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Halifax, Nova Scotia
Halifax, Nova Scotia
Halifax, Nova Scotia
Map of the boundaries of the present day Community and former City of Halifax, and its relationship to the rest of the Halifax Regional Municipality
Map of the boundaries of the present day Community and former City of Halifax, and its relationship to the rest of the Halifax Regional Municipality
Location of the City of Halifax
Halifax, Nova Scotia
Location of the City of Halifax
Country Canada
Province Nova Scotia
Municipality Halifax Regional Municipality
Founded 1749
Incorporated City 1842
Disincorporated to Community of the Halifax Regional Municipality April 1, 1996
Area
 - Total 97. See also Halifax Nova Scotia See also Halifax Regional Municipality municipal election 2008 Halifax Regional Municipality is the capital Country to "Dominion of Canada" or "Canadian Federation" or anything else please read the Talk Page Nova Scotia (ˌnəʊvəˈskəʊʃə ( Latin for New Scotland; Alba Nuadh Nouvelle-Écosse is a Canadian province located on Canada 's See also Halifax Nova Scotia See also Halifax Regional Municipality municipal election 2008 Halifax Regional Municipality is the capital Events 527 - Byzantine Emperor Justin I names his nephew Justinian I as co-ruler and successor to the throne Year 1996 ( MCMXCVI) was a Leap year starting on Monday (link will display full 1996 Gregorian calendar) Area is a Quantity expressing the two- Dimensional size of a defined part of a Surface, typically a region bounded by a closed Curve. 23 km² (37. Square Kilometre ( US spelling square kilometer) symbol km2, is a decimal multiple of the SI unit of 5 sq mi)
Elevation 0 - 119 m (-390 ft)
Population (2001)
 - Total 119,292
Time zone AST (UTC-4)
 - Summer (DST) ADT (UTC-3)
Canadian Postal code B3H to B3S
Area code(s) 902
Telephone Exchanges 209 219 220 -3 225 229 233 237 240 244 266 268 292 333 334 344 377 400 -6 412 420 -9 430 -1 440 -6 448 449 450 -9 470 - 9 480 -4 486 - 9 490 -9 551 558 -9 720 -2 802 830 876 877 880 981 982
GNBC Code CAPHL
NTS Map 011D12

The City of Halifax (est. The square mile is an imperial and US unit of Area equal the area of a square of one statute mile. The elevation of a Geographic location is its height above a fixed reference point often the mean sea level. The metre or meter is a unit of Length. It is the basic unit of Length in the Metric system and in the International A foot (plural feet or foot; symbol or abbreviation ft or sometimes &prime – the prime symbol) is a non-SI unit UTC−4 is the Time offset used in the Atlantic Standard Time Zone in Canada in winter and the North American Eastern Time Zone during Daylight saving time ( DST Areas using UTC−3 Single zone countries without DST Suriname Single zone countries with DST Nova Scotia - 77 FSAs B7* and B8* codes are not used A telephone numbering plan is a plan for allocating Telephone number ranges to countries regions areas and exchanges and to non-fixed telephone networks Area code 902 is the Telephone Area code in the Canadian provinces of Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island, encompassing the whole Geographical Names Board of Canada is a national committee of the Canadian Government Department of National Resources which authorizes the names used on official The National Topographic System or NTS (Système national de référence cartographique is the topographic system used by Canada for providing general 1841) is the capital of the province of Nova Scotia and shire town of Halifax County, and was the largest city in Atlantic Canada. Nova Scotia (ˌnəʊvəˈskəʊʃə ( Latin for New Scotland; Alba Nuadh Nouvelle-Écosse is a Canadian province located on Canada 's A county seat is a term for an Administrative center for a County, primarily used in the United States. Halifax County is a County in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia. Atlantic Canada, also known as the Atlantic provinces, is the region of Canada comprising four provinces located on the Atlantic coast: [1], until it was amalgamated into Halifax Regional Municipality in 1996. See also Halifax Nova Scotia See also Halifax Regional Municipality municipal election 2008 Halifax Regional Municipality is the capital It is no longer an incorporated city.

The Town of Halifax was founded by the British government under the direction of the Board of Trade and Plantations under the command of Governor Edward Cornwallis in 1749. The Kingdom of Great Britain, also known as the United Kingdom of Great Britain, was a State in northwest Europe, in existence from 1707 to 1800 The Board of Trade is a committee of the Privy Council of the United Kingdom, originating as a committee of inquiry in the 17th century and evolving gradually into a government This is a list of Viceroys representing the British Crown, both Governors of the British colony and later Lieutenants-Governor of the Canadian Edward Cornwallis, ( c 1713 &ndash 14 January 1776) was a British military officer known as “the Founder of Halifax ” [1] After a protracted struggle between residents and the Governor, the City of Halifax was incorporated in 1841. This is a list of Viceroys representing the British Crown, both Governors of the British colony and later Lieutenants-Governor of the Canadian

On April 1, 1996, the government of Nova Scotia dissolved the City of Halifax, and amalgamated the four municipalities within Halifax County and formed Halifax Regional Municipality, a single-tier regional government covering that whole area. Events 527 - Byzantine Emperor Justin I names his nephew Justinian I as co-ruler and successor to the throne Year 1996 ( MCMXCVI) was a Leap year starting on Monday (link will display full 1996 Gregorian calendar) See also Halifax Nova Scotia See also Halifax Regional Municipality municipal election 2008 Halifax Regional Municipality is the capital

Today the area of the former City of Halifax is now referred to as an unincorporated "provincial metropolitan area" by the provincial government's place name website, [2] and the area is referred to as "Halifax Nova Scotia" for civic addressing. A metropolitan area is a large population center consisting of a large Metropolis and its adjacent zone of influence or of more than one closely adjoining neighboring central

The area is now administered as two separate community planning areas by the regional government for development, Halifax Peninsula and Mainland Halifax. The Halifax Peninsula is a community and planning area located in the urban core of Halifax Regional Municipality Mainland Halifax is a region in central Nova Scotia, Canada that refers to the central-eastern part of the Chebucto It forms a significant part of the Halifax urban area. Metropolitan Halifax (2006 pop 282924) often referred to as Metro Halifax, or inaccurately Halifax, is the urban part of the Halifax Regional Municipality Residents of the former city are referred to as 'Haligonians'.

Contents

History

Map of Town of Halifax, 1750
Map of Town of Halifax, 1750

The Mi'kmaq called the area Jipugtug (anglicised as "Chebucto"), which means "the biggest harbour" in reference to present-day Halifax Harbour. The Míkmaq or Mi'kmaq (miːgmax sometimes spelled Micmac in English and formerly Mìgmaq ( Mi'gmaq) in Míkmaw) are a Halifax Harbour is a large natural Harbour on the Atlantic coast of Nova Scotia, Canada. There is evidence that bands would spend the summer on the shores of the Bedford Basin, moving to points inland before the harsh Atlantic winter set in. Bedford Basin is a large enclosed Bay, forming the northwestern end of Halifax Harbour on Canada 's Atlantic coast Examples of Mikmaq habitation and burial sites have been found throughout Halifax, from Point Pleasant Park to the north and south mainland.

Acadian period

Chebucto did not have a sizable permanent Acadian settlement, the closest being the settlements of Minas (later Windsor) and Pizquid. This article is about the Acadian people and culture The Acadians (Acadiens are the descendants of the seventeenth-century French French warships and fishing vessels, requiring shelter and a place to draw water, certainly visited the harbour. The territory, which included much of the present-day Maritimes and Gaspé Peninsula, passed from French to English and even Scottish hands several times. The Maritime provinces, called the Maritimes in local English (or the Canadian Maritimes by non-Canadians is a region of Eastern Canada The Gaspésie (official name or also Gaspé Peninsula or the Gaspé is a Peninsula constituting part of the south shore of the Saint Lawrence In the 1713 Treaty of Utrecht, Acadia was relinquished to England, however the boundaries of the ceasefire were imprecise, leaving England with what is today peninsular Nova Scotia, and France with control of the Gulf of St. Lawrence. The colonial capital chosen was Annapolis Royal. Annapolis Royal ( 2006 Population 444 is a Canadian town located in the western part of Annapolis County In 1717, France began a 20-year effort to build a large fortified seaport at Louisbourg on present-day Cape Breton Island which was intended as a naval base for protecting the entrance to the Gulf of St. Lawrence and extensive fishing grounds on the Grand Banks. Louisbourg (2001 pop 1157 is a community in Nova Scotia 's Cape Breton Regional Municipality. Cape Breton Island ( French: île du Cap-Breton - formerly île Royale, Scottish Gaelic: Eilean Cheap Breatuinn, Gulf of Saint Lawrence (French golfe du Saint-Laurent) the world's largest Estuary, is the outlet of North America's Great Lakes via the Saint

In 1745, Fortress of Louisbourg fell to a New England-led force. Fortress of Louisbourg (in French, Forteresse de Louisbourg) is a Canadian National Historic Site and the location of a partial reconstruction In 1746 Admiral Jean-Batiste, De Roye de la Rochefoucauld, Duc d'Enville, was dispatched by the King of France in command of a French Armada of 65 ships. He was dispatched to undermine the English position in the new world, specifically at Louisbourg, Annapolis Royal, and most likely the eastern seaboard of the Thirteen Colonies.

The fleet was to meet in Chebucto (Halifax Harbour) on British-held peninsular Nova Scotia after crossing the Atlantic, take water and proceed to Louisbourg. Unfortunately, two major storms kept the fleet at sea for over three months. Poor water and spoiled food further weakened the exhausted fleet, resulting in the death of at least 2,500 men, including Duc d'Anville himself, by the time it arrived at Chebucto. After a series of calamities the fleet returned to France, its mission unfulfilled. 1016 men were left behind, buried along the western shore of the Bedford Basin. The ghost of Duc d'Anville is said to haunt George's Island, his original burial place, to this day. Georges Island is a glacial Drumlin and the largest island entirely within the harbour limits of Halifax Harbour located in Nova Scotia 's Halifax

English settlement

Between the Treaty of Utrecht in 1713 and 1749, no serious attempts were made by Great Britain to colonise Nova Scotia, aside from its presence at Annapolis Royal and infrequent sea and land patrols. The Treaty of Utrecht that established the Peace of Utrecht, rather than a single document comprised a series of individual peace treaties signed in the Dutch The peninsula was dominated by Acadian residents and the need for a permanent settlement and British military presence on the central Atlantic coast of peninsular Nova Scotia was recognised, but it took the negotiated return of Fortress Louisbourg to France in 1748 to prod Britain into action. British General Edward Cornwallis was dispatched by the Lords of Trade and Plantations to establish a city at Chebucto, on behalf of and at the expense of the Crown. Edward Cornwallis, ( c 1713 &ndash 14 January 1776) was a British military officer known as “the Founder of Halifax ” Cornwallis sailed in command of 13 transports, a sloop of war, 1,176 settlers and their families.

Halifax was founded on June 21, 1749 below a glacial drumlin that would later be named Citadel Hill. Events 524 - Godomar, King of the Burgundians defeats the Franks at the Battle of Vézeronce. Year 1749 ( MDCCXLIX) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a A drumlin (Irish droimnín, a little hill ridge is an elongated whale-shaped Hill formed by glacial action Citadel Hill is a term usually applied to a hilltop military stronghold The outpost was named in honour of George Montague-Dunk, 2nd Earl of Halifax, who was the President of the British Board of Trade. George Montagu-Dunk 2nd Earl of Halifax, KG, PC ( 6 October 1716 &ndash 8 June 1771) was a British statesman of the Georgian The Secretary of State for Business Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (formerly the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry before the June 28, 2007 Halifax was ideal for a military base, as it has what is claimed to be the second largest natural harbour in the world (Citation needed), and could be well protected with batteries at McNab's Island, the North West Arm, Point Pleasant, George's Island and York Redoubt. A harbor or harbour (see spelling differences) or haven, is a place where ships may shelter from the Weather or are stored In Military organizations an artillery battery is a unit of Guns mortars or Rockets so grouped in order to facilitate better battlefield McNabs Island is the largest Island in Halifax Harbour located in Halifax Regional Municipality, Nova Scotia. North West Arm is a natural arm of approximately 20 miles in length and average of 1 mile wide located on the south side of Random Island at the inner region of Point Pleasant Park is a large partially forested area at the southern tip of Halifax Peninsula. Georges Island is a glacial Drumlin and the largest island entirely within the harbour limits of Halifax Harbour located in Nova Scotia 's Halifax York Redoubt is a National Historic Site situated on a bluff overlooking the entrance to Halifax Harbour at Ferguson's Cove, Nova Scotia, originally In its early years, Citadel Hill was used as a command and observation post, before changes in artillery which could range out into the harbour.

The town proved its worth as a military base in the Seven Years War as a counter to the French fortress Louisbourg in Cape Breton. Fortress of Louisbourg (in French, Forteresse de Louisbourg) is a Canadian National Historic Site and the location of a partial reconstruction Halifax provided the base for the capture of Louisbourg in 1758 and operated as a major naval base for the remainder of the war. The Sambro Island Lighthouse was constructed at the harbour entrance in 1758. Sambro Island Lighthouse is landfall Lighthouse located at the entrance to Halifax, Nova Scotia, near the community of Sambro. A permanent Naval Yard was established in 1759. For much of this period in the early 1700s, Nova Scotia was considered a frontier posting for the British military, given the proximity to the border with French territory and potential for conflict; the local environment was also very inhospitable and many early settlers were ill-suited for the colony's virgin wilderness on the shores of Halifax Harbour. The original settlers, who were often discharged soldiers and sailors, left the colony for established cities such as New York and Boston or the lush plantations of the Virginias and Carolinas. However, the new city did attract New England merchants exploiting the near-by fisheries and English merchants such as Joshua Maugher who profited greatly from both British military contracts and smuggling with the French at Louisbourg. The military threat to Nova Scotia was removed following British victory over France in the Seven Years War.

With the addition of remaining territories of the colony of Acadia, the enlarged British colony of Nova Scotia was mostly depopulated, following the deportation of Acadian residents. The Great Upheaval, also known as the Great Expulsion, The Deportation, the Acadian Expulsion, or to the deportees Le Grand Dérangement, was In addition, Britain was unwilling to allow its residents to emigrate, this being at the dawn of their Industrial Revolution, thus Nova Scotia invited settlement by "foreign Protestants". The Industrial Revolution was a period in the late 18th and early 19th centuries when major changes in agriculture manufacturing and transportation had a profound effect on the Protestantism refers to the forms of Christian faith and practice that originated in the 16th century Protestant Reformation. The region, including its new capital of Halifax, saw a modest immigration boom comprising Germans, Dutch, New Englanders, residents of Martinique and many other areas. Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany ( ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant is a Country in Central Europe. The Netherlands ( Dutch:, ˈnedərlɑnt is the European part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, which consists of the Netherlands the Netherlands History See also History of New England New England's earliest inhabitants were Algonquian -speaking Native Americans including the Martinique is an Island in the eastern Caribbean Sea, having a land area of 1128 km² In addition to the surnames of many present-day residents of Halifax who are descended from these settlers, an enduring name in the city is the "Dutch Village Road", which led from the "Dutch Village", located in Fairview. Fairview (pop approximately 13000 is a former community and current neighbourhood within the urban core of Halifax Regional Municipality in Nova Scotia, Canada

The American Revolution and after

Halifax's fortunes waxed and waned with the military needs of the Empire. The British Empire was the largest empire in history and for over a century was the foremost global power. While it had quickly become the largest Royal Navy base on the Atlantic coast and had hosted large numbers of British army regulars, the complete destruction of Louisbourg in 1760 removed the threat of French attack. The Royal Navy of the United Kingdom is the oldest of the British armed services (and is therefore known as the Senior Service) Crown interest in Halifax was reduced, and most importantly, New England turned its eyes west, to the French territory now available due to the defeat of Montcalm at the Plains of Abraham. Louis-Joseph de Montcalm-Gozon Marquis de Saint-Veran ( February 28, 1712 &ndash September 14, 1759) was the commander of the French The Plains of Abraham is a historic 108- Acre (44- Hectare) Plateau within The Battlefields Park in Quebec City, Canada, By the mid-1770s the town was feeling its first of many peacetime slumps.

The American Revolutionary War was not at first uppermost in the minds of most residents of Halifax. In this article the inhabitants of the thirteen colonies that supported the American Revolution are primarily referred to as "Americans" with occasional references to "Patriots" The government did not have enough money to pay for oil for the Sambro lighthouse. Sambro is a rural Fishing community on the Chebucto Peninsula in the Halifax Regional Municipality, in The militia was unable to maintain a guard, and was disbanded. Provisions were so scarce during the winter of 1775 that Quebec had to send flour to feed the town. Quebec (kwɨˈbɛk While Halifax was remote from the troubles in the rest of the American colonies, martial law was declared in November 1775 to combat lawlessness.

New Government House - 1819
New Government House - 1819

On March 30, 1776, General William Howe arrived, having been driven from Boston by rebel forces. Government House in downtown Halifax Nova Scotia is the Official residence of the Lieutenant Governor of Nova Scotia. Events 240 BC - 1st recorded Perihelion passage of Halley's Comet. Year 1776 ( MDCCLXXVI) was a Leap year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a William Howe 5th Viscount Howe, KB, PC ( 10 August 1729 &ndash 12 July 1814) was a British General who He brought with him 200 officers, 3000 men, and over 4,000 loyalist refugees, and demanded housing and provisions for all. The name United Empire Loyalists is a honorific name which has been given after the fact to those American Loyalists who resettled in British North America and other This was merely the beginning of Halifax's role in the war. Throughout the conflict, and for a considerable time afterwards, thousands more refugees, often 'in a destitute and helpless condition'2 had arrived in Halifax or other ports in Nova Scotia. This would peak with the evacuation of New York, and continue until well after the formal conclusion of war in 1783. At the instigation of the newly arrived Loyalists who desired greater local control, Britain subdivided Nova Scotia in 1784 with the creation of the colonies of New Brunswick and Cape Breton Island; this had the effect of considerably diluting Halifax's presence over the region. New Brunswick ( French: Nouveau-Brunswick /nuvobʁɔnzwik/ is one of Canada 's three Maritime provinces and is the only constitutionally Cape Breton Island ( French: île du Cap-Breton - formerly île Royale, Scottish Gaelic: Eilean Cheap Breatuinn,

During the American Revolution, Halifax became the staging point of many attacks on rebel-controlled areas in the Thirteen Colonies, and was the city to which British forces from Boston and New York were sent after the over-running of those cities. The Thirteen Colonies were part of what became known as British America, a name that was used by Great Britain until the Treaty of Paris (1783 recognized the After the War, tens of thousands of United Empire Loyalists from the American Colonies flooded Halifax, and many of their descendants still reside in the city today. The name United Empire Loyalists is a honorific name which has been given after the fact to those American Loyalists who resettled in British North America and other

Halifax was now the bastion of British strength on the East Coast of North America. Local merchants also took advantage of the exclusion of American trade to the British colonies in the Caribbean, beginning a long trade relationship with the West Indies. However, the most significant growth began with the beginning of what would become known as the Napoleonic Wars. The Napoleonic Wars (1803-1815 involved Napoleon's French Empire and a shifting set of European allies and opposing coalitions By 1794, Prince Edward, Duke of Kent, was sent to take command of Nova Scotia. The Prince Edward Duke of Kent and Strathearn (Edward Augustus 2 November 1767 &ndash 23 January 1820 was a member of the British Royal Family, the fourth son of King Many of the city's forts were designed by him, and he left an indelible mark on the city in the form of many public buildings of Georgian architecture, and a dignified British feel to the city itself. It was during this time that Halifax truly became a city. Many landmarks and institutions were built during his tenure, from the Town Clock on Citadel Hill to St. The Town Clock, also sometimes called the Old Town Clock or Citadel Clock Tower, is one of the most recognizable landmarks in the historic urban core of George's Round Church, fortifications in the Halifax Defence Complex were built up, businesses established, and the population boomed.

Though the Duke left in 1800, the city continued to experience considerable investment throughout the Napoleonic Wars and War of 1812. The Napoleonic Wars (1803-1815 involved Napoleon's French Empire and a shifting set of European allies and opposing coalitions The War of 1812 was fought between the United States of America and the British Empire, particularly Great Britain and her North American colonies Although Halifax was never attacked during the war of 1812, due to the overwhelming military presence in the city, many Naval battles occurred just outside the harbour. Most dramatic was the victory of the Halifax-based British frigate HMS Shannon which captured the American frigate USS Chesapeake and brought her to Halifax as prize. Career Construction and commissioning Shannon was built by Brindley at Frindsbury in Kent, and was launched on 5 May Early service She was launched 2 December 1799 by Gosport Navy Yard, where Josiah Fox had served as her Master Constructor and commissioned As well, an invasion force which attacked Washington in 1813, and burned the Capitol and White House was sent from Halifax. Early in the War, an expedition under Lord Dalhousie left Halifax to capture the Area of Castine, Maine, which they held for the entirety of the war. The revenues which were taken from this invasion were used after the war to found Dalhousie University which is today Halifax's largest university. Dalhousie University is a University located in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. The city also thrived in the War of 1812 on the large numbers of captured American ships and cargoes captured by the British navy and provincial privateers.

Saint Mary's University was founded in 1802, originally as an elementary school. Saint Mary's University (SMU is located in Halifax, Nova Scotia Canada. Saint Mary's was upgraded to a college following the establishment of Dalhousie in 1818; both were initially located in the downtown central business district before relocating to the then-outskirts of the city in the south end near the Northwest Arm. The Northwest Arm, originally named Sandwich River is an inlet in eastern Canada off the Atlantic Ocean in Nova Scotia 's Halifax Regional Municipality Separated by only few minutes walking distance, the two schools now enjoy a friendly rivalry.

Present day government landmarks such as Government House, built to house the governor, and Province House, built to house the House of Assembly, were both built during the city's boom during this wartime period. This article is about the legislative building for Nova Scotia. The Nova Scotia Legislature, consisting of the Lieutenant Governor (sometimes referred to as the Governor) and the House of Assembly, is the

In the peace after 1815, the city suffered an economic malaise for a few years, aggravated by the move of the Royal Naval yard to Bermuda in 1818. However the economy recovered in the next decade led by a very successful local merchant class. Powerful local entrepreneurs included steamship pioneer Samuel Cunard and the banker Enos Collins. Sir Samuel Cunard 1st Baronet ( 21 November 1787 &ndash 28 April 1865) was a Canadian -born British shipping magnate Enos Collins ( 5 September 1774 &ndash 18 November 1871) was a merchant shipowner banker and privateer from Nova Scotia Canada. During the 1800s Halifax became the birthplace of two of Canada's largest banks; local financial institutions included the Halifax Banking Company, Union Bank of Halifax, People's Bank of Halifax, Bank of Nova Scotia, and the Merchants' Bank of Halifax, making the city one of the most important financial centres in colonial British North America and later Canada until the beginning of the 20th century. The Union Bank of Halifax was granted a charter by the government of Canada in 1856 and established its head office at the corner of Hollis and Prince Streets in the port city Scotiabank (Banque Scotia () the trademark name for The Bank of Nova Scotia, is one of Canada 's Big Five banks. The Royal Bank of Canada ( Banque Royale du Canada in French is Canada 's largest company and Bank. British North America consisted of the colonies and territories of the British Empire in continental North America after the end of the American Revolutionary This position was somewhat rivalled by neighbouring Saint John, New Brunswick during the city's economic hey-day in the mid-19th century. Saint John is the largest city in the Province of New Brunswick, and the oldest incorporated city in Canada.

Having played a key role to maintain and expand British power in North America and elsewhere during the 18th century, Halifax played less dramatic roles in the consolidation of the British Empire during the 19th century. The harbour's defences were successively refortified with the latest artillery defences throughout the century to provide a secure base for British Empire forces. Nova Scotian and Maritimers were recruited through Halifax for the Crimean War. The Crimean War, also known in Russia as the Eastern War (Восточная война Vostochnaya Vojna) (March 1854–February 1856 was fought The city boomed during the American Civil War, mostly by supplying the wartime economy of the North but also by offering refuge and supplies to Confederate blockade runners. Causes of the war See also Origins of the American Civil War, Timeline of events leading to the American Civil War The coexistence of a slave-owning South The Confederate States of America (also called the Confederacy, the Confederate States, and CSA) formed as the government set up from 1861 The port also saw Canada's first overseas military deployment as a nation to aid the British Empire during the Second Boer War. See also First Boer War,, South African Wars (1879-1915 The Second Boer War ( Dutch: Tweede Boerenoorlog, Afrikaans:

Incorporation, responsible government, railways and Confederation

Map of Halifax, 1894.
Map of Halifax, 1894.
Halifax City Council, 1903
Halifax City Council, 1903

Later considered a great Nova Scotian leader, and the father of responsible government in British North America, it was the cause of self government for the city of Halifax that began the political career of Joseph Howe and would subsequently lead to this form of accountability being brought to colonial affairs for the colony of Nova Scotia. Joseph Howe, PC ( December 13, 1804 – June 1, 1873) was a Nova Scotia journalist politician and public servant After election to the House of Assembly as leader of the Liberal party, one of his first acts was the incorporation of the City of Halifax in 1842, followed by the direct election of civic politicians by Haligonians.

Halifax became a hotbed of political activism as the winds of responsible government swept British North America during the 1840s, following the rebellions against oligarchies in the colonies of Upper and Lower Canada. Oligarchy' ( Greek, Oligarkhía) is a Form of government where Political power effectively rests with a small elite segment The Province of Upper Canada (French Province du Haut-Canada) was a British colony located in what is now the southern portion of the Province of Ontario The Province of Lower Canada (French Province du Bas-Canada) was a British colony on the lower Saint Lawrence River and the shores of the The first instance of responsible government in the British Empire was achieved by the colony of Nova Scotia in January-February 1848 through the efforts of Howe. The leaders of the fight for responsible or self-government later took up the Anti-Confederation fight, the movement that from 1868 to 1875 tried to take Nova Scotia out of Confederation. Canadian Confederation was the process by which the federal Dominion of Canada was formed beginning 1 July 1867 from the

During the 1850s, Howe was a heavy promoter of railway technology, having been a key instigator in the founding of the Nova Scotia Railway, which ran from Richmond in the city's north end to the Minas Basin at Windsor and to Truro and on to Pictou on the Northumberland Strait. "Railroad" and "Railway" both redirect here For other uses see Railroad (disambiguation. The Nova Scotia Railway is a historic Canadian railway. It was composed of two lines one connecting Richmond (immediately north of Halifax The Minas Basin is an inlet of the Bay of Fundy and a sub-basin of the Fundy Basin located in Nova Scotia, Canada. Windsor is a small town located in central Nova Scotia at the junction of the Avon and St Truro (2006 population 11765; Urban area population 22777, conglomeration area population 45777 is a Town in Pictou is a Canadian town in Pictou County, Nova Scotia. Located on the north shore of Pictou Harbour The Northumberland Strait (French détroit de Northumberland) is a Strait in the southern part of the Gulf of Saint Lawrence in eastern Canada In the 1870s Halifax became linked by rail to Moncton and Saint John through the Intercolonial Railway and on into Quebec and New England, not to mention numerous rural areas in Nova Scotia. Moncton ( is a Canadian city located in Westmorland County, New Brunswick. Saint John is the largest city in the Province of New Brunswick, and the oldest incorporated city in Canada. The Intercolonial Railway of Canada ( IRC or ICR) also referred to as the Intercolonial Railway, was a historic Canadian railway that operated Quebec (kwɨˈbɛk History See also History of New England New England's earliest inhabitants were Algonquian -speaking Native Americans including the

The American Civil War again saw much activity and prosperity in Halifax. Causes of the war See also Origins of the American Civil War, Timeline of events leading to the American Civil War The coexistence of a slave-owning South Merchants in the city made huge profits selling supplies and sometimes arms to both sides of the conflict (see for example Alexander Keith, Jr.). Alexander 'Sandy' Keith Jr. was a notorious nineteenth century criminal from Halifax, Nova Scotia. Due to longstanding ecnomic and social connections to New England as well as the Abolition movement, a majority of the population supported the North. However, parts of the city's merchant class, especially those trading in the West Indies, supported the South. Confederate ships often called on the port to take on supplies, and make repairs. One such ship, the Tallahassee, became a legend in Halifax as it made a daring escape from Federal frigates heading to Halifax to capture it.

After the American Civil War, the five colonies which made up British North America, Ontario, Quebec, Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia and New Brunswick, held meetings to consider Uniting into a single country. Ontario (ɒnˈtɛrioʊ is a province located in the central part of Canada, the largest by population and second largest after Quebec Quebec (kwɨˈbɛk Prince Edward Island (ˌprɪns ˌɛdwɚd ˈaɪlɨnd ( PEI or P Nova Scotia (ˌnəʊvəˈskəʊʃə ( Latin for New Scotland; Alba Nuadh Nouvelle-Écosse is a Canadian province located on Canada 's New Brunswick ( French: Nouveau-Brunswick /nuvobʁɔnzwik/ is one of Canada 's three Maritime provinces and is the only constitutionally This was due to a threat of annexation and invasion from the United States. Canadian Confederation became a reality in 1867, but received much resistance from the merchant classes of Halifax, and from many prominent Halifax politicians due to the fact that both Halifax and Nova Scotia were at the time very wealthy, held trading ties with Boston and New York which would be damaged, and did not see the need for the Colony to give up its comparative independence. After confederation Halifax retained its British military garrison until British troops were replaced by the Canadian army in 1906. The British Royal Navy remained until 1910 when the newly created Canadian Navy took over the Naval Dockyard.

The city's cultural roots deepend as its economy matured. The Victorian College of Art was founded in 1887 (later to become the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design. The Nova Scotia College of Art and Design (NSCAD University is a post-secondary Art school located in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. ) Local artist John O'Brien excelled at portraits of the city's ships, yacht races and seascapes. John O'Brien (1831 &ndash 1891 was a Canadian marine artist O'Brien is believed to have been born at sea as his Irish family emigrated from County Cork The province's Public Archives and the provincial museum were founded in this period (first called the Mechanic's Institute, later the Nova Scotia Museum. Uniacke housepng|thumb|240px|The stately Uniacke House is part of the Nova Scotia Museum complex )

World War I

It was during World War I that Halifax would truly come into its own as a world class port and naval facility. World War I (abbreviated WWI; also known as the First World War, the Great War, and the War to End All The strategic location of the port with its protective waters of Bedford Basin sheltered convoys from German U-boat attack prior to heading into the open Atlantic Ocean. Bedford Basin is a large enclosed Bay, forming the northwestern end of Halifax Harbour on Canada 's Atlantic coast A convoy is a group of Vehicles (of any type but usually motor vehicles or ships traveling together for mutual support U-boat is the anglicized version of the German word, itself an abbreviation of Unterseeboot ( undersea boat) and refers Halifax's railway connections with the Intercolonial Railway of Canada and its port facilities became vital to the British war effort during the First World War as Canada's industrial centres churned out material for the Western Front. The Intercolonial Railway of Canada ( IRC or ICR) also referred to as the Intercolonial Railway, was a historic Canadian railway that operated In 1914, Halifax began playing a major role in the First World War, both as the departure point for Canadian Soldiers heading overseas, and as an assembly point for all convoys (a responsibility which would be placed on the city again during WW2). In November of 1917, a subway system was presented to city hall however due to current events the city had abandoned the idea.

Halifax Explosion

Downtown Halifax, 1920
Downtown Halifax, 1920
Main article: Halifax Explosion

The war was seen as a blessing for the city's economy, but in 1917 a French munitions ship, the Mont Blanc, collided with a Norwegian relief ship, the Imo. The Halifax Explosion occurred on Thursday December 6, 1917, when the city of Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, was devastated by the The collision sparked a fire on the munitions ship which was filled with 2,300 tons of wet and dry picric acid (used for making lyddite for artillery shells), 200 tons of trinitrotoluene (TNT), 10 tons of gun cotton, with drums of Bezol (High Octane fuel) stacked on her deck. "TNP" redirects here For the airport with the IATA airport code TNP see Twentynine Palms Airport. "TNP" redirects here For the airport with the IATA airport code TNP see Twentynine Palms Airport. Trinitrotoluene ( TNT) is a Chemical compound with the formula C6H2(NO23CH3 On December 6, 1917, at 9:04:35 AM [2] the munitions ship exploded in what was the largest man-made explosion before the first testing of an atomic bomb, and is still one of the largest non-nuclear man-made explosions. Events 1060 - Béla I of Hungary is crowned king of Hungary 1240 - Mongol invasion of Rus: Kiev Year 1917 ( MCMXVII) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year Trinity was the first test of technology for a Nuclear weapon. A nuclear weapon is an explosive device that derives its destructive force from Nuclear reactions either fission or a combination of fission and fusion. Items from the exploding ship landed five kilometres away. The Halifax Explosion decimated the city's north end, killing roughly 2,000 inhabitants, injuring 9,000, and leaving tens of thousands homeless and without shelter. The Halifax Explosion occurred on Thursday December 6, 1917, when the city of Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, was devastated by the

The following day a blizzard hit the city, hindering recovery efforts. Immediate help rushed in from the rest of Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, and Newfoundland. In the following week more relief from other parts of North America arrived and donations were sent from around the world. The most celebrated effort came from the Boston Red Cross and the Massachusetts Public Safety Committee; as an enduring thank-you, for the past 30 years the province of Nova Scotia has donated the annual Christmas tree lit on the Boston Common. The International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement is an International humanitarian movement with approximately 97 million volunteers worldwide who stated A Christmas tree, Yule tree, holiday tree or Tannenbaum (fir tree is one of the most popular Traditions associated with the celebration Boston Common is a central Public park in Boston, Massachusetts.

The explosion and the rebuilding which followed had important impacts on the city: reshaping the layout of North End neighbourhoods; creating a progressive housing development known as the Hydrostone; and hastening the move of railways to the South End of the City.

Between the Wars

The city's economy slumped after the war, although reconstruction from the Halifax Explosion brought new housing and infrastructure as well as the establishment of the Halifax Shipyard. However, a tremendous drop in worldwide shipping following the war as well as the failure of regional industries in the 1920s brought hard-times to the city, further aggravated by the Great Depression in 1929. One bright spot was the completion of Ocean Terminals in the city's south end, a large modern complex to trans-ship freight and passengers from steamships to railways.

War Plan Red, a military strategy developed by the United States Army during the mid-1920s and officially withdrawn in 1939, involved an occupation of Halifax by US forces following a poison gas first strike, to deny the British a major naval base and cut links between Britain and Canada. War Plan Red was a military document outlining a hypothetical war between the United States and the British Empire (the "Red" forces

World War II

Halifax played an even bigger role in the Allied naval war effort of World War II. World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including The only theatre of War to be commanded by a Canadian was the North Western Atlantic, commanded by the Admiral in Halifax. Halifax became a lifeline for preserving Britain during the Nazi onslaught of the Battle of Britain and the Battle of the Atlantic, the supplies helping to offset a threatened amphibious invasion by Germany. The Battle of Britain (German ''Luftschlacht um England'' is the name given to the sustained strategic effort by the German Luftwaffe during the summer and Many convoys assembled in Bedford Basin to deliver supplies to troops in Europe. Bedford Basin is a large enclosed Bay, forming the northwestern end of Halifax Harbour on Canada 's Atlantic coast The city's railway links fed large numbers of troopships building up Allied armies in Europe. The harbour became an essential base for Canadian, British and other Allied warships. Very much a front-line city, civilians lived with the fears of possible German raids or another accidental ammunition explosion. Well defended, the city was never attacked although some merchant ships and two small naval vessels were sunk at the outer approaches to the harbour. However, the sounds and sometimes the flames of these distant attacks fed wartime rumours, some of which linger to the present day of imaginary tales of German U-Boats entering Halifax Harbour. Nazi Germany and the Third Reich are the common English names for Germany under the regime of Adolf Hitler and the National Socialist German Workers Halifax Harbour is a large natural Harbour on the Atlantic coast of Nova Scotia, Canada. The city's housing, retail and public transit infrastructure, small and neglected after 20 years of prewar economic stagnation was severely stressed. Severe housing and recreational problems simmered all through the war and culminated in a large-scale riot by military personnel on VE Day in 1945.

Post-war

After World War Two, Halifax did not experience the postwar economic malaise it had so often experienced after previous wars. This was partially due to the Cold War which required continued spending on a modern Canadian Navy. Cold War is the state of conflict tension and competition that existed between the United States and the Soviet Union (USSR and their respective allies from the However, the city also benefited from a more diverse economy and postwar growth in government services and education. The 1960s-1990s saw less suburban sprawl than in many comparable Canadian cities in the areas surrounding Halifax. Urban sprawl, also known as suburban sprawl, is the spreading of a city and its Suburbs over rural land at the fringe of an urban area This was partly as a result of local geographies and topography (Halifax is extremely hilly with exposed granite not conducive to construction), a weaker regional and local economy, and a smaller population base than, for example, central Canada or New England. There were also deliberate local government policies to limit not only suburban growth but also put some controls on growth in the central business district to address concerns from heritage advocates.

The late 1960s was a period of significant change and expansion of the city when surrounding areas of Halifax County were amalgamated into Halifax: Rockingham, Clayton Park, Fairview, Armdale, and Spryfield were all added in 1969. Rockingham is a community located in Nova Scotia 's Halifax Regional Municipality. Clayton Park is a Canadian suburban development in Nova Scotia 's Halifax Regional Municipality inside the city of Halifax. Fairview (pop approximately 13000 is a former community and current neighbourhood within the urban core of Halifax Regional Municipality in Nova Scotia, Canada Armdale is a Canadian urban community located in the Halifax Regional Municipality, Nova Scotia at the head of the Northwest Arm. Spryfield is a neighbourhood in Mainland Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada.

Urban renewal plans in the 1960s and 70s resulted in the loss of much of its heritage architecture and community fabric in large downtown developments such as the Scotia Square mall and office towers. However, a citizens protest movement limited further destructive plans such as a waterfront freeway which opened the way for a popular and successful revitalised waterfront. Selective height limits were also achieved to protect the views from Citadel Hill. However, municipal heritage protection has remained weak with only pockets of heritage buildings surviving in the downtown and constant pressure from developers for further demolition (although it should be noted that most controversy in recent years has centered on proposed developments that would fill vacant lots, replace buildings with little or no recognized historical significance, or add height to existing historical structures. )

On the other hand, many residents believe that development and cultural and economic progress have remained stunted, particularly in the downtown, due to ongoing controversies and tension between heritage advocates and developers / planners seeking to increase infrastructure and population density. Much municipal consultation in recent years, such as the HRM by Design project, has focussed on how to allow modernization and development to encourage repatriation and renewed community diversification, while preserving the remaining heritage structures and character.

Another casualty during the 1960s and 1970s period of expansion and urban renewal was the Black community of Africville which was demolished and its residents displaced to clear land for industrial use as well as for the A. Murray MacKay Bridge. Africville was a small unincorporated community located on the southern shore of Bedford Basin, in the city of Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. The A Murray MacKay Bridge is the second Suspension bridge linking the Halifax Peninsula with Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, and opened on The repercussions continue to this day and a 2001 United Nations report has called for reparations be paid to the community's former residents. The United Nations ( UN) is an International organization whose stated aims are to facilitate cooperation in International law, International security

Restrictions on development were relaxed somewhat during the 1990s, resulting in some suburban sprawl off the peninsula. Today the community of Halifax is more compact than most Canadian urban areas although expanses of suburban growth have occurred in neighbouring Dartmouth, Bedford and Sackville. One development in the late 1990s was the Bayers Lake Business Park, where warehouse style retailers were permitted to build in a suburban industrial park west of Rockingham. Rockingham is a community located in Nova Scotia 's Halifax Regional Municipality. This has become an important yet controversial centre of commerce for the city and the province as it used public infrastructure to subsidise multi-national retail chains and draw business from local downtown business. Much of this subsidy was due to competition between Halifax, Bedford and Dartmouth to host these giant retail chains and this controversy helped lead the province to force amalgamation as a way to end wasteful municipal rivalries. In the past few years, urban housing sprawl has even reached these industrial/retail parks as new blasting techniques permitted construction on the granite wilderness around the city. What was once a business park surrounded by forest and a highway on one side has become a large suburb with numerous new apartment buildings and condominiums. Some of this growth has been spurred by offshore oil and natural gas economic activity but much has been due to a population shift from rural Nova Scotian communities to the Halifax urban area. The new amalgamated city has attempted to manage this growth with a new master development plan.

Amalgamation

During the 1990s, Halifax like many other Canadian cities, amalgamated with its suburbs under a single municipal government. Joining two or more political units such as municipalities, counties, or cities into one entity is referred to as amalgamation when the process occurs The provincial government had sought to reduce the number of municipal governments throughout the province as a cost-saving measure and created a task force in 1992 to pursue this rationalisation.

In 1995, an Act to Incorporate the Halifax Regional Municipality received Royal Assent in the provincial legislature and the Halifax Regional Municipality, or "HRM" (as it is commonly called) was created on April 1, 1996. The granting of Royal Assent is the formal method by which a constitutional monarch completes the legislative process of Lawmaking by formally assenting to an See also Halifax Nova Scotia See also Halifax Regional Municipality municipal election 2008 Halifax Regional Municipality is the capital Events 527 - Byzantine Emperor Justin I names his nephew Justinian I as co-ruler and successor to the throne Year 1996 ( MCMXCVI) was a Leap year starting on Monday (link will display full 1996 Gregorian calendar) HRM is an amalgamation of all municipal governments in Halifax County, these being the cities of Halifax and Dartmouth, town of Bedford, and Municipality of the County of Halifax). Halifax County is a County in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia. Dartmouth (2001 pop 65741 founded in 1750 is a community and planning area of the Halifax Regional Municipality, a provincially Bedford (2006 pop 16780 is a community in the Halifax Regional Municipality, Nova Scotia, Canada. Sable Island, being part of Halifax County, is also jurisdictionally part of HRM, despite being located 180 km offshore. Sable Island (French île de Sable) is a small Canadian island situated 180 km southeast of mainland Nova Scotia

Although cities in other provinces affected by amalgamation retained their original names, the new municipality is often referred by its full name or the initials "HRM" especially in the media and by residents of areas outside of the former City of Halifax. However, the communities outside of the former City of Halifax still retained their original place-names to avoid confusion with duplicate street names for civic addressing, media reference, emergency, postal and other services along with Halifax.

See also: List of mayors of Halifax, Nova Scotia

Geography

The original settlements of Halifax occupied a small stretch of land inside a palisade at the foot of Citadel Hill on the Halifax Peninsula, a sub-peninsula of the much larger Chebucto Peninsula that extends into Halifax Harbour. This is a list of mayors of the city Halifax Nova Scotia. The City of Halifax is a former municipality in Nova Scotia which was amalgamated with the City of Citadel Hill is a term usually applied to a hilltop military stronghold The Halifax Peninsula is a community and planning area located in the urban core of Halifax Regional Municipality The Chebucto Peninsula is a Canadian Peninsula located in central Nova Scotia entirely within the Halifax Regional Municipality on the Halifax Harbour is a large natural Harbour on the Atlantic coast of Nova Scotia, Canada. Halifax subsequently grew to incorporate all of the north, south, and west ends of the peninsula with a central business district concentrated in the southeastern end along "The Narrows".

In 1969, the City of Halifax grew westward of the peninsula by amalgamating several communities from the surrounding Halifax County; namely Fairview, Rockingham, Spryfield, Purcell's Cove, and Armdale. Halifax County is a County in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia. Fairview (pop approximately 13000 is a former community and current neighbourhood within the urban core of Halifax Regional Municipality in Nova Scotia, Canada Rockingham is a community located in Nova Scotia 's Halifax Regional Municipality. Spryfield is a neighbourhood in Mainland Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. Purcell's Cove is a community within the Halifax Regional Municipality Nova Scotia Canada on the west side of Halifax Harbour from the Armdale is a Canadian urban community located in the Halifax Regional Municipality, Nova Scotia at the head of the Northwest Arm. These communities saw a number of modern subdivision developments during the late 1960s through to the 1990s, one of the earliest being the Clayton Park development at the southwestern edge of Rockingham. Clayton Park is a Canadian suburban development in Nova Scotia 's Halifax Regional Municipality inside the city of Halifax.

Since amalgamation into HRM, "Halifax" has been used variously to describe all HRM, all of urban HRM, and the area of the Halifax Peninsula and Mainland Halifax (which together form the provincially recognized Halifax Metropolitan Area) that had been covered by the dissolved city government. The Halifax Peninsula is a community and planning area located in the urban core of Halifax Regional Municipality Mainland Halifax is a region in central Nova Scotia, Canada that refers to the central-eastern part of the Chebucto [3][4][5][6]

The communities of mainland Halifax that were amalgamated into the City of Halifax in 1969 are reasserting their identities [7][8][9] principally through the creation of the Mainland Halifax planning area, which is governed by the Chebucto Community Council. Mainland Halifax is a region in central Nova Scotia, Canada that refers to the central-eastern part of the Chebucto A Community Council in Nova Scotia 's Halifax Regional Municipality is a form of local government consisting of several councillors from the larger Halifax Regional

Halifax is also located on the Appalachian land form region

Neighbourhoods at Amalgamation

Halifax skyline at night
Halifax skyline at night

Colloquial neighbourhood names

Flag of the former City of Halifax
Flag of the former City of Halifax
Colourful houses in Halifax
Colourful houses in Halifax

Official neighbourhood names

Historic neighbourhood names

Halifax "firsts" and other records

Footnotes

  1. ^ McCann, p. 1034
  2. ^ CBC - Halifax Explosion - Disputes over Time

References

External links

A geographic coordinate system enables every location on the Earth to be specified in three coordinates using mainly a spherical coordinate system.
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