Halifax Regional Municipality, Nova Scotia
From Freepedia
Halifax Regional Municipality, commonly referred to as HRM (44°39′ N 63°35′ W, AST) is a Canadian regional municipality, the provincial capital, the largest population centre in Nova Scotia, and the cultural and economic centre of the Atlantic Provinces.
Halifax Regional Municipality (2001 population, 359,111) was created in 1996, through the amalgamation of the cities of Halifax and Dartmouth, the town of Bedford, and the Municipality of the County of Halifax. The regional municipality's boundary includes all of Halifax County except for several First Nation reserves.
The urban core area of HRM is located in the western end of the municipality, fronting on Halifax Harbour and constitutes the most populous urban area on Canada's Atlantic coast, and the second largest coastal population centre in the country, after Vancouver, British Columbia. HRM currently accounts for 40% of Nova Scotia's population, and 15% of that of the Atlantic provinces.
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History
- Please see main articles on Halifax, Nova Scotia, Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, Bedford, Nova Scotia and Halifax County, Nova Scotia and related articles for an in-depth history of HRM's constituent communities.
Originally named Jipugtug, or Chebucto - which means biggest harbour - by the Mi'kmaq people who lived there, the town of Halifax was founded by British General Edward Cornwallis on July 9, 1749 as a military outpost for the British with a handful of farming settlers. The town of Dartmouth was settled soon after on the opposite side of the harbour. To link the two communities, a ferry service was started between Halifax and Dartmouth that still operates today; it is the oldest saltwater ferry in North America.
HRM's historic urban core on the Halifax Peninsula and parts of the older areas of Dartmouth have invoked comparisons with San Francisco, California, largely because of a combination of hilly streets, foggy climate, and Victorian architecture. As with many coastal communities in the Maritime Provinces, HRM shares cultural ties with Boston, Massachusetts. HRM is currently twinned with Hakodate, Japan.
The Halifax-Dartmouth metropolitan region experienced less suburban sprawl during the post-Second World War era than in many comparable Canadian urban centres; this was partly the result of a weaker economy and smaller population base than urban centres in other provinces, but also because of deliberate local government policies to limit suburban growth in Halifax, Dartmouth and the surrounding county. Today HRM is more compact than most Canadian cities, although there are expanses of suburban growth in Dartmouth and the Sackville River valley. One sprawl-related development in recent decades has been allowing warehouse-style retailers to establish in existing suburban industrial parks such as Bayers Lake and Burnside, both of which have become important and controversial centres of commerce for the municipality and the province.
All of the municipal units within Halifax County underwent amalgamation during the 1990s to create a regional municipality. This process saw previously separate municipalities and the county government merged to form a new single-tier municipality, formally named the "Halifax Regional Municipality", which takes its name from the county which it derives its boundaries from. Unlike cities and smaller municipalities in other provinces affected by amalgamation, where new municipalities often retained the name of the largest city in the amalgamation, the Halifax Regional Municipality is often referred to as "HRM," especially in the media and not as "Halifax".
Although discussions had been underway for decades, a deal was finally signed in 2003 that saw the construction of several sewage treatment plants for the core urban area, as well as an extensive trunk collector system to link outfalls to each plant. For the first time since settlement came to the area, human sewage will be treated before it is discharged into the Atlantic Ocean; estimated start-up is for 2006.
On September 29, 2003, HRM was hit by Hurricane Juan which made landfall west of the urban core; it was the most powerful hurricane to directly hit the Halifax-Dartmouth metropolitan area since 1893. The storm caused a serious disruption throughout the entire municipality during the first week of October; although some areas of the urban core only lost electricity for a brief period, outlying rural regions in the eastern part of HRM were without electricity for up to two weeks. Millions of trees in HRM were damaged or destroyed in the dense forests along the Eastern Shore.
Notable persons born in/from the Halifax Regional Municipality
- Oswald Avery, physician and medical researcher
- Gary Beals, Canadian Idol runner-up
- Buck 65, hip hop artist
- Sidney Crosby, Pittsburgh Penguins hockey player
- Samuel Cunard, steamship line founder
- Erik Demaine, Ex-prodigy, Computer Scientist, Folding Theorist
- George Dixon (1870-1909), the first black world boxing champion
- Denny Doherty, singer with The Mamas and The Papas
- Joseph Howe, Editor, orator, poet and Statesman (a 'Father of Confederation')
- Ruby Keeler, dancer, actress
- Robert MacNeil, PBS Anchorman, writer and journalist
- Sarah McLachlan, Grammy and Juno award winning singer/songwriter
- Ian Millar, show-jumping world champion
- Peter North, legendary adult film performer
- John F. Stairs, businessman, statesman
- William Grant Stairs, Victorian explorer
- William Machin Stairs (1789-1865), businessman, politician
- John Sparrow David Thompson, Prime Minister of Canada
- William Fenwick Williams, military leader
- Sloan, rock band
- Classified, Underground rapper
Climate
HRM's climate is heavily influenced by its location on Nova Scotia's Atlantic coast. The weather, while notoriously unpredictable, is usually milder than that of central Canada, with the temperature remaining (with occasional notable exceptions) between about -15°C (23°F) and 25°C (77°F). Snow falls and melts alternately from December through March. Halifax usually experiences several strong winter storms. In February 2004 a record of 95 cm (32") of snow fell in one such storm. The storm was nicknamed "White Juan", after the recent Hurricane Juan. Spring is cool and foggy, early autumn is often sunny and warm, and summer can range from hot and dry to cool and rainy. Hurricanes are fairly uncommon but do occur occasionally. There can be considerable variations between the weather near the Atlantic Ocean and the weather even ten kilometers inland.
Geography
The Halifax Regional Municipality has an area of 5,900 km² which is larger than the province of Prince Edward Island, and measures approximately 165 km in length between its eastern and western-most extremeties. HRM's shoreline "as the crow flies" is approximately 150 km in length, while its northern boundary is usually between 50-60 km inland. The coast, which is mostly rock with small isolated sand beaches in sheltered bays, is heavily indented by numerous inlets the largest of which are St. Margaret's Bay, Halifax Harbour, Cole Harbour, Musquoboboit Harbour, Jeddore Harbour, Ship Harbour and Sheet Harbour. Given this fact, it takes approximately 3 hours to drive along the shore from Hubbards, located in the southwestern end of HRM, to Moser River, 195 km (120 mi) away at the southeastern end.
The Chebucto Peninsula, created by the indentations of St. Margaret's Bay and Halifax Harbour (including the Bedford Basin), is a defining feature for the shape of the coastline at the western end of HRM, from which the Halifax Peninsula forms a sub-peninsula.
Despite the size of its landmass, the population of the municipality is heavily concentrated, with rural communities located along the Eastern Shore and South Shore or in the Musquodoboit River valley. The majority of residents are concentrated in the urban core surrounding Halifax Harbour/Bedford Basin and extending up the Sackville River valley and northeast of the harbour along the Highway 102 corridor.
Sable Island has historically been included in Halifax County and is also considered to be jurisdictionally part of HRM, despite being located 180 km (115 miles) offshore of neighbouring Guysborough County and approximately 300 km from HRM's urban core. HRM's boundary includes all of Halifax County, Nova Scotia, except for several First Nation reserves.
HRM's topography is quite varied, ranging from rocky shorelines to sandy beaches on the coast, to landscapes shaped by glaciation including exposed bedrock, numerous freshwater lakes, medium-sized rivers and streams, drumlins and low hills. The fertile valley along the Musquodoboit River in the northeastern part of HRM is the only agricultural district of note in the municipality. Aside from the settled communities and the urban area surrounding Halifax Harbour, the rest of the municipality's landscape mostly supports a dense combination of mixed Acadian or coniferous forests.
HRM's urban area is built on a series of hills and plateaus surrounding Halifax Harbour; the central part of the former city of Halifax lies on a peninsula extending from the western side of the harbour and dominated by the drumlin which supported the Citadel Hill defensive works. The former city of Dartmouth was clustered on the eastern side of the harbour directly opposite the Halifax peninsula, its defining geographic feature being a series of glacial lakes. Suburban growth around both cities included many existing mining (east of Dartmouth) and farming (northwest of Halifax) and fishing (along the shores of the harbour and the Atlantic coast south of both cities) communities.
Education
The Halifax Regional School Board is responsible for administering the 150 public schools located within HRM, providing instruction from primary to grade 12. There are also 14 independent/private schools in the municipality.
The municipality is home to five degree-granting post-secondary educational institutions: Dalhousie University, Saint Mary's University, King's College, and NSCAD are all located on the Halifax Peninsula while Mount Saint Vincent University is located in Rockingham. The former Technical University of Nova Scotia is now integrated with Dalhousie University. The University of King's College remains an independent institution but its students have access to Dalhousie's arts and science faculties. The Nova Scotia Community College network maintains three campuses in HRM, although these are scheduled to be replaced by a single new campus under construction on the Dartmouth waterfront. Both Université Sainte-Anne and Cape Breton University have satellite campuses in HRM for extension courses.
Economy
The largest employer in HRM is government, with most provincial government departments headquartered in the area, as well as many regional offices for federal government departments and agencies. The Department of National Defence is the largest single employer and Halifax Harbour continues to serve a major military purpose as home port for Maritime Forces Atlantic. CFB Halifax is Canada's largest naval base and the nation's largest military base in number of personnel. This base is comprised of various shore-based facilities including HMC Dockyard, Stadacona, CFAD Bedford, and other adjunct facilities throughout HRM and central Nova Scotia. Approximately 2/3 of the navy's major ships are home ported in Halifax. Another major military facility is located at 12 Wing, CFB Shearwater in Eastern Passage. This is the home base of naval aviation in Canada and is presently used as a heliport for the CH-124 Sea King.
- For more detailed information on the port, consult main article Halifax Harbour.
The largest influence on HRM's economy is its port and related spin-offs. Halifax Harbour is strategically located just north of the Great Circle Route between western Europe and the Eastern Seaboard of North America as the first inbound, last outbound major port of call on the continent with strategic rail connections to central and western Canada and the United States. The port has two major container terminals, a medium-sized oil refinery, numerous general cargo piers and more specialized cargo handling piers for products such as automobiles and bulk gypsum.
Port facilities are also increasingly used for logistics support of offshore natural gas production platforms near Sable Island, and for ongoing oil and gas exploration. The port has a shipyard and the eastern side of the harbour is home to Canadian Coast Guard Base Dartmouth and the internationally renowned Bedford Institute of Oceanography. In recent years, there has been an increase in number of cruise ships through a redeveloped passenger terminal at Pier 21. The port is also the eastern terminus of the transcontinental Canadian National Railway which maintains extensive facilities around the waterfront.
HRM is a major exporter of beer, being home to the Keith's brewery; there are numerous local specialty beers produced in micro-breweries. Another important export is chocolate, produced originally by the locally-owned Moir's company, now owned by Hershey Foods. The aerospace industry has an increasing significance in the regional economy, through engine manufacturer Pratt and Whitney Canada, and IMP Aerospace, as well as the increasing passenger and cargo traffic at Halifax International Airport.
The economy of HRM has been relatively strong in the past decade, largely as a result of an increasing trend toward urbanization; Atlantic Canada is one of the last regions in Canada to undergo such a transformation. Another important ingredient in HRM's growth has been a major investment in offshore oil and gas exploration, resulting in many high-paying jobs locating to the area. Halifax Harbour was also the staging site for much of the development of the Sable Offshore Energy natural gas project during the late 1990s, as well as somewhat smaller crude oil development projects during the 1970s-1990s.
Unemployment is relatively low and the number of construction projects for residential and commercial structures has grown steadily; notably in suburban areas such as Clayton Park and Lower Sackville. One impact relating to the strength of the economy has been the gentrification of some former working-class areas of the city, such as downtown and north-end Dartmouth and the North End of the Halifax Peninsula. In the latter case, a formerly working class area which was reconstructed following its devastation in the disaster of 1917 is now home to many affluent people, with the resulting change in character of some of its neighbourhoods. The South End (of the peninsula) has remained a traditionally wealthy district. Some areas of HRM are known for their concentrations of lower income housing, urban neglect and a preception of higher rates of crime, notably Spryfield in HRM's Mainland South district, the Gottingen Street area in the peninsula's North End, as well as remaining areas of north end Dartmouth and certain pockets of Lower Sackville.
Another change in recent years has been the extensive redevelopment of the waterfront in Halifax, Bedford, and Dartmouth. Traditionally the focus has been industry and shipping. However, with changes in shipping technology, larger ships now use container terminals or other harbour facilities, leaving the waterfronts along the Halifax and Dartmouth urban core relatively unused (aside from naval and shipyard activities). Many former industrial waterfront areas have been converted to commercial use to attract the tourist trade.
Culture
HRM's urban core is the highest population centre in Atlantic Canada and is a major cultural centre within the region. The municipality's urban core also benefits from a large population of post-secondary students who provide a strong influence to the local cultural scene. HRM has a number of art galleries, theatres and museums, including the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia, the Nova Scotia Museum of Natural History, the Neptune Theatre, the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic, and a Shakespeare by the Sea festival, to name a few. There are several smaller theatre companies such as Zuppa Circus and various local theatre productions in smaller communities throughout the municipality.
Halifax Metro Centre is a sports and entertainment hub on the Halifax Peninsula and is home to the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League's Halifax Mooseheads. This facility also hosts large indoor entertainment events. Dalhousie University's Rebecca Cohn Auditorium is the largest performance theatre for dramatic and musical events in HRM and is home to Symphony Nova Scotia. The older Halifax Forum and the much smaller Dartmouth Sportsplex also continue to host sporting events. Outdoor concerts are often performed on the slopes of Citadel Hill and at Alderny Landing in Darmouth.
HRM is reputed to have one of the highest number of bars per capita of any Canadian city; even its QMJHL team is named after a New Brunswick beer company, Moosehead. The India pale ale Alexander Keith's is brewed in Halifax and its founder Alexander Keith was actually also mayor of Halifax at one point.
While HRM is not as multiculturally diverse as its larger Canadian counterparts, this is slowly evolving, particularly as the municipality and province place more emphasis on attracting immigrants. Muslims comprise the second-largest visible minority in HRM, while the largest visible minority - the historic African Nova Scotian community - as well as the more recently established Greek and Lebanese communities provide important influences for local culture.
The region is also noted for its music scene. Many bars have live music every night of the week; artists performing almost any style of music can be found. HRM is home to a vibrant hip hop community. Some notable artists to have emerged from Halifax include Buck 65, Universal Soul, Classified, April Wine, and The Joel Plaskett Emergency. During the 1990s, the former city of Halifax was excitedly billed as the next Seattle because of its vibrant indie rock scene. Although it never managed to achieve Seattle's musical fame, a number of artists did emerge, including Sloan, Thrush Hermit, and Sarah McLachlan.
HRM has become a film-making centre, with many American and Canadian filmmakers using the city's streetscapes, often to stand in for other cities that are more expensive to work in. The city's port status also makes it a popular location for films about ships; scenes from the films Titanic (1997), The Shipping News, and K-19: The Widowmaker were all filmed in the region, as well as numerous silver-screen movies and various documentaries. The CBC news satire show This Hour Has 22 Minutes is based in Halifax, as is the mock-reality show Trailer Park Boys.
The tourism industry has had a strong influence on the region in recent decades and provides important spin-offs throughout the retail, restaurant and accommodation sectors, particularly in the downtown urban core of the former cities of Halifax and Dartmouth. In the summer, downtown vendors cater to cruise ship passengers and tourists, while destinations such as the Public Gardens, Point Pleasant Park, a casino, Citadel Hill and most-famously Peggy's Cove all benefit from visitors.
The Tall Ships came to Halifax Harbour in 1984, 2000 and 2004. Yacht races such as the biennial Marblehead to Halifax Ocean Race and the Route Halifax-SPM (Halifax to St. Pierre) provide additional flavour. Important festivals include the Nova Scotia International Tattoo (sometimes exagerated by locals as North America's largest annual indoor show or the world's largest indoor show), the Atlantic Jazz Festival, the Atlantic Film Festival, the Multicultural Festival, the Greek Summerfest, a Lebanese festival, and the annual International Busker Festival. Halifax also hosts an annual new music festival called the Halifax Pop Explosion each fall.
The Halifax Port Authority has recently announced a potential plan to redevelop a waterfront area adjacent to its passenger/cruise ship terminal (which includes Pier 21); this will be known as the Seawall and is being promoted as a Bohemian district.
Local media
The Chronicle-Herald is a daily broadsheet paper, covering mainland Nova Scotia. The paper is independently owned, and usually has a moderate conservative editorial policy. The Daily News is daily tabloid paper, focusing primarily on Halifax. Its editorial style is populist conservative, and it is owned by Transcontinental Media. The Coast is a free "alternative weekly" focused primarily on HRM's urban core, especially the Halifax Peninsula. The independently owned paper is known for its generally left leaning or progressive editorial policy. A Maritimes gossip tabloid Frank Magazine was established in HRM and subsequently expanded into central Canada; it has since retracted to focusing on the Maritimes.
Television
Several television stations operate in HRM:
ASN is a cable/satellite-only network operating in conjunction with ATV. Several specialty digital television channel licenses have also been developed in HRM in recent years by Salter Street Films.
Radio
Various radio stations broadcast in HRM:
- 780 AM - CFDR (Kixx), country
- 920 AM - CJCH (AM 920), oldies
- 960 AM - CHNS (Oldies 96), oldies
- 88.1 FM - CKDU, Dalhousie University New High Power Frequency (Nov 2005)
- 90.5 FM - CBHA, CBC Radio One
- 91.5 FM - CBAX, Espace musique
- 92.3 FM - CBAF-5, La Première Chaîne
- 93.9 FM - CJLU (Christian Radio)
- 94.7 FM - CFEP (Seaside FM), community (Eastern Passage)
- 95.7 FM - CJNI, (News 95.7), News/Talk/Sports
- 96.5 FM - CKUL (Kool 96.5), classic hits
- 97.5 FM - CKDU, Dalhousie University campus radio
- 97.9 FM - CIRH, Halifax Information Radio
- 100.1 FM - CIOO (C100), CHR
- 101.9 FM - CHFX (Country 101), country
- 102.7 FM - CBH, CBC Radio Two
- 103.5 FM - CKHZ (Z103.5), rhythmic CHR (Nov 2005)
- 104.3 FM - CFRQ (Q104), rock
- 105.1 FM - CHAL (The Breeze), Soft Rock (Not yet on air)
- 106.9 FM - CHCN, community (Preston/Cole Harbour)
Demographics
Approximately 18.3% of the population is under the age of 14, whereas those 65 and older make up 11%.
Racial make-up
- White: 326,610 or 93.8%
- Black: 10,665 or 3.0%
- mixed race: 4,590 or 1.3%
- Arab: 3,030 or 1.0%
- Chinese: 2,135 or 0.6%
- (based on single responses)
Religious make-up
- Protestant 45.38%
- Catholic 37.23%
- Other Christian 1.40%
- Muslim 0.86%
- Christian Orthodox 0.79%
- Jewish 0.44%
- Buddhist 0.42%
- Hindu 0.27%
- Sikh 0.05%
- Eastern Religions 00.10%
- Other Religions 00.17%
- No Religious Affiliation 12.90%
Government
The Halifax Regional Municipality is governed by a mayor (elected at large) and a twenty-three person regional council, who are elected by geographic district; municipal elections occur every leap year. HRM can establish "community councils" where three or more councilors agree to form these councils to deal primarily with local development issues. Most community council decisions are subject to approval by regional council. Council has responsibility for the Halifax Regional Police Department, the Halifax Regional Library, the Halifax Regional Fire Department, Halifax Regional Water Commission, parks and recreation, public works and waste management, among other issues.
Two areas of contention during the post-amalgamation years have been in the areas of fire and police services. HRPD is an amalgamation of the municipal forces from the City of Halifax, City of Dartmouth, and Town of Bedford. Areas that were formerly part of the Municipality of Halifax County were previously policed by the RCMP under a provincial policing contract. Since amalgamation, the HRPD has been restricted to primarily the urban core while RCMP still provide rural policing services, as well as highway traffic enforcement. Jurisdictional boundaries have been relaxed in recent years, allowing more integration between both forces to allow for better coverage and response. Unlike policing services, HRFD is an amalgamation of all fire departments in Halifax County. This created some controversy in rural areas where predominantly volunteer fire companies were being stripped of equipment and trucks which local communities had fund-raised for during the pre-amalgamation period; this equipment was being relocated to service the urban core. This has since been halted, although there is still some tension between the professional paid HRFD members in the urban core and their volunteer rural counterparts.
The term Haligonians has been borrowed since amalgamation to apply more broadly to all residents of HRM, although many citizens in Dartmouth, Bedford and smaller centres in the municipality tend to avoid use of the term when applied to themselves. In fact, despite amalgamation, most residents of the municipality (and Canada Post) still refer to the names of the pre-amalgamation municipalities when describing geographic areas.
Since its creation, rapid property value increases have resulted in HRM's budget growing to $589 million in 2005/06, up from $439 million in 1996. This has allowed HRM to proceed with major capital projects such as an extension of municipally-supplied water to Fall River, breaking ground on the new sewage treatment system (called the Harbour Solutions project), and establishment of Metrolink, a bus rapid transit system.
The former city of Halifax is represented in the federal riding of Halifax. Other HRM ridings include Dartmouth—Cole Harbour, Halifax West, Sackville—Eastern Shore, and part of South Shore—St. Margaret's Bay.
In the last three provincial elections over 50% of the population of HRM has voted for the provincial New Democratic Party, placing the region's voters outside the mainstream of provincial politics in outlying more rural areas which are split between a Liberal/Conservative voting pattern. It can be argued that HRM's recent voting pattern has actually placed the provincial (and federal) NDP or social-democratic politics in general, into the political mainstream for the province and the Maritimes as a whole.
Transportation
Halifax International Airport, which serves HRM and virtually all of peninsular Nova Scotia, is located in the northern part of the municipality on the border with Hants County in Enfield.
HRM is the eastern terminus of the Canadian National Railway, which provides direct freight service to Montreal, Toronto, and Chicago for cargo arriving at either of Halifax's two container terminals, or the port's general cargo and specialized cargo piers. Via Rail Canada also operates the Ocean, a passenger train to Truro, Moncton, and Montreal six days a week.
The urban core area is linked by two suspension bridges: the Angus L. Macdonald Bridge, opened in 1955, and the A. Murray MacKay Bridge, opened in 1970. A passenger ferry system also connects the two sides with regular services throughout the day and is the oldest saltwater ferry service operating in North America. High-speed ferries are being planned to connect downtown Halifax with Shannon Park/Bedford, Herring Cove/Purcell's Cove, and Eastern Passage.
Traffic is problematic in many older parts of the urban core area for several reasons. The Halifax Peninsula, similar to an island, has several choke points through which any traffic leaving the area must pass:
- the harbour suspension bridges
- the Armdale Rotary
- the Fairview interchange to the Highway 102 expressway
- the Bedford Highway
Density is increasing somewhat on the peninsuala, but the population of workers living in suburban areas or commuting from more distant exurban/outlying areas has increased at a much higher rate in recent decades. Roads in existing developed suburban areas and the historic districts on the Halifax Peninsula cannot be easily expanded. A proposed bridge across the Northwest Arm to relieve traffic congestion on the Armdale Rotary (it would connect at South Street near Dalhousie University) has been rejected several times by residents of the affluent South End. A controversial proposal in 2003-04 to widen Robie Street, the major north-south artery on the peninsula, resulted in protests, leading to a compromised, smaller expansion of the road.
Many of the newer neighbourhoods benefit from a network of expressways (Nova Scotia 100-series highways) which were designed for modern automobile traffic (Highway 101, Highway 102, Highway 103, Highway 107, Highway 111, and Highway 118) however these roads serve mainly to dump high-speed traffic onto the existing urban low-speed street network.
The HRM urban core is served by Metro Transit. The main forms of public transportation are the regular transit buses and a new bus-rapid transit system, as well as the harbour ferries, however the mayor, Peter Kelly, and several regional councillors also favour instituting a commuter rail system on current and abandoned railway lines in the region. This plan would require provincial and federal funding and coordination and is pending the provincial government's creation of a regional transportation planning authority, similar to what eastern Massachusetts did in the 1960s when MBTA was created. There is no public transit available for residents in the rural areas of the municipality, a fact which has become a growing bone of contention in the urban-rural tension within the region.
Regional council has also stated an interest in improving bicycle transport in the urban core, however since the 2000 municipal election little has been accomplished. A part-time coordinating position was created to oversee the planning and implementation of a bicycle transport plan but this position was eliminated during budget cuts in 2003 with little other than planning/reporting having been accomplished. Overall, HRM remains fairly difficult for bicycles, partially as a result of geography and climate, but also the increased traffic congestion. Despite these setbacks there has been a small increase in the number of bicycle lanes and designated bike routes in the urban core.
There is a perceived belief that car drivers in HRM are unusually courteous in comparison with drivers in other North American cities. There is no empirical evidence to support such a claim, however drivers in the region have been witnessed on occasion to yield to pedestrians crossing the road (even illegally), usually within the downtown urban core of the Halifax Peninsula; this has been colloquially referred to as a "Nova Scotian traffic jam". As with any growing urban area, the increasing traffic congestion has also been leading to more car-pedestrian and car-bicycle accidents. Speeding and street-racing have become major sources of concern for residents in every district within the municipality.
- See also: List of cities in Canada
Buildings and structures
The Halifax Regional Municipality has a higher proportion of historic buildings compared with other municipalities in Canada, particularly in the downtown urban core. Preservationists and heritage advocacy organizations have attempted to prevent their demolition by developers in recent decades. Such groups have been critisized for stunting the centralization of urban growth and for stopping buildings from being built on empty land containing little to no historic value. There are currently projects being passed through city council which include two 27 floor hotel and condo towers by United Gulf Developments and a 40 floor, 150 metre tall observation tower.
The urban core areas on the Halifax Peninsula and former city of Dartmouth are home to several modern office buildings, however the downtown core area in the former city of Halifax is governed by height restrictions which prevent buildings from obstructing the sight line between Citadel Hill and the Halifax Harbour/Georges Island.
Prominent buildings
In alphabetical order.
- 1801 Hollis Street (22 floors, 87 metres) - 1801 Hollis Street is an office building also located near Halifax's waterfront and is home to many prominent businesses.
- Bank of Commerce Building (16 floors, 66 metres) - Also known as the CIBC building.
- Bank of Montreal Building (18 floors, 73 metres) - The BMO building is located near the waterfront, and is home to the Bank of Montreal in Halifax.
- Fenwick Tower (32 floors, 98 metres) - Fenwick Tower is a residence for the nearby Dalhousie University.
- Halifax Metro Centre - Hockey arena home to the Halifax Mooseheads, with a capacity of 10,000-15,000, depending on the event.
- Loyola Residence Tower (22 floors, 67 metres) - The Loyola Residence Tower is a residence of Saint Mary's University.
- Maritime Center (20 floors, 78 metres) - The Maritime Center is an office building that was formerly the headquarters of Maritime Telephone and Telegraph, which the building was named after.
- Purdy's Wharf Business Centre - An office complex comprised of two towers, a smaller office building, and a parkade located on the waterfront. They use the waters of Halifax Harbour to cool the buildings.
- Tower 1 (20 floors, 74 metres)
- Tower 2 (22 floors, 88 metres)
- Scotia Square Complex - A system of buildings connected by pedways and tunnels. It houses a mall, two hotels, and offices.
- Barrington Tower (20 floors, 84 metres) Office and commercial use. Home of Emera, which operates the Nova Scotia Power Corporation.
- Cogswell Tower (20 floors, 79 metres) Office and commercial use.
- Duke Tower (16 floors, 71 metres) Office and commercial use.
- St. Mary's Basilica - A Roman Catholic church in Downtown Halifax, built in 1820. Recently designated a National Historic Site.
- TD Tower (18 floors, 73 metres) The TD Tower is an office building home to the Toronto Dominion bank in Halifax.
- Tuft's Cove Generating Station (157 metres) - Distinctive striped smokestacks of a fossil-fuel burning electrical generating station.
Neighbourhoods, towns, and villages
- Bedford-Sackville Region
- Outlying suburbs and rural communities
Major parks
- Clam Harbour Beach Provincial Park
- Cleveland Beach Provincial Park
- Cole Harbour -Lawrencetown Coastal Heritage Park System
- Salt Marsh Trail
- Lawrencetown Beach
- Rainbow Haven Beach
- Crystal Crescent Beach Provincial Park
- Dartmouth Commons
- Dollar Lake Provincial Park
- Elderbank Provincial Park
- Halifax Citadel National Historic Site
- Halifax Commons
- Hemlock Ravine
- Herring Cove Provincial Park Reserve
- Kidstone Lake/ Rockingstone Park
- Laurie Provincial Park
- Lewis Lake Provincial Park
- Long Lake Provincial Park
- Mainland Commons
- Martinique Beach Provincial Park
- McCormack Beach Provincial Park
- McNabs Island Provincial Park Reserve
- Moser River Seaside Park
- Musquodoboit Valley Provincial Park
- Oakfield Provincial Park
- Point Pleasant Park
- Porters Lake Provincial Park
- Powder Mill Lake Provincial Park
- Public Gardens
- Queensland Beach Provincial Park
- Second Lake
- Shubie Park
- Sir Sandford Fleming Park
- Spry Bay Provincial Park
- Taylors Head Provincial Park
- West River Sheet Harbour Picnic Park
- William E. Degarthe Provincial Park
- York Redoubt National Historic Site
Sports teams
- Halifax Mooseheads of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League
- Nova Scotia Keltics of the Rugby Canada Super League
External links
- Halifax Online Community
- Halifax Regional Municipality
- Guide to Halifax
- Photos of Halifax
- Halifax Daily News
- Halifax Herald
- The Coast, Halifax's Weekly
- International Busker festival
- C100 FM
- Q104
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Categories: Halifax, Nova Scotia | Cities in Nova Scotia | Regional municipalities in Nova Scotia | Coastal cities | HRM communities
