**** Halifax Media Release

Municipal Services, Enhanced Transit & Celebration Information for Natal Day Weekend 2019

The Halifax Regional Municipality is advising residents of the following municipal program and service level adjustments for Natal Day weekend:

Solid Waste Collection and Facility Hours

No municipal solid waste collection services will take place on Natal Day, Monday, August 5. Curbside collection of garbage, organics or recyclables normally scheduled for August 5 will occur the preceding Saturday, August 3. Residents are reminded that collection services can begin as early as 7 a.m. To ensure pick up, residents may place materials curbside the evening prior to collection day.​

The Otter Lake Waste Management Facility, the Halifax recycling facility and municipal composting facilities will be closed on Monday, but will be open for regular operating hours on Saturday, August 3 and Tuesday, August 6.

The Household Special Waste Depot in Bayers Lake will be closed on Saturday, August 3 but will be open for regular operating hours on Saturday, August 10, 17, and 24.

Residents are also reminded that green carts are collected weekly from July until the end of September. Sign up for weekly reminders and service alerts, or print a calendar customized for your address.

Halifax Transit Bus and Ferry Services​

Friday:

• Regular weekday service (bus & ferry)

Saturday:

• Regular Saturday service (bus & ferry), plus 15-minute Alderney Ferry service between 12:15 p.m. and 11:45 p.m.
• Extra stand-by buses will be deployed throughout the network to accommodate additional passenger demand.
• Alderney Ferry service will be free on Saturday with a donation to Feed Nova Scotia.

Sunday:

• Regular Sunday service (bus & ferry), plus 15-minute Alderney Ferry service between 11:45 a.m. and 7 p.m.
• Extra stand-by buses will be deployed throughout the network to accommodate additional passenger demand.​

Monday:

• Holiday service (bus & ferry) plus 15-minute Alderney Ferry service between 7:15 a.m. and 8 p.m.
• 30-minute Woodside Ferry service will be offered between 6:37 a.m. and 8:52 p.m. The last ferry to Woodside will leave Halifax at 8:52 p.m.
• Extra stand-by buses will be deployed throughout the network to accommodate additional passenger demand.​

Get ready for a summer weekend of family fun as the municipality celebrates its 124th Halifax-Dartmouth Natal Day, beginning today.

The four-day festival features 30 events – many of them free – including family activities, live concerts, the comedy gala, one of the oldest parades in Atlantic Canada and a spectacular fireworks show launched from a barge in the middle of the Halifax Harbour.

A complete list of Natal Day events is available online at​ www.natalday.org

Some highlights include the following:

• ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ Laugh Friday night away at the 10th Annual Natal Day Comedy Night at Casino Nova Scotia’s Schooner Showroom, featuring Canadian sensation Mark Forward and fellow comedians Cathy Jones, Pete Johansson and hosted by Travis Lindsay.Admission is $15 and the show starts at 8 p.m.
• ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ Join Mayor Mike Savage and members of Regional Council at a garden party at the Halifax Public Gardens on Saturday afternoon from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m., presented by Southwest Properties. There will be a full lineup of live music at the bandstand, refreshments, children’s activities including a visit from Elmo & Cookie Monster, and more.
• ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ Always a weekend highlight, catch the Natal Day Harbour Fireworks Saturday evening at 10 p.m. Watch from the best location possible during the free Hillsburn and Maximum OverDrive concert at the Dartmouth Ferry Terminal Park or anywhere along the Halifax or Dartmouth waterfronts. The rain date is Sunday, Aug. 4.
• ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ Family fun continues on Sunday at the Natal Day Family Celebration on the Halifax South Common. Activities begin at noon with theAfrican Nova Scotian Music Association (ANSMA) concert, face painting, bouncy castles, Parks Canada booth and a fireworks finale at 9:30 p.m.
• ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ The 124th Pepsi Natal Day Parade presented by The Chronicle Herald takes place on Monday at 10:30 a.m. The parade starts on Windmill Road at Lyle Street and travels to Ochterloney Street, ending at Lake Banook on Prince Albert Road in Dartmouth. See the parade map,here.

In the event of any cancellations due to weather, updates will be available on​ www.natalday.org,​ www.facebook.com/hrmcivicevents, through @hfxcivicevents on Twitter or by calling 311.

For a full list of municipal services and transit enhancements for Natal Day weekend, visit https://www.halifax.ca/home/news/municipal-services-enhanced-transit-celebration-information-natal-day-weekend-2019.

For complete transit schedules, please visit​ www.halifax.ca/transportation/halifax-transit/routes-schedules.

For a full list of service disruptions, visit https://www.halifax.ca/transportation/halifax-transit/service-disruptions.

Standard transit fees apply unless otherwise indicated.

Recreation Facilities, Programs and Services

Municipal beaches and the outdoor pools at the Halifax Common, Bedford (Shore Drive), and Cole Harbour are open to the public on Monday, August 5.

There are a variety of beaches across the Halifax region which are supervised by trained lifeguards, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. For a complete list of those beaches, outdoor pools and spray pad locations, visit​ www.halifax.ca/beaches.

The Emera Oval is open on Natal Day. Please visit​ www.halifax.ca/recreation/facilities-fields/emera-oval​ for a detailed schedule.

Many other municipally-operated recreation facilities will be closed on Natal Day (August 5). Residents are advised to call ahead to their respective facility for operating hours and program information. Contact information for municipally-operated facilities is online at​ www.halifax.ca/recreation/facilities-fields/rec-centres.

Please note: Due to the Natal Day fireworks show at Lake Banook, Birch Cove Beach will be closed from 6:30 p.m. Sunday, August 4 until 1 p.m., Tuesday, August 6. The parking lot will also remain closed and there will be no lifeguard supervision during this closure.

Parking

On-street parking meters are free on Natal Day (August 5), however, motorists are reminded to abide by other posted signage such as no-parking zones.

Customer Contact Centres

The 311 Contact Centre will be operating on regular hours, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., on Natal Day (August 5). The five Customer Service Centres that provide in-person access to municipal services and payments will be closed on Monday. August 5 and will re-open for regular business hours on Tuesday, August 6.

Natal Day Celebrations

For all Natal Day celebration information and event schedules, please visit​ www.natalday.org.

Have a safe and enjoyable Natal Day weekend.