Why didn't Halifax grow into one of Canada's largest and premier cities? (live, military)

[Champ le monstre du lac]

Being a major Atlantic seaport with an excellent deep water harbor, it makes me wonder why Halifax did not grow into a major coastal city the same way Boston did. Canada's major cities like Montreal and Toronto are well inland, just seems a bit of a mystery that a big Atlantic seaport city like Halifax did not grow and prosper into a metro area of about 2-3 million.

[green_mariner]

Originally Posted by caphillsea77

Being a major Atlantic seaport with an excellent deep water harbor, it makes me wonder why Halifax did not grow into a major coastal city the same way Boston did. Canada's major cities like Montreal and Toronto are well inland, just seems a bit of a mystery that a big Atlantic seaport city like Halifax did not grow and prosper into a metro area of about 2-3 million.

I think one theory to consider is that Toronto is at a major industrial heart of North America. Halifax was a major fishing and military post.

[botticelli]

I have the same question. It is weird that Canada doesn't have even a mid sized city on its east coast. Halifax has an urban population of less than 300k, smaller than Markham, a suburb of Toronto.

The municipality of Halifax is largely rural.

Halifax has a relatively mild winter similar to Toronto's, much better than places like Ottawa or Winnipeg.

[green_mariner]

Originally Posted by botticelli

I have the same question. It is weird that Canada doesn't have even a mid sized city on its east coast. Halifax has an urban population of less than 300k, smaller than Markham, a suburb of Toronto.

The municipality of Halifax is largely rural.

Halifax has a relatively mild winter similar to Toronto's, much better than places like Ottawa or Winnipeg.

Warmer winters, perhaps. Boston also has warmer winters than Chicago. Boston and New York competing for commerce. However, New York became big because of the Erie Canal. Goods going through NYC went via the canal to Buffalo, and then points west.

Halifax has a smaller hinterland in general. And consider this. If goods are being delivered from Quebec or Ontario, it is closer to send those goods to Montreal or Toronto than to send them to Halifax. The St. Lawrence Seaway provides an outlet to the ocean.

[hobbesdj]

Because the regional economy is perhaps the poorest in North America. People settle and stay in cities which offer economic opportunities. In Canada these opportunities have always been found in Ontario, Quebec, and increasingly Alberta. Add to this a poor climate, and isolation from other cities, and you have a fairly small city.

[Acajack]

If you talk to Nova Scotians who are aware of that period of their history, they will tell you that Halifax in the mid to late 1800s had a lucrative trading relationship as a port on the UK-Nova Scotia (Hfx)-New England-West Indies trade circuit.

Confederation (ie the creation of modern Canada) in 1867 was not unanimously popular in Nova Scotia as it was suspected that the new country would favour the economies of Montreal and Ontario since most of the population and the political power was there.

And that building the economy of the "new Canada" would focus trade policies on Canadian territory only and cut Nova Scotia off from its traditional economic circuits east and south if it.

Confederation was narrowly accepted by Nova Scotia, but on July 1, 1867 the main newspaper in Halifax printed its front page as solid black. It gives you an idea of how enthusiastic they were.

In the early days of Canada, the country's government did as anticipated put in measures that short-circuited traditional north-south trade routes (not just for east coast Canada but also to some degree in the west) and favoured trade within Canada. From this emerged the status of southern Ontario as "the great provider" of most things an average family in Canada needs. And even in reaches of the Yukon the kitchen cupboards are usually mainly filled with stuff that originated in Ontario in some way.

So that's a big part of the reason Halifax is not a bigger city today.

[green_mariner]

Originally Posted by Acajack

If you talk to Nova Scotians who are aware of that period of their history, they will tell you that Halifax in the mid to late 1800s had a lucrative trading relationship as a port on the UK-Nova Scotia (Hfx)-New England-West Indies trade circuit.

Confederation (ie the creation of modern Canada) in 1867 was not unanimously popular in Nova Scotia as it was suspected that the new country would favour the economies of Montreal and Ontario since most of the population and the political power was there.

And that building the economy of the "new Canada" would focus trade policies on Canadian territory only and cut Nova Scotia off from its traditional economic circuits east and south if it.

Confederation was narrowly accepted by Nova Scotia, but on July 1, 1867 the main newspaper in Halifax printed its front page as solid black. It gives you an idea of how enthusiastic they were.

In the early days of Canada, the country's government did as anticipated put in measures that short-circuited traditional north-south trade routes (not just for east coast Canada but also to some degree in the west) and favoured trade within Canada. From this emerged the status of southern Ontario as "the great provider" of most things an average family in Canada needs. And even in reaches of the Yukon the kitchen cupboards are usually mainly filled with stuff that originated in Ontario in some way.

So that's a big part of the reason Halifax is not a bigger city today.

Part of what I mentioned in terms of hinterland. Ontario is larger and southern Ontario is more or less the industrial heart of Canada. With goods being produced in Ontario, if goods are to be sent outward, one only has to send those goods to Toronto, or other cities nearby. The same goes for Quebec. Products made in Quebec would most likely be sent to Quebec City or Montreal. The St. Lawrence Seaway has a link to the Atlantic Ocean.

[sargentodiaz]

Well, as a non-Canadian, it's clear to me that Halifax was limited due to the lack of easy access to the remainder on the country. I'm also surprised there is no larger city in the mouth of the St Lawrence to act as a major port where super ;arge ships could anchor and offload.

Amazing, isn't it? We Americans tend to ignore out neighbor to the north even more than the one to our south.

[hobbesdj]

Originally Posted by sargentodiaz

Well, as a non-Canadian, it's clear to me that Halifax was limited due to the lack of easy access to the remainder on the country. I'm also surprised there is no larger city in the mouth of the St Lawrence to act as a major port where super ;arge ships could anchor and offload.

Amazing, isn't it? We Americans tend to ignore out neighbor to the north even more than the one to our south.

There is Québec, which is a sizeable city at the mouth of the St. Lawrence. But it's importance as a port is minor, since ships can sail directly from the Atlantic down the St. Lawrence river to Montréal, Canada's second largest city. Since most of Canada's international trade is done overland with the United States, Montréal and Halifax have proved sufficient for trade across the Atlantic.

[green_mariner]

Originally Posted by hobbesdj

There is Québec, which is a sizeable city at the mouth of the St. Lawrence. But it's importance as a port is minor, since ships can sail directly from the Atlantic down the St. Lawrence river to Montréal, Canada's second largest city. Since most of Canada's international trade is done overland with the United States, Montréal and Halifax have proved sufficient for trade across the Atlantic.

Montreal and Halifax are sufficient for the Atlantic trade. I agree. Geography plays a part in that What I'm also trying to emphasize is the importance of a good hinterland. That is the difference between Montreal, Toronto, and Halifax. Nova Scotia is a small province, and there are other ports nearby as well.