Closed roads and limited parking will once again take over downtown Halifax this weekend as the Tall Ships Regatta arrives in the harbour.
In order to make your lives easier, and the regatta more enjoyable, we’ve created a page of helpful tips to get you through the celebration.
Remember, if you’re above the age of 16 you’ll need to show a photo ID to board any of the boats in the harbour.
It’s alright to bring backpacks but they may be searched.
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The regatta is going ahead rain or shine so remember to dress appropriately for the weather.
You can find the festival’s entire schedule on their website.
We’ve also created a list of all road and street closures that might affect your trip downtown. There will not be free service and standard transit fares will be in effect throughout the weekend.
A trip from Dartmouth to Halifax will be a lot easier this weekend as the MacDonald Bridge will be open throughout the weekend to vehicles, bikes and pedestrians until 7 p.m. on Sunday.
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However, Lower Water Street between George and Prince Streets will be closed to vehicle traffic on Saturday and Sunday in order to be used as a pedestrian walkway for festival visitors.
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The closure will be in effect from 9 a.m. to 11 p.m. with a traffic detour turning up Prince Street and along Bedford Row.
As a result, there will be no parking on Bedford Row during the same period. The municipality says they will post signs marking no-parking zones and will ticket or tow vehicles to keep the detour route clear.
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Ferry
Ferry routes will follow their regular schedule on Saturday but will eventually expand the service on Sunday on the Alderney/Halifax Route.
- 6:30 a.m. to 11:15 a.m. (30-minute service; :00 and :30 departing Alderney to Halifax; :15 and :45 departing Halifax to Alderney)
- 11:15 a.m. to 7 p.m. (15-minute service at both terminals)
- 7 p.m. to 12 a.m. (30-minute service; :00 and :30 departing Alderney to Halifax; :15 and :45 departing Halifax to Alderney)
In order to ensure safety during the trip the city is reminding ferry passengers that exits and life-saving equipment cannot be blocked by any objects such as bicycles or trailers. Crew members may ask riders to move or wait for the next ferry as a result.
Tuesday, August 1, will also have modified ferry service. There will be service every 15 minutes on the Alderney/Halifax Route from 6:30 a.m. to 12 a.m. This is in order to deal with the anticipated demand during the Parade of sail when crowds will gather to say goodbye to the Tall Ships.
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Bus service
From Friday to Monday there will be standby buses to supplement the regular bus service. They’ll be dispatched to routes that are experiencing a high volume of passengers.
On the weekend bus shuttles will operate between the Alderney and Lower Water Street Terminals in order to provide an alternative to ferry service.
The shuttles will travel from between 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. and will leave terminals as they are filled.
The City of Halifax has also created a list of all the closures and changes to transit service.
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