Port of Halifax

The Port of Halifax comprises various port facilities in Halifax Harbour in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada.Strategically located as North America's first inbound and last outbound gateway, the Port of Halifax is the deepest, wide, ice-free harbour with minimal tides and is two days closer to Europe and one day closer to Southeast Asia (via the Suez Canal) than any other North American East Coast port. In addition, it is one of just a few eastern seaboard ports able to accommodate and service fully laden post-Panamax container ships using the latest technology.With 19 world's top shipping lines calling the Port, including transshipment, feeder ship services and direct access to Canadian National Railway (CN) inland network, the Port of Halifax is connected virtually to every market in North America and over 150 countries worldwide supporting the delivery of all types of cargoes. Annually the Port handles over 1,500 vessels, generates more than 11,190 jobs and $1.5 billion in economic impact. Halifax is one of Canada's top four container ports in terms of the volume of cargo handled.HistoryAfter the Royal Navy withdrew from Halifax in 1905, the dockyards were handed over to the Government of Canada. Prior to World War I, the government began the Ocean Terminals project. A new railway was built through the city's South End to service the modern piers, the first of which opened in the early 1920s. Shipping grew sharply during World War II.