WEST END, HALIFAX

The 'West End' is a region of Halifax Regional Municipality in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia, located on the western half of the Halifax Peninsula.
The eastern boundary is the Halifax commons and the western boundary is the North West Arm. The border between the West and South End's of Halifax has crept north as the southern section has gentrified. Quinpool Road, the former heart of the West End, and site of the West End Baptist Church, is now considered by many to be the southern edge of the West End. The northern boundary is also subject to interpretation but is widely regarded as North Street.
The neighboourhood is predominantly middle class with many blocks of pleasant, tree-lined older residential streets. However it is also home to many students and small affordable rental units. Rising real estate prices have also led to some levels of gentrification.
For the first century and a half of Halifax's history, the area of the West End was occupied by small farms and country estates. It was developed in the 1870s as residential streets were laid out. The growth of streetcar lines accelerated development. Chebucto School was built in 1912 to serve the expanding neighbourhood and the building served as a morgue for the Halifax Explosion as it was close to the north end but relatively undamaged. In the 1920s, the first airport in Halifax was built near Connaught and Chebucto Road. Eatons built a large department store in the West end in the 1930s, the first retail centre outside the downtown. The large remaining open areas of the West End filled with housing after World War Two with many blocks of Victory Houses and 1950s suburban homes. The West End was severely affected by Hurricane Juan in 2003 as the high density of large, older trees in the neighbourhood resulted in many toppled trees, damaged houses, blocked streets and prolonged power outages.