For those of you joining us in person in Halifax, this page contains information on travel to the conference, as well as the latest regulations relating to the Covid pandemic.
Please monitor this page to keep up with any changes prior to the conference. Last update: May 5, 2022 (added information on transportation from airport to conference venue).
On this page:
Travel
Requirements for travelling to Canada
Update 2022-04-27:
Air travel to Halifax
Halifax has an international airport, and fortunately, some direct international flights are returning, including as of April 30, from London Heathrow to Halifax.
Flying from Europe, however, you will have more options if you connect through Toronto or Montreal. Flying from the U.S., you might also get a connecting flight through Ottawa (which is a much smaller and more pleasant airport to connect through than either Toronto or Montreal).
Condor also has had direct flights to Halifax from Frankfurt, but it doesn’t look like they have resumed; you can book through Condor, but you’ll have to connect through Toronto.
Transportation from Halifax Airport to Dalhousie University
Update 2022-05-05:
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Taxi (Airport Car Service)
- $68.00 by taxi or limousine for one-way trip to Halifax city centre.
- Check at the Ground Transportation kiosk in the domestic arrivals area.
- You can pre-arrange pick-up by a licensed driver from this list (Jennifer likes to use Arrive in Style).
- Most taxis will allow you to pay by credit card, but ask before you depart.
- Uber / Lyft
- Download the app in order to reserve the car.
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- Bus Services (Halifax Transit: MetroX)
- $4.35 (adults/students) and $3.00 (children/seniors).
- Exact fare is required.
- #320 bus operates every 30 minutes during peak morning (6-9am) and peak afternoon times (3-6pm) and otherwise departs every 60 minutes.
- Route: Halifax Stanfield International Airport to Downtown.
- You can check the bus schedule here.
Driving to Halifax (slow option)
It’s about 1200km by road from Montreal to Halifax, and it is quite a beautiful drive if you’re so inclined.
It is also possible to drive to Halifax from the U.S., travelling up through Maine and then through New Brunswick into Nova Scotia. I once drove to New York City and it took 17 hours.
You can shave some driving time off that schedule and take the ferry from Maine to Yarmouth, Nova Scotia and the ferry actually begins on May 19, which is probably not all that helpful for most people: https://www.ferries.ca/thecat/schedule/.
Train travel to Halifax (really slow option)
You can travel to Halifax by train, but from Montreal it’s an overnight train that takes almost 24 hours and it only runs twice a week, so unless you’re really into slow travel, it’s probably not your best option.
Covid Information
Information current as of April 27, 2022. Please monitor this page for updates.
Entering Canada
The Government of Canada has announced easing of some travel restrictions to begin on Feb. 28. The key messages are:
- Update 2022-04-27: Travellers to Canada must now use the mandatory, free 'ArriveCAN' smartphone app to demonstrate their compliance with Covid regulations.
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Testing BEFORE arrival: "Travellers will now have the option of using a COVID-19 rapid antigen test result (taken the day prior to their scheduled flight or arrival at the land border or marine port of entry) or a molecular test result (taken no more than 72 hours before their scheduled flight or arrival at the land border or marine port of entry) to meet pre-entry requirements. Taking a rapid antigen test at home is not sufficient to meet the pre-entry requirement – it must be authorized by the country in which it was purchased and must be administered by a laboratory, healthcare entity or telehealth service."
- Quarantine and arrival rules:
- If you’re fully vaccinated (two shots), you DO NOT have to quarantine;
- If you’re not fully vaccinated, you WILL HAVE to quarantine for 14 days (and be tested on arrival and on Day 8);
- Some randomly selected vaccinated travellers will be tested for COVID-19, but will not be required to quarantine while waiting for results
Province of Nova Scotia rules:
Update 2022-03-24: Nova Scotia is now in phase 3 of reopening: https://novascotia.ca/reopening-plan/
- No province-wide gathering limits, social distancing or mask restrictions.
- Some restrictions may remain in high-risk settings like healthcare and continuing care.
Current Dalhousie rules:
Update 2022-04-27: Measures that are extended until June 10 include:
The Music Encoding Conference is supported in part by funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada.
