2012 is Our Year in Halifax, Nova Scotia

Are you starting to think about your travel plans for 2012? Or trying to finalize a location and dates for that big conference? Look no further than Halifax, Nova Scotia. In 2012 we’re setting the events bar pretty high for both future years and other destinations.

April 15, 2012, will mark the 100^th anniversary of the sinking of Titanic. This occasion will be commemorated through special events and programming that will underscore the impact the Titanic story continues to have on Halifax and the world. Halifax has one of the most moving and intimate connections with the Titanic disaster, playing a key role during the tragedy's aftermath and becoming the final resting place of many of her unclaimed victims. When visiting Halifax, one can experience reminders of Titanic and other courageous stories about our people and their connection with the sea at historic sites such as the museums, cemeteries, churches, and the former homes of Titanic passengers, to name a few. Learn more about this significant chapter in our history by exploring the Nova Scotia Archives’ virtual Titanic exhibit and visiting the Bedford Institute of Oceanography to see a model of Titanic, as it sits today on the ocean floor.

This summer Halifax will once again play host to the Tall Ships Festival, July 19-30, and serve as the only Canadian port of call in the Tall Ships Challenge Atlantic Coast 2012. Tall Ships is one of the biggest, most exciting events to hit our waterfronts. The perfect family event, Tall Ships showcases the best of Nova Scotia’s maritime culture through music, art, food, film and history – you can even board the ships and meet the crew members. Tall Ships kicks off with the vessels gathering in Halifax for a weekend of activities highlighted by the spectacular Parade of Sail. After the ships depart from Halifax, they will continue on to ports around Nova Scotia. With 2012 marking the bicentennial anniversary of the War of 1812, event programming will include a special historical piece to commemorate this momentous part Canada’s history.

The TELUS World Skins Game, a prestigious golf event, will celebrate its 20th anniversary in Halifax, July 29 – 31. Glen Arbour Golf Course, one of Atlantic Canada’s premiere golf destinations, has been selected to host the event that will see five top PGA TOUR Professionals compete. If your heart is on the green, Halifax is the place to be in 2012.

The dog days of summer will see the return of the FIVB World Junior Beach Volleyball Championship, to be held in Halifax August 28 – September 2 at the Salter Lot. Halifax will become the very first repeat host in the event’s 11-year history, with the tournament expanding from 48 teams to 64 and five days to six. Get ready for what’s promised to be a bigger and even better event than 2011’s successful effort!

And that’s not all! Click on the links below to check out these other significant historical milestones we will be celebrating all year in Halifax.

• Re-launch of Bluenose II
• 225^th birthday of Samuel Cunard, founder of the Cunard shipping line
• 100^th anniversary of Dingle Tower
• 50^th anniversary of the Bedford Institute of Oceanography (BIO)
• 25^th anniversary of Halifax Pride