Downtown Halifax is the primary

central business district A central business district (CBD) is the commercial and business centre of a city. It contains commercial space and offices, and in larger cities will often be described as a financial district. Geographically, it often coincides with the "city ...

of the Municipality of Halifax. Located on the central-eastern portion of the

Halifax Peninsula The Halifax Peninsula is peninsula within the urban area of the Municipality of Halifax, Nova Scotia. History The town of Halifax was founded by the British government under the direction of the Board of Trade and Plantations under the co ...

, on Halifax Harbour. Along with Downtown Dartmouth, and other de facto central business districts within the

Municipality A municipality is usually a single administrative division having corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate. The term ''municipality'' may also mean the ...

(e.g. Cole Harbour, Lower Sackville, Spryfield), Downtown Halifax serves as the business, entertainment, and tourism hub of the region.

Geography

Downtown ''Downtown'' is a term primarily used in North America by English speakers to refer to a city's sometimes commercial, cultural and often the historical, political and geographic heart. It is often synonymous with its central business district ...

is located within the central-eastern portion of the

. The terrain varies from on the harbour's edge, to about atop Citadel Hill (Fort George). Sourced from ''Defining Canada’s Downtown Neighbourhoods: 2016 Boundaries'', Downtown Halifax covers of landmass.

Culture

The culture of Downtown Halifax is-influenced-by-and-is-similar-to the culture of Atlantic Canada, but is forever changing. With the ever-diversifying demographics of the Halifax urban area, the stereotypical idiosyncracies that are often associated with people from Atlantic Canada are slowly withering. The rapid growth of the area between 2016-and- 2021 showed not only the diversification, importance, and resilience of Downtown Halifax, but of the

and of the

urban area An urban area, built-up area or urban agglomeration is a human settlement with a high population density and infrastructure of built environment. Urban areas are created through urbanization and are categorized by urban morphology as cities ...

of Halifax itself.

Events and festivals

The

Scotiabank Centre Scotiabank Centre (formerly known as Halifax Metro Centre) is the largest multi-purpose facility in Atlantic Canada, located in the heart of downtown Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. The main entrances to the building are located on Brunswick Str ...

is one of the largest buildings in Downtown Halifax, as well as the largest arena in

Atlantic Canada Atlantic Canada, also called the Atlantic provinces (french: provinces de l'Atlantique), is the region of Eastern Canada comprising the provinces located on the Atlantic coast, excluding Quebec. The four provinces are New Brunswick, Newfoundla ...

. It is the home of the Halifax Mooseheads hockey team, and it also plays host to most of the major sporting events and concerts that visit Halifax. The Nova Scotia International Tattoo is held here every year. It is connected to the Downtown Halifax Link, and directly to the World Trade and Convention Centre. The Atlantic Film Festival, Atlantic Jazz Festival and the Halifax Pop Explosion also take place in some downtown venues. The Halifax Convention Centre offers more than of space for meetings and events.

Demographics

Statistics Canada's 2021 Census article ''Table 5 Population by proximity to downtown, census metropolitan areas, 2016 to 2021'' recorded 25,555 people who lived within Downtown Halifax. From 2016 to 2021, the population increased by 5,288 people (an increase of over 26%) from the 2016 population of 20,267 people. Furthermore, the population density of the area increased from approximately 49 people per hectare in 2016 to approximately 62 people per hectare in 2021. Between 2016 and 2021, Downtown Halifax's population fastest compared to all other Downtowns in Canada.

Economy

Downtown Halifax, like the

municipality A municipality is usually a single administrative division having corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate. The term ''municipality'' may also mean the ...

and the

, has a very diverse economy. Many Crown corporations,

non-governmental organizations A non-governmental organization (NGO) or non-governmental organisation (see spelling differences) is an organization that generally is formed independent from government. They are typically nonprofit entities, and many of them are active in ...

, and private-sector organizations, have

corporate headquarters Corporate headquarters is the part of a corporate structure that deals with important tasks such as strategic planning, corporate communications, taxes, law, books of record, marketing, finance, human resources, and information technology. Corpo ...

and/or do business within downtown. As the most populous downtown in

, that is encompassed by the most populous municipality--and--most populous urban area within

, Downtown Halifax is a bustling area that hosts many industries.

Financial services

Downtown Halifax is the financial centre of the urban area of Halifax, the Province of Nova Scotia, and the region of Atlantic Canada. The

Bank of Canada The Bank of Canada (BoC; french: Banque du Canada) is a Crown corporation and Canada's central bank. Chartered in 1934 under the ''Bank of Canada Act'', it is responsible for formulating Canada's monetary policy,OECD. OECD Economic Surveys: C ...

has one of its five Canadian regional offices located within the central business district, and all ''Big Five'' Canadian banks have major operations within the area.

Manulife Manulife Financial Corporation (also known as Financière Manuvie in Quebec) is a Canadian multinational insurance company and financial services provider headquartered in Toronto, Ontario. The company operates in Canada and Asia as "Manulif ...

, along with many other private financial institutions, also do business within downtown.

Gambling

Nova Scotia Gaming Corporation operates its headquarters at 1601 Lower Water Street.

Marketing communications

Trampoline A trampoline is a device consisting of a piece of taut, strong fabric stretched between a steel frame using many coiled springs. Not all trampolines have springs, as the Springfree Trampoline uses glass-reinforced plastic rods. People bounce o ...

is located within the area.

Telecommunication

Eastlink, a

cable television Cable television is a system of delivering television programming to consumers via radio frequency (RF) signals transmitted through coaxial cables, or in more recent systems, light pulses through fibre-optic cables. This contrasts with bro ...

and

telecommunications Telecommunication is the transmission of information by various types of technologies over wire, radio, optical, or other electromagnetic systems. It has its origin in the desire of humans for communication over a distance greater than that ...

company is headquartered within the vicinity.

Transportation

Maritime Bus operates a station within the district.

Utilities

Emera, the

Canadian Canadians (french: Canadiens) are people identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Canadians, many (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of ...

successor

holding company A holding company is a company whose primary business is holding a controlling interest in the securities of other companies. A holding company usually does not produce goods or services itself. Its purpose is to own shares of other companies ...

, is headquartered in Downtown Halifax. Its Nova Scotia subsidiary,

Nova Scotia Power Nova Scotia Power Inc. is a vertical integration, vertically integrated electric utility in Nova Scotia, Canada. It is privately owned by Emera and regulated by the provincial government via the Nova Scotia Utility and Review Board (NSUARB). Nov ...

, used to be a Provincial Crown corporation until Progressive Conservative Party of Nova Scotia leader

Donald Cameron Donald Cameron may refer to: Scottish Clan Cameron * Donald Cameron of Lochiel (c. 1695 or 1700–1748), 19th Chief, and his descendants: ** Donald Cameron, 22nd Lochiel (1769–1832), 22nd Chief ** Donald Cameron of Lochiel (1835–1905), Scot ...

privatized the company in 1992.

Parks and recreation

Downtown Halifax has an array of attractions, a plethora of events-and-festivals, and many restaurants.

Accommodation

Many of the Halifax region's

hotel A hotel is an establishment that provides paid lodging on a short-term basis. Facilities provided inside a hotel room may range from a modest-quality mattress in a small room to large suites with bigger, higher-quality beds, a dresser, a re ...

s are located in the downtown area, with many major hotel chains maintaining a location here. There are also a number of small

hostel A hostel is a form of low-cost, short-term shared sociable lodging where guests can rent a bed, usually a bunk bed in a dormitory, with shared use of a lounge and sometimes a kitchen. Rooms can be mixed or single-sex and have private or share ...

s nearby. Hotels within Downtown

Art galleries

There are several art galleries within the Downtown Halifax area: *Argyle Fine Art *Art 1274 Hollis *Centre for Craft Nova Scotia *Anna Leonowens Gallery *Khyber Centre for the Arts *Port Loggia Gallery *Karl Penton Gallery *The Prow Gallery *Studio 21 Fine Art *Teichert Gallery *Zwicker's Gallery

Landmarks

Boardwalk

The Halifax Waterfront Boardwalk runs along the

harbour A harbor (American English), harbour (British English; see spelling differences), or haven is a sheltered body of water where ships, boats, and barges can be docked. The term ''harbor'' is often used interchangeably with ''port'', which is ...

from Casino Nova Scotia in the northern-part of Downtown-to-the

Canadian Museum of Immigration at Pier 21 The Canadian Museum of Immigration at Pier 21, in Halifax, Nova Scotia, is Canada's national museum of immigration. The museum occupies part of Pier 21, the former ocean liner terminal and immigration shed from 1928 to 1971. Pier 21 is Canada's la ...

in the southern-part of Downtown. It is a 24-hour public

footpath A footpath (also pedestrian way, walking trail, nature trail) is a type of thoroughfare that is intended for use only by pedestrians and not other forms of traffic such as motorized vehicles, bicycles and horses. They can be found in a wide ...

, and at in length, it is one of the longest urban footpaths in the world.

Old Town Clock

On 20 October 1803, Halifax's town clock started keeping time. Located off Brunswick Street, the clock faces the harbour and is another example of

Palladian Palladian architecture is a European architectural style derived from the work of the Venetian architect Andrea Palladio (1508–1580). What is today recognised as Palladian architecture evolved from his concepts of symmetry, perspective and ...

architecture within the urban area of Halifax.

Citadel Hill

Citadel Hill, a star-shaped fort, is another historic attraction in the downtown. Originally established with the arrival of

Edward Cornwallis Edward Cornwallis ( – 14 January 1776) was a British career military officer and was a member of the aristocratic Cornwallis family, who reached the rank of Lieutenant General. After Cornwallis fought in Scotland, putting down the Jacob ...

and the out break of

Father Le Loutre's War Father Le Loutre's War (1749–1755), also known as the Indian War, the Mi'kmaq War and the Anglo-Mi'kmaq War, took place between King George's War and the French and Indian War in Acadia and Nova Scotia. On one side of the conflict, the Br ...

(1749), the current fort was built in the

Victorian Era In the history of the United Kingdom and the British Empire, the Victorian era was the period of Queen Victoria's reign, from 20 June 1837 until her death on 22 January 1901. The era followed the Georgian period and preceded the Edwa ...

as the hub of the historic defence system for the port. As a result, there is viewplane legislation that restricts vertical development that might block the direct line of sight from Citadel Hill to the harbour and George's Island in particular. Recent developments have challenged the viewplane limits.

Province House

Finished construction in 1819, Province House is a fantastic example of

architecture in

North America North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere and almost entirely within the Western Hemisphere. It is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South America and th ...

Granville Mall

One of the few blocks to have retained its heritage character is Granville Mall, a pedestrian mall formerly part of Granville Street, made up of an array of shops and pubs in a conglomeration of rowed historic buildings built in the 1860s. It is known for the stone facades on each building. Historic Properties, a collection of 19th-century warehouses converted into shops and restaurants, is located nearby. Despite the heritage focus of these remaining blocks of heritage buildings, none are protected as heritage districts.

Museums

Downtown Halifax hosts several museums, including: *

* Maritime Museum of the Atlantic *

Nova Scotia Museum of Natural History The Nova Scotia Museum of Natural History, part of the Nova Scotia Museum, is located in downtown Halifax, Nova Scotia. The museum includes collections and exhibits concerning the natural sciences as well as artifacts of cultural significance to ...

*Sea Turtle Centre

Pier 21 Pier 21 was an ocean liner terminal and immigration shed from 1928 to 1971 in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. Nearly one million immigrants came to Canada through Pier 21, and it is the last surviving seaport immigration facility in Canada. The f ...

, an immigrant entry point prominent throughout the 1930s, 1940s, and 1950s, was opened to the public as a

National Historic Site of Canada National Historic Sites of Canada (french: Lieux historiques nationaux du Canada) are places that have been designated by the federal Minister of the Environment on the advice of the Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada (HSMBC), as being ...

in 1999. The Maritime Museum of the Atlantic is a maritime museum containing extensive galleries including a large exhibit on the , over 70 small craft and a steamship . In summertime the preserved World War II

corvette A corvette is a small warship. It is traditionally the smallest class of vessel considered to be a proper (or " rated") warship. The warship class above the corvette is that of the frigate, while the class below was historically that of the slo ...

operates as a museum ship and Canada's naval memorial. The

Art Gallery of Nova Scotia The Art Gallery of Nova Scotia (AGNS) is a public provincial art museum based in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. The art museum's primary building complex is located in downtown Halifax and takes up approximately of space. The museum complex comp ...

is housed in a 150-year-old building containing over 9,000 works of art.

Parks

There are a number of parks within the urban setting of Downtown Halifax. *Citadel Hill off-leash dog park * Halifax Commons *

Halifax Public Gardens The Halifax Public Gardens are Victorian-era public gardens formally established in 1867, the year of Canadian Confederation. The gardens are located in the Halifax, Nova Scotia on the Halifax Peninsula near the popular shopping district of Spri ...

*Peace and Friendship Park * Victoria Park

Restaurants and nightlife

The area is home to approximately 200 restaurants and bars, providing an interesting array of world cuisine. There are also over 60 sidewalk cafes that open in the summer months. The nightlife is made up of bars and small music venues as well as Casino Nova Scotia, a large facility built partially over the water. Pizza Corner, located at the intersection of Blowers Street and Grafton Street, is a common location for pizzerias serving Halifax-style donairs and other street food for the neighbouring bars and pubs.

Shopping

Downtown Halifax, being home to many small shops and vendors, is a major shopping area in the Municipality of Halifax. Notable retail areas include

Park Lane Park Lane is a dual carriageway road in the City of Westminster in Central London. It is part of the London Inner Ring Road and runs from Hyde Park Corner in the south to Marble Arch in the north. It separates Hyde Park to the west from ...

, Spring Garden Road and Scotia Square.

Theatre

Neptune Theatre, located on Argyle Street, is Halifax's largest theatre with a 458-person capacity. Since 1 July 1963, it has performed, and performs an assortment of professionally produced plays year-round. The Shakespeare by the Sea theatre company performs at nearby Point Pleasant Park. Although not in Downtown Halifax, the Eastern Front Theatre performs at

Alderney Landing Alderney Landing is a convention centre, art gallery, market, events plaza and theatre facility in Downtown Dartmouth, Nova Scotia. It was opened in May 1999. The theatre hosts many concerts, conventions and other events, and is the home of Halifa ...

in Downtown Dartmouth which is accessible from the area via the Halifax Transit

ferry A ferry is a ship, watercraft or amphibious vehicle used to carry passengers, and sometimes vehicles and cargo, across a body of water. A passenger ferry with many stops, such as in Venice, Italy, is sometimes called a water bus or water ta ...

service.

Venues

Nova Centre

Completed in 2017, the

Nova Centre Nova Centre is a mixed-use commercial development under construction in downtown Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. It comprises a hotel tower, two office towers, the new Halifax Convention Centre, retail space, and Grafton Place, a public pedestrian ...

is Halifax's premier

conference centre A convention center (American English; or conference centre in British English) is a large building that is designed to hold a convention, where individuals and groups gather to promote and share common interests. Convention centers typica ...

, and has over of event space.

Scotiabank Centre

Formerly, and colloquially, known as the ''Halifax Metro Centre'', the

was opened on 17 February 1978. It has a concert-capacity of up-to 13,000-people, and has hosted bands-and-musicians, comedians, multi-sport events and

motivational speaker A motivational speaker is a speaker who makes speeches intended to motivate or inspire an audience. Such speakers may attempt to challenge or transform their audiences. The speech itself is popularly known as a pep talk. Motivational speakers c ...

Government

Downtown Halifax is the home of the

Halifax Regional Council Halifax Regional Council (french: Conseil régional d'Halifax) is the governing body of Halifax, known as the Halifax Regional Municipality (HRM). Halifax is governed by a mayor-council system, where councillors are elected from sixteen geographi ...

chamber at

Halifax City Hall Halifax City Hall is the home of municipal government in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. Designed by architect Edward Elliot, and constructed for the City of Halifax between 1887 and 1890, it is one of the oldest and largest public buildings in No ...

. Offices for the mayor, city councillors, and additional staff can also be found downtown. At the provincial level, the downtown area is the home of

Nova Scotia Nova Scotia ( ; ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada. It is one of the three Maritime provinces and one of the four Atlantic provinces. Nova Scotia is Latin for "New Scotland". Most of the population are native Eng ...

's Province House where the Nova Scotia House of Assembly meets. Government House, where the

Lieutenant-Governor A lieutenant governor, lieutenant-governor, or vice governor is a high officer of state, whose precise role and rank vary by jurisdiction. Often a lieutenant governor is the deputy, or lieutenant, to or ranked under a governor — a " second-in-co ...

resides, is located on Barrington Street. The provincial government also has offices in several other downtown office buildings. Canada's federal government also maintains a significant presence in the area, working from various buildings including the Dominion Public Building, the Ralston Building, and previously, the Maritime Centre.

Transportation

Pedestrian

Streets within Downtown Halifax are set in a grid-pattern. Pedestrians are recommended to be cautious, to know your route, and to use good footwear. Downtown Halifax is similar to other central business districts where it has many varied crosswalks, hills, paths, and sidewalks. Spring Garden Road is a street approximately in total-length that goes in an east-west direction from Barrington Street-to-

Robie Street Robie Street is a north-south artery that runs for 7 km in the Halifax Peninsula area of the Halifax Regional Municipality, from Memorial Drive in the North End Halifax, to Gorsebrook Avenue in the South End. The street and provincial road has i ...

. Barrington Street traverses approximately through Downtown in a north-south direction. Its total-length from Highway 111 in the North End-to-Inglis Street in the South End is approximately .

Road

The streets in the downtown area are set in a grid pattern like the rest of the

, the way the town officials originally planned in the 18th century.

Public transit Public transport (also known as public transportation, public transit, mass transit, or simply transit) is a system of transport for passengers by group travel systems available for use by the general public unlike private transport, typi ...

Halifax Transit provides public transit routes from several points throughout Downtown Halifax via different modes of transport.

Bus routes

=Lower Water Street terminal

= *Route 2 (''Fairview'') *Route 29 (''Barrington'') *Route 90 (''Larry Uteck'')

=Scotia Square terminal

= *Route 1 (''Spring Garden'') *Route 2 (''Fairview'') *Route 5 (''Scotia Square'') *Route 7 A (''Peninsula'') (clockwise) *Route 7 B (''Peninsula'') (counter-clockwise) *Route 8 (''Sackville'') *Route 9 (''Herring Cove'') *Route 10 (''Dalhousie'') *Route 29 (''Barrington'') *Route 41 (''Dalhousie-Dartmouth'') *Route 84 (''Glendale'') *Route 93 (''Bedford Highway'') *Route 123 (''Timberlea Express'') *Route 127 (''Cowie Hill Express'') *Route 135 (''Flamingo Express'') *Route 136 (''Farnham Gate Express'') *Route 137 (''Clayton Park Express'') *Route 138 (''Parkland Express'') *Route 158 (''Woodlawn Express'') *Route 159 (''Colby Express'') *Route 161 (''North Preston Express'') *Route 165 (''Caldwell Express'') *Route 168 B (''Cherry Brook Express'') *Route 182 (''First Lake Express'') *Route 183 (''Springfield Express'') *Route 185 (''Millwood Express'') *Route 186 (''Beaver Bank Express'') *Route 194 (''West Bedford Express'') *Route 196 (''Basinview Express'') *Route 320 (''Airport/Fall River MetroX'') *Route 330 (''Tantallon/Sheldrake Lake Regional Express'') *Route 370 (''Porters Lake Regional Express'')

Ferry routes

=Lower Water Street terminal

= *Alderney ( Downtown Dartmouth) *Woodside (

Woodside Woodside may refer to: Places and buildings Australia * Woodside, South Australia, a town * Woodside, Victoria, a town Canada * Woodside National Historic Site, the boyhood home of William Lyon Mackenzie King *Woodside, Nova Scotia, a neighbo ...

)

References

External links

Halifax Regional MunicipalityDowntown Halifax Business CommissionWaterfront Development Corporation LimitedTourism Nova Scotia
{{Communities of Halifax Peninsula Busking venues Halifax Communities in Halifax, Nova Scotia

Geography

Culture

Events and festivals

Demographics

Economy

Financial services

Gambling

Marketing communications

Telecommunication

Transportation

Utilities

Parks and recreation

Accommodation

Art galleries

Landmarks

Boardwalk

Old Town Clock

Citadel Hill

Province House

Granville Mall

Museums

Parks

Restaurants and nightlife

Shopping

Theatre

Venues

Nova Centre

Scotiabank Centre

Government

Transportation

Pedestrian

Road

Public transit Public transport (also known as public transportation, public transit, mass transit, or simply transit) is a system of transport for passengers by group travel systems available for use by the general public unlike private transport, typi ...

Bus routes

=Lower Water Street terminal

=Scotia Square terminal

Ferry routes

=Lower Water Street terminal

See also

References

External links