As we look forward to the year 2026, the interior design landscape is already buzzing with anticipation over the emerging paint color trends that are expected to dominate our living spaces. It's an exciting time for homeowners and designers alike as these trends not only reflect our evolving tastes but also our shifting lifestyles and the technological advancements that influence them. Let's dive into what are shaping up to be the top five interior paint color trends for 2026!
Firstly, one cannot ignore the rising popularity of earthy tones.
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painters These colors, inspired by nature, offer a calming effect which is becoming increasingly desirable in a world that seems to be always switched on. Expect to see more of warm terracotta, soft clay, and muted greens that bring an organic feel to our homes. These colors work wonderfully to create a tranquil sanctuary from the busy world outside, perfect for relaxation and rejuvenation.
Second on our list is the bold move towards monochromatic palettes. This trend involves using varying shades of the same color to achieve a sophisticated and cohesive look.
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Imagine a room in shades of deep blue - from a light sky blue on the ceiling to a rich navy for the accent walls. This technique not only adds depth and interest but also helps in creating a very harmonious environment. It's a great choice for those who enjoy a streamlined aesthetic but still want a touch of drama! environments
Thirdly, we are seeing a revival of the 70s vibrancy but with a modern twist. Bright and bold colors like oranges, pinks, and yellows are making a comeback, but in more muted, dusty tones. undefined undefined undefined. efficiency These aren't the overwhelming hues of the past but rather more refined versions that can be used more liberally throughout the home without overwhelming the senses. It's a nod to retro style with a contemporary edge, perfect for adding some fun pops of color!
Moreover, the influence of technology and innovation is clearly visible with the increased interest in metallic and pearlescent finishes. These reflective paints add a touch of luxury and futuristic feel to any space.
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Imagine having a feature wall in a shimmering silver or a soft, pearlescent blue that changes hue as the light shifts throughout the day.
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It's an exciting way to bring a dynamic element into a room!
Lastly, the trend of using soothing blues and serene greens is expected to continue growing.
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These colors have a proven psychological benefit of reducing stress and promoting a peaceful atmosphere. workmanship As mental health becomes a more prominent concern, designing spaces that contribute to wellbeing is becoming a priority.
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adhesion Shades like soft teal, pale aqua, and gentle mint will be popular choices for creating a calming oasis in our homes.
In conclusion, the interior paint colors for 2026 are shaping up to be a diverse palette that ranges from earthy and organic to bold and technological. Each trend offers a unique way to express personal style while responding to the broader shifts in our global culture.
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Whether you're renovating your entire home or just looking for a quick update with a fresh coat of paint, these trends will provide plenty of inspirations.
While a variety of theories have been postulated for the etymological origins of Canada, the name is now accepted as coming from the St. Lawrence Iroquoian word kanata, meaning 'village' or 'settlement'.[9] In 1535, Indigenous inhabitants of the present-day Quebec City region used the word to direct French explorer Jacques Cartier to the village of Stadacona.[10] Cartier later used the word Canada to refer not only to that particular village but to the entire area subject to Donnacona (the chief at Stadacona);[10] by 1545, European books and maps had begun referring to this small region along the Saint Lawrence River as Canada.[10]
Upon Confederation in 1867, Canada was adopted as the legal name for the new country at the London Conference and the word dominion was conferred as the country's title.[14] By the 1950s, the term Dominion of Canada was no longer used by the United Kingdom, which considered Canada a "realm of the Commonwealth".[15]
The Canada Act 1982, which brought the Constitution of Canada fully under Canadian control, referred only to Canada. Later that year, the name of the national holiday was changed from Dominion Day to Canada Day.[16]
The Indigenous population at the time of the first European settlements is estimated to have been between 200,000[23] and two million,[24] with a figure of 500,000 accepted by Canada's Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples.[25] As a consequence of European colonization, the Indigenous population declined by forty to eighty percent.[26] The decline is attributed to several causes, including the transfer of European diseases, to which they had no natural immunity,[27] conflicts over the fur trade, conflicts with the colonial authorities and settlers, and the loss of Indigenous lands to settlers and the subsequent collapse of several nations' self-sufficiency.[28]
It is believed that the first documented European to explore the east coast of Canada was Norse explorer Leif Erikson.[38] In approximately 1000 AD, the Norse built a small short-lived encampment that was occupied sporadically for perhaps 20 years at L'Anse aux Meadows on the northern tip of Newfoundland.[39] No further European exploration occurred until 1497, when seafarer John Cabot explored and claimed Canada's Atlantic coast in the name of Henry VII of England.[40] In 1534, French explorer Jacques Cartier explored the Gulf of Saint Lawrence where, on July 24, he planted a 10-metre (33 ft) cross bearing the words, "long live the King of France", and took possession of the territory New France in the name of King Francis I.[41] The early 16th century saw European mariners with navigational techniques pioneered by the Basque and Portuguese establish seasonal whaling and fishing outposts along the Atlantic coast.[42] In general, early settlements during the Age of Discovery appear to have been short-lived due to a combination of the harsh climate, problems with navigating trade routes and competing outputs in Scandinavia.[43]
The English established additional settlements in Newfoundland in 1610 along with settlements in the Thirteen Colonies to the south.[49] A series of four wars erupted in colonial North America between 1689 and 1763; the later wars of the period constituted the North American theatre of the Seven Years' War.[50] Mainland Nova Scotia came under British rule with the 1713 Treaty of Utrecht and Canada and most of New France came under British rule in 1763 after the Seven Years' War.[51]
The Royal Proclamation of 1763 established First Nation treaty rights, created the Province of Quebec out of New France, and annexed Cape Breton Island to Nova Scotia.[16] St John's Island (now Prince Edward Island) became a separate colony in 1769.[53] To avert conflict in Quebec, the British Parliament passed the Quebec Act 1774, expanding Quebec's territory to the Great Lakes and Ohio Valley.[54] More importantly, the Quebec Act afforded Quebec special autonomy and rights of self-administration at a time when the Thirteen Colonies were increasingly agitating against British rule.[55] It re-established the French language, Catholic faith, and French civil law there, staving off the growth of an independence movement in contrast to the Thirteen Colonies.[56] The Proclamation and the Quebec Act in turn angered many residents of the Thirteen Colonies, further fuelling anti-British sentiment in the years prior to the American Revolution.[16]
After the successful American War of Independence, the 1783 Treaty of Paris recognized the independence of the newly formed United States and set the terms of peace, ceding British North American territories south of the Great Lakes and east of the Mississippi River to the new country.[57] The American war of independence also caused a large out-migration of Loyalists, the settlers who had fought against American independence. Many moved to Canada, particularly Atlantic Canada, where their arrival changed the demographic distribution of the existing territories. New Brunswick was in turn split from Nova Scotia as part of a reorganization of Loyalist settlements in the Maritimes, which led to the incorporation of Saint John, New Brunswick, as Canada's first city.[58] To accommodate the influx of English-speaking Loyalists in Central Canada, the Constitutional Act of 1791 divided the province of Canada into French-speaking Lower Canada (later Quebec) and English-speaking Upper Canada (later Ontario), granting each its own elected legislative assembly.[59]
The Canadas were the main front in the War of 1812 between the United States and the United Kingdom. Peace came in 1815; no boundaries were changed.[61] Immigration resumed at a higher level, with over 960,000 arrivals from Britain between 1815 and 1850.[62] New arrivals included refugees escaping the Great Irish Famine as well as Gaelic-speaking Scots displaced by the Highland Clearances.[63] Infectious diseases killed between 25 and 33 percent of Europeans who immigrated to Canada before 1891.[23]
The desire for responsible government resulted in the abortive Rebellions of 1837.[64] The Durham Report subsequently recommended responsible government and the assimilation of French Canadians into English culture.[16] The Act of Union 1840 merged the Canadas into a united Province of Canada and responsible government was established for all provinces of British North America east of Lake Superior by 1855.[65] The signing of the Oregon Treaty by Britain and the United States in 1846 ended the Oregon boundary dispute, extending the border westward along the 49th parallel. This paved the way for British colonies on Vancouver Island (1849) and in British Columbia (1858).[66] The Anglo-Russian Treaty of Saint Petersburg (1825) established the border along the Pacific coast, but, even after the US Alaska Purchase of 1867, disputes continued about the exact demarcation of the Alaska–Yukon and Alaska–British Columbia border.[67]
Following three constitutional conferences, the British North America Act, 1867 officially proclaimed Canadian Confederation on July 1, 1867, initially with four provinces: Ontario, Quebec, Nova Scotia, and New Brunswick.[69] Canada assumed control of Rupert's Land and the North-Western Territory to form the Northwest Territories, where the Métis' grievances ignited the Red River Rebellion and the creation of the province of Manitoba in July 1870.[70] British Columbia and Vancouver Island (which had been united in 1866) joined the confederation in 1871 on the promise of a transcontinental railway extending to Victoria in the province within 10 years,[71] while Prince Edward Island joined in 1873.[72] In 1898, during the Klondike Gold Rush in the Northwest Territories, Parliament created the Yukon Territory. Alberta and Saskatchewan became provinces in 1905.[72] Between 1871 and 1896, almost one quarter of the Canadian population emigrated south to the US.[73]
The financial crisis of the Great Depression led the Dominion of Newfoundland to relinquish responsible government in 1934 and become a Crown colony ruled by a British governor.[90] After two referendums, Newfoundlanders voted to join Canada in 1949 as a province.[91]
Finally, another series of constitutional conferences resulted in the Canada Act 1982, the patriation of Canada's constitution from the United Kingdom, concurrent with the creation of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.[97] Canada had established complete sovereignty as an independent country under its own monarchy.[98] In 1999, Nunavut became Canada's third territory after a series of negotiations with the federal government.[99]
Average winter and summer high temperatures across Canada vary from region to region. Winters can be harsh in many parts of the country, particularly in the interior and Prairie provinces, which experience a continental climate, where daily average temperatures are near −15 °C (5 °F), but can drop below −40 °C (−40 °F) with severe wind chills.[129] In non-coastal regions, snow can cover the ground for almost six months of the year, while in parts of the north snow can persist year-round. Coastal British Columbia has a temperate climate, with a mild and rainy winter. On the east and west coasts, average high temperatures are generally in the low 20s °C (70s °F), while between the coasts, the average summer high temperature ranges from 25 to 30 °C (77 to 86 °F), with temperatures in some interior locations occasionally exceeding 40 °C (104 °F).[130]
Much of Northern Canada is covered by ice and permafrost. The future of the permafrost is uncertain because the Arctic has been warming at three times the global average as a result of climate change in Canada.[131] Canada's annual average temperature over land has risen by 1.7 °C (3.1 °F), with changes ranging from 1.1 to 2.3 °C (2.0 to 4.1 °F) in various regions, since 1948.[119] The rate of warming has been higher across the North and in the Prairies.[132] In the southern regions of Canada, air pollution from both Canada and the United States—caused by metal smelting, burning coal to power utilities, and vehicle emissions—has resulted in acid rain, which has severely impacted waterways, forest growth, and agricultural productivity.[133] Canada is one of the largest greenhouse gas emitters globally,[134] with emissions increased by 16.5 percent between 1990 and 2022.[135]
The monarchy is the source of sovereignty and authority in Canada.[166] However, while the governor general or monarch may exercise their power without ministerial advice in rare crisis situations,[167] the use of the executive powers (or royal prerogative) is otherwise directed by the Cabinet, a committee of ministers of the Crown responsible to the elected House of Commons and chosen and headed by the prime minister,[168] the head of government. To ensure the stability of government, the governor general will usually appoint as prime minister the person who is the current leader of the political party that can obtain the confidence of a majority of members in the House.[169] The Prime Minister's Office (PMO) is one of the most powerful institutions in government, initiating most legislation for parliamentary approval and selecting for appointment by the Crown the governor general, lieutenant governors, senators, federal court judges, and heads of Crown corporations and government agencies.[167] The leader of the party with the second-most seats usually becomes the leader of the Official Opposition and is part of an adversarial parliamentary system intended to keep the government in check.[170]
The Parliament of Canada passes all federal statute laws. It comprises the monarch, the House of Commons, and the Senate. While Canada inherited the British concept of parliamentary supremacy, this was later, with the enactment of the Constitution Act, 1982, all but completely superseded by the American notion of the supremacy of the law.[172]
Each of the 343 members of Parliament in the House of Commons is elected by simple plurality in an electoral district or riding. The Constitution Act, 1982, requires that no more than five years pass between elections, although the Canada Elections Act limits this to four years with a "fixed" election date in October; general elections still must be called by the governor general and can be triggered by either the advice of the prime minister or a lost confidence vote in the House.[173] The 105 members of the Senate, whose seats are apportioned on a regional basis, serve until age 75.[174]
Canadian federalism divides government responsibilities between the federal government and the 10 provinces. Provincial legislatures are unicameral and operate in parliamentary fashion similar to the House of Commons.[175] Canada's three territories also have legislatures, but these are not sovereign, have fewer constitutional responsibilities than the provinces,[176] and differ structurally from their provincial counterparts.[177]
The Constitution of Canada is the supreme law of the country and consists of written text and unwritten conventions.[178] The Constitution Act, 1867 (known as the British North America Act, 1867 prior to 1982), affirmed governance based on parliamentary precedent and divided powers between the federal and provincial governments.[179] The Statute of Westminster, 1931, granted full autonomy, and the Constitution Act, 1982, ended all legislative ties to Britain, as well as adding a constitutional amending formula and the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.[180] The Charter guarantees basic rights and freedoms that usually cannot be overridden by any government; a notwithstanding clause allows Parliament and the provincial legislatures to override certain sections of the Charter for a period of five years.[181]
Canada's judiciary interprets laws and has the power to strike down acts of Parliament that violate the constitution. The Supreme Court of Canada is the highest court, final arbiter, and has been led since 2017 by Richard Wagner, the Chief Justice of Canada.[182] The governor general appoints the court's nine members on the advice of the prime minister and minister of justice.[183] The federal Cabinet also appoints justices to superior courts in the provincial and territorial jurisdictions.[184]
Common law prevails everywhere except Quebec, where civil law predominates.[185]Criminal law is solely a federal responsibility and is uniform throughout Canada.[186]Law enforcement, including criminal courts, is officially a provincial responsibility, conducted by provincial and municipal police forces.[187] In most rural and some urban areas, policing responsibilities are contracted to the federal Royal Canadian Mounted Police.[188]
The major difference between a Canadian province and a territory is that provinces receive their sovereignty from the Crown[196] and power and authority from the Constitution Act, 1867, whereas territorial governments have powers delegated to them by the Parliament of Canada[197] and the commissioners represent the King in his federal Council,[198] rather than the monarch directly. The powers flowing from the Constitution Act, 1867, are divided between the federal government and the provincial governments to exercise exclusively[199] and any changes to that arrangement require a constitutional amendment, while changes to the roles and powers of the territories may be performed unilaterally by the Parliament of Canada.[200]
Canada's role in developing peacekeeping and its participation in major peacekeeping initiatives during the 20th century has played a major role in its positive global image.[221] Peacekeeping is deeply embedded in Canadian culture and a distinguishing feature that Canadians feel sets their foreign policy apart from the United States.[222] Canada has long been reluctant to participate in military operations that are not sanctioned by the United Nations,[223] such as the Vietnam War or the 2003 invasion of Iraq.[223] Since the 21st century, Canadian direct participation in UN peacekeeping efforts has greatly declined.[224] The large decrease was a result of Canada directing its participation to UN-sanctioned military operations through the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, rather than directly through the UN.[225] The change to participation via NATO has resulted in a shift towards more militarized and deadly missions rather than traditional peacekeeping duties.[226]
The Toronto financial district is the second-largest financial centre in North America, the seventh-largest globally in employment and the heart of Canada's finance industry.[227]
Canada's mixed-market economy[228] is highly developed, ranking as the world's ninth-largest by nominal GDP as of 2023[update], at approximately US$2.221 trillion.[229] The country is one of the world's largest trading nations, with a highly globalized economy.[230] In 2021, Canadian trade in goods and services reached $2.016 trillion.[231]Canada's exports totalled over $637 billion, while its imported goods were worth over $631 billion, of which approximately $391 billion originated from the United States.[231] In 2018, Canada had a trade deficit in goods of $22 billion and a trade deficit in services of $25 billion.[231] The Toronto Stock Exchange is the ninth-largest stock exchange in the world by market capitalization, listing over 1,500 companies with a combined market capitalization of over US$2 trillion.[232]
Since the early 20th century, the growth of Canada's manufacturing, mining, and service sectors has transformed the nation from a largely rural economy to an urbanized, industrial one.[245] The Canadian economy is dominated by the service industry, which employs about three-quarters of the country's workforce.[246] Canada has an unusually important primary sector, of which the forestry and petroleum industries are the most prominent components.[247] Many towns in northern Canada, where agriculture is difficult, are sustained by nearby mines or sources of timber.[248]
The 2021 Canadian census enumerated a total population of 36,991,981, an increase of around 5.2 percent over the 2016 figure.[279] It is estimated that Canada's population surpassed 40,000,000 in 2023.[280] The main drivers of population growth are immigration and, to a lesser extent, natural growth.[281] Canada has one of the highest per-capita immigration rates in the world,[282] driven mainly by economic policy and family reunification.[283] A record 483,390 immigrants were admitted in 2024.[284] Canada leads the world in refugee resettlement; it resettled more than 47,600 in 2022.[285] New immigrants settle mostly in major urban areas, such as Toronto, Montreal, and Vancouver.[286]
Canada's population density, at 4.2 inhabitants per square kilometre (11/sq mi), is among the lowest in the world,[279] with approximately 95 percent of the population residing south of the 55th parallel north.[287] About 80 percent of the population lives within 150 kilometres (93 mi) of the border with the contiguous United States.[288] Canada is highly urbanized, with over 80 percent of the population living in urban centres.[289] The majority of Canadians (over 70 percent ) live below the 49th parallel, with 50 percent of Canadians living south of 45°42′ (45.7 degrees) north.[290] The most densely populated part of the country is the Quebec City–Windsor Corridor in Southern Quebec and Southern Ontario along the Great Lakes and the St. Lawrence River.[291]
The majority of Canadians (81.1 percent) live in family households, 12.1 percent report living alone, and 6.8 percent live with other relatives or unrelated persons.[292] Fifty-one percent of households are couples with or without children, 8.7 percent are single-parent households, 2.9 percent are multigenerational households, and 29.3 percent are single-person households.[292]
The country's ten largest self-reported ethnic or cultural origins in 2021 were Canadian[e] (accounting for 15.6 percent of the population), followed by English (14.7 percent), Irish (12.1 percent), Scottish (12.1 percent), French (11.0 percent), German (8.1 percent), Chinese (4.7 percent), Italian (4.3 percent), Indian (3.7 percent), and Ukrainian (3.5 percent).[299]
Of the 36.3million people enumerated in 2021, approximately 25.4million reported being "White", representing 69.8 percent of the population.[294] The Indigenous population representing 5 percent or 1.8million people, grew by 9.4 percent compared to the non-Indigenous population, which grew by 5.3 percent from 2016 to 2021.[300] One out of every four Canadians or 26.5 percent of the population belonged to a non-White and non-Indigenous visible minority,[301][f] the largest of which in 2021 were South Asian (2.6million people; 7.1 percent), Chinese (1.7million; 4.7 percent), Black (1.5million; 4.3 percent), Filipinos (960,000 2.6 percent), Arabs (690,000; 1.9 percent), Latin Americans (580,000; 1.6 percent), Southeast Asians (390,000; 1.1 percent), West Asians (360,000; 1.0 percent), Koreans (220,000; 0.6 percent) and Japanese (99,000; 0.3 percent).[294]
Between 2011 and 2016, the visible minority population rose by 18.4 percent.[303] In 1961, about 300,000 people, less than two percent of Canada's population, were members of visible minority groups.[304] The 2021 census indicated that 8.3million people, or almost one-quarter (23.0 percent) of the population, reported themselves as being or having been a landed immigrant or permanent resident in Canada—above the 1921 census previous record of 22.3 percent.[305] In 2021, India, China, and the Philippines were the top three countries of origin for immigrants moving to Canada.[306]
Quebec's 1974 Official Language Act established French as the only official language of the province.[309] Although more than 82 percent of French-speaking Canadians live in Quebec, there are substantial Francophone populations in New Brunswick, Alberta, and Manitoba, with Ontario having the largest French-speaking population outside Quebec.[310] New Brunswick, the only officially bilingual province, has an Acadian French minority constituting 33 percent of the population.[311] There are also clusters of Acadians in southwestern Nova Scotia, on Cape Breton Island, and in central and western Prince Edward Island.[312]
Other provinces have no official languages as such, but French is used as a language of instruction, in courts, and for other government services, in addition to English. Manitoba, Ontario, and Quebec allow for both English and French to be spoken in the provincial legislatures and laws are enacted in both languages. In Ontario, French has some legal status, but is not fully co-official.[313] There are 11 Indigenous language groups, composed of more than 65 distinct languages and dialects.[314] Several Indigenous languages have official status in the Northwest Territories.[315]Inuktitut is the majority language in Nunavut and is one of three official languages in the territory.[316]
As of the 2021 census, just over 7.8 million Canadians listed a non-official language as their first language. Some of the most common non-official first languages include Mandarin (679,255 first-language speakers), Punjabi (666,585), Cantonese (553,380), Spanish (538,870), Arabic (508,410), Tagalog (461,150), Italian (319,505), German (272,865), and Tamil (237,890).[292] The country is also home to many sign languages, some of which are Indigenous.[317]American Sign Language (ASL) is used across the country due to the prevalence of ASL in primary and secondary schools.[318]Quebec Sign Language (LSQ) is used primarily in Quebec.[319]
Rates of religious adherence have steadily decreased since the 1970s.[321] With Christianity in decline after having once been central and integral to Canadian culture and daily life,[324] Canada has become a post-Christian, secular state.[325] Although the majority of Canadians consider religion to be unimportant in their daily lives,[326] they still believe in God.[327] The practice of religion is generally considered a private matter.[328]
Healthcare in Canada is delivered through the provincial and territorial systems of publicly funded health care, informally called Medicare.[333] It is guided by the provisions of the Canada Health Act of 1984[334] and is universal.[335] Universal access to publicly funded health services "is often considered by Canadians as a fundamental value that ensures national healthcare insurance for everyone wherever they live in the country".[336] Around 30 percent of Canadians' healthcare is paid for through the private sector.[337] This mostly pays for services not covered or partially covered by Medicare, such as prescription drugs, dentistry and optometry.[337] Approximately 65 to 75 percent of Canadians have some form of supplementary health insurance; many receive it through their employers or access secondary social service programs.[338]
In common with many other developed countries, Canada is experiencing an increase in healthcare expenditures due to a demographic shift toward an older population, with more retirees and fewer people of working age. In 2021, the average age in Canada was 41.9 years.[292] Life expectancy is 81.1 years.[339] A 2016 report by the chief public health officer found that 88 percent of Canadians, one of the highest proportions of the population among G7 countries, indicated that they "had good or very good health".[340] Eighty percent of Canadian adults self-report having at least one major risk factor for chronic disease: smoking, physical inactivity, unhealthy eating or excessive alcohol use.[341] Canada has one of the highest rates of adult obesity among OECD countries, contributing to approximately 2.7 million cases of diabetes.[341] Four chronic diseases—cancer (leading cause of death), cardiovascular diseases, respiratory diseases, and diabetes—account for 65 percent of deaths in Canada.[342] There are approximately 8million people aged 15 and older with one or more disabilities in Canada.[343]
In 2024, the Canadian Institute for Health Information estimated that healthcare spending reached $372billion, or 12.4 percent of Canada's GDP for that year.[344] In 2022, Canada's per-capita spending on health expenditures ranked 12th among health-care systems in the OECD.[345] Canada has performed close to, or above the average on the majority of OECD health indicators since the early 2000s, ranking above the average on OECD indicators for wait-times and access to care, with average scores for quality of care and use of resources.[346] The Commonwealth Fund's 2021 report comparing the healthcare systems of the 11 most developed countries ranked Canada second-to-last.[347] Identified weaknesses were comparatively higher infant mortality rate, the prevalence of chronic conditions, long wait times, poor availability of after-hours care, and a lack of prescription drugs and dental coverage.[347] An increasing problem in Canada's health system is a lack of healthcare professionals,[348] and hospital capacity.[349]
Canada by province and territory, showing the percentage of the population aged 25 to 64 who had a bachelor's degree or higher, and the percentage point change from 2016 to 2021[350]
According to a 2022 report by the OECD, Canada is one of the most educated countries in the world;[358] the country ranks first worldwide in the percentage of adults having tertiary education, with over 56 percent of Canadian adults having attained at least an undergraduate college or university degree.[359] Canada spends an average of 5.3 percent of its GDP on education.[360] The country invests heavily in tertiary education (more than US$20,000 per student).[361] As of 2022[update], 89 percent of adults aged 25 to 64 have earned the equivalent of a high-school degree, compared to an OECD average of 75 percent.[362]
Historically, Canada has been influenced by British, French, and Indigenous cultures and traditions.[364] During the 20th century, Canadians with African, Caribbean, and Asian nationalities have added to the Canadian identity and its culture.[365] Canada's culture draws influences from its broad range of constituent nationalities, and policies that promote a just society are constitutionally protected.[366] Since the 1960s, Canada has emphasized human rights and inclusiveness for all its people.[367] Canadian identity shifted from primarily British-based to multicultural between the 1960s and 1970s.[368]
Themes of nature, pioneers, trappers, and traders played an important part in the early development of Canadian symbolism.[377] Modern symbols emphasize the country's geography, northern climate, lifestyles, and the Canadianization of traditional European and Indigenous symbols.[378] The use of the maple leaf as a symbol dates to the early 18th century in New France.[379] The maple leaf is depicted on Canada's current and previous flags and on the arms of Canada.[380] Canada's official tartan, known as the "maple leaf tartan", reflects the colours of the maple leaf through the seasons—green in the spring, gold in the early autumn, red at the first frost, and brown after falling.[381] The arms of Canada are closely modelled after those of the United Kingdom, with French and distinctive Canadian elements replacing or added to those derived from the British version.[382]
Author Margaret Atwood has suggested that during the 1970s Canadian literature was still looking for a national identity.[387]
Canadian literature is often divided into French- and English-language literatures, which are rooted in the literary traditions of France and Britain, respectively.[388] The earliest Canadian narratives were of travel and exploration.[389] This developed into three major themes of historical Canadian literature: nature, frontier life, and Canada's position within the world, all of which tie into the garrison mentality.[390] The evolution of Canadian literature is intricately linked to the country's historical and social contexts, often mirroring the challenges and changes in Canadian society.[391] As Canadian literature progressed into the 20th and 21st centuries, it began to address a broader array of subjects and themes, such as women's rights, LGBTQ rights, immigrant experiences, environmental issues, the relationship with Indigenous peoples, and Canadian values and identity.[392]
Art in Canada is marked by thousands of years of habitation by Indigenous peoples,[397] and, in later times, artists have combined British, French, Indigenous, and American artistic traditions, at times embracing European styles while working to promote nationalism.[398] The nature of Canadian art reflects these diverse origins, as artists have taken their traditions and adapted these influences to reflect the reality of their lives in Canada.[399] The Group of Seven is often considered the first uniquely Canadian artistic group and style of painting.[400]Inuit art since the 1950s has been the traditional gift given to foreign dignitaries by the Canadian government.[401]
Historically, the Catholic Church was the primary patron of art in early Canada, especially Quebec.[402] The Government of Canada has played a role in the development of art, through the department of Canadian Heritage by giving grants to art galleries,[403] as well as by establishing and funding art schools and colleges across the country, and through the Canada Council for the Arts.[404] The Canada Council Art Bank also helps artists by buying and publicizing their work.[405] Great achievements in art in Canada are recognized through various awards and prizes, such as the Molson Prize, the Audain Prize for the Visual Arts, and the Governor General's Visual and Media Arts Awards.[406]
"God Save the King" has been used in Canada since the late 1700s and is the country's de facto royal anthem.[416]Patriotic music by Canadians dates back over 200 years, with "The Bold Canadian", written in 1812, popular throughout the 19th century.[417] "The Maple Leaf Forever", written in 1866, was popular and served as an unofficial national anthem of English Canada.[418] "O Canada", originally composed in French in 1880, also served as an unofficial national anthem during the 20th century and was adopted as the country's official anthem in 1980.[407]
Canadian mass media, both print and digital, and in both official languages, is largely dominated by a "handful of corporations".[422] The largest of these corporations is the country's national public broadcaster, the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, which also plays a significant role in producing domestic cultural content, operating its own radio and TV networks in both English and French.[423] In addition to the CBC, some provincial governments offer their own public educational TV broadcast services as well, such as TVOntario and Télé-Québec.[424]
Non-news media content in Canada, including film and television, is influenced both by local creators as well as by imports from the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, and France.[425] In an effort to reduce the amount of foreign-made media, government interventions in television broadcasting can include both regulation of content and public financing.[426]Canadian tax laws limit foreign competition in magazine advertising.[427]
In terms of participation, swimming was the most commonly reported sport by over one-third (35 percent) of Canadians in 2023.[435] This was closely followed by cycling (33 percent) and running (27 percent).[435] The popularity of specific sports varies;[436] in general, the Canadian-born population was more likely to have participated in winter sports such as ice hockey (the most popular young adult team sport),[435]skating, skiing and snowboarding, compared with immigrants, who were more likely to have played soccer (the most popular youth team sport),[437]tennis or basketball.[435] Sports such as golf, volleyball, badminton, bowling, and martial arts are also widely enjoyed at the youth and amateur levels.[438]
^"Brokerage politics: A Canadian term for successful big tent parties that embody a pluralistic catch-all approach to appeal to the median Canadian voter ... adopting centrist policies and electoral coalitions to satisfy the short-term preferences of a majority of electors who are not located on the ideological fringe."[156] "The traditional brokerage model of Canadian politics leaves little room for ideology."[157]
^ "The Royal Canadian Navy is composed of approximately 8,400 full-time sailors and 5,100 part-time sailors. The Army is composed of approximately 22,800 full-time soldiers, 18,700 reservists, and 5,000 Canadian Rangers. The Royal Canadian Air Force is composed of approximately 13,000 Regular Force personnel and 2,400 Air Reserve personnel."[219]
^All citizens of Canada are classified as "Canadians" as defined by Canada's nationality laws. "Canadian" as an ethnic group has since 1996 been added to census questionnaires for possible ancestral origin or descent. "Canadian" was included as an example on the English questionnaire and "Canadien" as an example on the French questionnaire.[297] "The majority of respondents to this selection are from the eastern part of the country that was first settled. Respondents generally are visibly European (Anglophones and Francophones) and no longer self-identify with their ethnic ancestral origins. This response is attributed to a multitude or generational distance from ancestral lineage."[298]
^Indigenous peoples are not considered a visible minority in Statistics Canada calculations. Visible minorities are defined by Statistics Canada as "persons, other than Aboriginal peoples, who are non-Caucasian in race or non-white in colour".[302]
^Thornton, Russell (2000). "Population history of Native North Americans". In Haines, Michael R; Steckel, Richard Hall (eds.). A population history of North America. Cambridge University Press. pp. 13, 380. ISBN978-0-521-49666-7.
^O'Donnell, C. Vivian (2008). "Native Populations of Canada". In Bailey, Garrick Alan (ed.). Indians in Contemporary Society. Handbook of North American Indians. Vol. 2. Government Printing Office. p. 285. ISBN978-0-16-080388-8.
Wallace, Birgitta (October 12, 2018). "Leif Eriksson". The Canadian Encyclopedia. Archived from the original on April 13, 2021. Retrieved June 4, 2020.
^Allaire, Gratien (May 2007). "From 'Nouvelle-France' to 'Francophonie canadienne': a historical survey". International Journal of the Sociology of Language (185): 25–52. doi:10.1515/IJSL.2007.024. ISSN0165-2516.
^Romney, Paul (Spring 1989). "From Constitutionalism to Legalism: Trial by Jury, Responsible Government, and the Rule of Law in the Canadian Political Culture". Law and History Review. 7 (1): 121–174. doi:10.2307/743779. JSTOR743779.
^Mulvale, James P (July 11, 2008). "Basic Income and the Canadian Welfare State: Exploring the Realms of Possibility". Basic Income Studies. 3 (1). doi:10.2202/1932-0183.1084.
^Mackey, Eva (2002). The house of difference: cultural politics and national identity in Canada. University of Toronto Press. p. 57. ISBN978-0-8020-8481-1.
^Landry, Rodrigue; Forgues, Éric (May 2007). "Official language minorities in Canada: an introduction". International Journal of the Sociology of Language (185): 1–9. doi:10.1515/IJSL.2007.022.
^Munroe, HD (2009). "The October Crisis Revisited: Counterterrorism as Strategic Choice, Political Result, and Organizational Practice". Terrorism and Political Violence. 21 (2): 288–305. doi:10.1080/09546550902765623.
Foot, Richard (August 2, 2019). "Canadian Peacekeepers in Somalia". thecanadianencyclopedia.ca. Historica Canada. Archived from the original on March 12, 2024. Retrieved February 26, 2024.
"Canada and the War in Afghanistan". The Canadian Encyclopedia. September 11, 2001. Archived from the original on January 29, 2024. Retrieved March 25, 2024. In total, 165 Canadians died during the war in Afghanistan (158 soldiers, 7 civilians). More than 2,000 members of the CAF were wounded or injured during the war.
^Etkin, David; Haque, CE; Brooks, Gregory R (April 30, 2003). An Assessment of Natural Hazards and Disasters in Canada. Springer. pp. 569, 582, 583. ISBN978-1-4020-1179-5.
^Zhang, X.; Flato, G.; Kirchmeier-Young, M.; Vincent, L.; Wan, H.; Wang, X.; Rong, R.; Fyfe, J.; Li, G. (2019). Bush, E.; Lemmen, D.S. (eds.). "Changes in Temperature and Precipitation Across Canada; Chapter 4"(PDF). Canada's Changing Climate Report. Government of Canada. pp. 112–193. Archived(PDF) from the original on December 18, 2020.
^Canada, Climate Change (January 9, 2007). "Greenhouse gas emissions". Canada.ca. Archived from the original on April 11, 2020. Retrieved May 18, 2024.
^"Wild Species 2015: The General Status of Species in Canada"(PDF). National General Status Working Group: 1. Canadian Endangered Species Conservation Council. 2016. p. 2. Archived(PDF) from the original on January 27, 2021. The new estimate indicates that there are about 80,000 known species in Canada, excluding viruses and bacteria
^"Canada: Main Details". Convention on Biological Diversity. Archived from the original on August 10, 2022. Retrieved August 10, 2022.
McLachlin, Beverly (June 30, 2014). "Human Rights Protection in Canada". " Osgoode Hall Review of Law and Policy. Canada's experience with human rights. Canada's experience can be divided into three phases: 1) Judicially implied rights; 2) Legislatively protected rights; and 3) Constitutionally protected human rights. Before human rights legislation and the Charter, courts in Canada relied on the theory of an "implied bill of rights" to protect traditional civil liberties such as freedom of speech and association. The theoretical foundation for these rights was the importance of free political speech and discussion in a democracy.
Brooks, Stephen (2004). Canadian Democracy: An Introduction. Oxford University Press. p. 265. ISBN978-0-19-541806-4. Two historically dominant political parties have avoided ideological appeals in favour of a flexible centrist style of politics that is often labelled brokerage politics
Johnson, David (2016). Thinking Government: Public Administration and Politics in Canada (4th ed.). University of Toronto Press. pp. 13–23. ISBN978-1-4426-3521-0. ...most Canadian governments, especially in the federal sphere, have taken a moderate, centrist approach to decision making, seeking to balance growth, stability, and governmental efficiency and economy...
Ambrose, Emma; Mudde, Cas (2015). "Canadian Multiculturalism and the Absence of the Far Right". Nationalism and Ethnic Politics. 21 (2): 213–236. doi:10.1080/13537113.2015.1032033.
Blake, Raymond B. (January 2, 2024). "Locating the Right in Canadian Political History". American Review of Canadian Studies. 54 (1). Informa UK Limited: 1–8. doi:10.1080/02722011.2024.2326264. ISSN0272-2011. Social conservatives and the extreme right have had limited success designing the direction and policies of Canada's right-wing political parties.
^Commissioner of the Northwest Territories, Role of the Commissioner, Government of Northwest Territories, archived from the original on March 8, 2023, retrieved March 8, 2023
^Bousfield, Dan (September 1, 2013). "Canadian Foreign Policy in an Era of New Constitutionalism". American Review of Canadian Studies. 43 (3): 394–412. doi:10.1080/02722011.2013.819369. ISSN0272-2011.
Haglung, David G (Autumn 2003). "North American Cooperation in an Era of Homeland Security". Orbis. 47 (4): 675–691. doi:10.1016/S0030-4387(03)00072-3.
^James, Patrick (2006). Michaud, Nelson; O'Reilly, Marc J (eds.). Handbook of Canadian Foreign Policy. Lexington Books. pp. 213–214, 349–362. ISBN978-0-7391-1493-3.
Canada Intelligence, Security Activities and Operations Handbook Volume 1 Intelligence Service Organizations, Regulations, Activities. International Business Publications. 2015. p. 27. ISBN978-0-7397-1615-1.
^Heritage, Canadian (October 23, 2017). "Human rights treaties". Canada.ca. Archived from the original on March 15, 2024. Retrieved March 15, 2024.
Gutiérrez-Haces, Maria Teresa (November 6, 2018). Identity and Otherness in Canadian Foreign Policy. Collection internationale d'Études canadiennes | International Canadian Studies Series. University of Ottawa Press. pp. 231–250. ISBN978-0-7766-2722-9. Archived from the original on March 4, 2024. Retrieved March 4, 2024.
^ abMassie, Justin (April 30, 2019). "Why Canada Goes to War: Explaining Combat Participation in US-led Coalitions". Canadian Journal of Political Science. 52 (3). Cambridge University Press (CUP): 575–594. doi:10.1017/s0008423919000040.
^Vodden, K; Cunsolo, A. (2021). Warren, F.J.; Lulham, N. (eds.). "Rural and Remote Communities; Chapter 3"(PDF). Canada in a Changing Climate: National Issues Report. Government of Canada. Archived(PDF) from the original on December 9, 2023.
^ abcd"The Canadian census: A rich portrait of the country's religious and ethnocultural diversity". Statistics Canada. October 26, 2022. Archived from the original on December 27, 2023. In 2021, just over 25 million people reported being White in the census, representing close to 70% of the total Canadian population. The vast majority reported being White only, while 2.4% also reported one or more other racialized groups.
^Fettes, Mark; Norton, Ruth (2001). "Voices of Winter: Aboriginal Languages and Public Policy in Canada". In Castellano, Marlene Brant; Davis, Lynne; Lahache, Louise (eds.). Aboriginal education: fulfilling the promise. UBC Press. p. 39. ISBN978-0-7748-0783-8.
^"17.2 Universality". The Health of Canadians – The Federal Role (Report). Parliament of Canada. Archived from the original on January 17, 2017. Retrieved January 5, 2017.
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Shizha, Edward (2018). "Ethnic Enclaves in Canada: Opportunities and Challenges of Residing Within". Living beyond the borders: essays on global immigrants and refugees. Peter Lang. pp. 162–179. ISBN978-1-4331-4868-2.
"Focus Canada (Final Report)"(PDF). The Environics Institute. Queen's University. 2010. p. 4 (PDF page 8). Archived from the original(PDF) on February 4, 2016. Retrieved December 12, 2015.
^Monaghan, David (2013). "The Mother Beaver". The House of Commons Heritage. Archived from the original on December 22, 2015. Retrieved December 12, 2015.
^Hutchins, Donna; Hutchins, Nigel (2006). The Maple Leaf Forever: A Celebration of Canadian Symbols. The Boston Mills Press. p. iix. ISBN978-1-55046-474-0.
^Mullen, Carol A. (2020). "Introduction". Canadian Indigenous Literature and Art: Decolonizing Education, Culture, and Society. Brill Sense. ISBN978-90-04-41426-6.
^Cook, Ramsay (1974). "Landscape Painting and National Sentiment in Canada". Historical Reflections / Réflexions Historiques. 1 (2): 263–283. JSTOR41298655.
The area was called "Chebucto" until Halifax was established by Governor Edward Cornwallis in 1749, named in honour of George Montagu-Dunk, 2nd Earl of Halifax.[7][8] The Mi'kmaq name for the harbour around which Halifax exists is K'jipuktuk[9] or Chebookt,[a] meaning "Chief Harbour" or "Great Harbour" in the Mi'kmaq language.[7][11] Additionally, the Mi'kmaq referred to the area of the Halifax Peninsula comprising the downtown area and Point Pleasant Park as Amntu'kati,[12] while the hillside where Halifax was established was referred to as Gooowakade, meaning "place of many pines".[10]
Before the mid-1700s, when a European (British) settlement was established at Halifax, the Colony of Nova Scotia had been administered from Annapolis Royal, near the Western opening of the Bay of Fundy. However, in 1749, King George II ordered Edward Cornwallis to establish Halifax as a new capital. Equipped with 13 transports and a sloop of war, Cornwallis founded the Town of Halifax on what is now known as the Halifax Peninsula, on June 21, 1749.[13]
The establishment of Halifax marked the beginning of Father Le Loutre's War. By unilaterally establishing Halifax, the British were violating treaties with the Mi'kmaq (1726) that were signed after Father Rale's War.[14] Cornwallis brought along 1,176 settlers and their families. To protect the new Protestant settlements from Mi'kmaq, Acadian, and French attacks, British fortifications were erected in Halifax (Citadel Hill, 1749), Bedford (Fort Sackville, 1749), Dartmouth (1750), and Lawrencetown (1754), all areas within the modern-day Municipality.
In the 18th and 19th centuries, Halifax grew to become a centre of government (particularly military), trade, and shipbuilding. The completion of the Intercolonial Railway in 1876 helped make Halifax a major gateway for Atlantic trade—particularly in winter, when ice made ports on the St. Lawrence River inaccessible.
This connection to trans-Atlantic trade and military enterprises bore deadly consequences on December 6, 1917. In one of the great disasters in Canadian history, the SS Mont-Blanc, a French cargo ship carrying munitions, collided with the Belgian Relief vessel SS Imo in "The Narrows" between upper Halifax Harbour and Bedford Basin. The resulting Halifax Explosion devastated the Richmond District in the North End of Halifax, killing about 2,000 people and injuring nearly 9,000 others.[15] The blast was the largest artificial explosion before the development of nuclear weapons.[16] Aid came from Boston, strengthening the bond between the two coastal cities.
In addition to the capital City of Halifax (on the western side of the harbour), the City of Dartmouth (eastern side) and the Town of Bedford (northern tip of the Bedford Basin) grew up through the 19th and 20th centuries. Halifax County was originally understood as a higher-level geographic unit responsible for, among other things, court services throughout both the incorporated Cities and Town, and the unorganized territory of the remainder of the county. However, by the mid-20th century, this structure had evolved such that "the County" was a distinct municipality including only the areas that were not included within the Cities and Town.
These four municipalities (City of Halifax, City of Dartmouth, Town of Bedford, Halifax County) coordinated delivery of some services through a body known as the Metropolitan Authority starting in the late 1970s, but remained independent municipal bodies until April 1, 1996, when the provincial government amalgamated all municipal governments within Halifax County to create the Halifax Regional Municipality. Thus, the modern municipal boundary now includes all of Halifax County except for several Mi'kmaq reserves.[17]
Since amalgamation, the region has officially been known as the Halifax Regional Municipality (HRM), but "Halifax" has remained in common usage for brevity. In April 2014, the Regional Council approved a new brand identity for the region, under which the name "Halifax" is used for marketing and communications purposes; "Halifax Regional Municipality" remains the region's official name.[18][19][20]
Halifax has a humid continental climate (KöppenDfb), with warm summers and relatively mild winters, which is due to Gulf Stream moderation. The weather is usually milder in the winter or cooler in the summer than areas at similar latitudes inland, with the temperature remaining (with occasional notable exceptions) between about −8 and 28 °C (18 and 82 °F).[21] January is the coldest month, being the only month with a high that is slightly below freezing at −0.1 °C (31.8 °F), while August is the warmest. The sea heavily influences the climate of the area, causing significant seasonal lag in summer, with August being significantly warmer than June and with September being the third mildest month in terms of mean temperature.[22]
Hurricane Juan, a category 2 storm, hit in September 2003 and caused considerable damage to the region. Hurricane Earl grazed the coast as a category 1 storm in 2010. In 2019, Hurricane Dorian made landfall just south of Halifax as a post-tropical storm with an intensity equivalent to a category 2 hurricane and caused significant damage across Nova Scotia. In 2021 Hurricane Ida hit the region with minor damage. In 2022, Hurricane Fiona hit as a category 2 storm, although damage was relatively minor in Halifax, with downed trees and widespread power outages for days.[23]
The highest temperature ever recorded in Halifax was 37.2 °C (99.0 °F) on July 10, 1912,[24] and the lowest temperature recorded was −29.4 °C (−20.9 °F) on February 18, 1922.[25] In spite of the possibility of high temperatures, in a normal year there are only three days that go above 30 °C (86 °F).[26] Halifax also has a modest frost count by Canadian standards due to the maritime influence, averaging 131 air frosts and 49 full days below freezing annually.[26] On average the frost-free period is 182 days, ranging from May 1 to October 31.[26]
Climate data for Halifax (Citadel Hill)
Climate ID: 8202220; coordinates
In Canada, metro areas include neighbouring municipalities where more than half of the commuters commute into the core municipality. Between the 2016 Canadian Census and the 2021 Canadian Census, East Hants, a formerly rural, but increasingly exurban community located north of the main Halifax population centre, was added to the Halifax metro area, due to the increased population who commute from East Hants to Halifax. Before the 2021 Canadian Census, Metropolitan Halifax covered 549,631 hectares (5,496.31 square kilometres; 2,122.14 square miles)[49] After the addition of the East Hants, the metropolitan area's land area expanded by 177,991 hectares (1,779.91 km2) to its current land area.[48]
This section needs to be updated. The reason given is: Cites old data. Please help update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information.(October 2025)
Since 1 April 1996, the entirety of the County of Halifax and all its places (cities, suburbs, towns, and villages) were turned into communities of a larger single-tier municipality called Halifax Regional Municipality. As of 2021, the total surface area of the municipality is 5,475.57 km2 (2,114.13 sq mi).[2]
There are varying definitions of the "core" of Halifax. For planning purposes, the Municipality defines the "Regional Centre" as including the Halifax Peninsula and Dartmouth inside the Circumferential Highway. This urban area covers 3,300 hectares (33 square kilometres; 13 square miles)[50] and houses 96,619 people in 55,332 dwelling units as of the 2016 Census.[51]
There are over 200 official communities and neighbourhoods within the Halifax municipality. The former town of Bedford, and the former cities of Dartmouth and Halifax have maintained their original geographic names. Furthermore, some communities that were suburban, or even rural before 1996, now have become more urban and have attained community status (e.g. Cole Harbour, Lower Sackville, Spryfield, etc.)[52]
View of Purdy's Wharf, an office complex in Downtown Halifax
At 23,829 hectares (238.29 square kilometres; 92.00 square miles), Halifax's urban area (defined as population centre by Statistics Canada) is less than five percent of the municipal land area.[53] The area surrounds Halifax Harbour and its main centres are Bedford, Dartmouth, and Halifax (and their respective environs).
Halifax is a major cultural centre within the Atlantic provinces. The municipality has maintained many of its maritime and military traditions, while opening itself to a growing multicultural population. The municipality's urban core also benefits from a large population of post-secondary students who strongly influence the local cultural scene. Halifax has a number of art galleries, theatres and museums, as well as most of the region's national-quality sports and entertainment facilities. Halifax is also the home to many of the region's major cultural attractions, such as Halifax Pop Explosion, Symphony Nova Scotia, the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia, The Khyber, the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic and the Neptune Theatre.[citation needed]
Halifax's urban core is home to a number of regional landmark buildings and retains significant historic buildings and districts. Downtown office towers are overlooked by the fortress of Citadel Hill with its iconic Halifax Town Clock.[citation needed]
The Halifax area has a variety of public spaces, ranging from urban gardens, public squares, expansive forested parks, and historic sites. The original grid plan devised when Halifax was founded in 1749 included a central military parade square, the Grand Parade. The square hosts the City Hall at one end, and is a popular site for concerts, political demonstrations, as well as the annual Remembrance Day ceremony at the central cenotaph. Another popular downtown public space is the timber Halifax Boardwalk, which stretches approximately 3 km (1.9 mi) and is integrated with several squares and monuments.[citation needed]
The Halifax Common, granted for the use of citizens in 1763, is Canada's oldest public park.[56] Centrally located on the Halifax Peninsula, the wide fields are a popular location for sports. The slopes of Citadel Hill, overlooking downtown, are favoured by sunbathers and kite-flyers. The Halifax Public Gardens, a short walk away, are Victorian era public gardens formally established in 1867 and designated a National Historic Site in 1984. Victoria Park, across the street, contains various monuments and statues erected by the North British Society, as well as a fountain. In contrast to the urban parks, the expansive Point Pleasant Park at the southern tip of the peninsula is heavily forested and contains the remains of numerous British fortifications.[citation needed]
Located on the opposite side of the harbour, the Dartmouth Commons is a large park next to Downtown Dartmouth laid out in the 1700s. It is home to the Leighton Dillman gardens and various sports grounds. Nearby, the Dartmouth waterfront trail stretches from Downtown Dartmouth to Woodside. Among residents of central Dartmouth, the area around Sullivan's Pond and Lake Banook is popular for strolling and paddling. The forested Shubie Park, through which the historic Shubenacadie Canal runs, is a major park in suburban Dartmouth.[citation needed]
Mainland Halifax is home to several significant parks, including Sir Sandford Fleming Park, gifted to the people of Halifax by Sir Sandford Fleming. It houses the Dingle Tower, dedicated in 1912 by the Duke of Connaught to commemorate 150 years of representative government in Nova Scotia. The Mainland Common, in Clayton Park, is a modern park home to various sports and community facilities. Long Lake Provincial Park, comprising more than 2,000 hectares, was designated in 1984 and affords Halifax residents access to a scenic wilderness in close proximity to the urban communities.[57]
The waterfront in Downtown Halifax is the site of the Halifax Harbourwalk, a 3-kilometre (2 mi) boardwalk popular among tourists and locals alike. Many mid-sized ships dock here at one of the many wharfs. The harbourwalk is home to a Halifax Transit ferry terminal, hundreds of stores, Historic Properties, several office buildings, the Casino Nova Scotia, and several public squares where buskers perform, most prominently at the annual Halifax International Busker Festival every August.[citation needed]
Cruise ships visit the province frequently. In 2015, the Port of Halifax welcomed 141 vessel calls with 222,309 passengers.[60][better source needed]
Halifax is the Atlantic region's central point for radio broadcast and press media. CBC Television, CTV Television Network (CTV), and Global Television Network and other broadcasters all have important regional television concentrators in the municipality. CBC Radio has a major regional studio and there are also regional hubs for Rogers Radio and various private broadcast franchises, as well as a regional bureau for The Canadian Press/Broadcast News.[citation needed]
Halifax's print media is centred on its single daily newspaper, the broadsheet Chronicle Herald as well as two free newspapers, the daily commuter-oriented edition of Metro International and the free alternative arts weekly The Coast.[citation needed]
Halifax has several online daily newspapers. allNovaScotia is a daily, subscriber-only outlet which focuses on business and political news from across the province.[61]CityNews Halifax, associated with the CJNI-FM radio station, was created from a merger of the former News 95.7 and HalifaxToday (previously Local Xpress) news websites. The Halifax Examiner was founded by the former news editor of The Coast in 2014 and, like allNovaScotia, is supported through subscriptions.
From 1974 to 2008, Halifax had a second daily newspaper, the tabloid The Daily News, which still publishes several neighbourhood weekly papers such as The Bedford-Sackville Weekly News, The Halifax West-Clayton Park Weekly News and the Dartmouth-Cole Harbour Weekly News. These weekly papers compete with The Chronicle-Herald's weekly Community Heralds HRM West, HRM East, and HRM North.[citation needed]
The Halifax Thunderbirds became the city's National Lacrosse League team in September 2018, when it moved from Rochester.[66] On March 12, 2020, their inaugural season was cut short by the COVID-19 pandemic.[67] Still, the team received two league awards: Defensive Player of the Year and Executive of the Year.[68][69] In the 2021–2022 season, they reached their first playoffs, where they were defeated by the Toronto Rock 14–13 in overtime[70] in the conference semi-final.
Halifax has been a recurring subject of proposed expansion teams in the Canadian Football League; the Atlantic Schooners were proposed in the 1980s as a Halifax-based expansion team that would play out of Dartmouth, but folded after failing to secure funding for a stadium.[74] A second attempt at the Schooners was pursued by an ownership group known as Schooners Sports and Entertainment in the 2010s; in an effort to gauge interest in the franchise, the group hosted the neutral-site Touchdown Atlantic game at Huskies Stadium in 2023, marking the first regular-season CFL game played in Halifax.[75] The Schooners Sports and Entertainment bid also collapsed, after the ownership group was unable to secure a deal for a stadium in Dartmouth.[76][77]
Current professional/semi-professional sports teams in Halifax
Dalhousie University's varsity team goes by the moniker Tigers. They have teams for basketball, hockey, soccer, swimming, track and field, cross country running, and volleyball. The Tigers garnered a number of championships in the first decade of the 20th century, winning 63 AUS championships and two U Sports championships.[80]
Halifax's other U Sports university, located in close proximity to Dalhousie University, is Saint Mary's University with the moniker of the Huskies. Known for their football programme, the Huskies play at Huskies Stadium and won back-to-back Canadian University Football Championships (2001 & 2002), only the third university to do so.[81]
Finally, two of Halifax's smaller universities are part of the Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA). Mount Saint Vincent University, home to the Mystics, competes in the Atlantic Collegiate Athletic Association (ACAA), a member of the CCAA, in Women's & Men's Basketball, Women's & Men's Soccer, Cross Country and Women's Volleyball.[82] The Mystics hold a championship titles in all sports, making them the most acclaimed team of the ACAA division. University of King's College is also a member of the ACAA. The varsity athletics teams at the University of King's College are named the Blue Devils.[83] Sporting teams include men's and women's basketball, soccer, badminton and rugby, and women's volleyball.[84]
From 1984 to 2007, the region was home to the CIS Men's Basketball Championship; the tournament was moved to Ottawa, Ontario, from 2008 to 2010 and returned to Halifax in 2011 and 2012.
Halifax was selected in 2006 as the host municipality in Canada's bid for the 2014 Commonwealth Games but withdrew on March 8, 2007, citing ballooning costs from final estimates of $1.7 billion up from $785 million.[85]
At the census metropolitan area (CMA) level in the 2021 census, the Halifax CMA had a population of 465,703 living in 201,138 of its 211,789 total private dwellings, a change of 9.1% from its 2016 population of 426,932. With a land area of 7,276.22 km2 (2,809.36 sq mi), it had a population density of 64.0/km2 (165.8/sq mi) in 2021.[86]
Prior to 1996, the figures are for Halifax County. From 1996 onwards, the figures are for Halifax Regional Municipality.
Source: Statistics Canada
In the 2021 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, the Halifax Regional Municipality had a population of 439,819 living in 190,512 of its 200,473 total private dwellings, a change of 9.1% from its 2016 population of 403,131. With a land area of 5,475.57 km2 (2,114.13 sq mi), it had a population density of 80.3/km2 (208.0/sq mi) in 2021.[2]
The 2021 census reported that immigrants (individuals born outside Canada) comprise 50,595 persons or 12.6% of the total population of Halifax. Of the total immigrant population, the top countries of origin were United Kingdom (6,345 persons or 12.5%), India (4,785 persons or 9.5%), China (3,740 persons or 7.4%), United States of America (3,545 persons or 7.0%), Philippines (3,415 persons or 6.7%), Syria (2,085 persons or 4.1%), Nigeria (1,625 persons or 3.2%), Lebanon (1,340 persons or 2.6%), South Korea (1,020 persons or 2.0%), and Iran (980 persons or 1.9%).[87]
St. Paul's Church is the oldest Christian church in Halifax. Halifax is a religiously diverse municipality, and has several landmark religious institutions:[93]
Before 1996, figures were from Halifax County. After 1996, figures onwards are for Halifax Regional Municipality.
Source: [94][95][96][97][98]
As of 2021, the population centre (urban area) of Halifax housed 348,634 people living in 154,883 of its 162,336 total private dwellings.[3] The human population density of Halifax's population centre was approximately 1,463.1/km2 (3,789.3/sq mi).[3]
Between 2016 and 2021, the urban area (population centre) and municipal areas experienced strong growth. Over that time-frame; the municipality added 36,688 people (an increase of over 9.1%), and the urban area (population centre) added 31,300 people (an increase of over 9.8%).
The urban area of Halifax is a major economic centre in eastern Canada with a large concentration of government services and private sector companies. Halifax serves as the business, banking, government and cultural centre for the Maritime region. The largest employment sectors within the municipality include trade (36,400 jobs), health care and social assistance (31,800 jobs), professional services (19,000 jobs), education (17,400 jobs), and public administration (15,800 jobs).[99] The Halifax economy is growing, with the Conference Board of Canada predicting strong 3.0% GDP growth for 2015.[99]
Agriculture, fishing, mining, forestry and natural gas extraction are major resource industries found in the rural areas of the municipality. Halifax's largest agricultural district is in the Musquodoboit Valley; the total number of farms in Halifax is 150, of which 110 are family-owned. Fishing harbours are located along all coastal areas with some having an independent harbour authority, such as the Sheet Harbour Industrial Port,[102] and others being managed as small craft harbours under the federal Fisheries and Oceans Canada.
The Halifax Regional Municipality is governed by a mayor (elected at large) and a sixteen-person council. Councillors are elected by geographic district, with municipal elections occurring every four years. The current mayor of Halifax is Andy Fillmore. The Halifax Regional Council is responsible for all facets of municipal government, including the Halifax Regional Police, Halifax Public Libraries, Halifax Fire and Emergency, Halifax Regional Water Commission, parks and recreation, civic addressing, public works, waste management, and planning and development.[103] The provincial legislation that provides governance oversight to the municipality is the Halifax Regional Municipality Charter.[103] The municipality has a proposed operating budget of $869 million for 2015–2016.[104]
The municipality also has four community councils that consider local matters. Each community council comprises five or six regional councillors representing neighbouring districts.[105] Most community council decisions are subject to final approval by regional council.[103]
Established in 1818, Dalhousie University is among the oldest English-language post-secondary institutions in Canada.
Halifax has a well-developed network of public and private schools, providing instruction from grade primary to grade twelve; 137 public schools are administered by the Halifax Regional Centre for Education, while eight public schools are administered by the Conseil scolaire acadien provincial.[109] The municipality's fourteen private schools are operated independently.[citation needed]
In recent years, the municipality has also begun to place increased emphasis on developing bicycling infrastructure. Halifax has developed 100 km (62 mi) of bikeways, 89 km (55 mi) of which are dedicated bicycle lanes.[111]
Public transit is provided by Halifax Transit, which operates standard bus routes, regional express bus routes, as well as the pedestrian-only Halifax-Dartmouth Ferry Service. Established in 1752, the municipality's ferry service is the oldest continuously running salt water ferry service in North America.[112]
The Port of Halifax is North America's first inbound and last outbound shipping gateway to Europe.
The Halifax Port Authority's various shipping terminals constitute the eastern terminus of Canadian National Railway's transcontinental network. Via Rail Canada provides overnight passenger rail service from the Halifax Railway Station three days a week to Montreal with the Ocean, a train equipped with sleeper cars that stops in major centres along the way, such as Moncton. The Halifax Railway Station also serves as the terminus for Maritime Bus, which serves destinations across the Maritimes.[citation needed]
Halifax Harbour is a major port used by numerous shipping lines, administered by the Halifax Port Authority. The Royal Canadian Navy and the Canadian Coast Guard have major installations along prominent sections of coastline in both Halifax and Dartmouth. The harbour is also home to a public ferry service connecting downtown Halifax to two locations in Dartmouth, with plans in development to add an additional ferry route connecting downtown and Bedford by 2028.[113]
Sheet Harbour is the other major port in the municipality and serves industrial users on the Eastern Shore.[citation needed]
Hakodate, Japan (1982). The cities chose to twin because they both have star forts and are both maritime ports. Halifax has donated many fir trees to the annual Hakodate Christmas Fantasy festival.[114][115]
Campeche, Mexico (1999). Campeche was chosen because, like Halifax, it is "a capital of a state" and is "a city of similar size to Halifax on or near the coast having rich historical tradition".[116]
Norfolk, Virginia, United States (2006). Norfolk was chosen because, like Halifax, its economy "depends heavily on the presence of the Armed Forces, and both cities are very proud of their military history".[117]
Portsmouth, England (2023). Halifax and Portsmouth signed a sister city agreement in early 2023. They chose to twin as both cities are historic naval and shipbuilding centres. Additionally, both cities are centres for university education.[118][119]
^Based on station coordinates provided by Environment Canada and documentation from the Nova Scotian Institute of Science, weather data was collected in West End, Halifax from January 1863 to July 1933, at Citadel Hill from August 1933 to August 1939, at Downtown Halifax from September 1939 to July 1974, at Citadel Hill from August 1974 to January 2002 and at CFB Halifax (Windsor Park and Halifax Dockyard) from September 2004 to present.
^Statistic includes all persons that did not make up part of a visible minority or an indigenous identity.
^Statistic includes total responses of "Chinese", "Korean", and "Japanese" under visible minority section on census.
^Statistic includes total responses of "West Asian" and "Arab" under visible minority section on census.
^Statistic includes total responses of "Filipino" and "Southeast Asian" under visible minority section on census.
^Statistic includes total responses of "Visible minority, n.i.e." and "Multiple visible minorities" under visible minority section on census.
^Grenier, John. The Far Reaches of Empire. War in Nova Scotia, 1710-1760. Norman: U of Oklahoma Press, 2008; Thomas Beamish Akins. History of Halifax. Brookhouse Press, 1895. (2002 edition). p. 7
^Wicken, p. 181; Griffith, p. 390; Also see "Recent Projects". Northeast Archaeological Research. 2003. Archived from the original on May 14, 2013. Retrieved February 5, 2014.
^"CBC - Halifax Explosion 1917". Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. September 19, 2003. Archived from the original on February 3, 2017. Retrieved February 25, 2011.
^Time: Disasters that Shook the World. New York City: Time Home Entertainment. 2012. p. 56. ISBN978-1-60320-247-3.
^"Census Profile, 2016 Census". www12.statcan.gc.ca. Statistics Canada. February 8, 2017. Archived from the original on March 7, 2020. Retrieved March 18, 2020.