Halifax Information
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Halifax Information
With its shopping malls and brusque tower blocks, the commercial and social heart of modern Halifax clambers up the steep hillside from the harbourfront, its narrow streets dotted with scores of bustling bars and restaurants. The city’s main attractions - most notably the Art Gallery , with its eclectic collection of modern Canadian paintings, the Maritime Museum and the Georgian Province House - all huddle close together in the lower part of town beneath Halifax’s star turn, the Vaubanesque Citadel . On a sunny day, a pleasant diversion is a trip to see a couple of the outer fortifications built to defend Halifax harbour, and you can also catch the ferry over to neighbouring Dartmouth , home of the old Quaker House .
Both of Halifax’s main tourist offices cover the city and province, and are centrally situated. The International Visitor Information Centre (June-Aug daily 8.30am-8pm; Sept to mid-Oct & May daily 9am-6pm; mid-Oct to April Mon-Fri 8.30am-4.30pm; tel 490-5946, www.halifaxinfo.com ) at 1595 Barrington St and Sackville, will gladly fix up accommodation in town and across the whole of Nova Scotia, advise on tours and provide you with armfuls of maps, brochures and leaflets including the comprehensive Halifax Visitor Guide . Five-minutes’ walk away, just off the waterfront in the area known as the Historic Properties, the Nova Scotia Visitor Information Centre (May-Oct daily 9am-7pm; Nov-April Wed-Sun 9am-4.30pm; tel 424-4248) offers a similar service. At both, the room reservation service is free.
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Airlines Air Canada (tel 429-7111); Air St Pierre (tel 873-3566); Canada 3000 (flight information tel 873-3555; tickets from travel agents).
Banks Amongst many downtown branches, there’s a Bank of Novia Scotia at Scotia Square, Barrington St and Duke; a CIBC at 1809 Barrington St; and a Royal Bank at the corner of Spring Garden Rd and Queen St.
Bike rental Bike People, 1471 Birmingham St (tel 420-0777).
Bookshops There are several good bookshops in the city centre, both new and secondhand. The Book Room, 1546 Barrington at Blowers (tel 423-8271; closed Sun), originated in 1839 (Canada’s oldest) and has a good selection of new books with its Maritimes section especially noteworthy. JWD Books, 1684 Barrington at Blowers (tel 429-1652; closed Sun), specializes in antiquarian and secondhand books. The chain bookshop Smithbooks (tel 423-6438), with an outlet at Scotia Square, is more mainstream.
Car rental Budget, 1588 Hollis (tel 492-7500) and at the airport (same number); Discount, 1240 Hollis St (tel 468-7171); Dollar, 1960 Brunswick inside the Citadel Inn Hotel (tel 429-1892) and at the airport (tel 860-0203).
Consulates Netherlands, 1959 Upper Water St (tel 422-1485); Norway, 11 Morris Drive (tel 468-1330); USA, Cogswell Tower (tel 429-2480).
Email/Internet Ceilidh Connections, 1672 Barrington St at Prince (tel 422-9800, www.ceilidhconnect.ns.ca ; April-Oct Mon-Fri 10am-10pm, Sat & Sun noon-8pm; Nov-March Mon-Wed 10am-6pm, Thurs & Fri 10am-10pm, Sat & Sun noon-8pm).
Emergencies General emergency number tel 911.
Hospital Halifax Infirmary, 1796 Summer St (tel 473-2700).
Laundry Bluenose Laundromat, 2198 Windsor at Duncan (daily 7.30am-9pm). Self-service and service washes, with dry-cleaning too.
Post office Central office at 1680 Bedford Row and Prince (Mon-Fri 7.30am-5.15pm).
Taxis Yellow Cab (tel 420-0000).
Transport Acadian Bus Lines (tel 454-9321, www.acadianbus.com ); DRL bus (1 daily to south shore and Yarmouth; tel 450-1987 or 1-888/263-1852); Halifax Metro Transit (tel 490-6600); VIA Rail (tel 1-800/561-3952).
Weather For up-to-date bulletins, call 426-9090.