Halifax is the capital city of Nova Scotia and the largest city in the Atlantic Provinces of Canada. The city's origins and rich maritime history derive from a strategic location and one of the world's great natural harbours. In the 19th and early 20th century, Halifax was the entry point for European immigration to Canada. Today, Halifax is a busy Atlantic seaport and the economic and cultural hub of Eastern Canada.
Halifax is the provincial and regional hub of Nova Scotia. It is still, however, a smaller city by North American standards (2006 pop. 282,924). Rather than feeling relegated to 'second-fiddle' status, this dichotomy is celebrated by residents who take pride in their slower pace and warm hospitality.
While the area around Halifax has been inhabited by native Mi'kmaq for millennia, modern Halifax was founded on June 21, 1749 as a British military outpost. Easily defended and featuring one of the world's largest natural harbours, Halifax proved its worth during the Seven Years' War against the French and later in the American Revolutionary War, and as the base grew in size and importance, a significant population of merchants and other civilians sprung up in its wake.
PLACE TO VISIT
The Halifax Citadel, An old fort on a hill overlooking the city and the harbour. Presently, the citadel is a national historic site and home to a museum and a small ceremonial garrison. A must see, especially during Canada day (1 July) celebrations. The museum is open only May-Oct, but the grounds are open all year around. During the summer, you can see the ceremonial cannon firing at noon.
Pier 21, Canada's equivalent of New York's Ellis Island, this historic waterfront building processed over a million immigrants. Now converted into a modern museum with extensive exhibits related to Canadian immigration.
The Maritime Museum of the Atlantic : located on the downtown waterfront. The collection includes exhibits and artifacts related to the sinking of the Titanic and the devastating 1917 Halifax explosion. The CSS Acadia , a hydrographic survey ship built in 1913, is an ongoing conservation project. The Acadia is moored a few meters from the museum building; tours are available during the summer.
Old Burial Grounds, Barrington Street and Spring Garden Road. The graveyard was in use from 1749 to 1843 and there are moderately informative plaques and signs throughout.
Right across the street from the Old Burial Grounds is St. Matthew's Church, the oldest United Church in Canada. The building was opened in 1859, but the congregation dates back to 1749. St. Paul's Church , built in 1750, is the oldest Anglican church in Canada, located at 1749 Argyle St. (a.k.a. "The Grand Parade" square).
The Art Gallery of Nova Scotia, moderate in size, but does a fine job of highlighting the works of famous local artists such as Maud Lewis (folk) and Alex Colville (hyperrealist), in addition to Mik'maq (aboriginal) art. Check the Web site for travelling exhibitions.
Province House, 1726 Hollis St. Home to Canada's oldest provincial legislature and of Britain's first overseas self-government. A fine example of Georgian architecture, the building first opened in 1842. Visitors can learn about the history of the site and the current Legislative Assembly through guided tours, displays and an audio-visual presentation. Province House is open year-round.
Public Gardens, Spring Garden Road and South Park St. A beautiful Victorian-era garden occupying a large city block, open May to October. There are ponds, flowers, ducks, geese, and sometimes music in the gazebo. Entry is free.
Point Pleasant Park (most southern point of the city). Free. Open most days from sunrise to sunset. A large peaceful park that serves as a vantage point to see the mouth of the harbour and into the Atlantic ocean. Was once a dense woods has since been left with patches of devastation and clear-cut from Hurricane Juan in 2003. It still remains a popular place to walk dogs and stroll. The park contains some preserved historic military fortifications such the 18th century Martello tower, as well as the unpreserved ruins of several other fortification.
York Redoubt, a sprawling complex of forts from 1790s to 1940s. Plan to spend hours exploring tunnels, caves, cliffs, cannons, bunkers, trails, and views of the harbour. Free admission. 1 hour bus ride from downtown.
WHAT TO DO
Waterfront, A boardwalk with a great variety of historic buildings, shops, restaurants, and other entertainment. Theodore Tugboat, a WWII era Corvette, and other ships line the harbour. During the summer months, there are many harbour boat tours that launch from here.
Harbour Hopper, Guided tour of Halifax and harbour in an amphibious vehicle. A bit gimmicky, but informative.
Canoe the Northwest Arm, Head down to the St. Mary's Boat Club, 1641 Fairfield Road (off Jubilee) 902 490-4688, on Saturdays and Sundays (11am-7pm) and rent a canoe for $8/hour. Take a trip up the beautiful Northwest Arm to see the historic Dingle tower in Flemming Park, watch the numerous sailboats out for a weekend cruise or catch a regatta if you're lucky. Gawk at some of the mansions that line the water or for the ambitious, head all the way up to Point Pleasant Park, where the Northwest Arm meets Halifax Harbour. Note that since the recent installation of sewage treatment plants for the city, during the summer you can safely swim by the Dingle, and at Black Rock Beach in Point Pleasant Park.
The Halifax Mooseheads Quebec Major Junior Hockey League team plays from October to April at the Halifax Metro Centre. Rough, highly skilled games are combined with a near-NHL level of presentation. Tickets are $8-15, and are available at the Metro Centre box office.
The Spring Garden Road Memorial Public Library, 5381 Spring Garden Road. A convenient place to sit, relax, and watch kids duck between the legs of the pensive Winston Churchill statue out front. As a sliver of scarce downtown greenspace, the front lawn of the building is well-used by Haligonians as a meeting spot, a reading spot, and most importantly as a place to eat french fries on lunch breaks.
Busker Festival, Visit in August for the festival of street performers along the waterfront. It's a must see, with amazing acts, some grand and awe-inspiring, some quaint, others funny (both intentionally and unintentionally). A very lively time of year along the harbourfront, with music and stalls selling food and the standard run of touristy souvenirs.
Nova Scotia International Air Show, A yearly event, taking place in early September. This is a great chance to see the the aerobatic teams from a number of national air forces. The Canadian Snowbirds perform every year. In past years, the show was held at the Shearwater airforce base, but in 2005 the venue was moved to the main civilian airport, the Robert L. Stanfield International Airport.
The Royal Nova Scotia International Tattoo, Happening every July, the Tattoo is the world's largest annual indoor show. Its unique combination of music, dance, drama, gymnastics, comedy, military displays, competitions and much more.
HOW TO REACH
By plane - The modern Halifax Robert L. Stanfield International Airport is located 35 km north of Halifax. It is the biggest airport in the maritime provinces, with direct flights from Toronto, Montreal, New York, Ottawa, Calgary, Boston, and limited service to a number of regional and holiday destinations. Direct connections to Europe are provided by Air Canada (London-Heathrow), Zoom and Thomas Cook Airlines (London-Gatwick), Condor (Frankfurt/Main, May-October only) and Icelandair (short stopover in Reykjavik).
By train - The VIA Rail train station located in the south end of Halifax directly next to the Westin Nova Scotia Hotel has one train daily leaving for Montreal. It's a long, slow trip though.
By car - Halifax is connected to the rest of Canada by provincial highways 101, 102, 103, and 104. Highway 102 runs between Halifax and Truro, where it connects to Highway 104 (the Trans-Canada Highway). Going west on 104 takes one to the New Brunswick border, and then onto Maine, Quebec, or Prince Edward Island. It's about 2 hours from Halifax to the New Brunswick border; there is a $4.50 toll at the Cobequid pass. Going east on 104 takes one to Cape Breton.
A ferry service in Sydney connects Nova Scotia with Newfoundland. Highway 103 connects Halifax with the South Shore. During the summer, a high-speed ferry named The Cat connects Yarmouth (3 hours from Halifax) with Bar Harbor, Maine. Highway 101 connects Halifax with the Annapolis valley. A ferry service connects Digby (about 2.5 hours from Halifax) with Saint John, New Brunswick.
By bus - Regional buses operated by Acadian Lines [6] run from Bangor and throughout the Maritime Provinces to Halifax, Dartmouth, Bedford and Sackville.
By boat - A ferry service also operates between Halifax and Dartmouth. A great boat ride, especially on clear summer days, especially for the $2 charged.
