Halifax, Nova Scotia: Difference between revisions

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After a protracted struggle between residents and the Executive Council, the city was incorporated in 1841. Halifax was also the shire town of Halifax County. On [[April 1]],[[1996]] the government of Nova Scotia amalgamated the four municipalities within Halifax County, among them the City of Halifax, and formed the [[Halifax Regional Municipality]], a single-tier regional government covering that whole area. The City of Halifax ceased to be a legal entity, but the city of Halifax now referred to as an unincorporated "Metropolitan Area" by the provincial government. Residents of Halifax are called Haligonians.
After a protracted struggle between residents and the Executive Council, the city was incorporated in 1841. Halifax was also the shire town of Halifax County. On [[April 1]],[[1996]] the government of Nova Scotia amalgamated the four municipalities within Halifax County, among them the City of Halifax, and formed the [[Halifax Regional Municipality]], a single-tier regional government covering that whole area. The City of Halifax ceased to be a legal entity, but the city of Halifax now referred to as an unincorporated "Metropolitan Area" by the provincial government. Residents of Halifax are called Haligonians.
Halifax and the neighbouring metropolitan area of [[Dartmouth, Nova Scotia]] form the urban core of the Halifax Regional Municipality (HRM).
Halifax and the neighbouring metropolitan area of [[Dartmouth, Nova Scotia]] form the urban core of the Halifax Regional Municipality (HRM).
==Halifax "firsts" and other records==
*Within Canada
**[[1750]] Oldest Anglican Church ([[St. Paul's Church (Halifax)|St. Paul's Church]] on the Grand Parade)
**[[1752]] First printing press, printed book and newspaper (the [[Halifax Gazette]])
**[[1756]] Oldest Lutheran Church ([[Little Dutch Church|Little Dutch (Deutsch) Church]])
**[[1758]] First seat of [[Democracy|democratic government]] in Canada
**[[1789]] First University ([[University of King's College]])
**[[1813]] First [[Sunday school]] for [[African American]] peoples
**[[1819]] First [[Legislature]] ([[Province House (Nova Scotia)|Province House]])
**[[1825]] Founding of the Halifax Banking Company (now [[Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce]])
**[[1832]] Founding of the [[Scotiabank|Bank of Nova Scotia (Scotiabank)]]
**[[1846]] First decorated English [[Christmas tree]]
**[[1862]] First science institute (the [[Nova Scotian Institute of Science]])
**[[1864]] Founding of the Merchant Bank (now [[Royal Bank of Canada]])
**[[1876]] First lawn tennis game
**[[1884]] First [[law school]] (at [[Dalhousie University]])
**[[1887]] First [[art college]], Victoria School of Art and Design (now the [[Nova Scotia College of Art and Design University]] founded by [[Anna Leonowens]])
**[[1970]] First common-user [[container terminal]] with the opening of [[South End, Halifax|Halifax's South End]] container terminal
**First [[public school]]
**Largest [[Kidney transplantation|kidney transplant]] program
*Within North America
**[[1752]] Oldest salt water [[ferry]] service
**[[1752]] First [[Board of Trade]]
**[[1755]] First [[post office]]
**[[1758]] First [[naval]] [[dockyard]] (Halifax was founded as a naval base in [[1749]], and has had a naval dockyard since 1758)
**[[1767]] First naval [[clock]]
**[[1794]] First [[Martello tower]]
**[[1800]]-[[1801]] First Round church ([[St. George Round Church]] - commissioned by [[Prince Edward Augustus, Duke of Kent and Strathearn|Prince Edward, Duke of Kent]], the only one designed by a member of the [[British Royal Family]])
**[[1799]]-[[1805]] Oldest consecutively occupied government residence, since the [[White House]] was evacuated and burned during the [[War of 1812]]
**[[1837]] First yacht squadron opened ([[Royal Nova Scotia Yacht Squadron|The Royal Nova Scotia Yacht Squadron]])
**[[1838]]-[[1840]] [[Cunard Line|Cunard Steamship Line]] founded in Halifax (see article for records set by Cunard Line)
**[[1847]] First zoo (sold to [[New York City]] in [[1863]] to become the [[Central Park Zoo]])
**[[1890]] First all [[street light|electric street light]] city
**Oldest continuously operating [[farmer's market]] ([[Halifax Farmer's Market]])
*World-wide
**[[1800s]] The sport of hockey was refined and developed in and around Halifax, [[Dartmouth, Nova Scotia|Dartmouth]] and [[Windsor, Nova Scotia|Windsor]] (first official rules in Halifax)
**[[1840]] First use of [[wood pulp]] to make [[paper]]
**[[1846]]-[[1850]] [[Abraham Pineo Gesner|Dr. Abraham Gesner]], developed the distillation of [[kerosene]] from [[crude oil]] and [[bitumen]], driving the [[Petroleum industry]]
**[[1936]] First live [[Broadcasting|radio]] news coverage in Canada and largest broadcast hookup originating on this continent (on coverage of [[Moose River Mine Disaster]], April 1936) [http://www.gov.ns.ca/nsarm/virtual/halifax/exhibit.asp?ID=56]
**World's first skyscrapers to use seawater for air-conditioning ([[Purdy's Wharf]] Office Towers)
**World's longest downtown boardwalk (runs for over 4 km alongside the harbour)
*Other
**[[1836]] Victorian Garden ([[Halifax Public Gardens|Public Gardens]]) established and remain today in urban centre
**[[1998]] First east coast North American port to welcome a [[Panamax]] vessel, the [[Regina Maersk]]
**Largest naval dockyard on the eastern seaboard north of [[Norfolk, Virginia]], USA
**Set a precedence in free speech and freedom of the press for Canada and the [[British Empire]] [http://www.gov.ns.ca/legislature/Facts/howepaper.htm] [http://www.twrsoft.com/trivia/hist01.htm] [http://www.angelfire.com/ns/agalley/famousns.htm] (see [[Joseph Howe]] [http://www.gov.ns.ca/legislature/Facts/Howebio.html])
**World’s second largest ice free natural harbour
**North American centre for [[Buddhism]]
**World centre for [[Shambhala Buddhism]]
**Devastated by the greatest man-made explosion prior to the [[Nuclear weapon|atomic bomb]] (the [[Halifax Explosion]])
**Canada's second largest scientific centre (after [[Ottawa, Ontario]])

Revision as of 16:25, 2 May 2007

Halifax (2001 pop.: 119,292) is the largest urban community in Atlantic Canada. Halifax was founded by the British goverment under the direction of the Board of Trade and Plantations under the command of Governor Edward Cornwallis in 1749 After a protracted struggle between residents and the Executive Council, the city was incorporated in 1841. Halifax was also the shire town of Halifax County. On April 1,1996 the government of Nova Scotia amalgamated the four municipalities within Halifax County, among them the City of Halifax, and formed the Halifax Regional Municipality, a single-tier regional government covering that whole area. The City of Halifax ceased to be a legal entity, but the city of Halifax now referred to as an unincorporated "Metropolitan Area" by the provincial government. Residents of Halifax are called Haligonians. Halifax and the neighbouring metropolitan area of Dartmouth, Nova Scotia form the urban core of the Halifax Regional Municipality (HRM).

Halifax "firsts" and other records