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Wikipedia

Halifax, Nova Scotia

March 28, 2023

Halifax is the capital and largest municipality of the Canadian province of Nova Scotia, and the largest municipality in Atlantic Canada. Halifax is one of Canada's fastest growing municipalities,[6] and as of 2022, it is estimated that the CMA population of Halifax was 480,582,[7] with 348,634 people in its urban area.[3] The regional municipality consists of four former municipalities that were amalgamated in 1996: Halifax, Dartmouth, Bedford, and Halifax County.

Halifax
Regional municipality
Halifax Regional Municipality
From top, left to right: Downtown Halifax skyline, Macdonald Bridge, Crystal Crescent Beach, Peggy's Cove, Central Library, Sullivan's Pond
Flag
Coat of arms
Logo
Motto(s): 
"E Mari Merces"  (Latin)
"From the Sea, Wealth"
Location in Nova Scotia
Halifax
Location in Canada
Coordinates: 44°38′51″N 63°35′26″W / 44.64750°N 63.59056°W / 44.64750; -63.59056Coordinates: 44°38′51″N 63°35′26″W / 44.64750°N 63.59056°W / 44.64750; -63.59056[1]
CountryCanada
ProvinceNova Scotia
Town1749
City1842
Regional municipalityApril 1, 1996
Named forGeorge Montagu-Dunk, 2nd Earl of Halifax
Government
 • TypeRegional Municipality
 • MayorMike Savage
 • Governing bodyHalifax Regional Council
 • MPs
List of MPs
 • MLAs
List of MLAs
Area
 • Regional municipality5,475.57 km2 (2,114.13 sq mi)
 • Urban
238.29 km2 (92.00 sq mi)
 • Metro
7,276.22 km2 (2,809.36 sq mi)
Highest elevation
241.9 m (793.6 ft)
Lowest elevation
0 m (0 ft)
Population
 (2021)[2][3][4]
 • Regional municipality439,819
 • Density80.3/km2 (208/sq mi)
 • Urban
348,634
 • Urban density1,463.1/km2 (3,789/sq mi)
 • Metro
465,703 (12th)
 • Metro density64.0/km2 (166/sq mi)
 • Change 2016–2021
9.1%
 • Census ranking
13 of 5,162
DemonymHaligonian
Time zoneUTC−04:00 (AST)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−03:00 (ADT)
Postal code span
B0J ,B3A to B4G
Area codes902, 782
GDP (Halifax CMA)CA$20.6 billion (2016)[5]
GDP per capita (Halifax CMA)CA$50,946 (2016)
Websitewww.halifax.ca

Halifax is a major economic centre in Atlantic Canada, with a large concentration of government services and private sector companies. Major employers and economic generators include the Department of National Defence, Dalhousie University, Nova Scotia Health Authority, Saint Mary's University, the Halifax Shipyard, various levels of government, and the Port of Halifax. Agriculture, fishing, mining, forestry, and natural gas extraction are major resource industries found in the rural areas of the municipality.

History

Main articles: History of Halifax, Nova Scotia; History of Dartmouth, Nova Scotia; Bedford, Nova Scotia § History; and Halifax County, Nova Scotia § History

Halifax is located within Miꞌkmaꞌki, the traditional ancestral lands of the Miꞌkmaq peoples.[8] The Mi'kmaq have resided in Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and Prince Edward Island since prior to European landings in North America in the 1400s and 1500s to set up fisheries. At the time of Confederation of Canada, about 1000 Mi’kmaq lived in the Colony of Nova Scotia. The Mi'kmaq name for Halifax is Kjipuktuk, pronounced "che-book-took".[9] The name means "Great Harbour" in the Mi'kmaq language.[10]

 
Halifax, Nova Scotia c. 1762, by Dominic Serres.

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 colonial capital being transferred from Annapolis Royal.

The establishment of Halifax marked the beginning of Father Le Loutre's War. The war began when Edward Cornwallis arrived to establish Halifax with 13 transports and a sloop of war on June 21, 1749.[11] By unilaterally establishing Halifax, the British were violating earlier treaties with the Mi'kmaq (1726), which were signed after Father Rale's War.[12] Cornwallis brought along 1,176 settlers and their families. To guard against Mi'kmaq, Acadian and French attacks on the new Protestant settlements, British fortifications were erected in Halifax (Citadel Hill) (1749), Bedford (Fort Sackville) (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 during the American Revolution.

December 6, 1917 saw one of the greatest disasters in Canadian history, when the SS Mont-Blanc, a French cargo ship carrying munitions, collided with the Belgian Relief vessel SS Imo in "The Narrows" between upper Halifax Harbour and Bedford Basin. The resulting explosion, the Halifax Explosion, devastated the Richmond District of Halifax, killing approximately 2,000 people and injuring nearly 9,000 others.[13] The blast was the largest artificial explosion before the development of nuclear weapons.[14] Significant aid came from Boston, strengthening the bond between the two coastal cities.

The four municipalities in the Halifax urban area had been coordinating service delivery through the Metropolitan Authority since the late 1970s, but remained independent towns and cities until 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.[15]

Since amalgamation, the region has officially been known as the Halifax Regional Municipality (HRM), although "Halifax" has remained in common usage for brevity. On April 15, 2014, the regional council approved the implementation of a new branding campaign for the region developed by the local firm Revolve Marketing. The campaign would see the region referred to in promotional materials simply as "Halifax," although "Halifax Regional Municipality" would remain the region's official name. The proposed rebranding was met with mixed reaction from residents, some of whom felt that the change would alienate other communities in the municipality through a perception that the marketing scheme would focus on Metropolitan Halifax only, while others expressed relief that the longer formal name would no longer be primary. Mayor Mike Savage defended the decision, stating: "I'm a Westphal guy, I'm a Dartmouth man, but Halifax is my city, we're all part of Halifax. Why does that matter? Because when I go and travel on behalf of this municipality, there isn't a person out there who really cares what HRM means."[16][17][18]

Geography

Climate

Halifax has a humid continental climate (Köppen Dfb), bordering on an oceanic climate (Cfb), with warm summers and relatively mild winters, which is due to Gulf Stream moderation. The weather is usually milder in the winter or cooler in the summer than areas at similar latitudes inland, with the temperature remaining (with occasional notable exceptions) between about −8 and 28 °C (18 and 82 °F).[19] January is the coldest month, being the only month with a high that is slightly below freezing at −0.1 °C (31.8 °F), while August is the warmest. The sea heavily influences the climate of the area, causing significant seasonal lag in summer, with August being significantly warmer than June and with September being the third mildest month in terms of mean temperature.[20] The January mean is only 1.1 °C (2.0 °F) colder than the isotherm for the oceanic climate.

Precipitation is high year-round. Winter features a mix of rain, freezing rain and snow with frequent freeze-thaw cycles. Snowfall is heavy in winter, but snow cover is usually patchy owing to the frequent freeze-thaw cycles, which melt accumulated snow. Some winters feature colder temperatures and fewer freeze-thaw cycles; the most recent of which being the winter of 2014–2015, which was the coldest, snowiest and stormiest in about a century. Spring is often wet and cool and arrives much later than in areas of Canada at similar latitudes, due to cooler sea temperatures. Summers are mild and pleasant, with hot and humid conditions very infrequent. Warm, pleasant conditions often extend well into September, sometimes into mid-October. Average monthly precipitation is highest from November to February due to intense late-fall to winter storms migrating from the Northeastern U.S., and lowest in summer, with August being the year's warmest and driest month on average. Halifax can sometimes receive hurricanes, mostly between August and October. An example is when Hurricane Juan, a category 2 storm, hit in September 2003 and caused considerable damage to the region. Hurricane Earl grazed the coast as a category 1 storm in 2010. In 2019, Hurricane Dorian made landfall just south of Halifax as a post-tropical storm with an intensity equivalent to a category 2 hurricane and caused significant damage across Nova Scotia.[21] Atlantic sea surface temperatures have risen in recent years, making Halifax and the coast of Nova Scotia somewhat more susceptible to hurricanes than the area had been in the past.

The highest temperature ever recorded in Halifax was 37.2 °C (99.0 °F) on July 10, 1912,[22] and the lowest temperature recorded was −29.4 °C (−20.9 °F) on February 18, 1922.[23] The March 2012 North American heat wave brought unusually high temperatures to the municipality of Halifax. On March 22, the mercury climbed to 28.2 °C (82.8 °F) at the Halifax Windsor Park weather station,[24] and 27.2 °C (81.0 °F) at Halifax Stanfield International Airport.[25] In spite of the possibility of high temperatures, in a normal year there is only three days that go above 30 °C (86 °F).[26] 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.[26] On average the frost-free period is 182 days, ranging from May 1 to October 31.[26]

Climate data for Halifax (Citadel Hill)
Climate ID: 8202220; coordinates 44°39′N 63°35′W / 44.650°N 63.583°W / 44.650; -63.583 (Citadel Hill); elevation: 70.1 m (230 ft); 1981–2010 normals, extremes 1863–present[a]
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °C (°F) 14.0
(57.2) 		16.0
(60.8) 		28.2
(82.8) 		28.3
(82.9) 		33.3
(91.9) 		34.4
(93.9) 		37.2
(99.0) 		34.4
(93.9) 		34.6
(94.3) 		31.1
(88.0) 		23.3
(73.9) 		16.7
(62.1) 		37.2
(99.0)
Average high °C (°F) −0.1
(31.8) 		0.4
(32.7) 		3.6
(38.5) 		8.7
(47.7) 		14.4
(57.9) 		19.6
(67.3) 		23.1
(73.6) 		23.1
(73.6) 		19.3
(66.7) 		13.4
(56.1) 		8.1
(46.6) 		2.8
(37.0) 		11.4
(52.5)
Daily mean °C (°F) −4.1
(24.6) 		−3.6
(25.5) 		−0.2
(31.6) 		4.9
(40.8) 		10.1
(50.2) 		15.2
(59.4) 		18.8
(65.8) 		19.1
(66.4) 		15.5
(59.9) 		9.9
(49.8) 		4.8
(40.6) 		−0.8
(30.6) 		7.5
(45.5)
Average low °C (°F) −8.2
(17.2) 		−7.5
(18.5) 		−3.9
(25.0) 		1.0
(33.8) 		5.8
(42.4) 		10.7
(51.3) 		14.4
(57.9) 		15.1
(59.2) 		11.8
(53.2) 		6.4
(43.5) 		1.5
(34.7) 		−4.3
(24.3) 		3.6
(38.5)
Record low °C (°F) −27.2
(−17.0) 		−29.4
(−20.9) 		−23.3
(−9.9) 		−13.9
(7.0) 		−5.0
(23.0) 		0.0
(32.0) 		4.4
(39.9) 		3.9
(39.0) 		−1.7
(28.9) 		−7.2
(19.0) 		−15.6
(3.9) 		−25.6
(−14.1) 		−29.4
(−20.9)
Average precipitation mm (inches) 139.7
(5.50) 		110.1
(4.33) 		132.5
(5.22) 		118.3
(4.66) 		119.1
(4.69) 		111.8
(4.40) 		110.3
(4.34) 		96.4
(3.80) 		108.9
(4.29) 		124.3
(4.89) 		151.4
(5.96) 		145.1
(5.71) 		1,468.1
(57.80)
Average rainfall mm (inches) 96.7
(3.81) 		75.1
(2.96) 		101.3
(3.99) 		111.3
(4.38) 		118.4
(4.66) 		111.8
(4.40) 		110.3
(4.34) 		96.4
(3.80) 		108.9
(4.29) 		124.1
(4.89) 		143.6
(5.65) 		115.9
(4.56) 		1,313.9
(51.73)
Average snowfall cm (inches) 43.1
(17.0) 		35.0
(13.8) 		31.2
(12.3) 		7.0
(2.8) 		0.8
(0.3) 		0.0
(0.0) 		0.0
(0.0) 		0.0
(0.0) 		0.0
(0.0) 		0.1
(0.0) 		7.8
(3.1) 		29.2
(11.5) 		154.2
(60.7)
Average precipitation days (≥ 0.2 mm) 13.8 11.6 13.1 15.2 15.8 13.6 12.1 11.1 11.7 14.1 15.3 14.5 161.8
Average rainy days (≥ 0.2 mm) 8.5 6.5 10.2 14.1 15.7 13.6 12.1 11.1 11.7 14.1 14.5 10.8 142.7
Average snowy days (≥ 0.2 cm) 6.8 6.1 4.1 1.6 0.2 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.1 1.2 5.2 25.3
Mean monthly sunshine hours 109.5 127.2 142.8 156.6 193.3 220.7 235.2 226.6 180.5 157.8 107.4 105.2 1,962.5
Percent possible sunshine 38.2 43.3 38.7 38.8 42.1 47.5 49.9 52.1 47.9 46.2 37.2 38.2 43.3
Average ultraviolet index 1 2 3 5 6 8 8 7 5 3 2 1 4
Source 1: Environment and Climate Change Canada (Sunshine data recorded at CFB Shearwater)[27][28][29][30][31][32][33]
Source 2: Nova Scotian Institute of Science[34][35][36][37][38][39][40][41] and Weather Atlas[42]
Climate data for Halifax (Halifax Stanfield International Airport)
WMO ID: 71395; coordinates 44°52′48″N 63°30′00″W / 44.88000°N 63.50000°W / 44.88000; -63.50000 (Halifax Stanfield International Airport); elevation: 145.4 m (477 ft); 1981−2010 normals, extremes 1953−present
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high humidex 18.4 18.3 27.7 32.1 36.0 40.2 42.4 41.9 42.1 31.9 25.4 20.4 42.4
Record high °C (°F) 14.8
(58.6) 		17.5
(63.5) 		27.2
(81.0) 		29.5
(85.1) 		32.8
(91.0) 		33.4
(92.1) 		33.9
(93.0) 		35.0
(95.0) 		34.2
(93.6) 		25.8
(78.4) 		19.4
(66.9) 		16.3
(61.3) 		35.0
(95.0)
Average high °C (°F) −1.3
(29.7) 		−0.6
(30.9) 		3.1
(37.6) 		9.1
(48.4) 		15.3
(59.5) 		20.4
(68.7) 		23.8
(74.8) 		23.6
(74.5) 		19.4
(66.9) 		13.1
(55.6) 		7.3
(45.1) 		1.7
(35.1) 		11.3
(52.3)
Daily mean °C (°F) −5.9
(21.4) 		−5.2
(22.6) 		−1.3
(29.7) 		4.4
(39.9) 		10.0
(50.0) 		15.1
(59.2) 		18.8
(65.8) 		18.7
(65.7) 		14.6
(58.3) 		8.7
(47.7) 		3.5
(38.3) 		−2.4
(27.7) 		6.6
(43.9)
Average low °C (°F) −10.4
(13.3) 		−9.7
(14.5) 		−5.7
(21.7) 		−0.3
(31.5) 		4.6
(40.3) 		9.7
(49.5) 		13.7
(56.7) 		13.7
(56.7) 		9.7
(49.5) 		4.2
(39.6) 		−0.4
(31.3) 		−6.4
(20.5) 		1.9
(35.4)
Record low °C (°F) −28.5
(−19.3) 		−27.3
(−17.1) 		−22.4
(−8.3) 		−12.8
(9.0) 		−4.4
(24.1) 		0.6
(33.1) 		6.1
(43.0) 		4.4
(39.9) 		−0.8
(30.6) 		−6.7
(19.9) 		−13.1
(8.4) 		−23.3
(−9.9) 		−28.5
(−19.3)
Record low wind chill −40.4 −41.1 −33.9 −24.4 −10.9 0.0 0.0 0.0 −3.0 −10.1 −23.9 −35.6 −41.1
Average precipitation mm (inches) 134.3
(5.29) 		105.8
(4.17) 		120.1
(4.73) 		114.5
(4.51) 		111.9
(4.41) 		96.2
(3.79) 		95.5
(3.76) 		93.5
(3.68) 		102.0
(4.02) 		124.9
(4.92) 		154.2
(6.07) 		143.3
(5.64) 		1,396.2
(54.97)
Average rainfall mm (inches) 83.5
(3.29) 		65.0
(2.56) 		86.9
(3.42) 		98.2
(3.87) 		109.8
(4.32) 		96.2
(3.79) 		95.5
(3.76) 		93.5
(3.68) 		102.0
(4.02) 		124.6
(4.91) 		139.1
(5.48) 		101.8
(4.01) 		1,196.1
(47.09)
Average snowfall cm (inches) 58
(23) 		45
(18) 		37
(15) 		16
(6.3) 		2
(0.8) 		0
(0) 		0
(0) 		0
(0) 		0
(0) 		0
(0) 		17
(6.7) 		45
(18) 		221
(87)
Average precipitation days (≥ 0.2 mm) 18.7 15.2 15.1 14.8 13.7 12.9 11.3 11.0 10.2 12.1 15.1 17.4 167.4
Average rainy days (≥ 0.2 mm) 8.0 6.1 8.6 12.1 13.5 12.9 11.3 11.0 10.2 12.1 12.8 9.8 128.4
Average snowy days (≥ 0.2 cm) 14.6 12.0 9.6 5.2 0.61 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.14 3.9 11.7 57.7
Average relative humidity (%) 73.0 67.4 64.5 62.9 61.9 62.6 63.0 62.9 64.4 66.9 73.2 75.5 66.5
Source: Environment and Climate Change Canada[43]


Metropolitan landscape

As of the 2021 Canadian Census, the Halifax Census Metropolitan Area (Metropolitan Halifax) is coterminous with the Municipality of Halifax and the Municipality of East Hants. The total land area of Metropolitan Halifax is 727,622 hectares (7,276.22 km2).[44]

The metropolitan area grew between the 2016 Canadian Census and the 2021 Canadian Census. Before the 2021 Canadian Census, Metropolitan Halifax covered 549,631 hectares (5,496.31 km2).[45] After the addition of the Municipality of East Hants, the metropolitan area's land area expanded by 177,991 hectares (1,779.91 km2) to its current land area.[44]

Municipal landscape

 
Urban, suburban, and rural divisions as defined by HRM planning department.[46] The majority of Halifax is made up of rural areas.

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 5,475.57 km2 (2,114.13 sq mi).[2]

The Halifax Regional Municipality occupies an area comparable in size to the total land area of the province of Prince Edward Island, and measures approximately 165 km (103 mi) in length between its eastern and westernmost extremities, excluding Sable Island. The nearest point of land to Sable Island is not in HRM, but rather in adjacent Guysborough County. 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 400 km (250 mi), with the northern boundary of the municipality usually being between 50–60 km (31–37 mi) inland. The coast is mostly rock with small isolated sand beaches in sheltered bays. The largest coastal features include St. Margarets Bay, Halifax Harbour/Bedford Basin, Cole Harbour, Musquodoboit Harbour, Jeddore Harbour, Ship Harbour, Sheet Harbour, and Ecum Secum Harbour. The municipality's topography spans from lush farmland 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.

Regional Centre

The Halifax Regional Centre includes the Halifax Peninsula, and Dartmouth inside the Circumferential Highway. The new inner-urban-area covers 3,300 hectares (33 km2),[47] and houses 96,619 people in 55,332 dwelling units as of the 2016 Census.[48] The Regional Centre has many public services within its boundaries, and it hosts large entertainment venues (Scotiabank Centre), and major hospitals (Dartmouth General Hospital, the QEII Health Sciences Centre, and IWK Health Centre).

Communities and neighbourhoods

Main article: Communities in the Halifax Regional Municipality

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 of Bedford, and the former-cities of Dartmouth-and-Halifax have maintained their original geographic names. Furthermore, communities that were suburban, or even rural before-1996, now have become more urban and have attained community status (e.g. Cole Harbour, Lower Sackville, Spryfield, et cetera).[49] These community names are used on survey and mapping documents, for 9-1-1 service, municipal planning, and postal service.

Prior to the amalgamation of Halifax in 1996, and since its restructure as a Municipality, the growth of Halifax has not only been sustained, but has gradually increased. Many of the present-day-communities within the conurbation have morphed from being primarily rural in the recent-past, to now primarily urban. With the demographic change-and-growth of many communities within urban Halifax, their function-and-role within the conurbation has changed. With this continuous growth, many of the current communities have developed de facto business districts where residents of their respective communities (and their respective environs) can access needs-and-products that previously would be attained by travelling elsewhere (e.g. to Downtown Dartmouth or to Downtown Halifax).

Community planning areas

 
A map of Halifax's Community Planning Areas.

Currently, the municipality is divided into 21 community planning areas which are further divided into neighbourhoods.[50] 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.[51]

Current planning areas:

  • Beaver Bank, Hammonds Plains, and Upper Sackville
  • Bedford
  • Cole Harbour/Westphal
  • Dartmouth
  • Eastern Passage/Cow Bay
  • Eastern Shore (East)
  • Eastern Shore (West)
  • Downtown Halifax
  • Halifax
  • Lawrencetown
  • Musquodoboit Valley/Dutch Settlement
  • North Preston, Lake Major, Lake Loon, Cherry Brook, and East Preston
  • Planning Districts 1 & 3 (St. Margaret's Bay)
  • Planning District 4 (Prospect)
  • Planning District 5 (Chebucto Peninsula)
  • Planning Districts 8 & 9 (Lake Echo/Porters Lake)
  • Planning Districts 14 & 17 (Shubenacadie Lakes)
  • Regional Centre Plan Area
  • Sackville
  • Sackville Drive
  • Timberlea/Lakeside/Beechville

Rural landscape

Halifax is centred on the urban core and surrounded by areas of decreasing population density. Rural areas lie to the east, west and north of the urban core. The Atlantic Ocean lies to the south. Certain rural communities on the urban fringe function as suburban or exurban areas, with the majority of those residents commuting to and working in the urban core.

Farther away, rural communities in the municipality function like any resource-based area in Nova Scotia, being sparsely populated and their local economies based on four major resource industries: agriculture, in the Musquodoboit Valley, fishing, along the coast, mining, in the Musquodoboit Valley[52] and in Moose River Gold Mines[53] and forestry, in most areas outside the urban core. Also, the tourism industry is beginning to change how some rural communities in Halifax function, particularly in communities such as Hubbards, Peggys Cove, with its notable lighthouse[54] and Lawrencetown, with Lawrencetown Beach.[55] There are two other large beaches along the coast, Martinique Beach, near Musquodoboit Harbour[56] and Taylor Head Beach, located in Spry Bay, within the boundaries of Taylor Head Provincial Park.[57]

The northeastern area of the municipality, centred on Sheet Harbour and the Musquodoboit Valley, is completely rural, with the area sharing more in common with the adjacent rural areas of neighbouring Guysborough, Pictou and Colchester counties. Most economic activity in the Musquodoboit Valley is based on agriculture, as it is the largest farming district in the municipality.[58] 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.[58]

Urban landscape

 
View of Purdy's Wharf, an office complex in Downtown Halifax.

At 23,829 hectares (238.29 km2), Halifax's urban area (defined as population centre by Statistics Canada) is less-than five-percent of the municipal land area.[59] The area surrounds Halifax Harbour and its main centres are Bedford, Dartmouth, and Halifax (and their respective environs).

Between the 2016 Canadian Census and the 2021 Canadian Census, the built-up area of Halifax grew by 357 hectares (3.57 km2) from 23,472 hectares (234.72 km2) hectares in 2016[60] to 23,829 hectares (238.29 km2) in 2021.[59]

Culture

Main article: Culture of Halifax, Nova Scotia
 
Halifax is home to the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia, the largest art gallery in Atlantic Canada.

Halifax is a major cultural centre within the Atlantic provinces. The municipality has maintained many of its maritime and military traditions, while opening itself to a growing multicultural population. The municipality's urban core also benefits from a large population of post-secondary students who strongly influence the local cultural scene. Halifax has a number of art galleries, theatres and museums, as well as most of the region's national-quality sports and entertainment facilities. Halifax is also the home to many of the region's major cultural attractions, such as Halifax Pop Explosion, Symphony Nova Scotia, the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia, The Khyber, the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic and the Neptune Theatre. The region is noted for the strength of its music scene and nightlife, especially within the urban communities. See List of musical groups from Halifax, Nova Scotia for a partial list.

 
The Historic Properties are a collection of historical buildings on Halifax's boardwalk.

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, 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, a 43-year-old establishment located on Argyle Street, is Halifax's largest theatre. It performs an assortment of professionally produced plays year-round. The Shakespeare by the Sea theatre company performs at nearby Point Pleasant Park. Eastern Front Theatre performs at Alderney Landing in Downtown Dartmouth which can easily be accessed via the Halifax Transit ferry service. There are smaller performance venues at the Halifax Central Library, Citadel High School (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 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.[61]

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

Main article: Buildings and structures in Halifax, Nova Scotia
Further information: List of tallest buildings in Halifax, Nova Scotia
 
The Halifax Town Clock overlooks most of downtown Halifax.

Halifax's urban core is home to a number of regional landmark buildings and retains significant historic buildings and districts. Downtown office towers are overlooked by the fortress of Citadel Hill with its iconic Halifax Town Clock.

The architecture of Halifax's South End is renowned for its grand Victorian houses while the West End and North End, Halifax have many blocks of well-preserved wooden residential houses with notable features such as the "Halifax Porch". Dalhousie University's campus is often featured in films and documentaries. Surrounding areas of the municipality, including Dartmouth and Bedford, also possess their share of historic neighbourhoods and properties.

The urban core is home to several blocks of typical North American high-rise office buildings; however, segments of the downtown are governed by height restrictions, known as "view planes legislation", which prevent buildings from obstructing certain sight lines between Citadel Hill and the Halifax Harbour. This has resulted in some modern high rises being built at unusual angles or locations.

Public spaces

Main article: Parks in Halifax, Nova Scotia
 
Halifax Public Gardens is a Victorian era public garden that was designated as a National Historic Sites of Canada in 1984.

The Halifax area has a variety of public spaces, ranging from urban gardens, public squares, expansive forested parks, and historic sites. The original grid plan devised when Halifax was founded in 1749 included a central military parade square, the Grand Parade. The square hosts the City Hall at one end, and is a popular site for concerts, political demonstrations, as well as the annual Remembrance Day ceremony at the central cenotaph. Another popular downtown public space is the timber Halifax Boardwalk, which stretches approximately 3 km (1.9 mi) 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.[62] 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, 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.

 
An elm tree in Halifax Public Gardens.

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, gifted to the people of Halifax by Sir Sandford Fleming. 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.[63]

Tourism

 
The community of Peggy's Cove is a major tourist attraction.

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 in 1999 and is the only national museum in the Atlantic provinces. The Maritime Museum of the Atlantic is a maritime museum containing extensive galleries including a large exhibit on the famous Titanic, over 70 small craft and a 200-foot (61 m) steamship CSS Acadia. In summertime the preserved World War II corvette HMCS Sackville operates as a museum ship and Canada's naval memorial. The Art Gallery of Nova Scotia is housed in a 150-year-old building containing nearly 19,000 works of art.[64] The Black Cultural Centre for Nova Scotia in Dartmouth reflects the region's rich ethnic heritage.

 
The Halifax Boardwalk is a public footpath along Halifax Harbour.

Halifax has numerous National Historic Sites, most notably Citadel Hill (Fort George). Just outside the urban area, the iconic Peggys Cove is internationally recognized and receives more than 600,000 visitors a year.[65]

The waterfront in Downtown Halifax is the site of the Halifax Harbourwalk, a 3-kilometre (2 mi) boardwalk popular among tourists and locals alike. Many mid-sized ships dock here at one of the many wharfs. The harbourwalk is home to a Halifax Transit ferry terminal, hundreds of stores, Historic Properties, several office buildings, the Casino Nova Scotia, and several public squares where buskers perform, most prominently at the annual Halifax International Busker Festival every August.

Downtown Halifax, home to many small shops and vendors, is a major shopping area. It is also home to several shopping centres, including Scotia Square, Barrington Place Shops, and Maritime Mall. Numerous malls on Spring Garden Road, including the Park Lane Mall, are also located nearby. The area is home to approximately 200 restaurants and bars, offering a wide array of world cuisines.[66] 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.[67]

Media

Main article: Media in Halifax, Nova Scotia
 
Headquarters of The Chronicle Herald, a daily newspaper published in Halifax

Halifax is the Atlantic region's central point for radio broadcast and press media. CBC Television, CTV Television Network (CTV), and Global Television Network and other broadcasters all have important regional television concentrators in the municipality. CBC Radio has a major regional studio and there are also regional hubs for Rogers Radio and various private broadcast franchises, as well as a regional bureau for The Canadian Press/Broadcast News.

Halifax's print media is centred on its single daily newspaper, the broadsheet Chronicle Herald as well as two free newspapers, the daily commuter-oriented edition of Metro International and the free alternative arts weekly The Coast.

Halifax has several online daily newspapers. allNovaScotia is a daily, subscriber-only outlet which focuses on business and political news from across the province.[68] HalifaxToday is a free news website, owned by Village Media, which originated from the now-defunct Local Xpress outlet created by the journalists of the Chronicle Herald during a 2016–2017 strike. The Halifax Examiner was founded by the former news editor of The Coast in 2014 and, like allNovaScotia, is supported through subscriptions.

From 1974 to 2008, Halifax had a second daily newspaper, the tabloid The Daily News, which still publishes several neighbourhood weekly papers such as The Bedford-Sackville Weekly News, The Halifax West-Clayton Park Weekly News and the Dartmouth-Cole Harbour Weekly News. These weekly papers compete with The Chronicle-Herald's weekly Community Heralds HRM West, HRM East, and HRM North.

Sports

Main article: Sport in Halifax, Nova Scotia
 
The Scotiabank Centre is the largest multi-purpose sporting arena in Atlantic Canada.

Halifax is represented by two professional sports teams, with teams in the National Lacrosse League (NLL) and Canadian Premier League (CPL). Also, Halifax has a semi-professional sports team in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL), which is part of the Canadian Hockey League (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[69]), the Halifax Forum, the Wanderers Grounds and various university sports facilities, such as Huskies Stadium.

Professional and semi-professional sports

 
Halifax Mooseheads prepare to face off in a 2012 semi-final game.

Halifax is home to the Halifax Mooseheads the semi-professional major junior hockey club of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL). Founded in 1994 and began play in the Dilio Division of the QMJHL from the 1994–95 season,[70] the Mooseheads were the first team from Atlantic Canada to join the QMJHL. In 2013 the Mooseheads capped a 74-win season (going 74-7-3-1[71]) 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 Memorial Cup. [72]They have appeared in the President's Cup Finals three additional times: 2003, 2005 and 2019. They also hosted the Memorial Cup tournaments two additional times in 2000 and 2019.

The Halifax Thunderbirds is the city's National Lacrosse League team. Relocated in September 2018 from Rochester,[73] the Thunderbirds are Halifax’s newest professional team. Unfortunately on March 12, 2020, during their inaugural year, the season was cut short due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[74] Although the team didn’t have the chance to finish their season, they were awarded two league awards: Defensive Player of the Year and Executive of the Year.[75] After the 2020-2021 season was fully canceled,[76] the team returned for their 2021-2022 season which they reached their first playoffs, where they were defeated by the Toronto Rock 14-13 in overtime[77] in the conference semi-final.

 
Canadian Premier League action in June 2019

Halifax’s second professional sports team are the HFX Wanderers FC and are part of Canada’s primary national soccer league, the Canadian Premier League. On May 25, 2018 the team was officially announced[78] and that they would be playing at a temporary stadium on Halifax’s Wanderers Grounds. They played their first league game on April 28, 2019, in 1–0 away loss to Pacific FC.[79]

The city had a team in the National Basketball League of Canada (NBL Canada) called the Halifax Hurricanes. The team succeeded the Halifax Rainmen who had previously played in the American Basketball Association and Premier Basketball League before joining the NBL Canada and later declaring bankruptcy in July 2015. [80] The Hurricanes won the NBL Canada championship in their inaugural season. Unfortunately the Hurricanes have since ceased operations, and as of November 2021,[81] the team has left the NBL Canada.

The Halifax Crescents, an amateur and later, professional ice hockey team challenged for the Stanley Cup in 1900 but lost to the Montreal Shamrocks.

Halifax also had three teams in the American Hockey League between 1971 and 1993. The Nova Scotia Voyageurs, affiliated with the Montreal Canadiens, played from 1971 to 1984 and won 3 Calder Cups. The team then relocated to Sherbrooke, Quebec to become the Sherbrooke Canadiens.

The Nova Scotia Oilers replaced the Voyageurs in Halifax and were affiliated with the Edmonton Oilers. The Oilers played four seasons before relocating to Cape Breton Island to become the Cape Breton Oilers.

The Halifax Citadels, affiliated with the Quebec Nordiques then filled the void in 1988 and played until 1993, when they relocated to Cornwall, Ontario to become the Cornwall Aces.

Professional and Semi-Professional sports teams in Halifax
Club League Sport Venue Established Championships
Halifax Mooseheads QMJHL Major Junior Hockey Scotiabank Centre 1994 1 (last in 2013)
Halifax Thunderbirds NLL Box Lacrosse Scotiabank Centre 2019 0
HFX Wanderers FC CPL Soccer Wanderers Grounds 2018 0

University sports

 
Huskies Stadium in 2018

Halifax is home to seven degree-granting post-secondary educational institutions with four of them having athletic programmes. Two of the schools, Dalhousie University and Saint Mary's University are part of the U Sports league. While Mount Saint Vincent University and University of King's College are apart of the Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA).

Dalhousie University’s varsity team goes by the 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.[82]

Halifax’s other U Sports university, located just down the street from Dalhousie, 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.[83] Huskies Stadium was used on June 11, 2005 to host an exhibition game between the Hamilton Tiger-Cats and the Toronto Argonauts of the CFL. The game was called "Touchdown Atlantic"

Finally, two of Halifax’s smaller universities are part of the Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA). Mount Saint Vincent University, 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.[84] The Mystics hold a championship titles in all sports, making them the most acclaimed team of the ACAA division. University of King's College is also a member of the ACAA. The varsity athletics teams at the University of King's College are named the Blue Devils.[85] Sporting teams include men's and women's basketball, soccer, badminton and rugby, and women's volleyball.[86]

From 1984 to 2007, the region was home to the CIS Men's Basketball Championship; the tournament was moved to Ottawa, Ontario, from 2008 to 2010 and returned to Halifax in 2011 and 2012.

Events

The city has hosted several major sporting events, including the 2003 World Junior Ice Hockey Championship, 2003 Nokia Brier, the 2004 Women's World Ice Hockey Championships, the 2005 Canadian Olympic Curling Trials, and the 2007 World Indoor Lacrosse Championship. Other major sports events hosted by Halifax include:

Halifax was selected in 2006 as the host municipality in Canada's bid for the 2014 Commonwealth Games but withdrew on March 8, 2007, well before the November 9, 2007 selection date, citing financial uncertainties.

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 and Gaelic Football 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 (CMA) level in the 2021 census, the Halifax CMA had a population of 465,703 living in 201,138 of its 211,789 total private dwellings, a change of 9.1% from its 2016 population of 426,932. With a land area of 7,276.22 km2 (2,809.36 sq mi), it had a population density of 64.0/km2 (165.8/sq mi) in 2021.[87]

Halifax Regional Municipality

Historical populations
YearPop.±%
185139,914—    
186149,021+22.8%
187156,963+16.2%
188167,917+19.2%
189171,358+5.1%
190174,662+4.6%
191180,257+7.5%
192197,228+21.1%
1931100,204+3.1%
1941122,656+22.4%
1951162,217+32.3%
1961225,723+39.1%
1971261,461+15.8%
1981288,126+10.2%
1991332,518+15.4%
1996342,966+3.1%
2001359,183+4.7%
2006372,858+3.8%
2011390,096+4.6%
2016403,131+3.3%
2021439,819+9.1%
Prior to 1996, the figures are for Halifax County. From 1996 onwards, the figures are for Halifax Regional Municipality.
Source: Statistics Canada

In the 2021 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, the Halifax Regional Municipality had a population of 439,819 living in 190,512 of its 200,473 total private dwellings, a change of 9.1% from its 2016 population of 403,131. With a land area of 5,475.57 km2 (2,114.13 sq mi), it had a population density of 80.3/km2 (208.0/sq mi) in 2021.[2]

The 2021 census reported that immigrants (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%).[88]

Ethnicity

Panethnic groups in the Regional Municipality of Halifax (2001−2021)
Panethnic
group 		2021[88] 2016[89] 2011[90] 2006[91] 2001[92]
Pop. % Pop. % Pop. % Pop. % Pop. %
European[b] 345,735 79.43% 336,375 84.65% 339,705 88.39% 336,395 91.1% 327,325 91.98%
African 20,565 4.72% 15,085 3.8% 13,780 3.59% 13,270 3.59% 13,080 3.68%
South Asian 16,765 3.85% 6,555 1.65% 3,995 1.04% 2,900 0.79% 2,345 0.66%
Indigenous 16,615 3.82% 15,735 3.96% 9,585 2.49% 5,230 1.42% 3,460 0.97%
East Asian[c] 12,895 2.96% 8,690 2.19% 5,755 1.5% 4,135 1.12% 3,255 0.91%
Middle Eastern[d] 11,160 2.56% 8,725 2.2% 6,730 1.75% 4,510 1.22% 3,360 0.94%
Southeast Asian[e] 6,345 1.46% 3,440 0.87% 2,220 0.58% 1,185 0.32% 1,195 0.34%
Latin American 2,255 0.52% 1,210 0.3% 1,025 0.27% 695 0.19% 415 0.12%
Other[f] 2,965 0.68% 1,585 0.4% 1,535 0.4% 960 0.26% 1,440 0.4%
Total responses 435,290 98.97% 397,395 98.58% 384,330 98.52% 369,265 99.08% 355,870 99.1%
Total population 439,819 100% 403,131 100% 390,096 100% 372,679 100% 359,111 100%
  • Note: Totals greater than 100% due to multiple origin responses.

Language

Mother tongue language (2021)[93]

Rank Language Population Pct (%)
1 English 380,140 86.43%
2 French 13,920 3.16%
3 Arabic 8,595 1.95%
4 Mandarin 6,355 1.44%
5 Punjabi 3,755 0.85%
6 Tagalog 2,930 0.66%
7 Hindi 2,485 0.56%
8 Spanish 2,295 0.52%
9 Korean 2,215 0.50%
10 Russian 1,655 0.37%

Religion

St. Paul's Church is the oldest Christian church in Halifax. Halifax is a religiously diverse municipality, and has several landmark religious institutions:[94]

Halifax also houses the Atlantic School of Theology for religious studies.

Religion (2021)[93]

Religion Population Percentage (%)
Buddhism 2,195 0.5
Christianity 231,255 53.12
Hinduism 6,840 1.57
Indigenous Spirituality 210 0.04
Irreligion 173,005 39.74
Islam 13,220 3.03
Judaism 1,750 0.4
Sikhism 3,495 0.8
Other religions and spiritual religions 3,315 0.76

Halifax urban area

Historical urban area population
YearPop.±%
1996270,047—    
2001276,221+2.3%
2006282,924+2.4%
2011304,979+7.8%
2016317,334+4.1%
2021348,634+9.9%
Before 1996, figures were from Halifax County. After 1996, figures onwards are for Halifax Regional Municipality.
Source: [95][96][97][98][99]

As of 2021, the population centre (urban area) of Halifax housed 348,634 people living in 154,883 of its 162,336 total private dwellings.[3] The human population density of Halifax's population centre was approximately 1,463.1/km2 (3,789.3/sq mi).[3]

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

Main article: Economy of Halifax, Nova Scotia

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).[100] The Halifax economy is growing, with the Conference Board of Canada predicting strong 3.0% GDP growth for 2015.[100]

 
The Halifax Shipyard of Irving Shipbuilding. Irving is a major employer in Halifax.

Major employers and economic generators include the Department of National Defence, the Port of Halifax, Irving Shipbuilding, the Nova Scotia Health Authority, IMP Group, Bell Aliant, Emera, the Bedford Institute of Oceanography, government, banks, and universities.[101] 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.[102] A real estate boom in recent years has led to numerous new property developments, including the gentrification of some former working-class areas.[100]

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 Industrial Port,[103] and others being managed as small craft harbours under the federal Fisheries and Oceans Canada.

Other resource industries in Halifax include the natural gas fields off the coast of Sable Island, as well as clay, gold, gypsum, limestone, and shale extraction in rural areas of the mainland portion of the municipality. Limestone is extracted in the Musquodoboit Valley and gold is extracted in Moose River.

Government

Main article: Government in the Halifax Regional Municipality

The Halifax Regional Municipality is governed by a mayor (elected at large) and a sixteen-person council. Councillors are elected by geographic district, with municipal elections occurring every four years. The current mayor of Halifax is Mike Savage. The Halifax Regional Council is responsible for all facets of municipal government, including the Halifax Regional Police, Halifax Public Libraries, Halifax Fire and Emergency, Halifax Regional Water Commission, parks and recreation, civic addressing, public works, waste management, and planning and development.[104] The provincial legislation that provides governance oversight to the municipality is the Halifax Regional Municipality Charter.[104] The municipality has a proposed operating budget of $869 million for 2015–2016.[105]

The municipality also has three community councils that consider local matters. Each community council comprises five or six regional councillors representing neighbouring districts.[106] Most community council decisions are subject to final approval by regional council.[104]

As the capital of Nova Scotia, Halifax is also the meeting place of the Nova Scotia House of Assembly, the oldest assembly in Canada and the site of the first responsible government in British North America.[107] The legislature meets in Province House, a nearly 200-year-old National Historic Site in downtown Halifax hailed as one of the finest examples of Palladian architecture in North America.[108]

Education

Main article: Education in Halifax, Nova Scotia
 
Halifax is home to Dalhousie University. Established in 1818, it is among the oldest English-language post-secondary institutions in Canada.

Halifax has a well-developed network of public and private schools, providing instruction from grade primary to grade twelve; 136 public schools are administered by the Halifax Regional School Board, while six public schools are administered by the Conseil scolaire acadien provincial.[109] The municipality's fourteen private schools are operated independently.

The municipality is also home to the following post-secondary educational institutions: Dalhousie University, University of King's College, Mount Saint Vincent University, NSCAD University, Nova Scotia Community College, the Halifax campus of Université Sainte-Anne, Saint Mary's University, the Atlantic School of Theology, and several private institutions. The largest of these, Dalhousie University, is Atlantic Canada's premier research-intensive university ranking 7th in Maclean's and 228th in the world. This school is host to most of the province's professional schools while other institutions focus primarily though not exclusively on undergraduate education. The plethora of university and college students contributes to the vibrant youth culture in the region, as well as making it a major centre for university education in eastern Canada.

Transportation

Main article: Transportation in Halifax, Nova Scotia

Air

Halifax Stanfield International Airport serves Halifax and most of the province, providing scheduled flights to domestic and international destinations. The airport served 4,083,188 passengers in 2017, making it Canada's eighth busiest airport by passenger traffic.[110] Shearwater, part of CFB Halifax, is the air base for maritime helicopters employed by the Royal Canadian Navy and is located on the eastern side of Halifax Harbour.

Cycling

In recent years, the municipality has also begun to place increased emphasis on developing bicycling infrastructure. Halifax has developed 100 km (62 mi) of bikeways, 89 km (55 mi) of which are dedicated bicycle lanes.[111]

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.[112]

Rail

 
The Port of Halifax is North America's first inbound and last outbound shipping gateway to Europe.

The Halifax Port Authority's various shipping terminals constitute the eastern terminus of Canadian National Railway's transcontinental network. Via Rail Canada provides overnight passenger rail service from the Halifax Railway Station three days a week to Montreal with the Ocean, a train equipped with sleeper cars that stops in major centres along the way, such as Moncton. The Halifax Railway Station also serves as the terminus for Maritime Bus, which serves destinations across the Maritimes.

Water

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

Sister cities

  •   Hakodate, Japan (1982). The cities chose to twin because they both have star forts and are both maritime ports. Halifax has donated many fir trees to the annual Hakodate Christmas Fantasy festival.[113][114]
  •   Campeche, Mexico (1999). Campeche was chosen because, like Halifax, it is "a capital of a state" and is "a city of similar size to Halifax on or near the coast having rich historical tradition".[115]
  •   Norfolk, Virginia, United States (2006). Norfolk was chosen because, like Halifax, its economy "depends heavily on the presence of the Armed Forces, and both cities are very proud of their military history".[116]

Notable Haligonians

Main article: List of people from the Halifax Regional Municipality

See also

Notes

  1. ^ Based on station coordinates provided by Environment Canada and documentation from the Nova Scotian Institute of Science, weather data was collected in West End, Halifax from January 1863 to July 1933, at Citadel Hill from August 1933 to August 1939, at Downtown Halifax from September 1939 to July 1974, at Citadel Hill from August 1974 to January 2002 and at CFB Halifax (Windsor Park and Halifax Dockyard) from September 2004 to present.
  2. ^ Statistic includes all persons that did not make up part of a visible minority or an indigenous identity.
  3. ^ Statistic includes total responses of "Chinese", "Korean", and "Japanese" under visible minority section on census.
  4. ^ Statistic includes total responses of "West Asian" and "Arab" under visible minority section on census.
  5. ^ Statistic includes total responses of "Filipino" and "Southeast Asian" under visible minority section on census.
  6. ^ Statistic includes total responses of "Visible minority, n.i.e." and "Multiple visible minorities" under visible minority section on census.

References

  1. ^ "Halifax". Geographical Names Data Base. Natural Resources Canada.
  2. ^ a b c "Census Profile, 2021 Census of Population Data table". Statistics Canada. Statistics Canada. February 9, 2022. from the original on February 9, 2022. Retrieved February 9, 2022.
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Further reading

  • Laffoley, Steven (2007). Hunting Halifax: In Search of History, Mystery and Murder. Pottersfield Press. ISBN 978-1895900934.
  • Parker, Mike (2009). Fortress Halifax: Portrait of a Garrison Town. Nimbus Publishing. ISBN 9781551094946.
  • Poole, Stephen (2012). Halifax: Discovering Its Heritage. Formac Publishing Company Limited. ISBN 9781459500525.
  • Soucoup, Dan (2014). A Short History of Halifax. Nimbus Publishing. ISBN 9781771081849.
  • Tattrie, Jon (2013). Cornwallis: The Violent Birth of Halifax. Pottersfield Press. ISBN 9781897426487.

External links

  • Official website  

March 28, 2023
halifax, nova, scotia, halifax, capital, largest, municipality, canadian, province, nova, scotia, largest, municipality, atlantic, canada, halifax, canada, fastest, growing, municipalities, 2022, estimated, that, population, halifax, with, people, urban, area,. Halifax is the capital and largest municipality of the Canadian province of Nova Scotia and the largest municipality in Atlantic Canada Halifax is one of Canada s fastest growing municipalities 6 and as of 2022 it is estimated that the CMA population of Halifax was 480 582 7 with 348 634 people in its urban area 3 The regional municipality consists of four former municipalities that were amalgamated in 1996 Halifax Dartmouth Bedford and Halifax County HalifaxRegional municipalityHalifax Regional MunicipalityFrom top left to right Downtown Halifax skyline Macdonald Bridge Crystal Crescent Beach Peggy s Cove Central Library Sullivan s PondFlagCoat of armsLogoMotto s E Mari Merces Latin From the Sea Wealth Location in Nova ScotiaHalifaxLocation in CanadaCoordinates 44 38 51 N 63 35 26 W 44 64750 N 63 59056 W 44 64750 63 59056 Coordinates 44 38 51 N 63 35 26 W 44 64750 N 63 59056 W 44 64750 63 59056 1 CountryCanadaProvinceNova ScotiaTown1749City1842Regional municipalityApril 1 1996Named forGeorge Montagu Dunk 2nd Earl of HalifaxGovernment TypeRegional Municipality MayorMike Savage Governing bodyHalifax Regional Council MPsList of MPs Andy Fillmore LPC Geoff Regan LPC Darren Fisher LPC Darrell Samson LPC Bernadette Jordan LPC MLAsList of MLAs Barbara AdamsPatricia ArabGary BurrillClaudia ChenderKeith ColwellLena DiabRafah DiCostanzoTim HalmanLarry HarrisonBill HorneTony InceBen JessomeBrad JohnsLabi KousoulisSusan LeblancBrendan MaguireKevin MurphyIain RankinKelly ReganLisa RobertsDave WilsonArea Regional municipality5 475 57 km2 2 114 13 sq mi Urban238 29 km2 92 00 sq mi Metro7 276 22 km2 2 809 36 sq mi Highest elevation241 9 m 793 6 ft Lowest elevation0 m 0 ft Population 2021 2 3 4 Regional municipality439 819 Density80 3 km2 208 sq mi Urban348 634 Urban density1 463 1 km2 3 789 sq mi Metro465 703 12th Metro density64 0 km2 166 sq mi Change 2016 20219 1 Census ranking13 of 5 162DemonymHaligonianTime zoneUTC 04 00 AST Summer DST UTC 03 00 ADT Postal code spanB0J B3A to B4GArea codes902 782GDP Halifax CMA CA 20 6 billion 2016 5 GDP per capita Halifax CMA CA 50 946 2016 Websitewww wbr halifax wbr caHalifax is a major economic centre in Atlantic Canada with a large concentration of government services and private sector companies Major employers and economic generators include the Department of National Defence Dalhousie University Nova Scotia Health Authority Saint Mary s University the Halifax Shipyard various levels of government and the Port of Halifax Agriculture fishing mining forestry and natural gas extraction are major resource industries found in the rural areas of the municipality Contents 1 History 2 Geography 2 1 Climate 2 2 Metropolitan landscape 2 3 Municipal landscape 2 3 1 Regional Centre 2 3 2 Communities and neighbourhoods 2 3 3 Community planning areas 2 4 Rural landscape 2 5 Urban landscape 3 Culture 3 1 Architecture 3 2 Public spaces 3 3 Tourism 3 4 Media 4 Sports 4 1 Professional and semi professional sports 4 2 University sports 4 3 Events 4 4 Amateur and club sports 5 Demographics 5 1 Halifax CMA 5 2 Halifax Regional Municipality 5 2 1 Ethnicity 5 2 2 Language 5 2 3 Religion 5 3 Halifax urban area 6 Economy 7 Government 8 Education 9 Transportation 9 1 Air 9 2 Cycling 9 3 Road 9 4 Public transit 9 5 Rail 9 6 Water 10 Sister cities 11 Notable Haligonians 12 See also 13 Notes 14 References 15 Further reading 16 External linksHistory EditMain articles History of Halifax Nova Scotia History of Dartmouth Nova Scotia Bedford Nova Scotia History and Halifax County Nova Scotia History Halifax is located within Miꞌkmaꞌki the traditional ancestral lands of the Miꞌkmaq peoples 8 The Mi kmaq have resided in Nova Scotia New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island since prior to European landings in North America in the 1400s and 1500s to set up fisheries At the time of Confederation of Canada about 1000 Mi kmaq lived in the Colony of Nova Scotia The Mi kmaq name for Halifax is Kjipuktuk pronounced che book took 9 The name means Great Harbour in the Mi kmaq language 10 Halifax Nova Scotia c 1762 by Dominic Serres 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 colonial capital being transferred from Annapolis Royal The establishment of Halifax marked the beginning of Father Le Loutre s War The war began when Edward Cornwallis arrived to establish Halifax with 13 transports and a sloop of war on June 21 1749 11 By unilaterally establishing Halifax the British were violating earlier treaties with the Mi kmaq 1726 which were signed after Father Rale s War 12 Cornwallis brought along 1 176 settlers and their families To guard against Mi kmaq Acadian and French attacks on the new Protestant settlements British fortifications were erected in Halifax Citadel Hill 1749 Bedford Fort Sackville 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 during the American Revolution December 6 1917 saw one of the greatest disasters in Canadian history when the SS Mont Blanc a French cargo ship carrying munitions collided with the Belgian Relief vessel SS Imo in The Narrows between upper Halifax Harbour and Bedford Basin The resulting explosion the Halifax Explosion devastated the Richmond District of Halifax killing approximately 2 000 people and injuring nearly 9 000 others 13 The blast was the largest artificial explosion before the development of nuclear weapons 14 Significant aid came from Boston strengthening the bond between the two coastal cities The four municipalities in the Halifax urban area had been coordinating service delivery through the Metropolitan Authority since the late 1970s but remained independent towns and cities until 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 15 Since amalgamation the region has officially been known as the Halifax Regional Municipality HRM although Halifax has remained in common usage for brevity On April 15 2014 the regional council approved the implementation of a new branding campaign for the region developed by the local firm Revolve Marketing The campaign would see the region referred to in promotional materials simply as Halifax although Halifax Regional Municipality would remain the region s official name The proposed rebranding was met with mixed reaction from residents some of whom felt that the change would alienate other communities in the municipality through a perception that the marketing scheme would focus on Metropolitan Halifax only while others expressed relief that the longer formal name would no longer be primary Mayor Mike Savage defended the decision stating I m a Westphal guy I m a Dartmouth man but Halifax is my city we re all part of Halifax Why does that matter Because when I go and travel on behalf of this municipality there isn t a person out there who really cares what HRM means 16 17 18 Geography EditClimate Edit Halifax has a humid continental climate Koppen Dfb bordering on an oceanic climate Cfb with warm summers and relatively mild winters which is due to Gulf Stream moderation The weather is usually milder in the winter or cooler in the summer than areas at similar latitudes inland with the temperature remaining with occasional notable exceptions between about 8 and 28 C 18 and 82 F 19 January is the coldest month being the only month with a high that is slightly below freezing at 0 1 C 31 8 F while August is the warmest The sea heavily influences the climate of the area causing significant seasonal lag in summer with August being significantly warmer than June and with September being the third mildest month in terms of mean temperature 20 The January mean is only 1 1 C 2 0 F colder than the isotherm for the oceanic climate Precipitation is high year round Winter features a mix of rain freezing rain and snow with frequent freeze thaw cycles Snowfall is heavy in winter but snow cover is usually patchy owing to the frequent freeze thaw cycles which melt accumulated snow Some winters feature colder temperatures and fewer freeze thaw cycles the most recent of which being the winter of 2014 2015 which was the coldest snowiest and stormiest in about a century Spring is often wet and cool and arrives much later than in areas of Canada at similar latitudes due to cooler sea temperatures Summers are mild and pleasant with hot and humid conditions very infrequent Warm pleasant conditions often extend well into September sometimes into mid October Average monthly precipitation is highest from November to February due to intense late fall to winter storms migrating from the Northeastern U S and lowest in summer with August being the year s warmest and driest month on average Halifax can sometimes receive hurricanes mostly between August and October An example is when Hurricane Juan a category 2 storm hit in September 2003 and caused considerable damage to the region Hurricane Earl grazed the coast as a category 1 storm in 2010 In 2019 Hurricane Dorian made landfall just south of Halifax as a post tropical storm with an intensity equivalent to a category 2 hurricane and caused significant damage across Nova Scotia 21 Atlantic sea surface temperatures have risen in recent years making Halifax and the coast of Nova Scotia somewhat more susceptible to hurricanes than the area had been in the past The highest temperature ever recorded in Halifax was 37 2 C 99 0 F on July 10 1912 22 and the lowest temperature recorded was 29 4 C 20 9 F on February 18 1922 23 The March 2012 North American heat wave brought unusually high temperatures to the municipality of Halifax On March 22 the mercury climbed to 28 2 C 82 8 F at the Halifax Windsor Park weather station 24 and 27 2 C 81 0 F at Halifax Stanfield International Airport 25 In spite of the possibility of high temperatures in a normal year there is only three days that go above 30 C 86 F 26 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 26 On average the frost free period is 182 days ranging from May 1 to October 31 26 Climate data for Halifax Citadel Hill Climate ID 8202220 coordinates 44 39 N 63 35 W 44 650 N 63 583 W 44 650 63 583 Citadel Hill elevation 70 1 m 230 ft 1981 2010 normals extremes 1863 present a Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec YearRecord high C F 14 0 57 2 16 0 60 8 28 2 82 8 28 3 82 9 33 3 91 9 34 4 93 9 37 2 99 0 34 4 93 9 34 6 94 3 31 1 88 0 23 3 73 9 16 7 62 1 37 2 99 0 Average high C F 0 1 31 8 0 4 32 7 3 6 38 5 8 7 47 7 14 4 57 9 19 6 67 3 23 1 73 6 23 1 73 6 19 3 66 7 13 4 56 1 8 1 46 6 2 8 37 0 11 4 52 5 Daily mean C F 4 1 24 6 3 6 25 5 0 2 31 6 4 9 40 8 10 1 50 2 15 2 59 4 18 8 65 8 19 1 66 4 15 5 59 9 9 9 49 8 4 8 40 6 0 8 30 6 7 5 45 5 Average low C F 8 2 17 2 7 5 18 5 3 9 25 0 1 0 33 8 5 8 42 4 10 7 51 3 14 4 57 9 15 1 59 2 11 8 53 2 6 4 43 5 1 5 34 7 4 3 24 3 3 6 38 5 Record low C F 27 2 17 0 29 4 20 9 23 3 9 9 13 9 7 0 5 0 23 0 0 0 32 0 4 4 39 9 3 9 39 0 1 7 28 9 7 2 19 0 15 6 3 9 25 6 14 1 29 4 20 9 Average precipitation mm inches 139 7 5 50 110 1 4 33 132 5 5 22 118 3 4 66 119 1 4 69 111 8 4 40 110 3 4 34 96 4 3 80 108 9 4 29 124 3 4 89 151 4 5 96 145 1 5 71 1 468 1 57 80 Average rainfall mm inches 96 7 3 81 75 1 2 96 101 3 3 99 111 3 4 38 118 4 4 66 111 8 4 40 110 3 4 34 96 4 3 80 108 9 4 29 124 1 4 89 143 6 5 65 115 9 4 56 1 313 9 51 73 Average snowfall cm inches 43 1 17 0 35 0 13 8 31 2 12 3 7 0 2 8 0 8 0 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 7 8 3 1 29 2 11 5 154 2 60 7 Average precipitation days 0 2 mm 13 8 11 6 13 1 15 2 15 8 13 6 12 1 11 1 11 7 14 1 15 3 14 5 161 8Average rainy days 0 2 mm 8 5 6 5 10 2 14 1 15 7 13 6 12 1 11 1 11 7 14 1 14 5 10 8 142 7Average snowy days 0 2 cm 6 8 6 1 4 1 1 6 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 2 5 2 25 3Mean monthly sunshine hours 109 5 127 2 142 8 156 6 193 3 220 7 235 2 226 6 180 5 157 8 107 4 105 2 1 962 5Percent possible sunshine 38 2 43 3 38 7 38 8 42 1 47 5 49 9 52 1 47 9 46 2 37 2 38 2 43 3Average ultraviolet index 1 2 3 5 6 8 8 7 5 3 2 1 4Source 1 Environment and Climate Change Canada Sunshine data recorded at CFB Shearwater 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 Source 2 Nova Scotian Institute of Science 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 and Weather Atlas 42 Climate data for Halifax Halifax Stanfield International Airport WMO ID 71395 coordinates 44 52 48 N 63 30 00 W 44 88000 N 63 50000 W 44 88000 63 50000 Halifax Stanfield International Airport elevation 145 4 m 477 ft 1981 2010 normals extremes 1953 presentMonth Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec YearRecord high humidex 18 4 18 3 27 7 32 1 36 0 40 2 42 4 41 9 42 1 31 9 25 4 20 4 42 4Record high C F 14 8 58 6 17 5 63 5 27 2 81 0 29 5 85 1 32 8 91 0 33 4 92 1 33 9 93 0 35 0 95 0 34 2 93 6 25 8 78 4 19 4 66 9 16 3 61 3 35 0 95 0 Average high C F 1 3 29 7 0 6 30 9 3 1 37 6 9 1 48 4 15 3 59 5 20 4 68 7 23 8 74 8 23 6 74 5 19 4 66 9 13 1 55 6 7 3 45 1 1 7 35 1 11 3 52 3 Daily mean C F 5 9 21 4 5 2 22 6 1 3 29 7 4 4 39 9 10 0 50 0 15 1 59 2 18 8 65 8 18 7 65 7 14 6 58 3 8 7 47 7 3 5 38 3 2 4 27 7 6 6 43 9 Average low C F 10 4 13 3 9 7 14 5 5 7 21 7 0 3 31 5 4 6 40 3 9 7 49 5 13 7 56 7 13 7 56 7 9 7 49 5 4 2 39 6 0 4 31 3 6 4 20 5 1 9 35 4 Record low C F 28 5 19 3 27 3 17 1 22 4 8 3 12 8 9 0 4 4 24 1 0 6 33 1 6 1 43 0 4 4 39 9 0 8 30 6 6 7 19 9 13 1 8 4 23 3 9 9 28 5 19 3 Record low wind chill 40 4 41 1 33 9 24 4 10 9 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 0 10 1 23 9 35 6 41 1Average precipitation mm inches 134 3 5 29 105 8 4 17 120 1 4 73 114 5 4 51 111 9 4 41 96 2 3 79 95 5 3 76 93 5 3 68 102 0 4 02 124 9 4 92 154 2 6 07 143 3 5 64 1 396 2 54 97 Average rainfall mm inches 83 5 3 29 65 0 2 56 86 9 3 42 98 2 3 87 109 8 4 32 96 2 3 79 95 5 3 76 93 5 3 68 102 0 4 02 124 6 4 91 139 1 5 48 101 8 4 01 1 196 1 47 09 Average snowfall cm inches 58 23 45 18 37 15 16 6 3 2 0 8 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 17 6 7 45 18 221 87 Average precipitation days 0 2 mm 18 7 15 2 15 1 14 8 13 7 12 9 11 3 11 0 10 2 12 1 15 1 17 4 167 4Average rainy days 0 2 mm 8 0 6 1 8 6 12 1 13 5 12 9 11 3 11 0 10 2 12 1 12 8 9 8 128 4Average snowy days 0 2 cm 14 6 12 0 9 6 5 2 0 61 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 14 3 9 11 7 57 7Average relative humidity 73 0 67 4 64 5 62 9 61 9 62 6 63 0 62 9 64 4 66 9 73 2 75 5 66 5Source Environment and Climate Change Canada 43 Metropolitan landscape Edit As of the 2021 Canadian Census the Halifax Census Metropolitan Area Metropolitan Halifax is coterminous with the Municipality of Halifax and the Municipality of East Hants The total land area of Metropolitan Halifax is 727 622 hectares 7 276 22 km2 44 The metropolitan area grew between the 2016 Canadian Census and the 2021 Canadian Census Before the 2021 Canadian Census Metropolitan Halifax covered 549 631 hectares 5 496 31 km2 45 After the addition of the Municipality of East Hants the metropolitan area s land area expanded by 177 991 hectares 1 779 91 km2 to its current land area 44 Municipal landscape Edit This section needs additional citations for verification Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources Unsourced material may be challenged and removed Find sources Halifax Nova Scotia news newspapers books scholar JSTOR March 2018 Learn how and when to remove this template message Urban suburban and rural divisions as defined by HRM planning department 46 The majority of Halifax is made up of rural areas 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 5 475 57 km2 2 114 13 sq mi 2 The Halifax Regional Municipality occupies an area comparable in size to the total land area of the province of Prince Edward Island and measures approximately 165 km 103 mi in length between its eastern and westernmost extremities excluding Sable Island The nearest point of land to Sable Island is not in HRM but rather in adjacent Guysborough County 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 400 km 250 mi with the northern boundary of the municipality usually being between 50 60 km 31 37 mi inland The coast is mostly rock with small isolated sand beaches in sheltered bays The largest coastal features include St Margarets Bay Halifax Harbour Bedford Basin Cole Harbour Musquodoboit Harbour Jeddore Harbour Ship Harbour Sheet Harbour and Ecum Secum Harbour The municipality s topography spans from lush farmland 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 Regional Centre Edit The Halifax Regional Centre includes the Halifax Peninsula and Dartmouth inside the Circumferential Highway The new inner urban area covers 3 300 hectares 33 km2 47 and houses 96 619 people in 55 332 dwelling units as of the 2016 Census 48 The Regional Centre has many public services within its boundaries and it hosts large entertainment venues Scotiabank Centre and major hospitals Dartmouth General Hospital the QEII Health Sciences Centre and IWK Health Centre Communities and neighbourhoods Edit Main article Communities in the Halifax Regional Municipality 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 of Bedford and the former cities of Dartmouth and Halifax have maintained their original geographic names Furthermore communities that were suburban or even rural before 1996 now have become more urban and have attained community status e g Cole Harbour Lower Sackville Spryfield et cetera 49 These community names are used on survey and mapping documents for 9 1 1 service municipal planning and postal service Prior to the amalgamation of Halifax in 1996 and since its restructure as a Municipality the growth of Halifax has not only been sustained but has gradually increased Many of the present day communities within the conurbation have morphed from being primarily rural in the recent past to now primarily urban With the demographic change and growth of many communities within urban Halifax their function and role within the conurbation has changed With this continuous growth many of the current communities have developed de facto business districts where residents of their respective communities and their respective environs can access needs and products that previously would be attained by travelling elsewhere e g to Downtown Dartmouth or to Downtown Halifax Community planning areas Edit A map of Halifax s Community Planning Areas Currently the municipality is divided into 21 community planning areas which are further divided into neighbourhoods 50 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 51 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 amp 3 St Margaret s Bay Planning District 4 Prospect Planning District 5 Chebucto Peninsula Planning Districts 8 amp 9 Lake Echo Porters Lake Planning Districts 14 amp 17 Shubenacadie Lakes Regional Centre Plan Area Sackville Sackville Drive Timberlea Lakeside BeechvilleRural landscape Edit Halifax is centred on the urban core and surrounded by areas of decreasing population density Rural areas lie to the east west and north of the urban core The Atlantic Ocean lies to the south Certain rural communities on the urban fringe function as suburban or exurban areas with the majority of those residents commuting to and working in the urban core Farther away rural communities in the municipality function like any resource based area in Nova Scotia being sparsely populated and their local economies based on four major resource industries agriculture in the Musquodoboit Valley fishing along the coast mining in the Musquodoboit Valley 52 and in Moose River Gold Mines 53 and forestry in most areas outside the urban core Also the tourism industry is beginning to change how some rural communities in Halifax function particularly in communities such as Hubbards Peggys Cove with its notable lighthouse 54 and Lawrencetown with Lawrencetown Beach 55 There are two other large beaches along the coast Martinique Beach near Musquodoboit Harbour 56 and Taylor Head Beach located in Spry Bay within the boundaries of Taylor Head Provincial Park 57 The northeastern area of the municipality centred on Sheet Harbour and the Musquodoboit Valley is completely rural with the area sharing more in common with the adjacent rural areas of neighbouring Guysborough Pictou and Colchester counties Most economic activity in the Musquodoboit Valley is based on agriculture as it is the largest farming district in the municipality 58 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 58 Urban landscape Edit View of Purdy s Wharf an office complex in Downtown Halifax At 23 829 hectares 238 29 km2 Halifax s urban area defined as population centre by Statistics Canada is less than five percent of the municipal land area 59 The area surrounds Halifax Harbour and its main centres are Bedford Dartmouth and Halifax and their respective environs Between the 2016 Canadian Census and the 2021 Canadian Census the built up area of Halifax grew by 357 hectares 3 57 km2 from 23 472 hectares 234 72 km2 hectares in 2016 60 to 23 829 hectares 238 29 km2 in 2021 59 Culture EditMain article Culture of Halifax Nova Scotia This section needs additional citations for verification Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources Unsourced material may be challenged and removed May 2022 Learn how and when to remove this template message Halifax is home to the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia the largest art gallery in Atlantic Canada Halifax is a major cultural centre within the Atlantic provinces The municipality has maintained many of its maritime and military traditions while opening itself to a growing multicultural population The municipality s urban core also benefits from a large population of post secondary students who strongly influence the local cultural scene Halifax has a number of art galleries theatres and museums as well as most of the region s national quality sports and entertainment facilities Halifax is also the home to many of the region s major cultural attractions such as Halifax Pop Explosion Symphony Nova Scotia the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia The Khyber the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic and the Neptune Theatre The region is noted for the strength of its music scene and nightlife especially within the urban communities See List of musical groups from Halifax Nova Scotia for a partial list The Historic Properties are a collection of historical buildings on Halifax s boardwalk 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 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 a 43 year old establishment located on Argyle Street is Halifax s largest theatre It performs an assortment of professionally produced plays year round The Shakespeare by the Sea theatre company performs at nearby Point Pleasant Park Eastern Front Theatre performs at Alderney Landing in Downtown Dartmouth which can easily be accessed via the Halifax Transit ferry service There are smaller performance venues at the Halifax Central Library Citadel High School 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 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 61 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 Edit Main article Buildings and structures in Halifax Nova Scotia Further information List of tallest buildings in Halifax Nova Scotia The Halifax Town Clock overlooks most of downtown Halifax Halifax s urban core is home to a number of regional landmark buildings and retains significant historic buildings and districts Downtown office towers are overlooked by the fortress of Citadel Hill with its iconic Halifax Town Clock The architecture of Halifax s South End is renowned for its grand Victorian houses while the West End and North End Halifax have many blocks of well preserved wooden residential houses with notable features such as the Halifax Porch Dalhousie University s campus is often featured in films and documentaries Surrounding areas of the municipality including Dartmouth and Bedford also possess their share of historic neighbourhoods and properties The urban core is home to several blocks of typical North American high rise office buildings however segments of the downtown are governed by height restrictions known as view planes legislation which prevent buildings from obstructing certain sight lines between Citadel Hill and the Halifax Harbour This has resulted in some modern high rises being built at unusual angles or locations Public spaces Edit Main article Parks in Halifax Nova Scotia Halifax Public Gardens is a Victorian era public garden that was designated as a National Historic Sites of Canada in 1984 The Halifax area has a variety of public spaces ranging from urban gardens public squares expansive forested parks and historic sites The original grid plan devised when Halifax was founded in 1749 included a central military parade square the Grand Parade The square hosts the City Hall at one end and is a popular site for concerts political demonstrations as well as the annual Remembrance Day ceremony at the central cenotaph Another popular downtown public space is the timber Halifax Boardwalk which stretches approximately 3 km 1 9 mi 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 62 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 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 An elm tree in Halifax Public Gardens 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 gifted to the people of Halifax by Sir Sandford Fleming 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 63 Tourism Edit The community of Peggy s Cove is a major tourist attraction 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 in 1999 and is the only national museum in the Atlantic provinces The Maritime Museum of the Atlantic is a maritime museum containing extensive galleries including a large exhibit on the famous Titanic over 70 small craft and a 200 foot 61 m steamship CSS Acadia In summertime the preserved World War II corvette HMCS Sackville operates as a museum ship and Canada s naval memorial The Art Gallery of Nova Scotia is housed in a 150 year old building containing nearly 19 000 works of art 64 The Black Cultural Centre for Nova Scotia in Dartmouth reflects the region s rich ethnic heritage The Halifax Boardwalk is a public footpath along Halifax Harbour Halifax has numerous National Historic Sites most notably Citadel Hill Fort George Just outside the urban area the iconic Peggys Cove is internationally recognized and receives more than 600 000 visitors a year 65 The waterfront in Downtown Halifax is the site of the Halifax Harbourwalk a 3 kilometre 2 mi boardwalk popular among tourists and locals alike Many mid sized ships dock here at one of the many wharfs The harbourwalk is home to a Halifax Transit ferry terminal hundreds of stores Historic Properties several office buildings the Casino Nova Scotia and several public squares where buskers perform most prominently at the annual Halifax International Busker Festival every August Downtown Halifax home to many small shops and vendors is a major shopping area It is also home to several shopping centres including Scotia Square Barrington Place Shops and Maritime Mall Numerous malls on Spring Garden Road including the Park Lane Mall are also located nearby The area is home to approximately 200 restaurants and bars offering a wide array of world cuisines 66 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 67 Media Edit Main article Media in Halifax Nova Scotia Headquarters of The Chronicle Herald a daily newspaper published in Halifax Halifax is the Atlantic region s central point for radio broadcast and press media CBC Television CTV Television Network CTV and Global Television Network and other broadcasters all have important regional television concentrators in the municipality CBC Radio has a major regional studio and there are also regional hubs for Rogers Radio and various private broadcast franchises as well as a regional bureau for The Canadian Press Broadcast News Halifax s print media is centred on its single daily newspaper the broadsheet Chronicle Herald as well as two free newspapers the daily commuter oriented edition of Metro International and the free alternative arts weekly The Coast Halifax has several online daily newspapers allNovaScotia is a daily subscriber only outlet which focuses on business and political news from across the province 68 HalifaxToday is a free news website owned by Village Media which originated from the now defunct Local Xpress outlet created by the journalists of the Chronicle Herald during a 2016 2017 strike The Halifax Examiner was founded by the former news editor of The Coast in 2014 and like allNovaScotia is supported through subscriptions From 1974 to 2008 Halifax had a second daily newspaper the tabloid The Daily News which still publishes several neighbourhood weekly papers such as The Bedford Sackville Weekly News The Halifax West Clayton Park Weekly News and the Dartmouth Cole Harbour Weekly News These weekly papers compete with The Chronicle Herald s weekly Community Heralds HRM West HRM East and HRM North Sports EditMain article Sport in Halifax Nova Scotia The Scotiabank Centre is the largest multi purpose sporting arena in Atlantic Canada Halifax is represented by two professional sports teams with teams in the National Lacrosse League NLL and Canadian Premier League CPL Also Halifax has a semi professional sports team in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League QMJHL which is part of the Canadian Hockey League 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 69 the Halifax Forum the Wanderers Grounds and various university sports facilities such as Huskies Stadium Professional and semi professional sports Edit Halifax Mooseheads prepare to face off in a 2012 semi final game Halifax is home to the Halifax Mooseheads the semi professional major junior hockey club of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League QMJHL Founded in 1994 and began play in the Dilio Division of the QMJHL from the 1994 95 season 70 the Mooseheads were the first team from Atlantic Canada to join the QMJHL In 2013 the Mooseheads capped a 74 win season going 74 7 3 1 71 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 Memorial Cup 72 They have appeared in the President s Cup Finals three additional times 2003 2005 and 2019 They also hosted the Memorial Cup tournaments two additional times in 2000 and 2019 The Halifax Thunderbirds is the city s National Lacrosse League team Relocated in September 2018 from Rochester 73 the Thunderbirds are Halifax s newest professional team Unfortunately on March 12 2020 during their inaugural year the season was cut short due to the COVID 19 pandemic 74 Although the team didn t have the chance to finish their season they were awarded two league awards Defensive Player of the Year and Executive of the Year 75 After the 2020 2021 season was fully canceled 76 the team returned for their 2021 2022 season which they reached their first playoffs where they were defeated by the Toronto Rock 14 13 in overtime 77 in the conference semi final Canadian Premier League action in June 2019 Halifax s second professional sports team are the HFX Wanderers FC and are part of Canada s primary national soccer league the Canadian Premier League On May 25 2018 the team was officially announced 78 and that they would be playing at a temporary stadium on Halifax s Wanderers Grounds They played their first league game on April 28 2019 in 1 0 away loss to Pacific FC 79 The city had a team in the National Basketball League of Canada NBL Canada called the Halifax Hurricanes The team succeeded the Halifax Rainmen who had previously played in the American Basketball Association and Premier Basketball League before joining the NBL Canada and later declaring bankruptcy in July 2015 80 The Hurricanes won the NBL Canada championship in their inaugural season Unfortunately the Hurricanes have since ceased operations and as of November 2021 81 the team has left the NBL Canada The Halifax Crescents an amateur and later professional ice hockey team challenged for the Stanley Cup in 1900 but lost to the Montreal Shamrocks Halifax also had three teams in the American Hockey League between 1971 and 1993 The Nova Scotia Voyageurs affiliated with the Montreal Canadiens played from 1971 to 1984 and won 3 Calder Cups The team then relocated to Sherbrooke Quebec to become the Sherbrooke Canadiens The Nova Scotia Oilers replaced the Voyageurs in Halifax and were affiliated with the Edmonton Oilers The Oilers played four seasons before relocating to Cape Breton Island to become the Cape Breton Oilers The Halifax Citadels affiliated with the Quebec Nordiques then filled the void in 1988 and played until 1993 when they relocated to Cornwall Ontario to become the Cornwall Aces Professional and Semi Professional sports teams in Halifax Club League Sport Venue Established ChampionshipsHalifax Mooseheads QMJHL Major Junior Hockey Scotiabank Centre 1994 1 last in 2013 Halifax Thunderbirds NLL Box Lacrosse Scotiabank Centre 2019 0HFX Wanderers FC CPL Soccer Wanderers Grounds 2018 0University sports Edit Huskies Stadium in 2018 Halifax is home to seven degree granting post secondary educational institutions with four of them having athletic programmes Two of the schools Dalhousie University and Saint Mary s University are part of the U Sports league While Mount Saint Vincent University and University of King s College are apart of the Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association CCAA Dalhousie University s varsity team goes by the 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 82 Halifax s other U Sports university located just down the street from Dalhousie 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 amp 2002 only the third university to do so 83 Huskies Stadium was used on June 11 2005 to host an exhibition game between the Hamilton Tiger Cats and the Toronto Argonauts of the CFL The game was called Touchdown Atlantic Finally two of Halifax s smaller universities are part of the Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association CCAA Mount Saint Vincent University home to the Mystics competes in the Atlantic Collegiate Athletic Association ACAA a member of the CCAA in Women s amp Men s Basketball Women s amp Men s Soccer Cross Country and Women s Volleyball 84 The Mystics hold a championship titles in all sports making them the most acclaimed team of the ACAA division University of King s College is also a member of the ACAA The varsity athletics teams at the University of King s College are named the Blue Devils 85 Sporting teams include men s and women s basketball soccer badminton and rugby and women s volleyball 86 From 1984 to 2007 the region was home to the CIS Men s Basketball Championship the tournament was moved to Ottawa Ontario from 2008 to 2010 and returned to Halifax in 2011 and 2012 Events Edit The city has hosted several major sporting events including the 2003 World Junior Ice Hockey Championship 2003 Nokia Brier the 2004 Women s World Ice Hockey Championships the 2005 Canadian Olympic Curling Trials and the 2007 World Indoor Lacrosse Championship Other major sports events hosted by Halifax include 2008 IIHF World Championship Co hosted with Quebec City 2011 Canada Winter Games 2020 IIHF Women s World Ice Hockey Championships along with Truro but the tournament was cancelled due to COVID 19 2023 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships Co hosted with Moncton Halifax was selected in 2006 as the host municipality in Canada s bid for the 2014 Commonwealth Games but withdrew on March 8 2007 well before the November 9 2007 selection date citing financial uncertainties Amateur and club sports Edit Halifax is also home to several rugby clubs the Dartmouth PigDogs the Eastern Shore Rugby Football Club the Halifax Rugby Football Club the Halifax Tars and the Riverlake Ramblers The Halifax Gaels are the local Hurling and Gaelic Football team that compete in Canadian GAA events 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 EditHalifax CMA Edit At the census metropolitan area CMA level in the 2021 census the Halifax CMA had a population of 465 703 living in 201 138 of its 211 789 total private dwellings a change of 9 1 from its 2016 population of 426 932 With a land area of 7 276 22 km2 2 809 36 sq mi it had a population density of 64 0 km2 165 8 sq mi in 2021 87 Halifax Regional Municipality Edit Historical populationsYearPop 185139 914 186149 021 22 8 187156 963 16 2 188167 917 19 2 189171 358 5 1 190174 662 4 6 191180 257 7 5 192197 228 21 1 1931100 204 3 1 1941122 656 22 4 1951162 217 32 3 1961225 723 39 1 1971261 461 15 8 1981288 126 10 2 1991332 518 15 4 1996342 966 3 1 2001359 183 4 7 2006372 858 3 8 2011390 096 4 6 2016403 131 3 3 2021439 819 9 1 Prior to 1996 the figures are for Halifax County From 1996 onwards the figures are for Halifax Regional Municipality Source Statistics CanadaIn the 2021 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada the Halifax Regional Municipality had a population of 439 819 living in 190 512 of its 200 473 total private dwellings a change of 9 1 from its 2016 population of 403 131 With a land area of 5 475 57 km2 2 114 13 sq mi it had a population density of 80 3 km2 208 0 sq mi in 2021 2 The 2021 census reported that immigrants 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 88 Ethnicity Edit Panethnic groups in the Regional Municipality of Halifax 2001 2021 Panethnicgroup 2021 88 2016 89 2011 90 2006 91 2001 92 Pop Pop Pop Pop Pop European b 345 735 79 43 336 375 84 65 339 705 88 39 336 395 91 1 327 325 91 98 African 20 565 4 72 15 085 3 8 13 780 3 59 13 270 3 59 13 080 3 68 South Asian 16 765 3 85 6 555 1 65 3 995 1 04 2 900 0 79 2 345 0 66 Indigenous 16 615 3 82 15 735 3 96 9 585 2 49 5 230 1 42 3 460 0 97 East Asian c 12 895 2 96 8 690 2 19 5 755 1 5 4 135 1 12 3 255 0 91 Middle Eastern d 11 160 2 56 8 725 2 2 6 730 1 75 4 510 1 22 3 360 0 94 Southeast Asian e 6 345 1 46 3 440 0 87 2 220 0 58 1 185 0 32 1 195 0 34 Latin American 2 255 0 52 1 210 0 3 1 025 0 27 695 0 19 415 0 12 Other f 2 965 0 68 1 585 0 4 1 535 0 4 960 0 26 1 440 0 4 Total responses 435 290 98 97 397 395 98 58 384 330 98 52 369 265 99 08 355 870 99 1 Total population 439 819 100 403 131 100 390 096 100 372 679 100 359 111 100 Note Totals greater than 100 due to multiple origin responses Language Edit Mother tongue language 2021 93 Rank Language Population Pct 1 English 380 140 86 43 2 French 13 920 3 16 3 Arabic 8 595 1 95 4 Mandarin 6 355 1 44 5 Punjabi 3 755 0 85 6 Tagalog 2 930 0 66 7 Hindi 2 485 0 56 8 Spanish 2 295 0 52 9 Korean 2 215 0 50 10 Russian 1 655 0 37 Religion Edit St Paul s Church St Paul s Church is the oldest Christian church in Halifax Halifax is a religiously diverse municipality and has several landmark religious institutions 94 St Mary s Basilica Halifax Nova Scotia The New Horizons Baptist Church St George s Round Church United Rockingham Church St Andrew s United Church the Ummah Mosque and Community Centre the Centre for Islamic Development the Vedanta Ashram Hindu Temple the Atlantic Theravada Buddhist Temple The Maritime Sikh Society Beth Israel Synagogue the Shaar Shalom Synagogue and the Universalist Unitarian Church Halifax also houses the Atlantic School of Theology for religious studies Religion 2021 93 Religion Population Percentage Buddhism 2 195 0 5Christianity 231 255 53 12Hinduism 6 840 1 57Indigenous Spirituality 210 0 04Irreligion 173 005 39 74Islam 13 220 3 03Judaism 1 750 0 4Sikhism 3 495 0 8Other religions and spiritual religions 3 315 0 76Halifax urban area Edit Historical urban area populationYearPop 1996270 047 2001276 221 2 3 2006282 924 2 4 2011304 979 7 8 2016317 334 4 1 2021348 634 9 9 Before 1996 figures were from Halifax County After 1996 figures onwards are for Halifax Regional Municipality Source 95 96 97 98 99 As of 2021 the population centre urban area of Halifax housed 348 634 people living in 154 883 of its 162 336 total private dwellings 3 The human population density of Halifax s population centre was approximately 1 463 1 km2 3 789 3 sq mi 3 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 EditMain article Economy of Halifax Nova Scotia 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 100 The Halifax economy is growing with the Conference Board of Canada predicting strong 3 0 GDP growth for 2015 100 The Halifax Shipyard of Irving Shipbuilding Irving is a major employer in Halifax Major employers and economic generators include the Department of National Defence the Port of Halifax Irving Shipbuilding the Nova Scotia Health Authority IMP Group Bell Aliant Emera the Bedford Institute of Oceanography government banks and universities 101 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 102 A real estate boom in recent years has led to numerous new property developments including the gentrification of some former working class areas 100 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 Industrial Port 103 and others being managed as small craft harbours under the federal Fisheries and Oceans Canada Other resource industries in Halifax include the natural gas fields off the coast of Sable Island as well as clay gold gypsum limestone and shale extraction in rural areas of the mainland portion of the municipality Limestone is extracted in the Musquodoboit Valley and gold is extracted in Moose River Government EditMain article Government in the Halifax Regional Municipality Halifax City Council is the seat of municipal government The Halifax Regional Municipality is governed by a mayor elected at large and a sixteen person council Councillors are elected by geographic district with municipal elections occurring every four years The current mayor of Halifax is Mike Savage The Halifax Regional Council is responsible for all facets of municipal government including the Halifax Regional Police Halifax Public Libraries Halifax Fire and Emergency Halifax Regional Water Commission parks and recreation civic addressing public works waste management and planning and development 104 The provincial legislation that provides governance oversight to the municipality is the Halifax Regional Municipality Charter 104 The municipality has a proposed operating budget of 869 million for 2015 2016 105 The municipality also has three community councils that consider local matters Each community council comprises five or six regional councillors representing neighbouring districts 106 Most community council decisions are subject to final approval by regional council 104 As the capital of Nova Scotia Halifax is also the meeting place of the Nova Scotia House of Assembly the oldest assembly in Canada and the site of the first responsible government in British North America 107 The legislature meets in Province House a nearly 200 year old National Historic Site in downtown Halifax hailed as one of the finest examples of Palladian architecture in North America 108 Education EditMain article Education in Halifax Nova Scotia Halifax is home to Dalhousie University Established in 1818 it is among the oldest English language post secondary institutions in Canada Halifax has a well developed network of public and private schools providing instruction from grade primary to grade twelve 136 public schools are administered by the Halifax Regional School Board while six public schools are administered by the Conseil scolaire acadien provincial 109 The municipality s fourteen private schools are operated independently The municipality is also home to the following post secondary educational institutions Dalhousie University University of King s College Mount Saint Vincent University NSCAD University Nova Scotia Community College the Halifax campus of Universite Sainte Anne Saint Mary s University the Atlantic School of Theology and several private institutions The largest of these Dalhousie University is Atlantic Canada s premier research intensive university ranking 7th in Maclean s and 228th in the world This school is host to most of the province s professional schools while other institutions focus primarily though not exclusively on undergraduate education The plethora of university and college students contributes to the vibrant youth culture in the region as well as making it a major centre for university education in eastern Canada Transportation EditMain article Transportation in Halifax Nova Scotia Air Edit Halifax Stanfield International Airport serves Halifax and most of the province providing scheduled flights to domestic and international destinations The airport served 4 083 188 passengers in 2017 making it Canada s eighth busiest airport by passenger traffic 110 Shearwater part of CFB Halifax is the air base for maritime helicopters employed by the Royal Canadian Navy and is located on the eastern side of Halifax Harbour Cycling Edit In recent years the municipality has also begun to place increased emphasis on developing bicycling infrastructure Halifax has developed 100 km 62 mi of bikeways 89 km 55 mi of which are dedicated bicycle lanes 111 Road Edit 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 Edit 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 112 Rail Edit The Port of Halifax is North America s first inbound and last outbound shipping gateway to Europe The Halifax Port Authority s various shipping terminals constitute the eastern terminus of Canadian National Railway s transcontinental network Via Rail Canada provides overnight passenger rail service from the Halifax Railway Station three days a week to Montreal with the Ocean a train equipped with sleeper cars that stops in major centres along the way such as Moncton The Halifax Railway Station also serves as the terminus for Maritime Bus which serves destinations across the Maritimes Water Edit Halifax Harbour is a major port used by numerous shipping lines administered by the Halifax Port Authority The Royal Canadian Navy and the Canadian Coast Guard have major installations along prominent sections of coastline in both Halifax and Dartmouth The harbour is also home to a public ferry service connecting downtown Halifax to two locations in Dartmouth Sheet Harbour is the other major port in the municipality and serves industrial users on the Eastern Shore Sister cities Edit Hakodate Japan 1982 The cities chose to twin because they both have star forts and are both maritime ports Halifax has donated many fir trees to the annual Hakodate Christmas Fantasy festival 113 114 Campeche Mexico 1999 Campeche was chosen because like Halifax it is a capital of a state and is a city of similar size to Halifax on or near the coast having rich historical tradition 115 Norfolk Virginia United States 2006 Norfolk was chosen because like Halifax its economy depends heavily on the presence of the Armed Forces and both cities are very proud of their military history 116 Notable Haligonians EditMain article List of people from the Halifax Regional MunicipalitySee also Edit Canada portalHalifax electoral district a federal electoral district since Confederation Halifax Regional Search and Rescue Halifax West a federal electoral district since 1979 List of municipalities in Nova ScotiaNotes Edit Based on station coordinates provided by Environment Canada and documentation from the Nova Scotian Institute of Science weather data was collected in West End Halifax from January 1863 to July 1933 at Citadel Hill from August 1933 to August 1939 at Downtown Halifax from September 1939 to July 1974 at Citadel Hill from August 1974 to January 2002 and at CFB Halifax Windsor Park and Halifax Dockyard from September 2004 to present Statistic includes all persons that did not make up part of a visible minority or an indigenous identity Statistic includes total responses of Chinese Korean and Japanese under visible minority section on census Statistic includes total responses of West Asian and Arab under visible minority section on census Statistic includes total responses of Filipino and Southeast Asian under visible minority section on census Statistic includes total responses of Visible minority n i e and Multiple visible minorities under visible minority section on census References Edit Halifax Geographical Names Data Base Natural Resources Canada a b c Census Profile 2021 Census of Population Data table Statistics Canada Statistics Canada February 9 2022 Archived from the original on February 9 2022 Retrieved February 9 2022 a b c d Census Profile 2021 Census of Population Data table Statistics Canada Statistics Canada February 9 2022 Archived from the original on February 9 2022 Retrieved February 9 2022 Population and dwelling counts Census metropolitan areas census agglomerations and census subdivisions municipalities 1 Statistics Canada Retrieved February 9 2021 a href Template Cite web html title Template Cite web cite web a CS1 maint url status link Table 36 10 0468 01 Gross domestic product GDP at basic prices by census metropolitan area CMA x 1 000 000 Statistics Canada January 27 2017 Archived from the original on January 22 2021 Retrieved April 27 2021 Government of Canada Statistics Canada February 9 2022 Canada s fastest growing and decreasing municipalities from 2016 to 2021 www12 statcan gc ca Archived from the original on February 9 2022 Retrieved February 9 2022 Government of Canada Statistics Canada January 11 2023 Population estimates July 1 by census metropolitan area and census agglomeration 2016 boundaries a href Template Cite web html title Template Cite web cite web a CS1 maint url status link Halifax schools to start each day by recognizing Mi kmaq lands CBC News Archived from the original on July 27 2017 Retrieved July 14 2017 Local organization refers to Halifax by Mi kmaq name CTV News November 20 2014 Archived from the original on July 30 2017 Retrieved July 18 2017 Swan Kaitlyn November 13 2018 The eclectic mix of Indigenous identities and urban living in K jipuktuk thestar com Archived from the original on September 2 2021 Retrieved September 2 2021 Grenier John The Far Reaches of Empire War in Nova Scotia 1710 1760 Norman U of Oklahoma Press 2008 Thomas Beamish Akins History of Halifax Brookhouse Press 1895 2002 edition p 7 Wicken p 181 Griffith p 390 Also see Recent Projects Northeast Archaeological Research 2003 Archived from the original on May 14 2013 Retrieved February 5 2014 CBC Halifax Explosion 1917 Canadian Broadcasting Corporation September 19 2003 Archived from the original on February 3 2017 Retrieved February 25 2011 Time Disasters that Shook the World New York City Time Home Entertainment 2012 p 56 ISBN 978 1 60320 247 3 Municipal History Highlights Novascotia ca June 26 2014 Archived from the original on May 29 2014 Retrieved July 13 2014 Goodbye HRM hello Halifax Mixed reaction to bold new brand CTV News Atlantic April 16 2014 Archived from the original on April 23 2014 Retrieved April 24 2014 Council Approves Bold New Brand Strategy for Halifax Region Halifax Regional Municipality Archived from the original on April 19 2014 Retrieved April 24 2014 Halifax mayor council approve city s new brand The Chronicle Herald April 15 2014 Archived from the original on April 25 2014 Retrieved April 24 2014 Canadian Climate Normals 1981 2010 Station Data Environment Canada October 31 2011 Archived from the original on January 7 2016 Retrieved May 31 2015 Climate Normals for Halifax Citadel 1981 2010 Environment Canada September 25 2013 Archived from the original on October 20 2017 Retrieved November 7 2015 Thomson Aly September 8 2019 Nova Scotians grapple with aftermath of powerful Dorian CBC News Archived from the original on August 16 2021 Retrieved August 28 2021 July 1912 climate summary for Halifax Climate weatheroffice gc ca September 22 2015 Archived from the original on June 9 2016 Retrieved March 6 2016 February 1922 climate summary for Halifax Climate weatheroffice gc ca September 22 2015 Archived from the original on June 10 2016 Retrieved March 6 2016 March 22 2012 Halifax Windsor Park Climate weatheroffice gc ca September 22 2015 Archived from the original on June 9 2016 Retrieved March 6 2016 March 2012 Halifax Airport Climate weatheroffice gc ca September 22 2015 Archived from the original on June 9 2016 Retrieved March 6 2016 a b c Canadian Climate Normals 1981 2010 Halifax Citadel Environment Canada October 31 2011 Archived from the original on March 25 2016 Retrieved April 27 2016 Halifax Citadel Nova Scotia Canadian Climate Normals 1981 2010 Retrieved May 12 2016 Shearwater A Nova Scotia Canadian Climate Normals 1981 2010 Retrieved May 12 2016 Monthly Data Report for 1871 Canadian Climate Data Environment and Climate Change Canada September 22 2015 Retrieved March 24 2016 Daily Data Report for October 1930 Canadian Climate Data Environment and Climate Change Canada September 22 2015 Retrieved May 14 2016 Monthly Data Report for 1939 Canadian Climate Data Environment and Climate Change Canada September 22 2015 Retrieved March 24 2016 Daily Data Report for April 1945 Canadian Climate Data Environment and Climate Change Canada September 22 2015 Retrieved May 14 2016 Halifax Dockyard Canadian Climate Data Environment and Climate Change Canada September 22 2015 Retrieved March 24 2016 Abstract of Meteorological register Halifax Nova Scotia 1863 PDF Myers W J 1867 Nova Scotian Institute of Science 1867 Retrieved September 4 2016 Meteorological register 1864 PDF Nova Scotian Institute of Science 1867 Retrieved September 4 2016 Abstract of Meteorological register Halifax Nova Scotia 1865 PDF Nova Scotian Institute of Science 1867 Retrieved September 4 2016 Abstract of Meteorological register Halifax Nova Scotia 1866 PDF Nova Scotian Institute of Science 1867 Retrieved September 4 2016 Meteorological record Halifax Nova Scotia 1867 PDF Nova Scotian Institute of Science 1868 Retrieved September 4 2016 Meteorological summary 1868 PDF Nova Scotian Institute of Science 1869 Retrieved September 4 2016 On the meteorology of Halifax 1870 PDF Allison F 1871 Nova Scotian Institute of Science 1871 Retrieved September 4 2016 On the meteorology of Halifax 1871 PDF Allison F 1872 Nova Scotian Institute of Science 1872 Retrieved September 4 2016 Halifax Canada Detailed climate information and monthly weather forecast Weather Atlas Yu Media Group Retrieved July 6 2019 Halifax Stanfield INT L A Nova Scotia Canadian Climate Normals 1981 2010 Environment and Climate Change Canada Archived from the original on May 9 2014 Retrieved May 8 2014 a b Census Profile 2021 Census of Population Profile table Statistics Canada Statistics Canada December 6 2022 Retrieved December 21 2022 Census Profile 2016 Census Halifax Census metropolitan area Nova Scotia and Nova Scotia Province Statistics Canada Statistics Canada October 27 2021 Retrieved December 21 2022 Settlement Areas Halifax Regional Municipality Archived from the original on June 14 2007 Retrieved April 30 2015 Item No 4 PDF halifax ca Government of the Municipality of Halifax Archived PDF from the original on June 7 2019 Retrieved May 15 2021 Halifax Regional Centre Secondary Municipal Planning Strategy PDF halifax ca Government of the Municipality of Halifax Archived PDF from the original on August 16 2021 Retrieved May 24 2021 HRM Regional Planning Halifax ca August 25 2006 Archived from the original on June 1 2004 Retrieved April 8 2011 Community Plan Area halifax ca Government of the Municipality of Halifax January 18 2022 Retrieved October 10 2022 Halifax Regional Municipality Official Street List PDF file from HRM Civic Addressing Department Mosher Limestone Mosher Limestone Co Ltd Archived from the original on September 17 2016 Retrieved May 28 2016 Moose River gold mine project gets green light Natural Resources Minister says decision difficult to make CBCNews Canadian Broadcasting Corporation June 15 2012 Archived from the original on April 9 2016 Retrieved May 28 2016 Rowlett Russ Lighthouses of Canada Eastern Nova Scotia The Lighthouse Directory University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Retrieved May 28 2016 LAWRENCETOWN BEACH PROVINCIAL PARK NOVASCOTIA COM Archived from the original on June 12 2016 Retrieved May 28 2016 MARTINIQUE BEACH PROVINCIAL PARK NOVASCOTIA COM Archived from the original on May 20 2016 Retrieved May 28 2016 Day Use Parks listed A Z Nova Scotia Government Archived from the original on January 12 2016 Retrieved May 28 2015 a b Agriculture amp Industry TownCryer News Archived from the original on January 8 2016 Retrieved October 23 2015 a b Census Profile 2021 Census of Population Profile table Statistics Canada Statistics Canada December 6 2022 Retrieved December 21 2022 Census Profile 2016 Census Halifax Population centre Nova Scotia and Nova Scotia Province Statistics Canada Statistics Canada October 27 2021 Retrieved December 21 2022 Unscripted series Pub Crawl directed by Jon Mann and starring Rob Ramsay now available on Bell Fibe TV 1 National Screen Institute Canada NSI February 10 2021 Archived from the original on January 28 2022 Retrieved February 14 2022 Parks Civic Support Program PDF Halifax Regional Municipality Archived from the original PDF on July 15 2014 Retrieved May 29 2015 Long Lake Provincial Park Draft Park Management Plan Province of Nova Scotia Archived from the original on September 22 2017 Retrieved May 29 2015 Collection Art Gallery of Nova Scotia Archived from the original on October 29 2020 Retrieved November 5 2020 Peggy s Cove Assessment of Capacity Issues and Potential Tourism Opportunities PDF The Economic Planning Group of Canada Archived from the original PDF on January 21 2012 Retrieved December 26 2011 About Downtown Downtown Halifax Business Commission Archived from the original on May 22 2015 Retrieved May 27 2015 Statistics Cruise Halifax Archived from the original on March 12 2016 Retrieved March 22 2016 Bradshaw James Subscription news site AllNovaScotia expands to Newfoundland The Globe and Mail Archived from the original on October 22 2016 Retrieved April 13 2016 Scotiabank buys Halifax Metro Centre naming rights History Archived from the original on August 14 2010 Retrieved January 2 2010 Mooseheads history QMJHL Network Theqmjhl ca Archived from the original on February 1 2014 Retrieved January 24 2014 OHL Network Ontariohockeyleague com Archived from the original on February 2 2014 Retrieved January 24 2014 Ferger Michael September 13 2018 National Lacrosse League Awards Halifax Franchise NLL Ferger Michael March 12 2020 NLL Statement on Game Play March 12 2020 NLL Ferger Michael July 1 2020 NLL Announces 2019 20 NLL Award Winners NLL NLL Cancels 2021 Season Plans Citing Logistical Challenges www usalaxmagazine com MacDonald Glenn After elimination from NLL playoffs Thunderbirds reflect on rollercoaster season SaltWire www saltwire com McIsaac Greg May 25 2018 HFX Wanderers Football Club Joins Canadian Premier League Canadian Premier League Retrieved June 10 2018 HIGHLIGHTS Pacific FC earns historic 1st win in CPL April 28 2019 Retrieved April 29 2019 Halifax Rainmen file for bankruptcy in disappointing end Palov Willy Halifax Hurricanes leaving the National Basketball League of Canada SaltWire www saltwire com Varsity Teams Dalhousie University 2010 Archived from the original on June 4 2011 Retrieved July 10 2011 Proclamation PDF Halifax Regional Municipality December 3 2002 Archived from the original PDF on May 13 2014 Athletics Mount Saint Vincent University Mount Saint Vincent University March 11 2019 University of King s College NEXT Network Archived from the original on September 24 2015 Retrieved June 27 2015 Varsity Sports ukings ca Population and dwelling counts Canada provinces and territories census metropolitan areas and census agglomerations Statistics Canada February 9 2022 Retrieved March 28 2022 a b Government of Canada Statistics Canada October 26 2022 Census Profile 2021 Census of Population www12 statcan gc ca Retrieved November 9 2022 Government of Canada Statistics Canada October 27 2021 Census Profile 2016 Census www12 statcan gc ca Retrieved January 12 2023 Government of Canada Statistics Canada November 27 2015 NHS Profile www12 statcan gc ca Retrieved January 12 2023 Government of Canada Statistics Canada August 20 2019 2006 Community Profiles www12 statcan gc ca Retrieved January 12 2023 Government of Canada Statistics Canada July 2 2019 2001 Community Profiles www12 statcan gc ca Retrieved January 12 2023 a b Statistics Canada 2016 census Universalist Unitarian Church of Halifax About UUCH Retrieved May 27 2022 Data tables 1996 Census Statistics Canada Statistics Canada June 4 2019 Retrieved January 3 2023 Population Counts for Census Metropolitan Areas and Census Agglomerations by Urban Core Urban Fringe Rural Fringe and Urban Areas 2001 Census 100 Data www12 statcan gc ca Statistics Canada Archived from the original on June 13 2020 Retrieved March 18 2020 Profile for Urban Areas 2006 Census www12 statcan gc ca Statistics Canada Archived from the original on June 13 2020 Retrieved March 18 2020 Census Profile 2016 Census www12 statcan gc ca Statistics Canada Archived from the original on March 7 2020 Retrieved March 18 2020 Census Profile 2021 Census of Population Data table Statistics Canada Statistics Canada February 9 2022 Retrieved February 23 2022 a b c Introduction to Halifax PDF Proposed Operating Budget 2015 2016 Halifax Regional Municipality Archived from the original PDF on April 30 2015 Transportation and Logistics Sector Profile PDF Halifax Gateway Council April 2012 Archived from the original PDF on March 5 2016 Retrieved June 2 2015 Bonney Joseph September 2 2013 Canada s Big 4 Container Ports Put Focus on Infrastructure The Journal of Commerce Archived from the original on November 30 2016 Retrieved November 30 2016 Port of Sheet Harbour Halifax Port Authority Archived from the original on November 26 2015 Retrieved November 25 2015 a b c Halifax Regional Municipality Charter PDF Nova Scotia Legislature Archived PDF from the original on May 8 2015 Retrieved May 31 2015 2015 16 Operating amp Project Budgets Halifax Regional Municipality Archived from the original on May 31 2015 Retrieved May 31 2015 Community Council Halifax Regional Municipality Archived from the original on May 25 2014 Retrieved May 31 2015 Responsible Government The Canadian Encyclopedia Archived from the original on December 12 2017 Retrieved December 2 2015 Province House Canada s Historic Places Parks Canada Archived from the original on December 8 2015 Retrieved December 2 2015 Nos Ecoles Conseil scolaire acadien provincial Archived from the original on December 8 2008 Retrieved October 11 2014 Airport Statistics Halifax Stanfield International Airport Halifax International Airport Authority Archived from the original on December 12 2017 Retrieved December 12 2017 HRM Growth Scenarios Final Report Transportation Services 4 5 PDF HRM History Main Halifax ca Archived from the original on June 3 2011 Retrieved April 8 2011 July 4 2000 HRM Media Room Press Releases 2000 Halifax Regional Municipality July 4 2000 Archived from the original on July 8 2003 Retrieved January 20 2018 HRM Hakodate Twinning 25th Anniversary Halifax Regional Municipality Archived from the original on March 15 2016 Retrieved May 29 2015 Halifax Regional Council Minutes January 13 1998 PDF file from HRM Council Minutes HRM to Twin with Norfolk Virginia Halifax ca August 25 2006 Archived from the original on June 14 2006 Retrieved April 8 2011 Further reading EditLaffoley Steven 2007 Hunting Halifax In Search of History Mystery and Murder Pottersfield Press ISBN 978 1895900934 Parker Mike 2009 Fortress Halifax Portrait of a Garrison Town Nimbus Publishing ISBN 9781551094946 Poole Stephen 2012 Halifax Discovering Its Heritage Formac Publishing Company Limited ISBN 9781459500525 Soucoup Dan 2014 A Short History of Halifax Nimbus Publishing ISBN 9781771081849 Tattrie Jon 2013 Cornwallis The Violent Birth of Halifax Pottersfield Press ISBN 9781897426487 External links EditHalifax Nova Scotia at Wikipedia s sister projects Media from Commons Travel information from Wikivoyage Official website Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Halifax Nova Scotia amp oldid 1146748406, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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