Why isn Halifax a larger city like New York or Boston?
Halifax began as a settlement in the early 1700s where ships could enter the harbour area and seek shelter from North Atlantic storms. The area was particularly useful as a sheltered port, first for French and later, for British warships. The city grew primarily as a military and fishing port. It was originally envisioned that Halifax would become the primary seaport for trade with Europe and coastal US cities. But with the St. Laurence Seaway opening the route all the way into the Great Lakes, the city appeared to stagnate. The official population from 2001 to 2006 (and estimates for 2009) show that the city has only grown in size by 20,000 to 30,000 people. One thing to also note is that although Boston is not much further south than Halifax, it is somewhat protected by its location further south and west, out of the North Atlantic region. This helps it avoid much of the dangerous icebergs that flow down from off the coast of Greenland. But the main thing I believe that has held Hali
