Vancouver & Halifax

We have cruised out of Vancouver and stayed there and loved the city.

This year we will be visiting Halifax as one of our cruise ports.

Are Vancouver and Halifax similar types of cities: gorgeous waterfront, places similar to Stanley Park etc.

Thanks

Well not really, Halifax is a lovely city but it does not have the mountains and scenic back drop that Vancouver does. That said it is a much older city than Vancouver and it has done a wonderful job preserving it whereas in Vancouver we tend to tear it down. Obviously Halifax is a much smaller city then Vancouver and much more compact. As a result of this many of the attractions of Halifax can be walked to. I think you may find the good citizens of Halifax a little more friendly then we of Vancouver. I am sure that you are going to love Halifax every bit as much as you enjoyed Vancouver.

 

Are Vancouver and Halifax similar types of cities: gorgeous waterfront, places similar to Stanley Park etc.

 

No, not similar.

Vancouver is a large metropolitan city with international flair, yet with natural beauty and wilderness at its doorstep.

Halifax is more like a small New England "city" like Manchester, NH, but prettier.

I don't like big cities, but I would go back to Vancouver in a heartbeat.

Halifax, meh - although I did enjoy the bagpipers that piped us in and out of port. I preferred the Nova Scotia countryside.

For sure they are not the same. Halifax has the wonderful walkway all along the harbourfront. We have the Public Gardens and Point Pleasant Park. There is also the Citadel and its museums and fortifications.

http://www.destinationhalifax.com/

Vancouver is a large city that has hosted the Olympics. Halifax is a city, but by US standards, might be reclassified a small town :D:D:D (just kidding).

each has it's own special charm, but they are simply nothing alike.

Cheers

Len

We have cruised out of Vancouver and stayed there and loved the city.

 

This year we will be visiting Halifax as one of our cruise ports.

 

Are Vancouver and Halifax similar types of cities: gorgeous waterfront, places similar to Stanley Park etc.

 

Metropolitan Vancouver: 2.5 million

Metropolitan Halifax: 0.3 million

Tallest Mountain near Vancouver: Mt Baker, 10,600 feet

Tallest Mountain in all of Nova Scotia: White Hill, 1,750 ft

You'll find Halifax smaller, cooler & flatter than Vancouver.

Greater Vancouver has a population of about 2.4 million, Greater Halifax not quite 400k, however Halifax is the largest city in the Atlantic or Maritime provinces. Halifax is the home for the Atlantic Fleet of the Royal Canadian Navy and at the other end of the spectrum is the home of very highly regarded university, Dalhousie.

Halifax is warmer and sunnier in the summer, but cooler and snowier in the winter.

"Halifax is warmer and sunnier in the summer."

Oh really? and we don't get hurricanes mid-summer either.

Cheers from an unabashed native Vancouverite.

Dennis

Halifax is warmer and sunnier in the summer, but cooler and snowier in the winter.

Examine the facts and draw your own conclusions.

Vancouver (Jul/Aug):

Avg High: 22.2 / 22.2 ©

Avg Rainfail: 35.6 / 36.7 (mm)

Avg Sunshine hrs: 9:29 / 8:13

Halifax (Jul/Aug)

Avg High: 23.8 / 23.6 ©

Avg Rainfall: 95.5 / 93.5 (mm)

Avg Sunshine hrs: 7:40 / 7:09

Also these numbers are for the airports;Vancouver's airport is right on the ocean which results in lower temperature numbers; opposed to Halifax's airport which is further inland.

Also for the past two years, Vancouver has been having very sunny, warm weather which is not our usual weather pattern whereas the East Coast has been getting our usual rain and dismal weather. This year Vancouver has won in the weather department in comparison to anywhere else in Canada IMHO.

Thanks ScottB for the figures - after I posted my little friendly jab I did a google search comparing the two and got different answers as the criteria was different for each site - we should because we are more northerly than Halifax end up with more hours of sunshine than a more southerly location during the summer months.

Being at the top end of the hurricane track should produce more rainfall than the drier west coast.

In theory Halifax being further south than Vancouver by about 5 degrees of latitude should be warmer than Vancouver.

I actually think comparing Halifax and Victoria - similiar in size, both have naval stations would be more realistic.

I had the chance last year to visit Halifax on two occasions as part of my B2B Canada/New England - it was sunny and warm the first day and cold and very rainy on the second - I enjoyed the walk along the waterfront and the Citadel and the old historic buildings and there history in the downtown core - Peggy's Cove was worth the money of a ships excursion.

Cheers!

Dennis

Halifax is friendlier, older, less like a US city.