Frequently Asked Questions

Port Wallace is a designated Special Planning Area on the northeastern edge of Dartmouth in Halifax Regional Municipality (HRM), Nova Scotia. It is a 545-acre (220-hectare) future growth area located between Lake MicMac and Lake Charles, with plans for up to 4,900 new residential units. The development is intended to create a complete community with a mix of housing, commercial space, parks, and services.

For a full overview of the area and its history, see our About Port Wallace page.

Port Wallace is in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, along Waverley Road (Route 318). It is bounded by Highway 107 to the north, Lake MicMac to the southwest, and Lake Charles to the northeast. The area is approximately 8–10 km from downtown Dartmouth and 15–20 km from downtown Halifax.

The community falls within postal codes B2W and B2X and is part of HRM District 6 (Harbourview-Burnside-Dartmouth East). For detailed maps and boundary information, see our Maps & Boundaries page.

Up to 4,900 residential units are planned — roughly 35% low density (single-family homes, semi-detached, townhomes) and 65% multi-residential (apartments, condos). The development also includes:

• Commercial and retail space
• Institutional land for schools and a fire station
• Parks, open space, and protected natural corridors
• Active transportation infrastructure (sidewalks, multi-use paths, cycling routes)

The project is being marketed as “The Parks of Lake Charles” by Clayton Developments. For more on what is planned, see our Housing & Real Estate page.

Clayton Developments Limited (a division of The Shaw Group) is the lead developer, partnering with Cresco through Port Wallace Holdings Limited. Other landowners involved include Conrad Brothers and Unia.

Clayton Developments is one of Atlantic Canada's largest land developers and is responsible for several major residential communities across Halifax Regional Municipality. For more details on the development process, see our Development Timeline.

Planning approvals are complete — the development agreement was signed in January 2023. Development is proceeding in phases, starting from Waverley Road near Garden Court and moving toward Avenue du Portage.

Full build-out depends on major infrastructure — particularly the North Dartmouth Trunk Sewer connection and Highway 107 upgrades. Large-scale residential communities of this kind typically take 10–20 years to fully build out. See our Development Timeline for a complete history and current status.

Under Nova Scotia's Housing in the Halifax Regional Municipality Act, the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing can designate Special Planning Areas (SPAs) where the Province (rather than HRM Regional Council) controls planning approvals. This mechanism is designed to fast-track the approval process for major housing developments.

Port Wallace was one of nine SPAs designated in March 2022 under Regulation N.S. Reg. 61/2022. The provincial SPA order for Port Wallace can be viewed at the Nova Scotia Government website. For more context, see our News & Updates page.

Port Wallace is within the HRCE Woodlawn school family. Students progress through:

• Elementary (P–6): Michael Wallace Elementary and Ian Forsyth Elementary
• Junior High (7–9): Caledonia Junior High
• High School (10–12): Woodlawn High School — which offers an International Baccalaureate (IB) programme

The Port Wallace development plan also reserves institutional land for a future school within the community. For a full breakdown of schools and community services, see our Schools & Services page.

Halifax Transit Route 55 runs along Waverley Road to Bridge Terminal in downtown Dartmouth (approximately 26 minutes). From Bridge Terminal, you can:

• Bus to Halifax (approximately 12 minutes)
• Take the Alderney Ferry from the nearby ferry terminal (15 minutes to downtown Halifax)

By car, downtown Halifax is 15–20 km via the Macdonald Bridge or MacKay Bridge. For detailed commuting information and travel times, see our Commuting & Transit page.

Shubie Park is directly adjacent to Port Wallace and offers over 40 acres of green space, 9+ km of trails, a swimming beach, and a campground. It is one of HRM's most popular parks.

Lake Charles provides opportunities for swimming, fishing, and kayaking. The historic Shubenacadie Canal route also passes through the area, connecting Lake MicMac to Lake Charles and beyond.

The Port Wallace development plan includes additional parks, open space, and protected natural corridors throughout the community. For full details, see our Parks & Trails page.

Port Wallace offers brand-new construction in a lakeside setting adjacent to Shubie Park, designed from the ground up as a complete community. Key advantages include:

• Proximity to Burnside Industrial Park (Halifax's largest employment centre) — closer than many Halifax suburbs
• Direct transit access via Halifax Transit Route 55
• Adjacent to Shubie Park and Lake Charles
• A mix of housing types, from single-family homes to apartments

As a new development, infrastructure is still being built out — early buyers benefit from new homes but should expect construction activity in the area for years. For a comparison with other Halifax-area suburbs, see our Compare Suburbs page.

Lake Charles and Barry's Run have elevated arsenic and mercury levels from historic gold mining at the nearby Montague Gold Mines site. The Province of Nova Scotia initiated closure of the contaminated mining site in 2018.

HRM advises against entering Barry's Run or consuming fish from affected areas. Prospective residents should be aware of the contamination history and any ongoing remediation efforts. For more on the area's environmental context, see our About Port Wallace page.

No. PortWallace.com is an independent community guide. We are not affiliated with Halifax Regional Municipality, the Province of Nova Scotia, or any developer. All information on this site comes from publicly available sources and is provided for informational purposes only.

For official information, please visit the HRM Port Wallace Planning page or the Nova Scotia SPA regulations. You can also find a list of official resources on our Contact page.