Halifax Nova Scotia Temple

The Halifax Nova Scotia Temple is a temple of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, located in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, Canada. The intent to build the temple was announced by the First Presidency on May 7, 1998. It is the first temple in Nova Scotia, the third in Canada, and the 64th worldwide. The temple serves members across Atlantic Canada—including Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, and Newfoundland—as well as church members from Maine, USA.

Plans to build the temple were announced on May 7, 1998, by the First Presidency. A groundbreaking ceremony was held on October 12, 1998, Canadian Thanksgiving Day, with Jay E. Jensen, of the Seventy, presiding. Despite heavy rain, about 700 church members attended, traveling from across the Maritime provinces. Local leaders emphasized the blessing of having a temple in Atlantic Canada, as previously members often had to drive up to 24 hours to attend the temples in Washington, D.C. or Toronto. After construction was completed, a public open house was held from November 4–7, 1999, and had approximately 8,000 visitors. Guests included Nova Scotia lieutenant governor J. James Kinley, his wife, Grace. The largest provincial newspaper featured a front-page photograph of the angel Moroni statue on top of the temple, which sparked curiosity and resulted in numerous phone inquiries about visiting.The Halifax Nova Scotia Temple was dedicated on November 14, 1999, in three sessions by church president Gordon B. Hinckley. Originally scheduled for November 13, the dedication was delayed after mechanical problems with Hinckley’s airplane postponed his arrival. As a result, Boyd K. Packer, acting president of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, dedicated the Regina Saskatchewan Temple the same day, while Hinckley was in Halifax. This was the first time in church history that two temples were dedicated on the same day. In 2020, like all the church's others, the Halifax Nova Scotia Temple was closed for a time in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Church data from Wikidata (CC0). Summary from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA).