Welcome to Halifax, also known as Kjipuktuk in Mi’kmaw, and listed among Forbes’ top 24 destinations of 2024. You’ve chosen a fantastic time to visit. To help you plan your visit, explore the Halifax tourism and Nova Scotia tourism websites or browse the guide below.
- Where is the conference?
- What should I pack?
- Letters of acceptance and visas
- Getting to Halifax
- Accommodations
- Getting Around
- Groceries, eateries and essentials nearby
- Where to eat (a bit further away from campus)
- Tourism
Where is the conference?
The opening event–The Things They Carried–will be at the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic on the waterfront (directions from King’s).
The rest of the conference will be held at the University of King’s College (6350 Coburg Road (maps)) at the west-end of the Dalhousie University campus. You will be able to get paper maps and guidance at the registration desk, which will open August 7, at 1 pm.
What should I pack?
Early August is usually the best time to visit Halifax, which usually offers them delightful sunny days, with a high of 23°C and a low of 12°C (this means 74°F and 54°F for our American friends!).
This said, there is an old saying here that goes “If you don’t like the weather, just wait 10 minutes”. In other words, expect weather conditions to vary widely and rapidly, so come prepare for a heat advisory (i.e., bring shorts and t-shirts, a refillable water bottle, etc.) but be also ready for cooler, rainy weather (a rain jacket is good idea and will work better than umbrellas if it gets very windy).
If you plan to explore further afield and visit our beaches and forest, make sure to bring mud-proofed footwear, otherwise comfortable walking shoes will enable you to visit the very walkable Halifax downtown, museums, and city parks.
Power Adapters
The standard voltage in Canada is 120V at a frequency of 60Hz. Most devices that operate at this voltage level in the United States will work in Canada without needing a voltage converter. Travelers should be able to use a Type A or a Type B travel adapter to charge their devices in Canadian power outlets. Alternatively, a world travel adapter that fits multiple socket types should work. Remember to check your device labels.
Letters of acceptance and visas
If you have been accepted to the conference as a speaker and are in need of a formal invitation letter, please contact us at circ20@dal.ca.
Getting to Halifax
- Fly to Nova Scotia (select the Halifax Stanfield International Airport (YHZ))
- Take the train to Halifax
- Driving to Nova Scotia
- Arrive by Sea
Getting into Halifax from the Stanfield International Airport (YHZ)
You have a number of options to get from the Halifax Stanfield International Airport (YHZ) to campus (a 40 km trip).
Taxi For international arrivals, once you exit into the main building once customs is complete, Ground Transportation is located immediately to your right. For domestic arrivals, once you exit baggage claim, it is to your right. Ground Transportation facilitates pre-arranged taxi/limo services, and on-the-spot taxi reservations. Ground Transportation will direct you where to wait. You can expect to pay at least $68CAD before tax and tip for a taxi ride into Halifax. You can find the fixed fares by location through this page on the Airport website.
Rideshare (Uber) You can book an Uber to pick up directly from the airport. The location for pickup is at the far left end of the airport on the bottom level. There are elevators and escalators to take you to the bottom level, then go outside until you are just past the Halifax Transit stop. Uber rates fluctuate but tend to be between $50-70CAD for a ride into Halifax.
Regional Express 320 Bus There is now a bus ticket kiosk on the lower level of the airport if you take the escalator indicating Halifax Transit down. You can also now purchase tickets via the HfxGO app. Bus tickets cost $4.75 (one way). The bus runs every hour and typically takes over 60 minutes to get into the city, but you will likely have to catch a connecting bus in Dartmouth or from Scotia Square in Halifax to get to campus. The most common bus to take from Dartmouth/Scotia Square to get to campus is the 1. Routes and schedules can be found at the bus stop or via Google Maps or the Transit App.
Maritime Bus Shuttle Maritime Bus offers a shuttle service between the Stanfield Airport and downtown Halifax (Scotia Square from where bus 1 can take you to campus). Shuttle tickets must be booked before travel as the shuttle will stop at the airport only if there are passengers. Price is around $20. To book tickets and for more information, visit: https://maritimebus.com/halifax-airport-shuttle/
Accommodations
The conference will be at held on the campus of the University of King’s College (Halifax, Nova Scotia), near which you will find a number of hotels, short-term rentals, and university residences.
University accommodations
| Location | Rates | Notes |
| King’s College (0 m) (map) | Special Conference rates: Single room: $100 Two single beds room: $150 Booking form – book directly using the form and use the promo code: KNOWLEDGE for discounted rate between August 6 and 13. | Offers only rooms with shared washroom facilities. No air conditioning, fans available. Wifi Small gym access Laundry facilities Parking ($15/day) |
| Dalhousie University (650 m) (map) | $70 and above, depending on options selected; weekly rates available if you stay longer. | Offers rooms as well as private 2, 3 and 4-bedroom suites, some with private bathrooms and air-conditioning. Wifi Paying parking Gym access. |
| Saint Mary’s University (2 km) (map) | $70-$130 | Rooms with shared washroom facilities. No air conditioning, fans available. Paying parking. Gym access. Laundry facilities |
Hotels
| Hotes | Rates | Notes |
| Lord Nelson (1.5 km | 20 min. walk) (map) | $250-$300/night | Located near Halifax public garden, the Citadel, Natural History Museum, the Wanderers Grounds (Football/Soccer), the public library, and the Halifax Commons and public outdoor pool. Restaurant on the premises and many other restaurants in the vicinity. |
| Atlantica (1.5 km | 20 min. walk) (map) | $185-200/night | Located near the Halifax Commons and public outdoor pool, the Natural History Museum, the Wanderers Grounds (Football/Soccer) and the Halifax public garden. Many restaurants in the vicinity and on the premises. |
| Hotes | Rates | Notes |
| Lord Nelson (1.5 km | 20 min. walk) (map) | $250-$300/night | Located near Halifax public garden, the Citadel, Natural History Museum, the Wanderers Grounds (Football/Soccer), the public library, and the Halifax Commons and public outdoor pool. Restaurant on the premises and many other restaurants in the vicinity. |
| Atlantica (1.5 km | 20 min. walk) (map) | $185-200/night | Located near the Halifax Commons and public outdoor pool, the Natural History Museum, the Wanderers Grounds (Football/Soccer) and the Halifax public garden. Many restaurants in the vicinity and on the premises. |
Getting Around
Halifax is an exceptionally walkable city, with most places within 20 minutes walk at most (we’re confined to a peninsula, with ocean on 3 sides). The streets are laid out in an “enlightenment-style” grid system. The Northwest Arm ocean side of the peninsula is 5 minute’s walk due west from King’s College.
The downtown area and main harbour are 20-25 minute’s walk due east along Coburg Road, or 10 minutes by bus or taxi.
The transit system is fairly reliable and cheap and includes all the city buses within HRM and the ferry (click here for all bus routes and schedules). The “Number 1 Spring Garden” bus is wheelchair accessible and your best bet and runs quite regularly (schedule | map). It stops right outside of King’s. The bus coming on the side of the street where the College stands heads downtown and the waterfront harbour. On the other side of the street, the bus heads in the other direction north-west to Quinpool street where you’ll find a number of bars and restaurants. The fare is $2.75 per ride (cash, tickets, or via the HFXGo app). If your are using cash or tickets, don’t forget to ask your driver for a “transfer”, a piece of paper that will allow you to ride any bus within the next 1.5 hour.
- Halifax Transit provides scheduled and real-time bus information to Google Transit and Bing Maps.
- Real-time departure information is available on the Departures Line (902-480-8000) or via our GTFS feed.
For rides, try Uber or Casino taxi (902-429-6666).
Groceries, eateries and essentials nearby
Lunch and coffee breaks are provided at King’s College for the three days of the conference. Delegates staying in the King’s residences will also be provided with breakfast (If you are not staying at King’s, you will be able to buy breakfast between 8:00am and 8:45am in Prince Hall). Outside of that, you are on your own!
Across the street you’ll find the Tart & Soul Café, located on the corner of Oxford and Coburg, for great coffee and light lunches. Please note that its hours are Tuesday to Friday, 9-2pm.
Across the quad, in the ground floor of Dalhousie’s large brutalist Life Sciences Building (you can’t miss it), you’ll find a Tim Hortons (map) (a Canadian icon) for fast takeout coffee and doughnuts. Don’t get lost in the Life Sciences Building. It’s a labyrinth. But if you make it up to the top floor you’ll have the best view of Halifax and the harbour. You will find another Tim Hortons at the Dalhousie Student Union Building.
Noggins Corner is a small shop selling organic groceries, sandwiches, eats and coffee, on Coburg Road near the Dalhousie residences and about 6 minutes walk from King’s (Monday – Friday: 8 am – 8 pm; Saturday: 8 am – 6 pm; Sunday: 9 am – 5 pm).
Nova Pharmacy is right across the street from Noggins.
A larger grocery store and a pharmacy, both with extended opening hours, are over on Quinpool Road, 15 minutes walk straight north from King’s (or via bus route #1) (map)
15-minutes down Coburg street will get you to the Glitter Bean Café and a stone throw away from the Public Gardens.
Finally, if you are looking for something to read, stationary, or funky gifts, the King’s Co-op Bookstore is in the basement of the King’s A&A building, where the conference will be held. The Dalhousie Bookstore, in the Dalhousie Student Union building has lots of interesting stationary as well.
Where to eat (a bit further away from campus)
Quinpool Road District
Quinpool Road is a 15-min walk from campus (directions) and is dotted with café’s, restaurants and bars, including the Quinn Arms (nice English pub) and The Brewery (outdoor beer garden), and the incomparable Oxford Tap Room (brewpub with lovely outside patio in back).
There are affordable Indian and Korean restaurants around there, including Naan n’ Curry and Busan and, of course, another Tim Horton’s (they are everywhere!). Another café, East Cup, is located just south of Quinpool to the east along Robie Street.
Those looking for vegetarian and vegan fare will enjoy Heartwood or, nearby on Winsor Street, the Wild Leak nearby on Windsor Street.
For those with a sweet tooth, the Sweet Hereafter offers cheesecakes and vegan pies.
Downtown Halifax
Downtown Halifax is clustered around Spring Garden and Barrington roads, 20-min. walk directly East from King’s along Coburg Road (which becomes Spring Garden Road as you go east). Spring Garden Road is dotted with shops, cafes and restaurants on the main street and its tributaries. Here are some of the best:
The closest restaurant to King’s is Mappatura Bistro (excellent Italian) on Spring Garden Road.
Just a little bit further along Spring Garden is Efes Restaurant (wonderful Turkish).
The Arms Restaurant, located in the majestic Lord Nelson Hotel, is an upscale English pub, overlooking the Public Gardens. Across Spring Garden Road from the Lord Nelson Hotel is Bookmark, Halifax’s best bookstore.
The Stillwater Beergarden has an outdoor beer garden on the corner of Spring Garden and South Park, tucked away down an alley.
Rasa: Flavours of India (upscale Indian restaurant) is just off Spring Garden at 1542 Birmingham St.
There are several restaurants, including sushi and Vietnamese, along the east side of South Park across from the Public Gardens, right beside the Lord Nelson and several on Dresden Row (perpendicular to Spring Garden Road).
Continuing down Spring Garden Road, take a look in the award-winning Halifax Central Library (and its rooftop café with stunning view), at the corner of Spring Garden and Queen, and explore the restaurants, cafés and shops clustered around the library on Queen and Spring Garden. Just to the north is Steve O-Renos for delicious coffee.
Just off Spring Garden (to the North) check out Argyle Street, a several block-long pedestrian-only promenade of bars, restaurants, including the famous Economy Shoe Shop (historic bar full of movie production types), Antojo’s (Mexican), and many more. Just north of Argyle off Prince street you’ll find the Wooden Monkey (locally-sourced food: save room for dessert!) Head east a bit to Barrington Street, which is also dotted with restaurants and bars, including Obladee (cosy wine bar with jazz), 2 Doors Down (fusion restaurant), etc. On Hollis Street (three streets east towards the waterfront) you can find the quirky Cabin Coffee (a café that looks like a rustic cabin inside) and the Mercantile Social (expensive upscale fusion).
Many of these restaurants will have vegan and vegetarian options, but for those looking for more choices, Gottingen Street is home to Real Fake Meats and G-Street Pizza, and Vandal doughnuts (show up early, they are often out of stoke before the end of the day!).
Waterfront
Head down to the Halifax Waterfront (about a 25 minute walk due east from King’s College along Coburg-Spring Garden).
A long stroll along the Halifax waterfront is an absolute must when visiting Halifax.
Start out at the cluster of coffee shops and restaurants around Bishop’s Landing on the south end of the waterfront. All have outdoor seating, including The Daily Grind and Pane e Circo, Ristorante a Mano (Italian), The Bicycle Thief (eclectic fusion), Sea Smoke (Asian fusion). Then head north along the waterfront past a bunch of fast food huts (avoid the Waterfront Warehouse Restaurant!!) to another cluster of beer gardens, restaurants and cafes, including the Halifax Waterfront Beer Garden. Then past the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic on to another cluster of fine restaurants. Head along the boardwalk to the Historic Properties (restored waterfront warehouses now containing pubs, shops, cafes and ice cream, and the Lower Deck, a pub with nightly maritime music). If you are a fan of seafood, check out Salty’s Restaurant, the best seafood restaurant in Halifax, with a great view of the harbour. Up one street is the Old Triangle, a large rollicking Irish bar with live music and pub food.
For vegetarian and vegan options outside of Halifax, see the Happy Cow app and websites.
Tourism
Here a few ideas as to what to do during your stay.
Halifax
Go for a harbour cruise on one of the daytime or evening harbour tours, or, if you are on a budget, take the Public Ferry across to Dartmouth and back ($2.25 each way or a bus ticket or bus transfer as they too are part of the Halifax transit system). The ferry runs every 15 minutes from the Ferry terminal. You’ll have two destination: Alderney and Woodside. The Alderney ferry will take you to Alderney landing in Dartmouth, where you will find a number of restaurants, pubs, arts gallery, etc., and where you will have a great view of Halifax.
The Halifax Citadel: Classic 18th-century star-shaped fort in the centre of Halifax, right beside the Halifax Commons. The Citadel is the reason Halifax was built (to fend off the French, and later the Americans, and establish British Colonial rule in the region). It hosts a military museum, a museum on the British occupation of the region, historical enactments, bagpipes and cannons firing at noon!
Halifax Public Gardens: a large downtown 19th century Victorian gardens on the corner of Spring Garden and South Park. Great for strolling amongst the ponds, gazebos, with a lovely café.
Point Pleasant Park: large urban forest occupying the very southern tip of Halifax, which also serves as a massive dogs off-leash park. Serpentine wooded paths, 18th and 19th century fortifications, a seafront view out towards Ireland. About 45 minutes walk (or 8 minutes by Uber), through the best parts of Halifax. If you have time, you may want to catch a show of the Shakespeare by the Sea (if you have the money, splurge for front row seat. Dress warmly (it gets cold by the sea at night) and brings a flashlight to find your way back out of the park after the show).
Pier 21 Immigration Museum: on the Halifax waterfront – a national museum dedicated to immigration into Canada. Fascinating. They have help desk to help you track your ancestors if they have immigrate through this port of entry.
Maritime Museum of the Atlantic, on Lower Water Street and the waterfront. A superb medium sized maritime museum, with fine exhibits on the Titantic and the Halifax Explosion (the biggest human-caused explosion before Hiroshima!!) and a special exhibit on Mi’kmaq cultures of the sea. We’ll be holding our opening event there.
Beyond Halifax
Nova Scotia is a relatively small province (for Canada) and getting anywhere takes at the most an hour or so.
Herring Cove small fishing village, 15-minutes drive outside of Halifax, with beautiful rugged coastal walks and the Pavia Café.
Peggy’s Cove is a world-famous fishing village, about 45 minute’s drive outside of Halifax, with artists shops, a glorious view of the violent sea, and a lighthouse (one of the most photographed sites in North America). Be very careful near the ocean and stay away from “black rocks” and the crashing waves. We lose tourists every year!
Along the “South Shore” of Nova Scotia, it’s about an hour’s drive to Mahone Bay and Lunenburg, two astonishingly beautiful small towns, built by shipwrights and hugging the coast.
In the other direction, an hour’s drive is Wolfville, a beautiful college town and the gateway to the Bay of Fundy (the highest tides in the world, and a true marvel to see). The best place to see the tides is Halls Harbour, which has a lobster restaurant.
For longer trips, head up to Cape Breton Island (but it is about 3-4 hours drive). Cape Breton is Scotland transported to Canada, along with a strong presence of Indigenous peoples.
Or at equidistance in the opposite direction is Annapolis Royal along the Annapolis Valley (a gorgeous valley down the centre of Nova Scotia). Annapolis Royal (formerly Port Royal) is the site of one of the first settlements of Europeans in North America, and an important heritage site for the Mi’kmaq peoples.
If you have any questions, or are lost, please contact me at gmcouat@dal.ca
Happy visiting!!
- Gordon McOuat, for the organizing committee
Circulating Knowledge: 20 Years On 