Beaches/Swimming

The Halifax Regional Municipality has swimming facilities to suit every taste, from the salty breakwaters of the Atlantic Ocean to peaceful lakes shimmering in the sun of a summer afternoon.

Provincial Parks Ocean & Lake Beaches Supervised (daily 10am to 6pm):

• Clam Harbour Beach (ocean) off Hwy. 7. Supervised on weekends only (10am to 6pm), facilities. Site of annual sandcastle building contest (see Events, page 45). Dollar Lake (lake) Hwy. 357. Large inland lake. Facilities, camping. Lawrencetown Beach (ocean) Hwy. 207. Facilities. Popular surfing spot year round. Queensland Beach (ocean) St. Margaret s Bay, Hwy. 3.
• Rainbow Haven Provincial Beach (ocean) Hwy. 207 to Bissett Road. Full facilities. Nearest serviced beach park to downtown Halifax.

Unsupervised:

• Cleveland Beach (ocean). St. Margaret's Bay, Hwy. 3. Minimal facilities. Crystal Crescent Beach (ocean) Hwy. 349, on the open Atlantic. No facilities. Laurie Provincial Park (lake) on Shubenacadie Grand Lake, Hwy. 2. Boating, camping. Lewis Lake (lake) Upper Tantallon, Hwy. 3. Accessible, facilities, trails, fishing. Martinique Beach (ocean) off Hwy. 7/107. Minimal facilities. At 5km, the longest beach in Nova Scotia. Oakfield Provincial Park (lake) on Shubenacadie Grand Lake, Hwy. 2. Large picnic area, small beach, boat ramp, minimal facilities, accessible. Porter s Lake (lake) south of Hwy. 7. Large freshwater lake near ocean. Boating, swimming, fishing, facilities, camping.
• Taylor Head (ocean) off Hwy. 7. Minimal facilities. Hiking, swimming.

Supervised Municipal Outdoor Swimming Halifax/Dartmouth area:

• Dingle Beach (salt), Kidston Lake, Kearney Lake, Chocolate Lake, Cunard Beach on Williams Lake, Central Commons Pool, Birch Cove Beach (on Lake Banook), Albro Lake Beach, Penhorn Lake Beach,
• Shubie Campground Beach (on Lake Charles).

Other:

• Springfield Lake, Tucker Lake, Kinsmen Beach, Mosher River, Campbell Point Park, Paper Mill Lake, Fennerty Landing, Bedford Lions Pool, Long Pond, Kings Beach, Gaetz Brook Municipal Beach,
• Webber's Beach/Lake Charlotte.

For information on any of the cited beaches in
Halifax Regional Municipality, call 490-4557.

Indoor Swimming

• Centennial Fitness Centre
• 490-7219
• 1970 Gottingen St., Halifax

Cole Harbour Place

• 464-5100
• 51 Forest Hills Parkway, Dartmouth

Dalplex

• 494-3372
• Dalhousie University campus, 6260 South St., Halifax

Dartmouth Sportsplex

• 464-2600 110 Wyse Rd., Dartmouth
• Children's pool and 25-metre pool.

Needham Pool

• 490-4633
• 3372 Devonshire Ave., Halifax

Northcliffe Centre

• 490-4690
• 111 Clayton Park Dr., Halifax

Sackville Sports Stadium

• 869-4141
• 409 Glendale Dr., Lower Sackville

Spryfield Lions Wave Pool

• 477-7665
• Captain William Spry Community Centre, 10 Kidston Rd., Halifax

YMCA (co-ed)

• 423-9622
• 1565 South Park St., Halifax

YMCA Dartmouth (family)

• 469-9622
• 21 Woodlawn Rd., Dartmouth

Canoeing/Kayaking

Halifax Regional Municipality Community Recreation Services offers canoeing lessons and rentals, and sailing lessons and rentals at Saint Mary's Boat Club, operating May to November on Halifax's Northwest Arm (490-4688) and at Dartmouth's Graham's Grove, Lake Banook (490-4728). Call 490-4720 for other public facilities. Canoe Nova Scotia at 425-5450, ext. 316 provides a range of general information.

• Adventures East
• 431-7031 Halifax Tours, river rafting, lobster lunch, guides, instruction. www.seriousfunoutdoors.com
• fstillman@hfx.eastlink.ca

Sea Sun Kayak School & Adventures

• 471-2732 Saint Mary's Boat Club, Northwest Arm, Halifax. Tours, lessons, rentals. www.paddlenovascotia.com
• seasun1@hotmail.com

Halifax Rowing Club

• 423-0323 Saint Mary's Boat Club, Northwest Arm.
• Learn-to-row lessons and club memberships.

Dragonfly Outfitters

• 462-5050 www.fourthwave.ca/dragonfly.htm Graham's Grove Park, Prince Albert Road, Dartmouth.
• Kayak and canoe rentals on Lake Banook and Lake Micmac.

Adventure Rentals

• 483-1058
• Easy, safe sit-on-top resort kayaks, canoe and paddle boats.

Diving

The bays and inlets of the Halifax Regional Municipality are filled with wrecks to explore and sea life to enjoy, making Nova Scotia a haven for divers. Wet suits are a necessity in our cold waters and a valid certification card is required to buy air and rent equipment. Contact the Nova Scotia Underwater Council at 425-5450, ext. 325, for information about dive sites, clubs, dive shops and air stations. See also Tours, guides & charters, page 90.

Fishing

Licensed outfitters and tackle shops can supply information on the seasons, scheduled rivers, licence requirements and bag limits for our freshwater lakes and streams. Most sporting goods stores and all district offices of the NS Department of Natural Resources carry licences. Deep sea fishing charters normally provide tackle and bait, and have special licences for shark and tuna fishing see Tours, guides & charters, page 90. For more information call the NS Department of Fisheries and Aquaculture, Inland Fisheries Division at 485-5056; or the federal Department of Fisheries and Oceans at 426-3550.

Sailing

Explore the picturesque coves and innumerable islands along the coast of the Halifax Regional Municipality. Approximate season: April to October. For information contact:

Alderney Sailing & Boating Association
• 423-7158
• Alderney Drive, Dartmouth Marina facility, power and sailboats.
Armdale Yacht Club
• 477-4617 40 Purcell's Cove Rd., Halifax
• Sailing instruction, guests dockage, mooring, catered rentals.
Atlantic Yachting Academy
• 457-3845 Cruising instruction.
• Daily sailing/cruises.
Bedford Basin Yacht Club
• 835-3729 73 Shore Dr., Bedford
• Adult learn-to-sail courses available.
Dartmouth Yacht Club
• 468-6050 697 Windmill Rd., Dartmouth
• Juvenile and adult learn to sail programs, guests mooring and marina.
Nova Scotia Yachting Association
• 425-5450, Ext. 312
Petpeswick Yacht Club
• 889-2896
• Musquodoboit Harbour
Royal Nova Scotia Yacht Squadron
• 477-5653 376 Purcell s Cove Rd., Halifax
• Sailing lessons, guest mooring.
St. Margaret Sailing Club
• 823-1089 Croucher's Point Road, Glen Haven
• Sailing instruction, guest moorings.
Saint Mary's Boat Club
• 490-4688 1641 Fairfield Rd., Halifax
• Sailing and rowing facilities, canoeing and kids programs.
Shearwater Yacht Club
• 469-8590
• CFB Shearwater. Guest moorings.

For Canada Customs information for foreign pleasure craft visiting Canadian waters, contact 1-888-226-7277. Call The Nova Scotia Yachting Association at 425-5450, ext. 312, for information about sailing lessons and events. See also Tours, guides & charters, page 90.

Surfing/Windsurfing/Boardsailing

Lawrencetown Beach on Rte. 207 near Dartmouth is a well known location for surfers year round. Windsurfing is popular on many of the lakes and ocean beaches in the Halifax area. For more information, contact the Nova Scotia Yachting Association at 425-5450, ext. 312.