Halifax, Nova Scotia

Halifax is the capital and most populous municipality of the Canadian province of Nova Scotia, and the most populous municipality in Atlantic Canada. As of 2024, it is estimated that the population of the Halifax CMA was 530,167,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> with 348,634 people in its urban area.<ref name="statcan2"/> The Halifax Regional Municipality (HRM) consists of four former municipalities that were amalgamated in 1996: Halifax, Dartmouth, Bedford, and Halifax County.

Halifax is an economic centre of Atlantic Canada, home to a concentration of government offices and private companies. Major employers include the Department of National Defence, Dalhousie University, Nova Scotia Health Authority, Saint Mary's University, the Halifax Shipyard, various levels of government, and the Port of Halifax. Resource industries found in rural areas of the municipality include agriculture, fishing, mining, forestry, and natural gas extraction.

Etymology

The Mi'kmaq name for the harbour around which Halifax exists is Template:Lang<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> or Chebookt,Template:Efn meaning "Chief Harbour" or "Great Harbour" in the Mi'kmaq language.<ref name="names">Template:Cite book</ref><ref name="randsilas">Template:Cite book</ref> Additionally, the Mi'kmaq referred to the area of the Halifax Peninsula comprising the downtown area and Point Pleasant Park as Template:Lang,<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> while the hillside where Halifax was established was referred to as Gooowakade, meaning "place of many pines".<ref name="raddall"/> The area was called "Chebucto" until Halifax was established by Governor Edward Cornwallis in 1749, named in honour of George Montagu-Dunk, 2nd Earl of Halifax.<ref name="names"/><ref name="brown">Template:Cite wikisource</ref>

History

Before the mid-1700s, when a European (British) settlement was established at Halifax, the Colony of Nova Scotia had been administered from Annapolis Royal, near the Western opening of the Bay of Fundy. However, in 1749, King George II ordered Edward Cornwallis to establish Halifax as a new capital. Equipped with 13 transports and a sloop of war, Cornwallis founded the Town of Halifax on what is now known as the Halifax Peninsula, on June 21, 1749.<ref>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</ref>

The establishment of Halifax marked the beginning of Father Le Loutre's War. By unilaterally establishing Halifax, the British were violating treaties with the Mi'kmaq (1726) that were signed after Father Rale's War.<ref>Wicken, p. 181; Griffith, p. 390; Also see Template:Cite web</ref> Cornwallis brought along 1,176 settlers and their families. To protect the new Protestant settlements from Mi'kmaq, Acadian, and French attacks, British fortifications were erected in Halifax (Citadel Hill, 1749), Bedford (Fort Sackville, 1749), Dartmouth (1750), and Lawrencetown (1754), all areas within the modern-day Municipality.

The community of St. Margaret's Bay, also in the Municipality, was first settled by French-speaking Foreign Protestants at French Village, Nova Scotia, who migrated from Lunenburg, Nova Scotia, during the American Revolution.

In the 18th and 19th centuries, Halifax grew to become a centre of government (particularly military), trade, and shipbuilding. The completion of the Intercolonial Railway in 1876 helped make Halifax a major gateway for Atlantic trade—particularly in winter, when ice made ports on the St. Lawrence River inaccessible.

This connection to trans-Atlantic trade and military enterprises bore deadly consequences on December 6, 1917. In one of the great disasters in Canadian history, the Template:SS, a French cargo ship carrying munitions, collided with the Belgian Relief vessel Template:SS in "The Narrows" between upper Halifax Harbour and Bedford Basin. The resulting Halifax Explosion devastated the Richmond District in the North End of Halifax, killing about 2,000 people and injuring nearly 9,000 others.<ref name=cbc>Template:Cite news</ref> The blast was the largest artificial explosion before the development of nuclear weapons.<ref name=TimeDisaster>Template:Cite book</ref> Aid came from Boston, strengthening the bond between the two coastal cities.

In addition to the capital City of Halifax (on the western side of the harbour), the City of Dartmouth (eastern side) and the Town of Bedford (northern tip of the Bedford Basin) grew up through the 19th and 20th centuries. Halifax County was originally understood as a higher-level geographic unit responsible for, among other things, court services throughout both the incorporated Cities and Town, and the unorganized territory of the remainder of the County. However, by the mid-20th century, this structure had evolved such that "the County" was a distinct municipality including only the areas that were not included within the Cities and Town.

These four municipalities (City of Halifax, City of Dartmouth, Town of Bedford, Halifax County) coordinated delivery of some services through a body known as the Metropolitan Authority starting in the late 1970s, but remained independent municipal bodies until April 1, 1996, when the provincial government amalgamated all municipal governments within Halifax County to create the Halifax Regional Municipality. Thus, the modern municipal boundary now includes all of Halifax County except for several Mi'kmaq reserves.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Since amalgamation, the region has officially been known as the Halifax Regional Municipality (HRM), although "Halifax" has remained in common usage for brevity. On April 15, 2014, Regional Council approved the implementation of a new branding campaign for the municipality. The campaign would see the region referred to in promotional materials simply as "Halifax", although "Halifax Regional Municipality" would remain the region's official name.<ref name="ctv-newbrand">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="hrm-boldnewbrand">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="ch-newlogo">Template:Cite web</ref>

Geography

Climate

Halifax has a humid continental climate (Köppen Dfb), 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 Template:Convert.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> January is the coldest month, being the only month with a high that is slightly below freezing at Template:Convert, 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.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

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. In 2021 Hurricane Ida hit the region with minor damage. In 2022, Hurricane Fiona hit as a category 2 storm, although damage was relatively minor in Halifax, with downed trees and widespread power outages for days.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

The highest temperature ever recorded in Halifax was Template:Convert on July 10, 1912,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and the lowest temperature recorded was Template:Convert on February 18, 1922.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In spite of the possibility of high temperatures, in a normal year there are only three days that go above Template:Convert.<ref name="Environment Canada 1981-2010">Template:Cite web</ref> 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.<ref name="Environment Canada 1981-2010" /> On average the frost-free period is 182 days, ranging from May 1 to October 31.<ref name="Environment Canada 1981-2010" /> Template:Halifax weatherbox

Metropolitan landscape

As of the 2021 Canadian Census, the Halifax Census Metropolitan Area includes all of Halifax County, together with the Municipality of East Hants. The total land area of this metropolitan area is Template:Convert<ref name="auto">Template:Cite web</ref>

In Canada, metro areas include neighbouring municipalities where more than half of the commuters commute into the core municipality. Between the 2016 Canadian Census and the 2021 Canadian Census, East Hants, a formerly rural, but increasingly exurban community located north of the main Halifax population centre, was added to the Halifax metro area, due to the increased population who commute from East Hants to Halifax. Before the 2021 Canadian Census, Metropolitan Halifax covered Template:Convert<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> After the addition of the East Hants, the metropolitan area's land area expanded by Template:Convert to its current land area.<ref name="auto"/>

Municipal landscape

Template:Update Since 1 April 1996, the entirety of the County of Halifax and all 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 Template:Convert.<ref name="statcan1" />

Regional Centre

There are varying definitions of the "core" of Halifax. For planning purposes, the Municipality defines the "Regional Centre" as including the Halifax Peninsula and Dartmouth inside the Circumferential Highway. This urban area covers Template:Convert<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and houses 96,619 people in 55,332 dwelling units as of the 2016 Census.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Communities and neighbourhoods

Template:Main There are over 200 official communities and neighbourhoods within the Halifax municipality. The former town of Bedford, and the former cities of Dartmouth and Halifax have maintained their original geographic names. Furthermore, some 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, etc.)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Urban landscape

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

At Template:Convert, Halifax's urban area (defined as population centre by Statistics Canada) is less than five percent of the municipal land area.<ref name="auto1">Template:Cite web</ref> 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 Template:Convert from Template:Convert in 2016<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> to 23,829 hectares (238.29 km²) in 2021.<ref name="auto1"/>

Culture

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.Template:Citation needed

The new Halifax Central Library on Spring Garden Road has received accolades for its architecture including the Governor General's Medal in Architecture and was described by Canadian Architect as "the most significant public building completed in the Nova Scotia capital in over a generation, and a new cultural hub for the region".<ref name="canarch2016">Template:Cite news</ref>

Architecture

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.Template:Citation needed

Public spaces

Halifax Public Gardens, a Victorian era public garden that was designated as a National Historic Site 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 Template:Convert and is integrated with several squares and monuments.Template:Citation needed

The Halifax Common, granted for the use of citizens in 1763, is Canada's oldest public park.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> 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.Template:Citation needed

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.Template:Citation needed

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.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Tourism

The community of Peggy's Cove, 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 Template:RMS, over 70 small craft and a Template:Convert steamship Template:Ship. In summertime the preserved World War II corvette Template:HMCS 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.<ref name="nsart">Template:Cite web</ref> The Black Cultural Centre for Nova Scotia in Dartmouth reflects the region's rich ethnic heritage.

The Halifax Boardwalk, 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.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

The waterfront in Downtown Halifax is the site of the Halifax Harbourwalk, a Template:Convert 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.Template:Citation needed

Cruise ships visit the province frequently. In 2015, the Port of Halifax welcomed 141 vessel calls with 222,309 passengers.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>Template:Better source needed

Media

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.Template:Citation needed

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.Template:Citation needed

Halifax has several online daily newspapers. allNovaScotia is a daily, subscriber-only outlet which focuses on business and political news from across the province.<ref name=brad>Template:Cite news</ref> CityNews Halifax, associated with the CJNI-FM radio station, was created from a merger of the former News 95.7 and HalifaxToday (previously Local Xpress) news websites. 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.Template:Citation needed

Sports

The Scotiabank Centre, the largest multi-purpose sporting arena in Atlantic Canada

Halifax is represented by four professional sports teams, with teams in the National Lacrosse League (NLL), the Canadian Premier League (CPL), the Northern Super League (NSL) and The Basketball League (TBL). Also, Halifax has a semi-professional sports team in the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League (QMJHL), which is part of the Canadian Hockey League (CHL).Template:Citation needed

The city is also home to four universities that have athletic programmes.Template:Citation needed

The city's major sports venues include the Scotiabank Centre (formerly the Metro Centre<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>), the Halifax Forum, the Wanderers Grounds and various university sports facilities, such as Huskies Stadium.Template:Citation needed

Professional and semi-professional sports

Halifax Mooseheads prepare for a 2012 semi-final game.

Halifax is home to the Halifax Mooseheads, the semi-professional major junior hockey club of the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League (QMJHL). Founded in 1994, the Mooseheads were the first team from Atlantic Canada to join the QMJHL. They began play in the league's Dilio Division in the 1994–95 season,<ref name="history">Template:Cite web Mooseheads history</ref> In 2013, the Mooseheads capped a 74-win season (74–7–3–1<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>) with a QMJHL's President's Cup championship. While hosting the tournament, the Mooseheads also won the CHL's 2013 Memorial Cup.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> They have appeared in the President's Cup Finals four more times: 2003, 2005, 2019 and 2023. They hosted the Memorial Cup tournaments two more times in 2000 and 2019.

The Halifax Thunderbirds became the city's National Lacrosse League team in September 2018, when it moved from Rochester.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In March 12, 2020, their inaugural season was cut short by the COVID-19 pandemic.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Still, the team received two league awards: Defensive Player of the Year and Executive of the Year.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In the 2021–2022 season, they reached their first playoffs, where they were defeated by the Toronto Rock 14–13 in overtime<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> in the conference semi-final.

Canadian Premier League action in June 2019

Halifax's first professional soccer club is 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 and that they would be playing at a temporary stadium on Halifax's Wanderers Grounds.<ref name=":1">Template:Cite news</ref> They played their first league game on April 28, 2019, in 1–0 away loss to Pacific FC.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

The city's other professional soccer club, and newest professional team, is the Halifax Tides FC. The club competes in the Northern Super League, in the highest level of the Canadian soccer league system. The club's inaugural season began in 2025, and it was first incorporated as Atlantic Women's FC Limited in early 2024, as one of the league's six founding franchises.<ref name="northerntribune-1">Template:Cite web</ref> The Tides play their home games at the Wanderers Grounds in downtown Halifax.<ref name="northerntribune-2">Template:Cite web</ref>

Finally, the newest revival of professional basketball in Halifax, the Halifax Hoopers. The Hoopers are part of the North Atlantic division of The Basketball League. The team was announced in August 2024<ref name=1015thehawk>Template:Cite news</ref> and started their season in 2025.

Current professional/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	Men's Soccer	Wanderers Grounds	2018	0
Halifax Tides FC	NSL	Women's Soccer	Wanderers Grounds	2024	0
Halifax Hoopers	TBL	Basketball	Zatzman Sportsplex	2025	0

Former professional teams

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.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The Hurricanes won the NBL Canada championship in their inaugural season. The Hurricanes have since ceased operations, and as of November 2021,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> the team has left the NBL Canada.

Between 1971 and 1993, Halifax was home to three teams in the American Hockey League. The Nova Scotia Voyageurs (Montreal Canadiens affiliate), the Nova Scotia Oilers (Edmonton Oilers affiliate) and finally, the Halifax Citadels (Quebec Nordiques affiliate) played from 1971 to 1984, 1984 to 1988, and 1988 to 1993, respectively.Template:Citation needed

The Nova Scotia Clippers were a team in the original Canadian Soccer League (1987–1992) for its 1991 season.

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

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 a part of the Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA).Template:Citation needed

Dalhousie University's varsity team goes by the moniker Tigers. They have teams for basketball, hockey, soccer, swimming, track and field, cross country running, and volleyball. The Tigers garnered a number of championships in the first decade of the 20th century, winning 63 AUS championships and two U Sports championships.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Halifax's other U Sports university, located in close proximity to Dalhousie University, is Saint Mary's University with the moniker of the Huskies. Known for their football programme, the Huskies play at Huskies Stadium and won back-to-back Canadian University Football Championships (2001 & 2002), only the third university to do so.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Huskies Stadium was used on June 11, 2005, and again on July 29, 2023, to host an exhibition game of the Canadian Football League called Touchdown Atlantic. The games were played between the Hamilton Tiger-Cats and the Toronto Argonauts and the Saskatchewan Roughriders and Toronto Argonauts, respectively.

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.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> 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.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Sporting teams include men's and women's basketball, soccer, badminton and rugby, and women's volleyball.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

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

Over the past several decades, Halifax has hosted many major sporting events, including the following:

• 1999 Four Continents Figure Skating Championships
• 2003 World Junior Ice Hockey Championship
• 2003 Nokia Brier
• 2004 Women's World Ice Hockey Championships
• 2005 Canadian Olympic Curling Trials
• 2007 World Indoor Lacrosse Championship
• 2008 IIHF World Championship (Co-hosted with Quebec City)
• 2011 Canada Winter Games
• 2020 IIHF Women's World Ice Hockey Championships (Co-hosted with Truro, Nova Scotia) Although, the tournament was cancelled due to COVID-19.
• 2023 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships (Co-hosted with Moncton, New Brunswick)
• 2023 North American Indigenous Games

Halifax was selected in 2006 as the host municipality in Canada's bid for the 2014 Commonwealth Games but withdrew on March 8, 2007, citing ballooning costs from final estimates of $1.7 billion up from $785 million.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Demographics

Halifax CMA

At the census metropolitan area (CMA) level in the 2021 census, the Halifax CMA had a population of Template:Val living in Template:Val of its Template:Val total private dwellings, a change of Template:Percentage from its 2016 population of Template:Val. With a land area of Template:Convert, it had a population density of Template:Pop density in 2021.<ref name=2021censusCMA>Template:Cite web</ref>

Halifax Regional Municipality

Template:Historical populations 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 Template:Percentage from its 2016 population of 403,131. With a land area of Template:Convert, it had a population density of Template:Pop density in 2021.<ref name="statcan1"/>

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%).<ref name="2021censusB">Template:Cite web</ref>

Language

Mother tongue language (2021)<ref name="auto2">Statistics Canada: 2016 census</ref>

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

File:St Pauls, Halifax.JPG

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:<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

• St. Mary's Basilica (Halifax, Nova Scotia)
• The New Horizons Baptist Church
• St. George's (Round) Church,
• Beth Israel Synagogue
• Shaar Shalom Synagogue

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

Religion (2021)<ref name="auto2"/>

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

Template:Historical populations 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.<ref name="statcan2"/> The human population density of Halifax's population centre was approximately Template:Pop density.<ref name="statcan2"/>

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

Template:Main 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).<ref name=introhalifax>Template:Cite web</ref> The Halifax economy is growing, with the Conference Board of Canada predicting strong 3.0% GDP growth for 2015.<ref name=introhalifax/>

File:Halifax Shipyard July 2017.jpg

The Halifax Shipyard of Irving Shipbuilding, 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.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> 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.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> A real estate boom in recent years has led to numerous new property developments, including the gentrification of some former working-class areas.<ref name=introhalifax/>

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,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and others being managed as small craft harbours under the federal Fisheries and Oceans Canada.

Government

File:Halifax - NS - Rathaus Halifax.jpg

Halifax City Hall, 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 Andy Fillmore. 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.<ref name=HRMCharter/> The provincial legislation that provides governance oversight to the municipality is the Halifax Regional Municipality Charter.<ref name=HRMCharter/> The municipality has a proposed operating budget of $869 million for 2015–2016.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

The municipality also has four community councils that consider local matters. Each community council comprises five or six regional councillors representing neighbouring districts.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Most community council decisions are subject to final approval by regional council.<ref name=HRMCharter>Template:Cite web</ref>

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.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> 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.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

The municipality is represented in the House of Commons by six MPs, elected in the ridings of Halifax, Halifax West, Dartmouth—Cole Harbour, Sackville—Preston—Chezzetcook, South Shore—St. Margarets, and Central Nova. The latter two ridings also include rural areas outside the municipality.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Education

File:Henri Hicks Building, Dalhousie University.jpg

Established in 1818, Dalhousie University 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; 137 public schools are administered by the Halifax Regional Centre for Education, while eight public schools are administered by the Conseil scolaire acadien provincial.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The municipality's fourteen private schools are operated independently.Template:Citation needed

Transportation

Air

Halifax Stanfield International Airport serves Halifax and most of the province, providing scheduled flights to domestic and international destinations. The airport served 3,107,425 passengers in 2022, making it Canada's sixth busiest airport by passenger traffic.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> 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.Template:Citation needed

Cycling

An asphalt bike lane on Lower Water Street in downtown Halifax. The general traffic lanes and car parking spaces are to the left of the bike lane. The bike lane itself is at the same level as the sidewalk, on the right.

Dedicated bike lane in downtown Halifax

Template:Main In recent years, the municipality has also begun to place increased emphasis on developing bicycling infrastructure. Halifax has developed Template:Convert of bikeways, Template:Convert of which are dedicated bicycle lanes.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

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.Template:Citation needed

Public transit

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Halifax Transit ferry, Craig Blake, departing from Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, Canada.

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.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Rail

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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.Template:Citation needed

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, with plans in development to add an additional ferry route connecting downtown and Bedford by 2028.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Sheet Harbour is the other major port in the municipality and serves industrial users on the Eastern Shore.Template:Citation needed

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.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 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".<ref>Halifax Regional Council Minutes January 13, 1998 PDF file from HRM Council Minutes</ref>
• 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".<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• Portsmouth, England (2023). Halifax and Portsmouth signed a sister city agreement in early 2023. They chose to twin as both cities are historic naval and shipbuilding centres. Additionally, both cities are centres for university education.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

See also

• Amalgamation of the Halifax Regional Municipality
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• Halifax Stanfield International Airport
• Halifax Town Clock
• List of municipalities in Nova Scotia

Further reading

• Laffoley, Steven (2007). Hunting Halifax: In Search of History, Mystery and Murder. Pottersfield Press. Template:ISBN.
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External links

• Template:Official website