VETERANS’  WEEK  OBSERVATIONS

Each year, from November 5^th - 11^th, hundreds of commemorative ceremonies and events will take place across our country to commemorate Veterans' Week. These will be opportunities for all Canadians to recognize the contribution our Veterans and Military personnel have made and to honour those who made the ultimate sacrifice on behalf of Canada. Please remember them at the 11^th hour, on the 11^th day, of the 11^th month in your own special way. Be sure to buy a Poppy and take a timeout to observe a two-minute moment of silence. For more information and stories: www.veterans.gc.ca We Shall Remember Them! Lest We Forget!

2025 HRM VOLUNTEER CONFERENCE

The annual Volunteer Conference is an opportunity for volunteers to connect, celebrate and learn relevant skills to build stronger volunteer capacity throughout the municipality. Delegates representing a variety of organizations and causes will participate in training workshops, networking activities, a keynote speech and a seated meal. For more details on Conference Workshop agenda: www.halifax.ca/about-halifax/volunteering/volunteer-conference

Date: Friday, November 21^st - 8 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.

Venue: The Delta Hotels by Marriot – Burnside Dartmouth - 240 Brownlow Avenue

Register: https://halifaxregionalmunicipality.perfectmind.com/SocialSite/MemberRegistration/MemberSignIn  - Use course code 35814 , or call the registration line at 902.490.6666. For group registration or if you are having trouble registering contact Darren Hirtle at Darren.Hirtle@halifax.ca or 902.476.1184
Cost: The conference registration fee is $60. Registration closes November 16^th. 

2026 VOLUNTEER AWARDS

Each year the Mayor and Regional Council recognize the extraordinary contributions of outstanding individuals and groups who volunteer their time and skills to provide services and programs in our communities. This annual event puts a spotlight on amazing people who give of their time in our municipality.

There are three categories in which to nominate deserving volunteers: Youth, Adult, or Group.  Nominations for 2026 are now open until 5 p.m. on Thursday, January 8^th, 2026.

Due to the popularity of these awards, there is now a selection process where all nominations are scored based on their level of involvement and contribution to the community. The Awards are allotted in each of the municipality's 16 electoral districts with six volunteers (at least one youth) being selected from each district, based on the nominee's score. Selected award recipients will receive their award from the Mayor and their respective Councillor during a ceremony and reception during April 2026. If you have any questions, please reach out to volunteerhelp@halifax.ca.

SENIOR SNOW REMOVAL PROGRAM

There is a snow removal program available to seniors (65 years of age or older) and for persons with disabilities throughout all areas of HRM. You must reside in a single dwelling home that you own or rent. Its mandate is to provide a resource to clients for the removal of snow for safe access. The program offers assistance to clear snow from front steps and walkways, ramps and access to fuel tanks and/or firewood. The program does not apply to the clearing of driveways. The program is limited to those households with a combined total income not exceeding $32,000. The program is NOT available to landlords. To make more enquiries about this program, please call 311 HRM Contact Centre or the YMCA at 902-483-3678. Or go to these web-sites for further details: www.halifax.ca/transportation/winter-operations/senior-snow-removal and / or https://ymcahfx.ca/snowremoval/ The registration process is “First Come, First Served” due to the demand for this program. All previous year’s clients should be called directly to ensure their renewal in the program. Once we meet our maximum capacity, then the program will be closed, and new applicants will be placed on a waitlist. All applicants placed on the waitlist will be contacted if a space opens up for them in the program. It is important to note that only applications with proper documentation will be considered for the program. Completed applications may be faxed to 902-423-8530 or e-mailed to: ssr@halifax.ymca.ca or can be mailed or dropped off in person to: YMCA Senior Snow Removal, Community YMCA, 2269 Gottingen Street Halifax, NS B3K 3B7. You can download forms from the YMCA website listed above. 

HRM CIVIC EVENTS GRANTS

HRM Civic Events administers two different event grant programs: the Marketing Levy Special Event Reserve (MLSER) Grants and the Regional Special Events Grants. The MLSER Grant program provides financial support for non-profit organizations to host large scale special events in Halifax Regional Municipality that support and promote tourism and business development. Funding for the MLSER Grant program is generated from the hotel tax that applies to overnight sleeping establishments. The program has four funding categories: Distinguished Events, New Events (Emerging), Signature Events and Major Hosting Events.

The Regional Special Events Grants program provides financial support for non-profit organizations that host events which foster positive community development, celebrate heritage, arts and culture, build bridges between diverse populations, enrich quality of life for residents and improves civic pride in the Municipality. To be eligible for funding, events must be open to the general public to attend, held within the geographical boundaries of the HRM and be fourteen days or less in duration. The program has four funding categories: Community Celebrations, Established Community Events, Significant Anniversaries and Cultural Events & Showcases.

The application deadline for these grants is November 30^th, 2025 for events starting after April 1^st, 2026 to September 30^th, 2026. For events after October 1^st, 2026 there will be a second intake period for applications in May 2026. For more information, contact Program Contact: Shari Dillman, Events Grants Administrator at 902.497.3729 or by email: dillmas@halifax.ca 

Or go to: www.halifax.ca/parks-recreation/events/supporting-your-event/grants

WHERE’S THAT FIRETRUCK GOING?

HRM Fire & Emergency Services ( HRFES ) has a real-time incident reporting system that can advise the general public about their calls for service and where they are responding too. It could be a structure fire, motor vehicle collision, medical assistance, alarms or anything else that requires our first responders to act. To follow them, go to: www.halifax.ca/safety-security/fire-emergency/hrfe-incident-feed