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Dartmouth | |
|---|---|
 Downtown Dartmouth skyline in 2025 | |
| Nicknames: City of Lakes, "The Darkside"[1] | |
 Location of Dartmouth, shown in red | |
  Dartmouth Location of Dartmouth, Nova Scotia Show map of Nova Scotia Dartmouth Dartmouth (Canada) Show map of Canada | |
| Coordinates:44°40′0″N63°34′0″W / 44.66667°N 63.56667°W /44.66667; -63.56667 | |
| Country | Canada |
| Province | Nova Scotia |
| Municipality | Halifax |
| Founded | 1750 |
| Incorporated City | January 1, 1961 |
| Amalgamated withHalifax | April 1, 1996 |
| Neighbourhoods | Albro Lake,Bell Ayr Park,Brightwood,Burnside,Commodore Park,Crichton Park,Crystal Heights,Downtown Dartmouth,Ellenvale,Grahams Corner,Greenough Settlement,Harbourview,Highfield Park,Imperoyal,Keystone Village,Lancaster Ridge,Manor Park,Montebello,Nantucket,Port Wallace,Portland Estates,Portland Hills,Shannon Park,Southdale, Tam O'Shanter Ridge,Tufts Cove,Wallace Heights,Woodlawn,Woodside |
| Government | |
| • Governing Body | Halifax Regional Council |
| • Community Council | Harbour East - Marine Drive Community Council |
| • Districts | 3 - Dartmouth South - Eastern Passage 5 - Dartmouth Centre 6 - Harbourview - Burnside - Dartmouth East |
| Area | |
• Total | 60.339 km2 (23.297 sq mi) |
| Highest elevation | 113 m (371 ft) |
| Lowest elevation | 0 m (0 ft) |
| Population | |
• Total | 72,139 |
| • Density | 1,195/km2 (3,100/sq mi) |
| Demonym | Dartmouthian |
| Time zone | UTC−04:00 (AST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−03:00 (ADT) |
| Postal code span | B2V to B2Z, B3A-B |
| Area code | 902 |
| Telephone Exchanges | 433-5, 460-6, 468-9, 481 |
| NTS Map | 11D12Halifax |
| GNBC Code | CAIYJ[3] |
Part of a series aboutPlaces in Nova Scotia | |
Dartmouth (/ˈdɑːrtməθ/DART-məth) is abuilt-up community of theHalifax Regional Municipality, Nova Scotia, Canada. Located on the eastern shore ofHalifax Harbour, Dartmouth has 72,139 residentsas of 2021.
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Father Le Loutre's War began whenEdward Cornwallis arrived to establishHalifax with 13 transports on June 21, 1749.[4] By unilaterally establishing Halifax, the British were violating earlier treaties with theMiꞌkmaq (1726), which were signed afterFather Rale's War.[5] The British quickly began to build other settlements. To guard against Miꞌkmaq, Acadian, and French attacks on the new Protestant settlements, British fortifications were erected in Halifax (1749),Dartmouth (1750),Bedford (Fort Sackville) (1751),Lunenburg (1753), andLawrencetown (1754).
In 1750, the sailing shipAlderney arrived with 151 immigrants. Municipal officials at Halifax decided that these new arrivals should be settled on the eastern side ofHalifax Harbour. During the early years, eight Acadian and Miꞌkmaq raids were made on the new British settlement, such as theRaid on Dartmouth (1751).
The original settlement was made in an area the Miꞌkmaq called Ponamogoatitjg[6] (Boonamoogwaddy), which has been varyingly translated as "Tomcod Ground" or "Salmon Place" in reference to the fish that were presumably caught in this part of Halifax Harbour. The community was later given the English name of Dartmouth in honour ofWilliam Legge, 1st Earl of Dartmouth, who was a formersecretary of state. By 1752, 53 families consisting of 193 people lived in the community.
The oldest structure in Dartmouth is thehouse of William Ray, aQuaker andcooper[7] from Nantucket who moved to Dartmouth in 1785-86 as awhaler. Its materials and construction methods closely resemble Quaker architecture inNantucket, such as the asymmetrical façade design and stone foundation.[8] It is located at 59 Ochterloney Street, and is believed to have been built around 1785 or 1786. Today, it is a museum, furnished as a typical modest dwelling of a merchant of that time.[8][9]
Dartmouth was initially a sawmill and agricultural outpost of Halifax. In the mid-19th century, though, it grew, first with the construction of theShubenacadie Canal and more importantly with the rise of successful industrial firms such as theDartmouth Marine Slips, the Starr Manufacturing Company, and the Stairs Ropeworks.
In 1873, Dartmouth was incorporated as a town, and a town hall was established in 1877.
In 1955, the town was permanently linked to Halifax by theAngus L. Macdonald Bridge, which led to rapid urban growth.
Dartmouth's city hall was built in the early 1960s on the waterfront adjacent to the Alderney Ferry Terminal. The building was declared surplus and sold to Starfish Properties, and was to be redeveloped.[10]
On 1 January 1961, the Town of Dartmouth officially amalgamated with several neighbouring villages into theCity of Dartmouth.
TheA. Murray MacKay Bridge opened in 1970, furthering commercial and residential growth.
TheDartmouth General Hospital officially opened on 14 January 1977, at 325 Pleasant Street. The hospital provides care to acatchment area of approximately 120,000 people.[11]
On April 1, 1996, the provincial government amalgamated all the municipalities within the boundaries ofHalifax County into a single-tier regional government named the Halifax Regional Municipality (HRM). Dartmouth and its neighbouring city of Halifax, the town ofBedford and the Municipality of the County of Halifax were dissolved. The city of Dartmouth forms part of the urban core of the larger regional municipality and is officially designated as part of the "capital district" by the Halifax Regional Municipality. At the time that the City of Dartmouth was dissolved, the provincial government altered its status to a separate community to Halifax; however, its status as part of the metropolitan "Halifax" urban core existed prior to municipal reorganization in 1996.
Dartmouth is still an official geographic name that is used by all levels of government for legal purposes, postal service, mapping,9-1-1 emergency response, municipal planning, and is recognized by the Halifax Regional Municipality as a civic addressing community. The official place name did not change, due to the confusion with similar street names, land use planning set out by the former "City of Dartmouth", and significant public pressure. Today the same development planning for Downtown Dartmouth and the rest of the region is still in force, as well as specific bylaws created prior to April 1, 1996.
Dartmouth covers an area of 60.339 km2 (23.297 sq mi).[12]
Dartmouth boasts twenty-three lakes within its boundaries, Dartmouthians take pride in the chain oflakes within the community boundaries that form part of theShubenacadie Canal. Most famous amongst these isLake Banook, which provides an excellent location for recreation and attractive vistas. Dartmouth's most historic body of water is the artificialSullivan's Pond, located north-east of the downtown area on Ochterloney Street. It was dug in the 1830s as part of the Shubenacadie Canal to connect Halifax Harbour withCobequid Bay on theBay of Fundy.
Dartmouth is represented municipally inHalifax Regional Council by these three districts:
The community council that represents Dartmouth is theHarbour East - Marine Drive Community Council. The community council is held in various locations on the first Thursday of every month.
In the early 19th century, there was amolasses plant.[39]John P. Mott & Co. was established by John Prescott Mott sometime in 1844, and they made soap as well as other products.
On 11 June 1963,Prince Bertil inaugurated theVolvo Halifax Assembly factory in Dartmouth. Between 1963 and 1998, the plant built almost 350,000 cars.[40]
Dartmouth also had the firstIKEA store in Canada and the Americas, which operated between 1975 and 1988.[41][42] IKEA returned to Dartmouth in 2017 in a new location, billed as IKEA Halifax.[43]
Dartmouth is linked to Halifax by the oldest continuously operating saltwater ferry service in North America with the first crossing having taken place in 1752. Early ferries were powered by horses, which were replaced with steam engines in 1830. During the early 20th century, ferries shuttled pedestrians and vehicles between the downtown areas of Halifax and Dartmouth.
Arailway trestle was built across Halifax Harbour in the late 19th century to bring rail service to Dartmouth, but it was destroyed by a storm, requiring the present railway connection built aroundBedford Basin.
During the early 1950s, construction began on theAngus L. Macdonald Bridge, asuspension bridge crossing Halifax Harbour. It opened in 1955, ushering in an unprecedented development boom in Dartmouth. Newsubdivisions,shopping centres,office buildings, andindustrial parks have been built in recent decades. A second bridge, theA. Murray MacKay Bridge, was opened in 1970 and theHighway 111 Circumferential Highway was built around Dartmouth to Woodside at this time.
The community of Dartmouth is coterminous with the former City of Dartmouth. After 1 April 1996, the former city was turned into a community of theHalifax Regional Municipality. The former city (and current community) consists of census tracts 2050100.00 to 2050114.00.[44] As of 2021, the community has over 72,000 people within its boundaries.
| Census Tract | Land area (km2) | 2021 population[45] | 2016 population[46] | 2021 population Density (people per km2) | Population change (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2050100.00 | 5.84 | 4,352 | 3,855 | 745 |  12.89 |
| 2050101.00 | 1.672 | 3,476 | 3,343 | 2,078 | 3.97 |
| 2050102.00 | 1.32 | 4,979 | 4,623 | 3,771 | 7.7 |
| 2050103.00 | 1.893 | 4,281 | 4,228 | 2,261 | 1.25 |
| 2050104.01 | 1.245 | 1,976 | 2,015 | 1,587 |  1.98 |
| 2050104.03 | 2.345 | 3,116 | 2,943 | 1,328 | 5.87 |
| 2050104.04 | 1 | 2,628 | 2,549 | 2,628 | 3.09 |
| 2050104.05 | 1.5 | 2,862 | 3,030 | 1,908 | 5.55 |
| 2050105.01 | 1.191 | 3,129 | 3,082 | 2,627 | 1.52 |
| 2050105.02 | 2.107 | 4,569 | 4,613 | 2,168 | 0.96 |
| 2050106.01 | 1.56 | 3,758 | 3,538 | 2,408 | 6.21 |
| 2050106.02 | 8.962 | 5,117 | 5,106 | 570 | 0.21 |
| 2050107.00 | 1.538 | 3,166 | 3,000 | 2,058 | 5.53 |
| 2050108.00 | 2.269 | 4,859 | 4,769 | 2,141 | 1.88 |
| 2050109.00 | 1.267 | 3,316 | 3,200 | 2,617 | 3.62 |
| 2050110.00 | 0.805 | 1,819 | 1,481 | 2,259 | 22.82 |
| 2050111.00 | 0.971 | 3,328 | 3,132 | 3,427 | 6.25 |
| 2050112.00 | 1.646 | 2,505 | 2,014 | 1,521 | 24.37 |
| 2050113.00 | 3.052 | 1,397 | 1,317 | 457 | 6.07 |
| 2050114.00 | 18.156 | 7,506 | 6,569 | 413 | 14.26 |
| Total | 60.339 | 72,139 | 68,407 | 1,195 | 5.45 |
| Year | Pop. | ±% |
|---|---|---|
| 1762 | 10 | — |
| 1881 | 3,786 | +37760.0% |
| 1891 | 6,252 | +65.1% |
| 1901 | 4,806 | −23.1% |
| 1911 | 5,058 | +5.2% |
| 1921 | 7,899 | +56.2% |
| 1931 | 9,100 | +15.2% |
| 1941 | 10,847 | +19.2% |
| 1951 | 15,037 | +38.6% |
| 1956 | 21,093 | +40.3% |
| 1961 | 46,966 | +122.7% |
| 1966 | 58,745 | +25.1% |
| 1971 | 64,770 | +10.3% |
| 1976 | 65,341 | +0.9% |
| 1981 | 62,333 | −4.6% |
| 1986 | 65,243 | +4.7% |
| 1991 | 67,798 | +3.9% |
| 1996 | 65,629 | −3.2% |
| 2001 | 65,741 | +0.2% |
| 2006 | 65,634 | −0.2% |
| 2011 | 67,094 | +2.2% |
| 2016 | 68,407 | +2.0% |
| 2021 | 72,139 | +5.5% |
| [47][48][49][50][51][52] Population figures reflect the 1961 amalgamation. | ||
Dartmouth has been home to severalCanadian Forces installations:
Dartmouth celebrates a number of festivals throughout the year, including the Ice Festival in January, Dart Music Fest in May, theMaritime Fiddle Festival in July, and the Christkindlemarket in December.[53]
Dartmouthians celebrate a civic holiday known asNatal Day since August 1895. The concept originated as a means to celebrate the arrival of the railway, but construction of the railway tracks was incomplete on the appointed day. Since all the preparations for the festivities were ready, organizers decided to go ahead with a celebration of the municipality's birthday instead.
In 1941, the Dartmouth Natal Committee decided to erect a cairn in honour of the spirit and courage of the first English settlers to Dartmouth's shore. It is situated in Leighton Dillman Park, part of the common lands left to the community by the Quakers, and it overlooks the harbour where the first settlers built their homes. The monument stands 3 m (9.8 ft) high and is constructed from rocks gathered on Martinique Beach. A plaque in front of the cairn is inscribed and describes the arrival of theAlderney "on August 12, 1750 with 353 settlers."
The community hosted theICF Canoe Sprint World Championships in1997,2009, and2022. Dartmouth co-hosted the initialCanada Summer Games in 1969.
The communities main sport centre is the Dartmouth (Zatzman) Sportsplex which hosts a pool, walking track, gym, and community spaces.[54]
Diggstown was filmed in and around Dartmouth.
The television showTrailer Park Boys was set in a fictional Dartmouth trailer park and was filmed in Dartmouth and its environs. The show featured actors (such asRobb Wells) and writers from Dartmouth. A documentary film about the creation and production of theTrailer Park Boys series is entitledHearts of Dartmouth.
With twenty-three lakes within the community, Dartmouth is nicknamedThe City of Lakes. Dartmouth's community flower is theorchid, and its latin motto isAmicitia Crescimus, which is located on its community crest.
Before the1996 amalgamation, Dartmouth wasHalifax's sister city.
North America's first IKEA store is closing. The Swedish furniture chain, whose Dartmouth, N.S., store opened in 1975, said it is shutting the doors on the store and warehouse in six months, putting 50 people out of work.
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