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Contest: give Halifax a nickname

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HALIFAX – What makes a city great?

Is it a beautiful skyline? A rich cultural heritage? Maybe it’s an exciting nightlife.

These are all possibilities of course, but I personally think that when it comes right down to it, the thing that makes a city great is its nickname.

When I think about it, all of my personal favourite cities have one:  New York is the Big Apple, London is the Big Smoke, Chicago is the Windy City, Vancouver is the City of Glass, Hamilton is the Hammer, even Toronto is Hogtown.

I Halifax is another awesome city, and it too deserves its own awesome nickname.

On that note I’d like to announce the Spacing Atlantic Halifax nick name contest.
Post your suggestions down below and we’ll pick the best ones and put it to a vote in a few weeks.

(Oh yeah, Hali, and The Fax do not count.  Sorry folks, but they just don’t cut it.)

Here are some suggestions to get the ball rolling:

1. Greytown
2. The Big Salty (because it’s near the ocean)
3. The beast of the East
4. Uncle Cornwallis’s

Photo by Lawrence Plug

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13 comments

  1. Are we forgetting Warden of the North?

    “Into the mist my guardian prows put forth, Behind the mist my virgin ramparts lie; The Warden of the Honour of the North, Sleepless and veiled am I.” Think of that for a minute, or more if you need the time: “The Warden of the Honour of the North. – Rudyard Kipling.

    Let`s not reinvent the wheel.

  2. 1. Harbourface
    2. The Place Where Buildings Go to Die
    3. Peter’s Playhouse
    4. The Cradle of Democracy
    5. Democracytown

  3. I KNOW it will get shot down, but I’ve always loved Halifornia. Definitely brings out the party time night life emphasized by the large student population.

  4. When visiting Halifax this past summer, I was surprised to learn about its rich history of pirates and privateers. A nickname ought to incorporate something that recognizes that history. Some suggestions:
    Rebeltown, Schooner City, Brigtown

  6. -Home of the Donair
    -The Traditional Stop (beford anyone?)
    -The Settle Down
    -Temporary Home for Ontario students
    -the big hush

  8. The Big Salty is what comes to mind first. Great city and very relaxed atmosphere compared with larger urban areas.

  10. In recognition of Halifax’s metropolitan, “capital” role within the Atlantic region, and the fact that I use the name already, I will propose:

    HALIGONIA.

    It also makes for a nice pairing with Canada’s Pacific capital, Vanconia.

  11. how about “The Twin Salties” , those being of course Halifax and Dartmouth.

    Other suggestions:
    “The Big Slushie”
    “The Formerly Blown Up City Now Dominated by Boomers”

  12. “The Navy Blue Burg”
    “The Land Before Time”
    “Toronto East”
    “Yuppie Town”
    “The City that the Rest of Canada [Wrongfully] Thinks Contains All of Atlantic Canada’s Population”