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Halifax, Nova Scotia. Coordinates: 44°38′51″N 63°35′26″W. 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 2022, it is estimated that the population of the Halifax CMA was 480,582, [6] with 348,634 people in its urban area. [3] .
Find out what to do, see, and experience in Halifax, the capital city of Nova Scotia. Learn about the local culture, history, cuisine, events, and attractions in this coastal destination.
- Address: 5425 Sackville St. 1 to 2 hours. TIME TO SPEND. Towering over downtown Halifax, the Citadel is a testament to the city's military past.
- Address: 5665 Spring Garden Rd. Free, Parks and Gardens. TYPE. 1 to 2 hours. TIME TO SPEND. The Public Gardens are a living testament to the Victorian era.
- Address: 1209 Marginal Rd. Free, Shopping. TYPE. 1 to 2 hours. TIME TO SPEND. The Halifax Seaport Farmers Market was established by royal decree in 1750, a year after the establishment of Halifax itself.
- Address: 1675 Lower Water St. Museums. TYPE. 2 hours to Half Day. TIME TO SPEND. It makes sense that Canada's oldest and most substantial maritime museum is located in Halifax: The city's history drips with stories from the sea.
- Walk the Halifax waterfront. As a historic port city, Halifax has always been tightly connected to its waterfront. But where it was once industrial and gritty, it’s now vibrant, bustling, and inviting.
- Lounge on the steps at Queen’s Marque. Sometimes, the simplest pleasures are the most appreciated. Queen’s Marque is the newest shopping and dining destination on the Halifax waterfront, and its massive granite steps—descending directly into the Halifax Harbour—have become a favourite stopping place for locals.
- Venture up Citadel Hill for the noon gun. Downtown Halifax is essentially built into the side of a steep hill, and overlooking it all is the Halifax Citadel National Historic Site.
- Walk Spring Garden Road up to the Halifax Public Gardens. The Halifax Public Gardens is a beautiful and peaceful 16-acre Victorian-era public gardens formally established in 1867.
- Overview
- History
Halifax, city and capital of Nova Scotia, Canada. A major amalgamation and incorporation as Halifax Regional Municipality (referred to as HRM) occurred in 1996 and united the City of Halifax, the City of Dartmouth, the Town of Bedford, and Halifax County Municipality within boundaries that include the original Halifax county (with the exception of ...
Coastal areas of Nova Scotia in the region of Halifax were inhabited seasonally by Mi’kmaq before the influx of Europeans. The east coast of North America was the scene of a continuous territorial struggle beginning in the 16th century when the French and British (mainly) clashed, initially over control of fishing grounds, later furs, and then land for settlers. Halifax played a significant role in the ongoing battle for control of these resources. The city site was first visited by Samuel de Champlain about 1605, and in the early 18th century it was a French fishing station. The Nova Scotia peninsula was a component of the French colony of Acadia at that time. The British takeover of Nova Scotia in 1713 resulted in a permanent British settlement at Halifax when Edward Cornwallis arrived with some 2,500 settlers, most of them from England, and founded a fortified town (1749) as a counterbalance to Louisbourg, the French stronghold in Cape Breton. Originally called Chebucto, the town was soon renamed for George Montagu Dunk, 2nd earl of Halifax, president of the Board of Trade and Plantations and among those who planned the founding of the settlement. The following year Dartmouth was established across the harbour, and in 1752 ferry service began between the two towns.
The settlement patterns and growth of Halifax were not similar to most colonial coastal communities where inhabitants made their living by fishing and farming. The thin soils surrounding Halifax were never good for agriculture, and the fishing banks were a considerable distance from its harbour. The growth of Halifax was directly related to war and threats of war, in conjunction with British, and later Canadian, military and trade policies. The British conquest of the French in North America by 1763 elevated the military status of Halifax. However, it was the American Revolution (1775–83) that positioned Halifax as the military anchor for the remaining British North American colonies after the establishment of the United States. As a result of the conflict, Halifax was the recipient of many loyalists, including black loyalists.
Services for navy and army personnel were the mainstay of Halifax’s early economy, but its natural (and fortified) harbour was ideally situated for the trade between Britain, North America, and the West Indies, and Halifax evolved as an important import-export centre. It was incorporated as a city in 1841. By the mid-19th century, railway connections to its international port only enhanced its economic position in Atlantic Canada as the centre for finance, wholesaling, and educational services. It also had a manufacturing base that included shipbuilding and sugar refining. However, its fortunes changed with confederation (1867), when federal government policies of protectionism were put in place to combat a global recession (1873–95). International trade, a cornerstone for the economy of Halifax, was decimated, and Halifax lost much of its financial, wholesale, and manufacturing functions through the merger, buyout, and takeover by Montreal- and Toronto-based firms.
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A Capital Idea
Halifax continually served as a British army and navy base, one of the most heavily fortified outside Europe, until its dockyard and defenses were taken over by the Canadian government in 1906. Although never besieged, the city suffered from a disastrous munitions ship explosion in 1917 that ultimately was responsible for nearly 2,000 deaths and devastated much of the city’s north side. During World War I and World War II, Halifax was Canada’s largest and most important naval base.
- Brett Mcgillivray
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The Official Halifax Visitor Guide highlights the best things to see and do in Halifax, Nova Scotia.
Overview. Things to do. Hotels. Dining. When to visit. Getting around. Map & Neighborhoods. Photos. Why Go To Halifax. The capital of Nova Scotia is any historian's dream: This harbor town...
