|
Halifax... Facts and Trivia...
Greater Halifax has a population of 340,000 (over one third of Nova Scotia's total) and is the capital city. It was founded in 1749, the 'Birthplace of British Canada' and is known as the "City of Trees" and the "City of Firsts".
The Motto: "Riches from the sea."
Citizens: Haligonians
Bird: Gold Kingfisher
Twinned with Hakodate, Japan and Halifax, England
An international city ranked as one of Canada's top 5 'Smart Cities'
Economy: Canada's second largest scientific center after Ottawa
A leading North American Container Port
Has the World's third largest Oceanographic Institute, The Bedford Institute of Oceanography
Five universities
Major North American medical center (IWK Children's Hospital is one of North America's top ten)
Financial center of Eastern Canada
Canada's major naval base
One of North America's most popular convention sites, making tourism a major industry
Latitude: Halifax is on the same latitude as Bordeau, France and South Oregon
Halifax and area are host to five fine yacht clubs:
Quote from Rudyard Kipling: "Into the mist my guardian prows put forth, Behind the mist my virgin ramparts lie; The warden of the Honour of the North, Sleepless and veiled am I." Due to Kipling, Halifax is historically known as the "Warden of the North".
Direct by air to: - N.Y.C.,
- Boston,
- Toronto,
- Montreal,
- Chicago,
- London,UK.,
- Amsterdam,
- Bermuda
Halifax Firsts/Oldests for Canada:
Canada: First permanment British Settlement - 1749
Protestant Church and Cathedral - 1750
Newspaper - 1752
Printed Book - 1752
Representative government - 1758
University: Kings College - 1789
Government House - 1800
Sunday school for Blacks - 1813
Legislature (Province House) - 1819
Decorated English Christmas Tree - 1846
Founding of the Halifax Banking Company (now Imperial Bank Of Commerce) - 1825
Founding of the Royal Bank of Canada (formerly Merchant Bank) - 1864
Founding of the Bank of Nova Scotia - 1832
Public Gardens - The finest Victorian in North America - 1836
Science Institute - 1862
Law School - 1884
Lawn Tennis Game - 1876
Art College (by Anne Leonowens made famous by the Musical, "The King and I")
Basketball - 1892
Entry of Russian Revolutionary Leon Trotsky (under arrest) - 1917
Halifax Firsts/Oldests for North America:
Board of Trade - 1752
Oldest salt water ferry service - 1752
Naval dockyard - 1758
Post Office
Telegraph system by use of flags (World's first by Edward, Duke of Kent) - 1793
Round Church (The only one designed by a member of the British Royal Family) - 1800
Oldest intact executive mansion - Government House (due to the burning of the White House) - 1800
Yacht Squadron - Royal Nova Scotia Yacht Squadron - 1837
Visit of Mr. & Mrs. Charles Dickens - 1842
Zoo (eventually sold to New York City in 1863 - Central Park) - 1847
Halifax Firsts/Oldests for The World:
Founding of the famous Cunard Steamship Line - 1840
Distillation of Kerosene and Asphalt - 1846
Ice Hockey by rules - 1850
The above statistics were compiled and written by Allan Doyle of Tourism Nova Scotia and reproduced here with permission and my thanks.
Send me your comments... Send email
Return to Index Page.
Return to Tower Softwate.
|