• Capital City: Halifax
• Largest City: Halifax
• Motto: Munit Haec et Altera Vincit (One Defends and the Other Conquers)
• Provincial Flower: Mayflower
• Population: Estimated at over 936,000 (2005)
• Time Zone: Atlantic Standard Time

The Land

Nova Scotia's 580-kilometre-long peninsula is surrounded by four bodies of water - the Atlantic Ocean, the Bay of Fundy, the Northumberland Strait and the Gulf of St. Lawrence. Its geographic location, together with large, ice-free, deep-water harbours, has been a key factor in the province's economic development. Nova Scotia is a mosaic of rugged headlands, tranquil harbours and ocean beaches. Its indented shoreline stretches 10 424 kilometres, while inland is a myriad of lakes and streams. The land is framed by the rocky Atlantic Uplands, the Cape Breton Highlands and the wooded Cobequid Hills. The agricultural areas of Nova Scotia are predominantly lowlands. When the glacial ice withdrew from coastal Nova Scotia 15 000 to 18 000 years ago, the ocean flooded ancient river valleys and carved out hundreds of small protected harbours which later became fishing ports.

The People

Nearly one-quarter of Nova Scotia's population of approximately 941 000 report the British Isles as their place of ethnic origin. Significant portions of the population also report either French or European origins. Many residents of Nova Scotia are of German, Dutch, Polish, Italian, Jewish and Lebanese descent. After the War of 1812, several thousand Black people, including the Chesapeake Blacks, settled in the Halifax area; in 1996, more than 18 000 residents of the province reported having Black origins. More recent immigrants to Nova Scotia have included Chinese, Indo-Chinese, African, Asian and eastern European groups.

The Economy

Nova Scotia's economy is highly diversified, having evolved from resource-based employment to include many types of manufactured goods as well as business and personal services. Tourism is an important sector in the provincial economy. Total tourism receipts exceed $1 billion and over 30 000 people are employed in the many aspects of the industry. More than two million people visit the province each year, with almost one quarter of these coming from outside Canada.

Community Volunteers Needed

Block Parents:

The Block Parent Program has been in Nova Scotia since 1968 making our communities safer. The program is run by volunteers in conjunction with the Halifax Regional Police. They are looking for volunteers to help make calls, and to hand out information at public meetings and school presentations. If you are interested, go to www.blockparent.ca.

Adopt-A-Fire-Hydrant:

This Winter, you can help protect your neighbourhood by adopting a fire hydrant. Keeping it clear of snow, sleet and ice will help fire fighters avoid dangerous delays in responding to a fire.

Community Information Radio Station:

Stay up-to-date with local road conditions: construction, accidents, bridge traffic tie-ups, etc. Tune into 97.9 FM on your radio dial and get up to the minute reports.

HARM Customer Service:

To report such things as a burned out street lamp, litter problem or dangerous potholes, or to request services such as the removal of old appliances, go to www.halifax.ca. You will receive a service number which you can then use to check the status of your report or request.

Do Not Encroach Within Public Street Right-of-Way (Bylaw S-300):

A right-of-way is land dedicated to public use (i.e. sidewalks). The HRM owns a portion of land between the curb and your front lawn. In order to help the HRM with capital and maintenance improvements, you must not encroach within this right-away area. For example, you should not build a wall or fence, nor plant shrubs in this zone.