HALIFAX - CANADA

Halifax is a Canadian city, the provincial capital and largest population centre in Nova Scotia, and the economic centre of the Atlantic Provinces. In 1995, the city of Halifax was amalgamated with a number of neighbouring authorities to create the Halifax Regional Municipality (HRM). As of 2001, the HRM had a population of 359,111 (Haligonians).

Culture

Halifax has a large population of students who have a strong influence on the cultural scene in the city. There are a number of art galleries and theatres in the city. There is a large theatre, the Neptune Theatre that performs mainstream hits. Every summer, Shakespeare plays are performed in Point Pleasant Park in a Shakespeare by the Sea festival. There are many smaller theatre companies, including the physical theatre company Zuppa Circus.

Halifax has also become a film making centre, with many American and Canadian filmmakers using the city's streetscapes, often to stand in for other cities that are more expensive to work in. The city's port status also makes it a popular location for films about ships; scenes from the films Titanic and K-19: The Widowmaker were filmed near Halifax.

The CBC news satire show This Hour Has 22 Minutes is based in Halifax.

The sports/entertainment hub of the city is the Halifax Metro Centre.

The tourism industry has also had a strong influence on the city, certainly in the downtown core. In the summer thousands of small vendors cater to the cruise ship passengers and others who fill the town. The most popular destinations are the Public Gardens, an ornamental garden, Point Pleasant Park, the casino, the Citadel, and the shopping and restaurants downtown.

Halifax is reputed to have the highest number of bars per capita of any city in Canada.

The Tall Ships Challenge came to Halifax in 2000 and 2004. Other festivals include the Busker festival held in August every year.

The India pale ale Keith's is brewed in Halifax.

Government

In the early 1990s the provincial government sought to reduce the number of municipal governments in Halifax County and Cape Breton County and created a task force in 1992 to pursue this rationalization. In 1995, an Act to Incorporate the Halifax Regional Municipality received Royal Assent in the provincial legislature and the HRM was created on April 1, 1996 by amalgamating the neighbouring cities of Halifax and Dartmouth with the town of Bedford and rural Halifax County. Sable Island is also considered to be jurisdictionally part of HRM, despite being located 180 km offshore. The population of HRM is 359,111 according to the 2001 census, making it the nation's 13th largest population centre in Canada.

The term Haligonians has been borrowed since amalgamation to apply more broadly to all residents of HRM, although many citizens in Dartmouth and smaller centres in the municipality tend to avoid use of the term when applied to themselves. In fact, despite amalgamation, most residents of the municipality (and Canada Post) still refer to the names of the pre-amalgamation municipalities when describing geographic areas.

The former city of Halifax is represented in the federal riding of Halifax. Other HRM ridings include Dartmouth�Cole Harbour, Halifax West, and Sackville�Eastern Shore.