• View
• Edit
• History
• Backlinks

Halifax

Areas Page Editors: please follow the Guidelines, whether you are editing an in-game area or World Territory.

1.  Description

A city once centralized around an urban core, Halifax has long since gone to ruin. While unique for its incorporation of suburbs into the city, time and the elements have destroyed many of the less well constructed buildings. To the east, the harbor is scattered with the skeletons of ships, some of which have grounded themselves on the smaller islands within the harbor itself.

Two suspension bridges connect the city's core. The further one moves from the urban core the faster they regress into rural homes and farms. To the north and northeastern borders of the city, the thick forest has begun to retake the land. The concrete is split open with trees growing out of the crevices and snaking vines and shrubs break through the glass windows of buildings.

Halifax was the largest metropolitan area in Nova Scotia prior to the demise of humanity, with a population of over 288,000 in 1981. Halifax itself is actually composed of several areas: Metropolitan or Mainland Halifax, the Halifax Peninsula, Bedford, and Dartmouth.

2.  Subterritories

2.1  Hydrostone District

This affluent, sprawling district of Halifax was constructed in the early 20th century after a large fire destroyed parts of Halifax. Many buildings found in this area are unique for their construction; row-houses in sturdy groups are constructed of hydrostone, a non-combustible granite concrete. Small shops and boutiques dominate the lower floors of these short multi-stories, while the upper floors were converted to apartments. Much of this area stands in good condition due to strong construction; however, the streets were lined with trees, and the Hydrostone's overgrowth is quite severe.

Part of the Hydrostone is comprised of thin, glacially-deposited soil, dotted with outcroppings of a dark sedimentary shale known as ironstone. This part of the peninsula has no significant surface water, unlike other areas surrounding the harbor. Overlooking the rest of the Hydrostone and Halifax, this is among the highest-elevated districts around the metropolitan area, topped with an impressive mansion predating the Hydrostone houses.

2.2  Thornhill District

The Thornhill district, on the northern part of the harbor, was Halifax's gritty downtown prior to the apocalypse. The area is dominated by warehouses, the remnants of chain store buildings, and other marks of industrialization. A 250-bed prison, the largest in Nova Scotia, stands in silent vigil over the residential area, consisting of duplexes and several high-rise apartment buildings alongside several rows of low-slung brick houses. Most stand in good condition; however, due to an effort to revitalize the district that was interrupted by the apocalypse. A sprawling development of cookie-cutter houses stands half-finished, occupied homes nestled in fields of skeletal structures and stone foundations.

2.3  Spring Heights

The Spring Heights district, along the southern side of the harbor, was trendy and modern, prior to the apocalypse. The multi-story Lordslace Hotel stands proudly among other high-rise buildings, and the spindly Angus Bridge extends across the harbor, connecting Spring Heights with the Hydrostone district. Despite heavy evidence of commercial activities, the Spring Heights district also boasts two small libraries, several museums, and the sprawling Halifax Public Gardens. Once cultivated, the flora of the gardens has exploded outward, overtaking the better part of a city block. Various semi-exotic species can be found in Spring Heights thanks to the gardens.

2.4  Greater Halifax

The areas outside of Halifax range from suburban to rural, the sprawl of the city extending far beyond the relatively small metropolitan area. Primarily comprised of farmlands and housing developments, the Greater Halifax area also boasts its own landmarks, including the large Chebucto Peninsula, a wildlife preserve prior to the apocalypse, and the Halifax Airport. Clusters of houses, shops, and storefronts make up smaller communities and villages in the Greater Halifax area, though few are of any note. This area is dominated by a plethora of formerly-domesticated animals, and predators (Luperci included) are well-known to frequent the area.

3.  Landmarks

3.1  Neighborhoods

Halifax Peninsula

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 town of Halifax. It is also home to the majority of the area of Nova Scotia's Capital District. The narrow asphalt streets are set in the highly organized grid pattern the way town officials originally planned in the 18th century. An ample number of decaying hotels (no less than 14) leftover from humanity can be found in the area. Demolition and urban renewal in the 1960s and 1970s replaced most of the downtown with blocks with office towers; the relatively new construction of most of the city means this part of Halifax has survived rather well compared to much older construction. Nevertheless, there is evidence of decay everywhere.

Citadel Hill

Citadel Hill is the fortified summit of a high point in Halifax, overlooking much of the harbor. The Citadel was long the keystone to the defence of the Halifax Harbour and its dockyard and shipbuilding operations. The star-shaped fortress, or citadel, is formally known as Fort George and was completed in 1856 following almost thirty years of construction. This massive masonry-construction fort is the largest of twenty smaller forts scattered throughout Halifax and its harbors, shores, and islands.

Downtown Halifax Link

The Downtown Halifax Link system is a small-scale network of climate-controlled pedestrian walkways (tunnels and skywalks) connecting various office buildings, hotels, parkades, and entertainment venues in the area of the Halifax Peninsula. Though parts of it were once automated, utilizing conveyor-belt like technology, these machines have long since seemed to run. Nevertheless, this system of interconncted walkways is still accessible. Strongly constructed, they are beginning to rust and show age -- but for now, are a relatively safe place to explore in the city central.

Cogswell Square Complex

This quintet of hunkering office buildings stand at 79 metres (259 ft) with 14 floors, plus seven lower underground parking levels levels underneath the southernmost building. An inner courtyard stands between the two buildings, sunny throughout most of the day thanks to the spacing between the buildings. The complex is connected to the link system by skyway between the southernmost building and nearby Duke Tower. Especially explorative Luperci may discover that the lowermost two levels of the parking lot are completely flooded in with stinking and stagnant water.

Duke Tower

This tall, narrow building was used for office and commercial use. Standing at 71 meters with 16 floors, the Duke Towers' surface consisted entirely of thick glass windows, impeccably shiny and bright -- some time ago, anyway. Debris has shattered some, while others are overgrown with mosses. Still others have simply become dirty over the years. There is no more bright shine to the tower -- though a Luperci who wiped off some of the grime on the front doors might discover this aspect of the tower, still.

Purdy's Wharf

These unique paired buildings once used seawater for air conditioning. Of course, that feature no longer functions -- yet the buildings are naturally cold, thanks to the typical Nova Scotian climate and weather. Still, these towering twenty-four story buildings are a prominent feature along thickest part of the industrialized Peninsula, and draw many Luperci explorers -- whether to scavenge for potential loot or to simply enjoy the view provided by the tall rooftops.

Metropolitan Halifax

Metropolitan Halifax all of encompasses the former City of Halifax. The dense urban core is also known as Mainland Halifax, as a contrast to the Halifax Peninsula, Dartmouth, and Bedford. The area outside of the peninsula on the mainland does not have as many office towers and hotel complexes as the peninsula, but is still heavily urbanized. Squat apartment buildings and a few taller spires can be found in this part of the city. A massive convention center once provided seating and staging areas for a huge number of people, but stands empty and abandoned now, slowly crumbling into the earth.

Dartmouth

This residental community outside of the Metropolitan area housed many people who worked within the downtown area. However, the city was not only a bedroom community for Halifax but also had commerce and industries of its own, including a car assembly plant, a molasses plant, and the shopping district of Dartmouth Crossing, Connected to Halifax by two bridges and housing the Thornhill District as well as the Hydrostone District, Bedford is a well-travelled area for one seeking the tallest buildings in the area -- an obvious target for most. Still, the office buildings hold very similar things, few of which Luperci will find especially useful. The residential areas in Dartmouth might better serve a scavenger's needs.

Cowie Hill

Built during the early 1970s, the Dartmouth neighbourhood is one of the most easily recognized in the city, given its location overlooking the harbor and distinctive red-brick townhouses lining narrow, mostly one-way streets. Towering over these houses and the surrounding area are the subdivision's two apartment buildings: Armdale Place and Ridgeway Towers. On opposite ends of the neighborhood, the pair of buildings seem to compete with one another for the tallest building in the area.

Rockingham

This commuter's neighborhood is situated near the McKay bridge. It is home to a large transport station, with various above ground platforms for buses and underground platforms for those walking the downtown Link (one needs to cross the McKay bridge afoot to do so). A huge train depot sits here as well. Close to this depot, a number of hunkering warehouses sit. The area is otherwise partially residential, with various single family homes and duplexes, as well as smaller apartment buildings and condominium complexes dotting the area. The tallest buildings in Rockingham tend to be the apartment buildings, though its skyline is not nearly so tall or jagged as that of Metropolitan Halifax.

Bedford

This smaller suburb of Halifax is located near some major highways, meaning it is frequented by Luperci as it was in the time of humanity. There are various retail stores, restaurants, a few superstores, and one theatre located here, accompanied by several smaller swathes of residential apartments. Shortly ouside of Bedford, the land quickly becomes suburban. Beyond that, it becomes rural even more quickly. Bedford is the last outpost of the city's metropolitan areas.

Fairview

This is one of the larger residential neighborhoods surrounding Bedford. Though the neighborhood certainly had its charm once upon a time, there is evidence it was run down even before the humans' demise. Many of the buildings are boarded up or otherwise appear to have been slated for demolition once upon a time. A motorcycle gang hangout is in evidence in this part of the city -- a dangerous-looking bar hunkers on an intersection of even more boarded-up buildings than are usually seen on the streets of Fairview.

Spryfield

This is one of the older neighborhoods around Halifax, as is evidenced by the older construction work here. There are numerous lakes, parks, and streams in this area. Kidston Lake, a natural lake that was once used by the humans for swimming, is still located next to the wildly overgrown remnants of a residental park. Shrubbery and saplings lean close to the beach and over the kettle lake, shadowing its surface and making its waters very cool. The old lifeguard's seat is still standing on the sloping golden sands of the pristine lakeside beach, though its wood has gone rotten and its red-and-white paint has begun to chip.

4.  Waterways

4.1  Sable Lake

This large lake sits in Greater Halifax, close to the harbor and in an area well-trafficked by humans prior to the apocalypse. The lake is drained by the Sable River via a small connecting stream. Its sandy shores are picturesque, and it is surrounded by what was once a sprawling recreational park. The lake now supports a large population of Songbirds as well as Birds of Prey. The surrounding forest and small patch of wilderness have an impressive array of small prey animals for being situated in the midst of suburbia.

4.2  Sable River

This long river drains from the Sable Lake. Most of its long course bends northward to its mouth in the Minas Basin in Whisper Beach, but its meandering course brings it through the outskirts of Greater Halifax to collect the waters of the aforementioned lake, as well as several small streams and rivulets running through the suburban and rural areas of Greater Halifax.

4.3  Halifax Harbour

The harbour is largely formed by a drowned glacial valley which succumbed to sea level rise since glaciation. The Bedford River now empties into the upper end of the harbour in Bedford Basin; however its original river bed extends throughout the length of the harbour and beyond. Deep vessels were once forced to use the main channel into the harbour, which runs on the west side of McNabs Island, for entryway. The west entrance point marking the beginning of the inner approach using this channel is located near Chebucto Head, approximately 12 kilometres (7 mi) south of the limit. This limitation would inhibit Luperci sailors, as well -- the chance of running aground in the eastern passageway are far higher due to continuous silting and shallower waters.

The Arm

Part of Halifax Harbour, The Arm measures approximately 3.5 km (2.1748) in length and 0.5 km (.3 miles) in width and defines the eastern side of the Halifax Harbour, facing the ocean. The Mi'kmaq Nation called this water body "Waygwalteech" which translates to "salt water all the way up" -- an apt description, as the entirety of the harbour is at least brackish, if not salty seawater. Much of the shoreline of the Northwest Arm is fronted by private residences.

Royal Navy Dockyard

This large dockyard and ship repair point sits within the arm, protected from the ocean by a number of small islands as well as manmade military forts. Once a strategic location for Canada's defense, the dockyard has begun to fall into disrepair, as with much else around it. Part of the dockyard has flooded over completely, and at least one massive navy ship has collapsed in its dry bay.

The Narrows

The small passageway between Halifax Peninsula and Dartmouth, the Narrows are the slimmest part of the harbour. The Narrows are treacherous to navigate by ship, especially for Luperci sailors with rudimentary technology and ships. Two suspension bridges extend over the harbor waters in The Narrows, the Angus in Thornhill District and the McKay in Rockingham.

McKay Bridge

The A. Murray MacKay Bridge was locally known as "the new bridge." It was is the second suspension bridge linking the Halifax Peninsula with Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, and opened on July 10, 1970. The four-lane bridge features four highways, clearing 55meters (181 feet) at its highest point over the water. Constructed of greenish steel, the McKay bridge is newer and clearly better maintained than its older sibling bridge, the Angus.

Bedford Basin

Bedford Basin is a large enclosed bay, forming the northwestern end of Halifax Harbour. The lands surrounding the basin are heavily developed with the only significant greenspace remaining being along the northeastern shore. The south shore of the basin at Fairview Cove hosts one of Halifax's two container terminals as well as Nova Scotia's largest railway yard, Rockingham Yard. Four small coves dot the shores of the basin, home to a number of sprawling residential homes.

5.  Islands

5.1  George's Island

Georges Island is the largest island entirely within the harbour limits of Halifax. Georges Island has an extensive number of blueberries, as it is almost entirely a blueberry barren (an area where no other plants grow). Additionally, the island is overrun with black garter snakes. Human remnants include a prominent concrete lighthouse and the remnants of the lightkeeper's house, abandoned in the mid-1900s as an automatic lighthouse replaced the earlier model.

5.2  Lawlor Island

Lawlor Island sits near the mouth of Halifax Harbour. Measuring approximately 55 hectares, it is located just south of McNabs Island. The island was undeveloped woodland and the protected home of both deer and osprey in the time of humanity.

5.3  McNab's Island

McNabs Island sits outside of the Halifax Harbor. The small island has a total area of approximately 395 hectares (980 acres), with the remnants of a lighthouse to the south and east, facing toward the sea. Most of the island is forested. Important historic features on McNabs Island which are still visible include the foundations of several houses built by early settlers, an aboriginal shell midden, a cemetery containing some of the island's earliest residents, remains of picnic ground and soda pop factory, and remnants of a once extensive Victorian garden. Numerous military fortifications can be found, including a Martello tower.

6.  Likely Encounters

• In general, one can expect to encounter pretty much anyone from any pack here. Lots of canines flock to this area to try and scavenge things from the ruins of humanity. Casa di Cavalieri is the closest to the city, so one might see their members more often in the area.

6.1  Current

• Various Luperci may reside in and around Halifax, seeking easily-found shelter from the many remnants of human-made buildings. While there is not enough in terms of resources in the area to support a large pack, smaller groups may settle from time to time and try to find ways to scratch out a living.

6.2  Former

• Judas previously resided in one of the upper residences above a former hat shop in the heart of the Hydrostone District, although the first floor bears no sign of a resident. The actual residence, however, does not stand out in any way from the other buildings on the street.
• Octavius lived in the Hydrostone District as well, in an old hotel not far from his brother's hat shop. The hotel has been mostly picked clean.
• Mated couple Aoves and Harvey Butler made their home in the city. It wasn't until the birth of their first litter - Samuel, Basil, and Estella Butler - that they decided to move to a nearby pack, Cour des Miracles. When Basil Butler came of age, he returned to the city on his own.
• Jontae de l'Or grew up in the city after running away from her Cour des Miracles home. She lurked in a junkyard in the urban neighborhood, accosted visitors and those who sought to scavenge parts, and demanded to be paid in trinkets, food, or alcohol. After giving birth to Jehan de l'Or and later Mistral de l'Or, she was murdered by Domovoi Tarasova and eaten by cats.
• Axle and Grit, companions of Barrett Poer De Aika XIII, were often seen in the area of Barrett's garage. In exchange for some marijuana and other supplies, this pair of dogs watched over Barrett's Halifax garage house, where he grew and stored his marijuana supplies. Eventually they moved on to Vinátta, becoming border guards.
• Rio Marino claimed a house in the city after fleeing Anathema. She grew lonely and sought out her half-brother Haven Aatte, who gave her a safe home in Cour des Miracles.
• Rurik Russo and his children, Silas Agata, Anatoliy Russo, and Liliya Russo hung out in a small motel near the Halifax Harbour for quite a while. Though they moved on to Cour des Miracles, some evidence of their life there is still present.
• Feline Element lived in the library of the university in Halifax for a long time.
• Belial Massacre lived in Halifax until becoming a member of Cercatori d'Arte.

7.  Sources

• City of Halifax, Wikipedia:
• Wikipedia:Metropolitan_Halifax
• Wikipedia:Downtown_Halifax
• Wikipedia:Halifax_Peninsula
• Wikipedia:Mainland_Halifax
• Wikipedia:Bedford,_Nova_Scotia
• Wikipedia:Dartmouth,_Nova_Scotia
• Wikipedia:Spryfield,_Nova_Scotia
• Wikipedia:Rockingham,_Nova_Scotia
• Wikipedia:Fairview,_Nova_Scotia
• Wikipedia:Cowie_Hill,_Nova_Scotia
• Wikipedia:Bayer%27s_Lake,_Nova_Scotia
• Wikipedia:Halifax_Harbour
• Wikipedia:Purdy%27s_Wharf
• Wikipedia:Citadel_Hill_
• Wikipedia:Downtown_Halifax_Link
• Wikipedia:A._Murray_MacKay_Bridge
• Kidston Lake
• Wikipedia:Buildings_and_structures_in_the_Halifax_Regional_Municipality