Susanne Slowly but surely my Nova Scotia discoveries were coming to an end. I only had one evening and one full day left after discovering the South West portion of this province over the last four days, following my last stops along the South Shore in Lunenburg and Peggy’s Cove. As I rolled into town late in the afternoon I noticed the landscape: lots of lakes and waterways interspersed with low-lying hills. One of my first impressions was that many of the neighbourhoods had beautiful houses with well-kept gardens and established trees. Halifax presented itself as a very picturesque city. I did not have a Halifax city map on me, but I figured if I only headed east I’d hit the oceanfront sooner or later, which I did right near Pleasant Point, one of Halifax’ largest public parks. A friendly local gentleman redirected me to downtown Halifax to Barrington Street which is where my abode for two nights, the Delta Barrington Hotel, was located.
Halifax harbour view
With his directions I was able to make my way downtown and had no problem finding my hotel. I breezed through check-in and went upstairs to my room to relax for a bit and take advantage of the in-room high-speed Internet connection. After refreshing myself I was ready for an evening of discoveries and I started to stroll down to the waterfront.
With its strategic location on the Atlantic Ocean, Halifax is the capital of Nova Scotia and Eastern Canada’s most important seaport. With an estimated population of roughly 385,000 residents throughout the metropolitan area, Halifax is Atlantic Canada’s largest population centre and a major economic centre on Canada’s east coast. Major employers include the Department of National Defense (Halifax has had a military role for several centuries due to its strategic location), the Port of Halifax, various government services and private sector companies. Several universities are located here including Dalhousie University, Saint Mary’s University and Mount Saint Vincent University.
Halifax harbour view
Halifax dates back more than two and a half centuries: it was founded in 1749, as the shire town of Halifax County and the provincial capital. It was originally established by the British to provide a counter-balance to the French presence in Quebec and Acadia (present-day New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, Cape Breton Island and the Gaspé Peninsula). Today’s Halifax Regional Municipality includes the neighbouring cities of Dartmouth and Bedford since amalgamation in 1996.
Halifax harbour view
