HALIFAX
NOVA SCOTIA
We call ourselves Haligonians.
The Basics
Population: 400,000
Annual weather averages
Transportation in City: Bus & Ferry
How to get to Halifax?
Direct flight from/to:
Toronto | New York | Boston | Montreal | Ottawa: 2 hours
Calgary | Vancouver | London | Frankfurt: 6 hours
Halifax Stanfield International Airport
Taxi
30-40 mins to Downtown Halifax $60 - $75
Bus
75 mins to Downtown Halifax $3.50
MetroX #320 (runs 5:45am - 11:15pm)
https://www.halifax.ca/transportation/halifax-transit/routes-schedules/metrox-service
Shuttle Bus
60 mins to Downtown Halifax $22
Maritime Bus (runs 7am - 8pm)
https://maritimebus.com/halifax-airport-shuttle/
Airport Taxi
30-40 mins to Downtown Halifax $35
Driver Dave's Airport shuttle (must make reservation)
cit_3guards_JI02 | Boating | Halifax Summer |
|---|---|---|
Peggy's Cove | hfx_aerialwide_02 (1) | Gorge's |
Cape Split (1) |
Bank Account
International students should have a Canadian bank account.
List of banks:
Toronto Dominion Bank (TD)
Royal Bank of Canada (RBC)
Bank of Nova Scotia (Scotia Bank)
Canadian Imperial Bank of Canada (CIBC)
Bank of Montreal (BMO)
When opening a bank account, remember to bring two pieces of photo ID (e.g. passport, Nova Scotia ID card) and proof of your local address.
Mobile Phone Company
Fido https://www.fido.ca/
Koodo https://www.koodomobile.com/
Rogers https://www.rogers.com
Telus https://www.telus.com/
Unlike other major urban centers, more than 90% of the population in Halifax speaks English so it’s the perfect place for students to immerse themselves in the language and learn faster.
Everything that a big city like Toronto or Montreal has can be found in Halifax. Restaurants, cafes, nightclubs, sports arenas, art galleries, museums and so on are here. People here enjoy live music in traditional Celtic eateries and Halifax has a very vibrant “patio culture” where bars and restaurants build outdoor seating so everyone can enjoy the summer weather. There are six universities and four major colleges in Halifax with over 50,000 students living and studying here. Students love the young urban vibe.
Halifax is also famous for its wonderful culinary scene. Restaurants, food trucks, patios and food festivals are very popular here. It is world-famous for its incredible seafood. Nova Scotia lobster is a must-have for any visitor and its restaurants serve up the freshest Nova Scotia scallops and creative seafood dishes year-round.
Halifax is really an education city, with the benefit that life outside of class time is very exciting, and local shopping, dining, and nightlife is all within walking distance of the school district. So students can immediately begin enjoying their free time right after classes and will need to use their English as it is difficult to find foreign speakers in the city. This way, their learning experience continues even while they’re outside of school and helps them to become more fluent, faster.