Nova Scotia’s largest city is looking at changing it’s name. The former cities of Halifax and Dartmouth, the old town of Bedford, as well as the former Halifax county are now officially called the Halifax Regional Municipality, but that may change if a Dartmouth councilor gets her way.
The area around Nova Scotia’s capital city has been known as the unweildy Halifax Regional Municipality since amalgamation in the mid 1990s. Councillor Gloria McClusky wants to change it to Greater Halifax.
“It’s easier if you say ‘I’m from Ecum Secum’, well where’s that? Well Halifax Regional Municipality… I think instead of that, say Greater Halifax. I think that makes more sense. And I think I’ll get some success with this.”
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The motion will come before regional council Tuesday, and after more than a decade as HRM, the mayor says a change just makes sense.
“We’re already known as Halifax outside Nova Scotia and throughout the world. We’re a world class city, and we need a world class name. And it’s one that’s known throughout the world.”
McClusky doesn’t believe the cost of the name change, which in a 2007 city report was pegged at $850,000, has to be that high because the change doesn’t have to happen right away.
“We only change the stationary and the decals and the trucks and everything else when we order new ones. I do not want any cost, born from this, we can’t afford the cost.”
Business leaders say if you’re going to change the city’s name, do it right.
“There are hard costs to things,” says Paul Mackinnon of the Downtown Halifax Business Commission, “When you change signage, when you change letterhead, I’d say if we’re going to kind of re-launch ourselves with whatever name it is, we should be bold about it, and not apologize for it and nickel and dime it. We should go ahead and do it.”
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