The city is still an important naval port with ships and submarines from across the globe coming and going.   Luxury cruise ships also dock and unload tourists during summer months.   Downtown is convenient for walking and is full of historical landmarks and European architecture, as well as a New England kind of charm.  Shopping is plentiful.

Halifax is also home to the Symphony Nova Scotia, the Nova Scotia Opera Society, The St. Cecilia Concert Series, the Atlantic Jazz Festival Halifax, numerous theater groups, the massive, hilltop Halifax Citadel where historic re-enactments are performed and several universities, including Dalhousie University, the Nova Scotia university system's flagship and home to 13,000 students.

There are 7 senior centers with two more in neighboring towns.   The Spencer House (902-421-6131), named after the late Princess Diana, offers hot meals, a referral program, blood pressure clinics, recreational activities, a "grandfriends" program and more.   The Dartmouth Senior Services Center offers computer training for retirees.  The Northwood Community Centre (in business more than 40 years) offers many education and social programs, as well as the opportunity to volunteer at special events, in the garden and with various recreational activities.  Northwood also provides housing, including independent living apartments, "enriched living" apartments that include meals and laundry service, as well as assisted living.  Area hospitals and libraries also offer opportunities for volunteering.

Halifax is hilly and walking can be a workout. Luckily, the Metro Transit operates a full bus and ferry schedule within the HRM.   Rates are $2.00(CAD) for adults and  $1.25 (CAD) for seniors, with transfers available anywhere on the system.  The Halifax/Dartmouth ferry departs every 15 or 30 minutes from each side of the Harbor on weekdays and half-hourly on Saturdays and holidays.   It's possible to travel nearly anywhere within the HRM on a bus.  Halifax Regional Airport is just outside of town.

Medical care in the HRM is quite good.  The Queen Elizabeth II  Health Sciences Centre, located at Dalhousie University, is the area's largest and best medical facility, providing nearly all types of care.   Six other hospitals are located within the HRM, all part of Capital Health and the Division of Nova Scotia Health Care.  

This area does not generally experience the same weather extremes as does inland Nova Scotia and much of central Canada.  Spring is wet and cool and arrives in April, but as summer moves in, conditions warm up and balmy ocean breezes lessen the humidity.   Autumn is beautiful, with warm days and cool nights. Winters are cold and wet, with rain and some snow.   January and February temperatures hover in the teens and 20s, and mid-summer temperatures range from the 50s to the high 70s.   

So Halifax, Nova Scotia may not be for everyone.  It is a bustling, modern city but is far from any other large cities and may be too isolated for some.  That it is really only a part-time retirement destination will be a drawback for many.  Parts of the city have problems with crime, but crime rates have dropped the last three years in a row thanks to dedicated police efforts.  And, of course, the weather (and dampness) is not to everyone's taste.  

For those retirees, though, who have a bit of an adventurous spirit and enjoy a rugged, northern seacoast ambiance, Halifax is worth a peek.

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