District 4 is home to approximately 25,000 residents and is made up of the larger suburban communities of Cole Harbour, Westphal, and Lake Loon. Historically, Cole Harbour was a prosperous, well-cultivated market garden and dairy community serving the city of Halifax and surrounding area. Today, the district is a growing, vibrant community made up of mostly residential areas and some busy business districts along Route 207. The community of Westphal is home to an important regional watershed and water filtration plant that supplies water to the surrounding community of Dartmouth and those east of the Halifax Harbour.
District 4 is home to over a dozen schools and a public library, and is a popular area for young families. There are several family-oriented community events held throughout the year.
Rapid urbanization of the area led to the creation of the Cole Harbour Rural Heritage Society in 1974, whose goal is to preserve the area’s agricultural and natural heritage. The Cole Harbour Heritage Farm and Museum is one such place, dedicated to preserving Cole Harbour’s agricultural past and developing an understanding of local plants, animals, and farming today. Over the years, the museum has grown to include an impressive collection of local farm artifacts, a resource library, beautiful gardens, and the lovely Victorian-inspired Rose and Kettle Tearoom. The museum and surrounding farm area regularly host community events.
Cole Harbour Place is a focal point of the community and offers many recreational opportunities for residents including aquatics programming, two regulation sized rinks, adult fitness classes, and multipurpose space for community programming and events. Cole Harbour is known for its sports excellence, and is home to some very well-known athletes including Sidney Crosby and Nathan MacKinnon.
There are many opportunities for outdoor recreational activities within the district, including a portion of the Salt Marsh Trail system – a well-maintained and well-loved multi-use recreational asset for walking, biking, cross-country skiing, fishing, and kayaking. The Cole Harbour-Lawrencetown Coastal Heritage Park features supervised sand and cobble beaches, and lovely rails-to-trails corridor.
