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  • Welcome to the
    ​City of Halifax

All About Halifax

Halifax Regional Municipality is the capital of the province of Nova Scotia. The Municipality is commonly called HRM or informally, Halifax and is a lively and colourful combination of urban and rural living at its best. 

The population of Halifax in 2021 was 465,703 (2021 census). 

Halifax is known as a place where the four seasons are refreshingly distinct. Up to date weather forecast can be found online here.


Transportation

Metro Transit is a regional public transportation service and operates a fixed transit system, Access-A-Bus for persons with disabilities, Community Transit and the harbour passenger ferries. Metro Transit Service is a business unit of the Halifax Regional Municipality (HRM). HRM Call Centre provides callers with route and schedule information daily from 7:00AM to 11:00PM at (902) 490-4000. Metro Transit services the Bedford Highway, please call the above number for specifics regarding the route. Information is also available on their website Halifax Transit.


Government

The HRM is governed by an elected council, which includes one councillor for each of the 16 districts and a mayor elected at large. 

 

Social Insurance Number

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Banking
​in 
​Canada​

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Nova Scotia Driver's License
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Nova Scotia
Health Insurance

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Emergency Services

Call 911 if you require fire, police, or an ambulance!

811 Nova Scotia

Phone: 811 or visit: Website

  Health Link 811 is a 24-hour, seven-days-a-week telecare service that provides confidential health advice and information to concerned callers. There’s no cost to the caller and a Nova Scotia health card isn’t required.

 

When a person dials 811 from any telephone registered in Nova Scotia, they are directed to an experienced registered nurse who will ask the individual to describe the symptoms they or their family member are experiencing. The nurse will then assess the urgency of the caller's symptoms or health condition and advise them on the next steps, such as appropriate self-care, or to seek services from a family physician or another health-care provider, or to visit an emergency department.  

Utilities

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Things to See
and DO

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Halifax City Council​

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Hospitals
and Clinics

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History of Halifax

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Transportation

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Childcare

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Education

Elementary & Secondary Overview

Nova Scotia public system goes from Primary (sometimes called kindergarten) through to Grade 12. 


In Nova Scotia, children normally begin school at age five, but that is optional. Once a child reaches the age of six, the law requires that they attend school until they turn 16. Parents are allowed to do home schooling if they wish.


In the public school system, the most common language of instruction is English; however, there are numerous French-speaking schools that operate in the province as well. In some English-language schools, students can enroll in a French Immersion program in which many of their classes are taught in French.

 

Details on the Nova Scotia Curriculum can be found here.


Post-Secondary Overview

A comprehensive range of post-secondary education facilities is available in Nova Scotia. The Nova Scotia Community College system has 13 campuses around the province. Together with the Collège de l'Acadie, they provide education and training programs in the trades, technical, technological and applied arts fields at campuses across the province in both English and French. Programs are designed to help students acquire the skills, knowledge, attitudes and habits necessary to enter and progress in their chosen occupations. Collège de l'Acadie provides community college services for French speaking students through the use of distance education technology and learning centres across the province.


In Nova Scotia and throughout Canada, a degree-granting institution is usually called a university. Nova Scotia has 11 universities and colleges, most of which are somewhat small by American or international standards. They include Dalhousie University (the largest), University of King's College, Saint Mary's University, Mount Saint Vincent University and the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design, all in Halifax; Acadia University in Wolfville; St. Francis Xavier University in Antigonish; the Nova Scotia Agricultural College in Truro; Université Sainte-Anne (Francophone, near Digby); and the University College of Cape Breton in Sydney.


HALIFAX REGIONAL SCHOOL BOARD - ENGLISH

Halifax Regional School Board

The Halifax Regional School Board was created in 1996 after the amalgamation of Halifax, Dartmouth, Bedford and Halifax County school boards. 

 

The school board is Nova Scotia’s largest school board and accounts for 35% of the province's school age population. There are approximately 49,000 public school students in Greater Halifax enrolled in 139 primary and secondary schools. The area also has a large number of students taking French courses and enrolled in French immersion.


Schools

The HRSB operates using the boundary system. The school that your children would attend is based on your address. You can find out your home school by contacting the school board or by entering in your address on the boards. 

 

Children are placed in their age-appropriate grade upon arrival at the school. It should be noted that international grade placements often do not correspond with grade equivalency in Nova Scotia

Contact Information

Halifax Regional Public School Board

33 Spectacle Drive

Dartmouth, NS B3B1X7

Phone: 902-464-2000

  

PRIVATE SCHOOLS IN NOVA SCOTIA

Private schools also provide elementary and secondary education. They are independently operated and do not receive funding from the government. Operators of private schools in Nova Scotia are required to notify the Ministry of Education annually of their intention to operate by filing a Notice of Intention to Operate a Private School. The Ministry of Education does not inspect health equipment or practices related to safety and staffing issues but may inspect issues relating to the standard of instruction for secondary schools.

 

For a complete listing of Private Schools in Halifax and the surrounding areas, please visit the following website http://www.ourkids.net/

 

POST SECONDARY SCHOOLS

Halifax offers many post-secondary school options:


Dalhousie University 
Website: www.dal.ca

 Dalhousie University provides more than 15,000 students with a first-class education in undergraduate, graduate, and professional programs. In addition to offering degrees in arts, social sciences, science, management, and computer science, the university provides professional and specialized training in a variety of health professions, medicine, dentistry, architecture, engineering, and law.


Atlantic School of Theology 

Website: www.astheology.ns.ca

 AST is a graduate school created through the amalgamation of four faculties – Anglican, Roman Catholic, and the United Church of Canada – into one ecumenical school to serve the Atlantic region. Other Christian denominations including Lutheran, Presbyterian, and the Salvation Army are also represented. 


Mount Saint Vincent University 
Website: www.msvu.ca

 The Mount, as it is commonly called, offers an array of degrees in liberal arts, sciences and an array of professional programs including education, business administration, information technology, public relations, and tourism and hospitality management. 


Nova Scotia College of Art & Design (NSCAD) University 
Website: https://nscad.ca/

 NSCAD offers four-year undergraduate programs leading to a Bachelor of Fine Arts, Bachelor of Design, Bachelor of Design (Honours), and Bachelor of Arts. In addition, NSCAD also offers two graduate-degree programs: A Master of Fine Arts and a Master of Arts in art education.

 

Saint Mary’s University 
Website: www.smu.ca

 SMU offers undergraduate and graduate programs in business administration, arts, and science. It prides itself on being student focused while providing quality research opportunities. With a strong focus on business administration, the university is the only institution in Atlantic Canada offering a PhD in Business Administration.

 

 

University of King’s College
Website: http://www.ukings.ca

 King’s focuses entirely on undergraduate education and offers a unique first-year experience for students through its Foundation Year Programme. King’s is also well known in the region for its outstanding Bachelor of Journalism degree.

 

Nova Scotia Community College (NSCC)

Website: http://www.nscc.ca/

 NSCC has three campuses in Halifax providing training to more than 7,500 students. Programs offered at NSCC often include the option of work terms, cooperative education, and apprenticeship. 

 

   

Lifestyle

Shopping

The major shopping areas in Halifax and the surrounding areas are: 


Halifax Shopping Centre

7001 Mumford Road

Halifax, NS 

Website

 

Bayers Lake Park

Junction of Highways 102 and 103

Halifax, NS 

Website

 

Mic Mac Mall

21 Mic Mac Blvd
Dartmouth, NS 


Dartmouth Crossing

Located via Burnside / Hwy 118, Exit 12 (off Hwy 111)

Dartmouth, NS 

 

Downtown Halifax

Website: www.downtownhalifax.ca

 

Quinpool Road

Website: www.quinpoolroad.ca

 

The Hydrostone Market

Website: www.hydrostonemarket.ca

Bishop’s Landing

Website: www.bishopslanding.com

 

The Farmer’s Market in the Brewery Marketplace

Website: www.halifaxfarmersmarket.com


Things to see and do

As Canada's historic gateway to North America, Halifax oozes with culture and history. Buildings dating back to 1749 share waterfront vistas with technically wired office towers. Fashionable boutiques, whimsical craft shops and galleries line cobblestone walkways which entwine the heart of the city. Waterfront boardwalks are alive with local artisans. High fashion clothiers reside alongside one of the oldest formal Victorian gardens in North America. One of the most visited national historic sites in Canada, the Citadel, preserves the past while six degree granting institutions invest in the future. 


Museums

Citadel National Historic Site

Website: http://www.pc.gc.ca/en/lhn-nhs/ns/halifax

 Experience the Halifax Citadel, where the sounds of a modern, bustling port city are exchanged for the crack of rifle-fire and the skirl of bagpipes. The present Citadel was completed in 1856 and is the fourth in a series of British forts on this site. Today, the restored Citadel is a national landmark, commemorating Halifax’s role as a key naval station in the British Empire and bringing history to life in Atlantic Canada’s largest urban centre.

 

Museum of Natural History

1747 Summer Street 

Website

Halifax, NS 

Phone: 902-424-7353

Discover the natural wonders of Nova Scotia's land and sea. See whales, fossils, dinosaurs, birds and even a moose. In summer, catch the magic of live exotic butterflies in the Butterfly House. At the Nature Centre, a naturalist will introduce live displays of local species of fish, frogs, salamanders, snakes and creatures from the seashore. 

 

Acadian House Museum/ L'Acadie de Chezzetcook

79 Hill Road

West Chezzetcook, NS Phone: 902-827-5992

 Experience Acadian life as lived in Chezzetcook/Grand Desert. Built in the 1850s, the museum houses several displays on local heritage, complete with a period kitchen. The grounds feature artifacts, plus a Cabana outdoor oven and a wooden outhouse. 

 

Army Museum

Cavalier Barracks of the Halifax Citadel/National Historic Site of Canada 

Halifax, NS 

Phone: 902-422-5979

This museum presents hundreds of artifacts reflecting Atlantic Canada's military heritage.


Atlantic Canada Aviation Museum

20 Sky Blvd 

Website

Goffs, NS 

Phone: 902-873-3773

Atlantic Canada's Aviation Museum is Canada’s most comprehensive aviation museum, with many civilian and military aircraft on display, as well as artifacts and exhibits depicting Atlantic Canada's vast aviation history, including a replica of the Silver Dart. The original, developed by Alexander Graham Bell and associates, made the first flight in the Canada from Bras D'or Lake, NS in 1909. 


Cole Harbour Heritage Farm Museum

471 Poplar Drive 

Website

Dartmouth, NS 

Phone: 902-434-0222

This small, community-run museum features farm animals, heritage buildings, old farm tools/equipment and old-fashioned gardens. The site adjoins a natural marsh and woodland walk. 

 

Maritime Museum of the Atlantic

1675 Lower Water Street 

Website 
Halifax, NS

 Phone: 902-424-7490
Dive into Atlantic Canada's maritime history in the heart of the historic Halifax waterfront. Experience the life of a sailor, learn of the province's ship-building heritage and uncover the meaning behind colourful ship flags. Explore the museum's exhibits and galleries, including North Atlantic Convoys, Titanic, the Halifax Explosion, the Days of Sail, the Age of Steam, Nova Scotia Small Craft, the restored early 20th century ship chandlery of William Robertson and Son and Shipwreck Treasures of Nova Scotia. Explore Canada's first hydrographic vessel, CSS Acadia, at dockside during the summer. 

   

Recreation

Community Recreation Services (CRS) offers a wide range of recreation programs and services to over 196 communities throughout the Halifax Regional Municipality. For further information you can view their Recreation Guide online by clicking this link: Rec Program Catalogue. The guide is also a great introduction to the area as it lists all the community facilities, local business and upcoming events.

 

Theatre

Neptune Theatre

1593 Argyle St. 

Website

Halifax, NS 

Phone: 902-429-7070

Neptune Theatre's activities revolve around the creation, development, production and dissemination of live professional theatre. 

 

Shakespeare by the Sea

Point Pleasant Park 

Website

Halifax, NS 

Phone: 902- 422-0295

 Enjoy a hot summer evening with the Bard in Halifax's beautiful Point Pleasant Park. This renowned outdoor theatre company offers you lively and highly original entertainment that all ages can enjoy.

 

Area Attractions

Alexander Keith's Nova Scotia Brewery

1496 Lower Water Street 

Website 

Halifax, NS 

Phone: 902-455-1474 
One of the oldest working breweries in North America, where citizens of Halifax escort you back in time to the year 1863. Learn how Mr. Keith makes his famous beer, sample some ale and listen to fun stories and toe-tapping songs in the Stag's Head Tavern. 

 

Bedford Institute of Oceanography

1 Challenger Drive

Website 

Dartmouth, NS 

Phone: 902-426-2373 

Canada's largest oceanographic research centre. Guided tours are offered by appointment only. 

 

Casino Nova Scotia

1983 Upper Water Street

Website 
Halifax, NS 

Phone: 902-425-7777 
Casino Nova Scotia is located on the Halifax waterfront, with over 750 ways to play, from blackjack to poker.

 

Discovery Centre

1593 Barrington Street 

Website

Halifax, NS 

Phone: 902-492-4422 
Nova Scotia's hands-on science centre is dedicated to making science fun for all ages. Interactive exhibits allow for experimentation and individual discovery. Visit the Bubble Room, spin on a rotating chair, experiment with magnets and see optical illusions. 

 

Nova Scotia Sport Hall of Fame

Website

Phone: 902-421-1266

 

The Hall of Fame is a state-of-the-art facility. Its 6,000 square feet include colourful displays highlighting the diverse backgrounds of Nova Scotia's athletes, builders and teams. The simulator allows visitors of all ages to test their hockey, baseball, soccer, football, and basketball skills. Interactive kiosks allow visitors to access detailed information about inductees using the new website, while the theatre area showcases great moments 


 Public Library

The Halifax Public Libraries system includes 15 libraries (4 in Dartmouth), one mobile library (which serves the residents of the Musquodoboit Valley, Fall River, Lake Echo, Porter’s Lake, Eastern Passage, Prospect Road, North Preston and East Preston), Books-by-Mail and Home Delivery services, and the library website. The library collection consists of more than 1,164,578 items – including books, magazines, videos, compact discs and cassettes. To locate the library closest to you, please visit Halifax Public Libraries.

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