areas exist solely for the purposes of stat ...
(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.
Halifax Regional Municipality
In the
2021 Census of Population conducted by
Statistics Canada
Statistics Canada (StatCan; ), formed in 1971, is the agency of the Government of Canada commissioned with producing statistics to help better understand Canada, its population, resources, economy, society, and culture. It is headquartered in ...
, 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.
The
2021 census reported that
immigrants
Immigration is the international movement of people to a destination country of which they are not usual residents or where they do not possess nationality in order to settle as permanent residents. Commuters, tourists, and other short- ...
(individuals born outside Canada) comprise 50,595 persons or 12.6% 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%).
Ethnicity
Language
Mother tongue language (2021)
[Statistics Canada: ]2016
2016 was designated as:
* International Year of Pulses by the sixty-eighth session of the United Nations General Assembly.
* International Year of Global Understanding (IYGU) by the International Council for Science (ICSU), the Internationa ...
census
Religion
St. Paul's Church is the oldest Christian church in Halifax.
Halifax is a religiously diverse municipality, and has several landmark religious institutions:
*
St. Mary's Basilica (Halifax, Nova Scotia)
*
The New Horizons Baptist Church
*
St. George's (Round) Church,
*
Beth Israel Synagogue
*
Shaar Shalom Synagogue
Halifax also houses the
Atlantic School of Theology
Atlantic School of Theology (AST) is a Canadian public ecumenical university that provides graduate level theological
Theology is the study of religious belief from a religious perspective, with a focus on the nature of divinity. It is taug ...
for religious studies.
Religion (2021)
Halifax urban area
As of 2021, the population centre (
urban area
An urban area is a human settlement with a high population density and an infrastructure of built environment. Urban areas originate through urbanization, and researchers categorize them as cities, towns, conurbations or suburbs. In urbani ...
) 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 .
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%).
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
The Conference Board of Canada is an independent, non-profit applied-research organization based in Canada. It aims to help Canada's leaders make informed, evidence-based decisions using non-partisan and non-ideological analysis.
The organiza ...
predicting strong 3.0% GDP growth for 2015.
[
]
Major employers and economic generators include the Department of National Defence
A ministry of defence or defense (see spelling differences), also known as a department of defence or defense, is the part of a government responsible for matters of defence and military forces, found in states where the government is divided ...
, the Port of Halifax, Irving Shipbuilding
Irving Shipbuilding Inc. is a Canadian shipbuilder and in-service support provider.
The company operates as a subsidiary of J.D. Irving Limited. As of 2024, Irving Shipbuilding employs over 2100 shipbuilders.
Irving Shipbuilding owns two shipya ...
, the Nova Scotia Health Authority
The Nova Scotia Health Authority is a provincial health authority serving Nova Scotia, Canada. It is the largest employer in the province, with more than 23,000 employees, 2,500 physicians and 7,000 volunteers working from 45 different facilities. ...
, IMP Group, Bell Aliant
Bell Aliant is a brand name used by Bell Canada for Telecommunications in Canada, telecommunications services in Atlantic Canada.
Prior to 2015, Bell Aliant Inc. (formerly Aliant Inc.) was a separate company providing telecom services in the Atl ...
, Emera, the Bedford Institute of Oceanography, 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 whereby the character of a neighborhood changes through the influx of more Wealth, affluent residents (the "gentry") and investment. There is no agreed-upon definition of gentrification. In public discourse, it has ...
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 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
Sheet Harbour is a rural area, rural community in Nova Scotia, Canada. It is located in the eastern reaches of the Halifax, Nova Scotia, Halifax Regional Municipality, approximately northeast of the central urban area of the municipality, co ...
Industrial Port, and others being managed as small craft harbours under the federal Fisheries and Oceans Canada
Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO; ) is a department of the Government of Canada that is responsible for developing and implementing policies and programs in support of Canada's economic, ecological and scientific interests in oceans and inland ...
.
Other resource industries in Halifax include the natural gas fields off the coast of Sable Island
Sable Island (, literally "island of sand") is a small, remote island off the coast of Nova Scotia, Canada. Sable Island is located in the North Atlantic Ocean, about southeast of Halifax, Nova Scotia, Halifax, and about southeast of the clo ...
, 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
In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a Municipal corporation, municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilitie ...
(elected at large) and a sixteen-person council
A council is a group of people who come together to consult, deliberate, or make decisions. A council may function as a legislature, especially at a town, city or county/shire level, but most legislative bodies at the state/provincial or natio ...
. Councillors are elected by geographic district, with municipal elections occurring every four years. The current mayor of Halifax is Andy Fillmore. The Halifax Regional Council
Halifax Regional Council () 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 geographic districts though a first-past-th ...
is responsible for all facets of municipal government
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 go ...
, including the Halifax Regional Police, Halifax Public Libraries, Halifax Fire and Emergency, Halifax Regional Water Commission
The Halifax Regional Water Commission (HRWC), publicly known as Halifax Water, is the municipal Drinking water, water, wastewater and stormwater water utility, utility serving the residents of the Halifax Regional Municipality, Nova Scotia, Hal ...
, 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 four community councils 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 of Nova Scotia, Halifax is also the meeting place of the Nova Scotia House of Assembly
The Nova Scotia House of Assembly (; ), or Legislative Assembly, is the deliberative assembly of the General Assembly of Nova Scotia, and together with the lieutenant governor of Nova Scotia makes up the Nova Scotia Legislature.
The assembly is ...
, the oldest assembly in Canada and the site of the first responsible government
Responsible government is a conception of a system of government that embodies the principle of parliamentary accountability, the foundation of the Westminster system of parliamentary democracy. Governments (the equivalent of the executive br ...
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
Palladian architecture is a European architectural style derived from the work of the Venetian architect Andrea Palladio (1508–1580). What is today recognised as Palladian architecture evolved from his concepts of symmetry, perspective and ...
in North America.
The municipality is represented in the House of Commons by six MPs, elected in the ridings of Halifax, Halifax West
Halifax West () is a federal electoral district in Nova Scotia, Canada, that has been represented in the House of Commons of Canada since 1979. Its population in 2021 was 111,944.
Demographics
''According to the 2021 Canadian census, 2023 r ...
, Dartmouth—Cole Harbour
Dartmouth—Cole Harbour (formerly Dartmouth and Dartmouth—Halifax East) is a federal electoral district (Canada), electoral district in Nova Scotia, Canada, that has been represented in the House of Commons of Canada since 2004.
Demographic ...
, Sackville—Preston—Chezzetcook, South Shore—St. Margarets, and Central Nova
Central Nova () is a federal electoral district in Nova Scotia, Canada that was represented in the House of Commons of Canada from 1968 until 1996. In 1996, Antigonish County and part of Guysborough County were placed with Pictou County in a ne ...
. The latter two ridings also include rural areas outside the municipality.
Education
Halifax has a well-developed network of public and private schools, providing instruction from grade primary to grade twelve; 137 public schools are administered by the Halifax Regional Centre for Education, while eight public schools are administered by the Conseil scolaire acadien provincial. The municipality's fourteen private schools are operated independently.
The municipality is a centre for university education in eastern Canada. It is home to the following post-secondary
Tertiary education (higher education, or post-secondary education) is the educational level following the completion of secondary education.
The World Bank defines tertiary education as including universities, colleges, and vocational schools ...
educational institutions: Dalhousie University
Dalhousie University (commonly known as Dal) is a large public research university in Nova Scotia, Canada, with three campuses in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Halifax, a fourth in Bible Hill, Nova Scotia, Bible Hill, and a second medical school campus ...
, University of King's College
The University of King's College is a public university, public Liberal arts college, liberal arts university in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Halifax, Nova Scotia.Roper, Henry. "Aspects of the History of a Loyalist College: King's College, Windsor, and ...
, Mount Saint Vincent University
Mount Saint Vincent University, often referred to as the Mount, is a public, primarily undergraduate, university located in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, and was established in 1873. Mount Saint Vincent offers undergraduate Arts, Science, Edu ...
, NSCAD University, Nova Scotia Community College, the Halifax campus of Université Sainte-Anne
Université Sainte-Anne is a French-language university in Pointe-de-l'Église, Nova Scotia, Canada. It and the Université de Moncton in New Brunswick are the only French-language universities in the Maritime Provinces.
History
Université Sa ...
, 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
Theology is the study of religious belief from a religious perspective, with a focus on the nature of divinity. It is taug ...
, and several private institutions. The largest of these, Dalhousie University
Dalhousie University (commonly known as Dal) is a large public research university in Nova Scotia, Canada, with three campuses in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Halifax, a fourth in Bible Hill, Nova Scotia, Bible Hill, and a second medical school campus ...
, is Atlantic Canada's premier research-intensive university. This school is host to most of the province's professional schools, while other institutions focus primarily though not exclusively on undergraduate education. The sizeable population of university and college students contributes to the vibrant youth culture in the city.
Transportation
Air
Halifax Stanfield International Airport serves Halifax and most of the province, providing scheduled flights to domestic and international destinations. The airport served 3,107,425 passengers in 2022, making it Canada's sixth busiest airport by passenger traffic. Shearwater
Shearwaters are medium-sized long-winged seabirds in the petrel family Procellariidae. They have a global marine distribution, but are most common in temperate and cold waters, and are pelagic outside the breeding season.
Description
These tube ...
, part of CFB Halifax
Canadian Forces Base (CFB) Halifax is Canada's east coast naval base and home port to the Royal Canadian Navy Atlantic fleet, known as Canadian Fleet Atlantic (CANFLTLANT), that forms part of the formation (military), formation Maritime Forces At ...
, is the air base for maritime helicopters employed by the Royal Canadian Navy
The Royal Canadian Navy (RCN; , ''MRC'') is the Navy, naval force of Canada. The navy is one of three environmental commands within the Canadian Armed Forces. As of February 2024, the RCN operates 12 s, 12 s, 4 s, 4 s, 8 s, and several auxiliary ...
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 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 ferry service in North America.
Halifax has the most heavily used public transit system in Atlantic Canada. The city has been adding dedicated and part-time bus lanes along some major road corridors in order to improve the reliability of the system and reduce delays. In addition, a new fast ferry service to Bedford is under planning.
Rail
The Halifax Port Authority's various shipping terminals constitute the eastern terminus of Canadian National Railway
The Canadian National Railway Company () is a Canadian Class I freight railway headquartered in Montreal, Quebec, which serves Canada and the Midwestern and Southern United States.
CN is Canada's largest railway, in terms of both revenue a ...
's transcontinental network. Via Rail Canada provides overnight passenger rail service from the Halifax Railway Station three days a week to Montreal
Montreal is the List of towns in Quebec, largest city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Quebec, the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, second-largest in Canada, and the List of North American cit ...
with the ''Ocean
The ocean is the body of salt water that covers approximately 70.8% of Earth. The ocean is conventionally divided into large bodies of water, which are also referred to as ''oceans'' (the Pacific, Atlantic, Indian Ocean, Indian, Southern 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
Halifax Harbour is a large natural harbour on the Atlantic coast of Nova Scotia, Canada, located in the Halifax Regional Municipality. Halifax largely owes its existence to the harbour, being one of the largest and deepest ice-free natural har ...
is a major port used by numerous shipping lines, administered by the Halifax Port Authority. The Royal Canadian Navy
The Royal Canadian Navy (RCN; , ''MRC'') is the Navy, naval force of Canada. The navy is one of three environmental commands within the Canadian Armed Forces. As of February 2024, the RCN operates 12 s, 12 s, 4 s, 4 s, 8 s, and several auxiliary ...
and the Canadian Coast Guard
The Canadian Coast Guard (CCG; ) is the coast guard of Canada. Formed in 1962, the coast guard is tasked with marine search and rescue (SAR), communication, navigation, and transportation issues in Canadian waters, such as navigation aids and i ...
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, with plans in development to add an additional ferry route connecting downtown and Bedford by 2028.
Sheet Harbour is the other major port in the municipality and serves industrial users on the Eastern Shore.
Sister cities
* Hakodate
is a Cities of Japan, city and seaports of Japan, port located in Oshima Subprefecture, Hokkaido, Japan. It is the capital city of Oshima Subprefecture. As of January 31, 2024, the city had an estimated population of 239,813 with 138,807 househol ...
, 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, meaning 'Italian outline') is a fortification in a style developed during the early modern period in response to the ascendancy of gunpowder weapons such as c ...
s and are both maritime ports. Halifax has donated many fir trees to the annual Hakodate Christmas Fantasy festival.
* Campeche
Campeche, officially the Free and Sovereign State of Campeche, is one of the 31 states which, with Mexico City, make up the Administrative divisions of Mexico, 32 federal entities of Mexico. Located in southeast Mexico, it is bordered by the sta ...
, 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
Norfolk ( ) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in England, located in East Anglia and officially part of the East of England region. It borders Lincolnshire and The Wash to the north-west, the North Sea to the north and eas ...
, Virginia
Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States between the East Coast of the United States ...
, 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".
* Portsmouth
Portsmouth ( ) is a port city status in the United Kingdom, city and unitary authority in Hampshire, England. Most of Portsmouth is located on Portsea Island, off the south coast of England in the Solent, making Portsmouth the only city in En ...
, England (2023). Halifax and Portsmouth signed a sister city agreement in early 2023. They chose to twin as both cities are historic naval and shipbuilding centres. Additionally, both cities are centres for university education.
Notable Haligonians
See also
* Amalgamation of the Halifax Regional Municipality
* Boston–Halifax relations
* Halifax Explosion
On the morning of 6 December 1917, the French cargo ship collided with the Norwegian vessel in the harbour of Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. ''Mont-Blanc'', laden with Explosive material, high explosives, caught fire and exploded, devastat ...
* Halifax Regional Police
* Halifax Stanfield International Airport
* 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 ...
* List of municipalities in Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia is the Population of Canada by province and territory, seventh-most populous provinces and territories of Canada, province in Canada with 969,383 residents as of the Canada 2021 Census, 2021 Census of Population, and the List of Can ...
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