Grand Parade

Midway down the slope from Citadel Hill to the Harbour, Halifax's Grand Parade is a central location in the downtown area.  It is nestled between Argyle and Barrington Streets, with City Hall and St. Paul's Church, the city's oldest, both facing the Grand Parade from the north and south respectively.  In the middle of the Grand Parade is the Cenotaph, a monument to those who died in the service of their country and to those who served, as well.

In Halifax's early days, every townsman between the ages of 16 and 60 were subject to militia duty, and many assemblies and marches were held here at the Grand Parade.  In the original plans for the town, the square was supposed to contain an equestrian statue of the King.  For many years the ground of the Grand Parade was not level, so than an early print of a militia gathering at the Parade shows the back groups of militiamen with their noses in line with the knees of those in the front line.  The Parade was leveled in the closing years of the 18th century.

In 1820, Dalhousie College was erected on the Grand Parade.  This institution of higher learning, now Dalhousie University, later moved to Halifax's south end.  In 1887, the City Hall was erected, returning the Grand Parade to its early beginnings as a public square, as opposed to a college campus.

Facing south, St. Paul's Church and Cenotaph	Facing west, Citadel Hill and Old Town Clock
The Grand Parade is a great spot for downtown office workers to sit and eat their lunches on a nice day; it's also a prime location for the many buskers or street performers who visit Halifax when the city hosts the International Buskers Festival, a world renowned event, each and every August. In the image to the right can be seen one of the signal masts that were used as a means of communication in Halifax's early defences.  Other such masts are located on Citadel Hill, and at York Redoubt.
	Facing north, City Hall