Hockey fans in Halifax and Moncton are in for a treat. Between games at the 2023 IIHF World Junior Championship (26 December to 5 January), there’s plenty to see and do in the largest cities in Nova Scotia and New Brunswick respectively.
After you’ve enjoyed the live music, entertainment, mascots, merchandise, and big-screen viewing parties at the #ExploreNB Fan Fest at either arena, keep the fun going with some local tourism.
Whether you’re seeking great food and drink, an intriguing museum, a fun-filled shopping expedition, or simply some fresh air and exercise, there’s something for every visitor’s taste.
In honor of 2023, we’ve compiled a list of 23 things to do in Halifax and Moncton. Enjoy!
1. Tour the Halifax Citadel: You can walk around the giant star-shaped fortress atop a hill overlooking the harbour. This National Historic Site, a former British stronghold, was built in 1856. Don’t miss the daily firing of the cannon at noon by gunners in 3rd Brigade Royal Artillery uniforms.
2. Visit Resurgo Place in Moncton: At this striking, 2014-completed building, just a 20-minute walk from the Avenir Centre, check out on-site attractions such as the interactive Transportation Discovery Museum and the photograph-laden Moncton Museum.
3. Sample Halifax’s famous seafood: At Salty’s Seafood Restaurant, located on the waterfront, you can dig into Nova Scotia lobster chowder, steamed mussels, and pan-seared crab cakes. Right by Scotiabank Centre, Five Fishermen tempts diners with tuna tartare and pesto-crusted halibut.
4. Investigate Moncton’s craft brewing scene: Named Best Brewery of the Year at the 2022 Canadian Brewers Choice Awards, Tire Shack Brewery attracts beer fans with Bumbleberry Sour and Candy Cane Stout. The 1999-opened Pump House Brewpub serves everything from Moncton’s biggest burgers to wood oven pizzas to accompany its Cadian Cream Ale and Blueberry Ale.
5. Reflect on the Titanic at Halifax’s Fairview Lawn cemetery: Director James Cameron (Avatar, The Terminator) visited Halifax to film Titanic in 1996. Cemetery visitors frequently view the real-life grave of J. Dawson. The coal trimmer, whose name sparked Leonardo DiCaprio’s movie character, is one of more than 100 victims of the 1912 nautical disaster buried here.
6. View the tides at Bore Park in Moncton: The Bay of Fundy has the world’s highest tides. The sea level can rise more than 17 meters between high and low tide. From a small amphitheater at Bore Park, you can view the remarkable phenomenon of a standing wave traveling upstream (a tidal bore) on the Petitcodiac River. Check the tide times online before you go
7. Explore the Canadian Museum of Immigration at Halifax’s Pier 21: Featuring wearable period costumes, historical films, and searchable immigration records, this popular museum – a former passenger terminal and ocean immigration shed (1928-71) – has been called Canada’s answer to Ellis Island in New York.