Map showing the geographic divisions of Halifax Harbour.

Halifax Harbour is a major inlet of the North Atlantic Ocean within the province of Nova Scotia, approximately midway along the southeastern provincial coast. It extends inland for over 28 km to the northwest and is composed of outer and inner divisions; two projecting arms, the Northwest Arm and Eastern Passage; and a very deep and large bowl-shaped basin at its head, Bedford Basin. It has four islands from north to south: Georges, McNabs, Lawlor, and Devils. The Sackville River is the major river that enters the north end of the harbour in Bedford Bay.

Halifax Harbour is the largest port in Atlantic Canada and the location of industrial, military, civilian, and tourism waterfront facilities. The harbour is surrounded by the major communities of Halifax and Dartmouth and smaller centres of Herring Cove, Bedford, and Eastern Passage, which collectively occur in the area known as the Halifax Regional Municipality (HRM).

Settling the area

The harbour was the seasonal home to native Canadians in early postglacial time, approximately 12 000 years ago. It was visited for hundreds of years by early explorers, and was finally formally settled by the British in 1749. The settlement was easily achieved largely because of the presence of many digable high hills (glacial drumlins) that served as fortresses for security.

With the exception of shallow shoreline areas, the water depths throughout most of the harbour are greater than 20 m, providing easy access for large vessels. The water is the deepest in the centre of Bedford Basin and is 71 m. Generally the harbour remains ice-free throughout the winter season as such, it is a major terminal for trade throughout North America. Container facilities and other shipping docks, such as loading and offloading facilities for gypsum, automobiles, and petroleum products are located on the shores of the harbour. It is also the east coast home of the Royal Canadian Navy, Department of National Defence.