District 8 has a population of about 25,700 residents and is defined by its diverse, multicultural neighbourhoods and strong sense of community. It is home to a thriving arts scene of painters, musicians and writers, as well as long-established African Nova Scotian communities.
The North End of Halifax has a long and rich history marked by resilience through decades of change. Beginning in the 1770s, the area was home to Fort Needham, which served as a defence post for the Halifax Naval Yard. Surrounded by farmland and forests, the community of Richmond began to develop in the 1820s. Growth accelerated with industrialization as the Nova Scotia Railway was built along the shoreline to serve the dockyard, shipping piers, factories and warehouses.