Halifax Population & Growth

[Keith P.]

It is easy to lose track of a city's growth if you are living in it long-term. The growth happens slowly enough that you don't notice a lot of it and nothing seems very different aside from some newer, bigger buildings replacing old ones. Normally you would detect new/expanded streets and roadways but of course that does not happen in HRM, where streets are modified to give them less capacity. That does result in the one symptom most people would notice, which is horrific traffic, especially at peak times.

But when you haven't been in a place for a while, it hits you right between the eyes. I had not been in Moncton aside from driving past it on the Trans-Canada for decades until recently. I was astounded at the growth. The areas that used to be sleepy ramshackle suburbs are now like the outskirts of any other major North American city, with collector roads, huge shopping areas, office buildings, and (yes) horrific traffic. It was a real eye-opener. In some ways it put HRM to shame.