Галифакс шығанағы: тарихы мен экологиялық мәселелері

Harbour in Nova Scotia, Canada

Halifax Harbour is a large natural harbour on the Atlantic coast of Nova Scotia, Canada, located in the Halifax Regional Municipality. Halifax largely owes its existence to the harbour, being one of the largest and deepest ice free natural harbours in the world. Before Confederation it was one of the most important commercial ports on the Atlantic seaboard. In 1917, it was the site of the world's largest man made accidental explosion, when the blew up in the Halifax Explosion of December 6. The harbour was formed by a drowned glacial valley which succumbed to sea level rise after glaciation. The Sackville River now empties into the upper end of the harbour in Bedford Basin. The harbour also includes the Northwest Arm and The Narrows, a constricted passage to Bedford Basin

Halifax Harbour has been polluted as a result of two centuries of direct raw sewage discharge into its waters. Health concerns in the 1990s caused the shut down of all harbour beaches. The Harbour Solutions project, initiated in the year 2000, was a CA$400 million project which attempted to remediate the area, with limited success.

The harbour is home to several small islands. The harbour limit is formed by the northern end of its largest island McNabs Island. The largest island entirely within the harbour limits is Georges Island, a glacial drumlin similar to its dryland counterpart at Citadel Hill. Several small islands are located in the Bedford Basin near Bedford and Burnside. In the Northwest Arm is a small peninsula known as Deadman's Island, named for being the burial location of War of 1812 prisoners of war. Just 200 m west of Deadman's Island is the equally small Melville Island, which is connected to the mainland by road. Melville Island forms the eastern boundary of Melville Cove and is also the location of the Armdale Yacht Club. An adjacent residential community named itself after the cove. Although outside the defined harbour limits, Lawlor Island and Devils Island are also frequently included in descriptions of Halifax Harbour and the surrounding area.

Halifax Harbour has long been polluted as a result of two centuries of direct raw sewage discharge into its waters. The harbour's deep water, tidal dispersal of surface wastes and a relatively small population of the city of Halifax resulted in the harbour's presenting few health concerns until the late 20th century when sewage build up caused the shut down of all harbour beaches. The Harbour Solutions project, initiated in the year 2000, was the culmination of three decades of discussion and planning regarding how the urban area would solve the expensive problem of sewage treatment and disposal. The 400 million project was expected to be completed in late 2008 when the final of three new treatment plants was opened. Testing of harbour waters in July 2008, with two of the three sewage treatment plants on line, indicated that they are safe for swimming. Municipal public beaches at Black Rock Beach in Point Pleasant Park and at the Dingle Beach in Sir Sandford Fleming Park were officially re opened on Saturday, August 2, 2008 (Natal Day weekend) after a 30 year closure due to sewage contamination in the water. Lifeguards are now providing supervision during regular hours through to Labour Day weekend. However repeated breakdowns in the new system have resulted in swimming bans being regularly re imposed and periodic resumption of raw sewage discharge. From early 2009 on swimming was no longer allowed in the harbour because the plant flooded and stopped working. On the weekend of July 4, 2010 some beaches (like Black Rock Beach) reopened.