Visitor Info
Halifax - the city that touches your soul
By Deanna Wilmshurst, Destination Halifax
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Photo: Destination Halifax / Nova Scotia Tourism and Culture / W. Hayes |
Welcome to Halifax - the city that touches your soul! Halifax is the capital city of Nova Scotia. It is the economic, commercial, cultural and entertainment centre of Atlantic Canada. Originally founded as a British garrison town, Halifax retains much of its colonial charm. Cobblestone sidewalks meander past whimsical boutiques, fabulous restaurants, trendy galleries, rollicking pubs and fascinating museums. As Atlantic Canada's entertainment and cultural capital, Halifax, is a melding of old and new worlds. Modern office towers of glass and steel equipped with wireless internet and satellite technology stand beside historic buildings which once stored the booty of privateers.
Halifax is a destination that you will remember for the rest of your life. Here you can relax and enjoy a slower pace of life. Here, words like "hello" and "have a nice day" are spoken with sincerity. Here, bagpipes and fiddles accompany plates of steaming lobster, fresh from the ocean. Halifax is a place where experiences are authentic, world class and inspired by the sea. Visitors to this charming, historic city are always captivated by the authenticity of the experience, the friendliness of the people and the invigorating salty smell of the sea.
This is the third time that Halifax will play host to the Canadian Championships. The city also held the event in 1981 and 1995. Halifax has also been the site of several international events, including Skate Canada International three times, and the ISU World Figure Skating Championships in 1990.
Quick facts about Halifax:
time zone: Halifax is on Atlantic Daylight Time, which is four hours
earlier than Greenwich Mean Time and one hour later than North America's
Eastern Time Zone.
climate: Halifax is known as a place where the four seasons are
refreshingly distinct. Average daily temperatures are -2 to 1°C in
the Winter. Rainfall on an annual basis averages 1,178.1 millimeters /
46.38 inches.
area code: 902 - this area code must be dialed for long distance
calls into or within Nova Scotia
banks: Banking hours vary, with most banks open Monday to Thursday
from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Friday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Some banks are
open on Saturday. Automated banking machines and debit (Interac, Cirrus,
Plus, etc.) services are widely available.
Top 10 attractions in Halifax:
• Pier 21, Canada's Immigration Museum
• Maritime Museum of the Atlantic
• Art Gallery of Nova Scotia
• Alexander Keith's Nova Scotia Brewery Tour
• Peggy's Cove village
• Neptune Theatre
• Symphony Nova Scotia
• Harbourwalk
• Nova Scotian Crystal
• Spring Garden Road
Links:
• Destination Halifax
• Halifax Regional Municipality
• Halifax Info
• Where Halifax
• Halifax Metro Centre
• Halifax International Airport
