West End, Halifax
Encyclopedia
The West End is a neighbourhood of Halifax Regional Municipality in the Canadian
province of Nova Scotia
, located on the western half of the Halifax Peninsula
. The West End is predominantly middle class with many blocks of tree-lined older residential streets. However, it is also home to many students and small affordable rental units. Rising real estate prices have also led to some levels of gentrification.
's of Halifax has crept north as the southern section has gentrified
. While Jubilee Road has long been considered as the southern boundary, some now regard Quinpool Road as the area's southern edge. Quinpool
is generally considered the heart of the West End, and site of such landmarks as the West End Baptist Church, the Oxford Theatre and a diverse array of small businesses. The northern boundary is also subject to interpretation but is widely regarded as Kempt Road and Windsor Street. The western boundary between the West End and Mainland Halifax
is generally considered to run from the Northwest Arm
and northward along Dutch Village Road and Joseph Howe Drive. The neighbourhood is defined municipally by District 14 Connaught-Quinpool and provincially as the Constituency of Halifax Chebucto
.
lines accelerated development. Chebucto School was built in 1912 to serve the expanding neighbourhood and the building served as a morgue for the Halifax Explosion
as it was close to the north end but relatively undamaged.
In the 1920s, Chebucto Field, the first airport in Halifax was built near Connaught and Chebucto Road. Today the air field location is marked by Saunders Park
. Simpsons built a large department store in the West end in the 1930s, the first retail centre outside the downtown. The large remaining open areas of the West End filled with housing after World War II
with many blocks of Victory Houses and 1950s suburban homes. The West End was severely affected by Hurricane Juan
in 2003 as the high density of large, older trees in the neighbourhood resulted in many toppled trees, damaged houses, blocked streets and prolonged power outages. A major controversy in 2008 was a project to widen Chebucto Road. Opponents argued it would increase traffic volume, noise and waste two million dollars better spent on public transit, while supporters argued it would reduce commuting times and congestion in the expanding municipality. Despite a widespread protest by environmentalists and West End residents, and after some consultation with residents and a public information campaign,the widening went ahead, albeit slightly altered in that it did not require the demolition of a house originally set to be destroyed.
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
province of Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the most populous province in Atlantic Canada. The name of the province is Latin for "New Scotland," but "Nova Scotia" is the recognized, English-language name of the province. The provincial capital is Halifax. Nova Scotia is the...
, located on the western half of the Halifax Peninsula
Halifax Peninsula
The Halifax Peninsula is a community and planning area located in the urban core of Halifax Regional Municipality in the province of Nova Scotia. Halifax Peninsula is home to Downtown Halifax, the financial and economic heart of the region, which was also the site of the original settlement and...
. The West End is predominantly middle class with many blocks of tree-lined older residential streets. However, it is also home to many students and small affordable rental units. Rising real estate prices have also led to some levels of gentrification.
Boundaries
The border between the West and South EndSouth End, Halifax
The South End is a region of Halifax Regional Municipality, located on the southern half of the Halifax Peninsula in Halifax's urban centre. Quinpool Road is increasingly considered to be an arbitrary border between the South and North Ends, though Quinpool Road is also a part of the West End, and...
's of Halifax has crept north as the southern section has gentrified
Gentrification
Gentrification and urban gentrification refer to the changes that result when wealthier people acquire or rent property in low income and working class communities. Urban gentrification is associated with movement. Consequent to gentrification, the average income increases and average family size...
. While Jubilee Road has long been considered as the southern boundary, some now regard Quinpool Road as the area's southern edge. Quinpool
Quinpool district
The Quinpool District refers to a commercial district of Halifax, Nova Scotia, encompassing the eastern portion of Quinpool Road as well as the streets directly north and south of it...
is generally considered the heart of the West End, and site of such landmarks as the West End Baptist Church, the Oxford Theatre and a diverse array of small businesses. The northern boundary is also subject to interpretation but is widely regarded as Kempt Road and Windsor Street. The western boundary between the West End and Mainland Halifax
Mainland Halifax
Mainland Halifax is a region in central Nova Scotia, Canada that refers to the central-eastern part of the Chebucto Peninsula in the Halifax Regional Municipality...
is generally considered to run from the Northwest Arm
Northwest Arm
The Northwest Arm, originally named Sandwich River, is an inlet in eastern Canada off the Atlantic Ocean in Nova Scotia's Halifax Regional Municipality.-Geography:...
and northward along Dutch Village Road and Joseph Howe Drive. The neighbourhood is defined municipally by District 14 Connaught-Quinpool and provincially as the Constituency of Halifax Chebucto
Halifax Chebucto
Halifax Chebucto is a provincial electoral district in Nova Scotia, Canada, that elects one member of the Nova Scotia House of Assembly.It is one of several ridings within the Halifax Regional Municipality. It encompasses the neighbourhood known informally as West End, Halifax...
.
History
For the first century and a half of Halifax's history, the area of the West End was occupied by small farms and country estates. It was developed in the 1870s as residential streets were laid out. The growth of streetcarTram
A tram is a passenger rail vehicle which runs on tracks along public urban streets and also sometimes on separate rights of way. It may also run between cities and/or towns , and/or partially grade separated even in the cities...
lines accelerated development. Chebucto School was built in 1912 to serve the expanding neighbourhood and the building served as a morgue for the Halifax Explosion
Halifax Explosion
The Halifax Explosion occurred on Thursday, December 6, 1917, when the city of Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, was devastated by the huge detonation of the SS Mont-Blanc, a French cargo ship, fully loaded with wartime explosives, which accidentally collided with the Norwegian SS Imo in "The Narrows"...
as it was close to the north end but relatively undamaged.
In the 1920s, Chebucto Field, the first airport in Halifax was built near Connaught and Chebucto Road. Today the air field location is marked by Saunders Park
Saunders Park
Saunders Park is an urban park in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. It is located in West End, Halifax on Chebucto Road at the site of the now defunct Halifax Civic Airport, the city's first aerodrome. The park serves the neighbourhood of Westmount....
. Simpsons built a large department store in the West end in the 1930s, the first retail centre outside the downtown. The large remaining open areas of the West End filled with housing after World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
with many blocks of Victory Houses and 1950s suburban homes. The West End was severely affected by Hurricane Juan
Hurricane Juan
Hurricane Juan was a significant hurricane that struck the southern part of Atlantic Canada in late September 2003. It was the tenth named storm and the sixth hurricane of the 2003 Atlantic hurricane season. Juan formed southeast of Bermuda on September 24, 2003 out of a tropical wave that tracked...
in 2003 as the high density of large, older trees in the neighbourhood resulted in many toppled trees, damaged houses, blocked streets and prolonged power outages. A major controversy in 2008 was a project to widen Chebucto Road. Opponents argued it would increase traffic volume, noise and waste two million dollars better spent on public transit, while supporters argued it would reduce commuting times and congestion in the expanding municipality. Despite a widespread protest by environmentalists and West End residents, and after some consultation with residents and a public information campaign,the widening went ahead, albeit slightly altered in that it did not require the demolition of a house originally set to be destroyed.