Current Events

Halifax is very active when hosting different types of events. Events can vary from concerts, celebrations or a myriad of festivals, allowing tourists and locals the opportunity to enjoy endless entertainment. This year Halifax was selected to host the 2011 Canada Winter Games. This event has generated a lot of buzz around town and new buildings, structures and public venues have taken over the city.
 
One addition that has been a huge success for the city is the Olympic size speed skating oval. The oval was made available to the public two months prior to the games. The oval was open for public skates during designated times for a majority of the holidays. During the public skating hours, the oval was constantly busy and clearly enjoyed by all. For the community the oval has given individuals a place to get exercise and socialize during the winter months. Since the oval has created such a great space for the community, people now feel that after the games are over; the oval should stay for future winter seasons. 

Another major addition to the city is the Canada Games Centre. This centre was built to host badminton, swimming and gymnastics. The centre has three full-size gymnasiums with a 200-meter indoor track and eight-lane swimming pool. The Canada Games Centre is now considered the premier high-performance athletic training facility in Eastern Canada. Halifax has not only been fortunate to host the 2011 games, but now the city can benefit from all the new state of the art facilities for future years.  

Dance Until The Sun Comes Up

Nightlife is one of the many perks that Halifax has to offer. The city is known for having one of the highest bars and nightclubs per capita in the country. It is common that to see the most popular nightclubs and bars open until 3:30 a.m. on weekends and occasionally throughout the week. The late nights definitely gives Halifax an advantage over many other cities.


A well-known street to many students and youth is Argyle, this street alone has approximately 15 different places to go at night and during the day. Like the majority of downtown Halifax, Argyle Street would take about 20 minutes to walk from one end to the other. Downtown Halifax is ideal for walking from one bar to another, so if there happens to be the dreaded line, another bar is usually only seconds away.

Another popular tradition for the Halifax nightlife occurs into the late hours of the night. Like many other cities it is extremely important to have a place to go after the bar, usually to grab some grub. "Pizza corner" has become a very popular spot for Haligonians to go after the bar. Pizza corner consist of three independent pizza joints all within 20 meters from each other. Around 4:00 a.m. pizza corner is swarmed with people, all three places have amazing pizza and the decision usually is based on which line is the shortest. A typical night is usually not over until around 5:00 a.m after food has been consumed and a cab has been flagged down. After experiencing a fun filled night in downtown Halifax, the back-to-back nights (Friday and Saturday) become pretty rare and difficult to do.

The Wealthy Bug

Fishing in the Maritimes has provided many families, communities and industries with income and identity. Lobster trapping is one of the richest and most respected industries throughout the Maritimes. Lobsters, which are also referred to as "bugs" are culturally shared and harvested two seasons throughout the year. The two lobster seasons occur in the spring, (May 1) and also the winter (November 29), lasting for approximately six months.


Nova Scotia has some of the richest fishing grounds in the world. Fishing districts 33 and 34, off the southshore, are known throughout the fishing industry as the wealthiest for harvesting lobster. Last year district 34, which contains 1,700 license holders, generated $222 million dollars in lobster revenue. Not only are the lobsters within this district a hot commodity, but also the fishing licenses carry a great deal of value. Fishing licenses in these districts are worth millions of dollars and are primarily kept in the family throughout generations.


The lobster industry is closely watched in order to maintain and regulate the economy. Fishery officers are constantly at the wharfs checking to make sure fishermen have met the outlined requirements. Landing lobsters below a minimum size or females that are egg bearing is considered illegal. Also regulations pertaining to number of traps set, timing and lines pulled are closely watched.


Although this is an extremely dangerous job, many people across the world, especially in Halifax, enjoy the end product. Fishermen tend to be spotted on the side of the road with their large tanks selling lobster for $5.00 a pound because retail value can be down at times. In the off seasons, many fishermen enjoy six months off repairing traps and preparing for the upcoming season.


Next time you are cracking into a lobster claw, think about the dangerous life of a fishermen and how lucky you are to have the Maritimes close by.