Warm October weather gives Halifax businesses boost

Hundreds of locals and visitors took advantage of the warm October weather and strolled the Halifax boardwalk on Tuesday.

“Even back home in Winnipeg the weather has been great, but this is amazing,” says Grant Craig.

Ross Jefferson, president and CEO of Discover Halifax, says the weather has definitely contributed to the tourism numbers this summer and fall.

"We're up about four per cent this year compared to 2023. Compared to 2019, pre-COVID, we are up 15 per cent. So the tourism industry has been doing exceptionally well,” says Jefferson. "We're up around 80 per cent occupancy rates right now in hotels,”

The great weather has allowed places like the Beer Garden along the Halifax Waterfront to stay open a little later this year.

"We have had our best ever year on the waterfront and the Beer Garden has been here for seven years and the Salt Yard for three years and it's been the best year top line for us,” says Jon Whitten, Legendary Hospitality co-owner. "We are going to stay open until more likely Nov. 1, then take a little break before evergreen Nov. 19 but if the weather is good, we will be open the weekends,”

David Blott, general manager of Brightwood Golf and Country Club in Dartmouth, says this was their best season yet.

"We probably are trending towards 6,000 more rounds of golf then we did in 2023. We were owed that after last year was such a bad year and this year has been phenomenal with weather,” says Blott.

“The numbers this October from last October is up. We don’t have the final, of course the month isn’t through yet, but the early indication is that we are certainly on track to have a wonderful October here,” says Jefferson.

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