H1N1 Influenza (Flu)
The United States, Canada and Mexico continue to work together with international organizations in actively monitoring the H1N1 flu outbreak. For additional and latest information, please visit: http://www.flu.gov/
Related: [travel alerts][President Obama's remarks September 1, 2009].

02 November 09
Mr. Smith Comes to Halifax
Anton Smith arrived in Halifax on November 2 to begin his three-year term as U.S. Consul General for Atlantic Canada. Anton represents the United States to the four Atlantic Provinces (Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, and Newfoundland and Labrador). He comes to Halifax from the U.S. Embassy in Malabo, Equatorial Guinea. Anton replaces Harold Foster who is now posted in Washington, DC as the Senior Advisor for Antarctica at the U.S. Department of State. [read more]

21 August 09
Ramadan Kareem
As the new crescent moon ushers in Ramadan, the President extends his best wishes to Muslim communities in the United States and around the world.

Each Ramadan, the ninth month on the lunar calendar, Muslims fast daily from dawn to sunset for 29 or 30 days. Fasting is a tradition in many religious faiths and is meant to increase spirituality, discipline, thankfulness, and consciousness of God's mercy. Ramadan is also a time of giving and reaching out to those less fortunate, and this summer, American Muslims have joined their fellow citizens in serving communities across the country. Over the course of the month, we will highlight the perspectives of various faiths on fasting and profile faith-based organizations making real impacts in American cities and towns. [more/video].

27 July 09
2009 USCG Eagle participates in the Halifax Tall Ships Festival
U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Eagle, known as "America's Tall Ship," from New London, Conn., participated in the Tall Ships Festival in Halifax July 17-20. The Consulate hosted a ride-along and a reception onboard Eagle. The 295-foot Eagle is the only active commissioned sailing vessel in U.S. military service and is home ported at the Coast Guard Academy. The crew of the Eagle consists of six officers and 55 enlisted personnel whose primary mission is to train future Coast Guard officers in leadership, teamwork and seamanship skills.

NASA Plays audio "Time Capsule" of historic Apollo 11 Mission - July 16-24
HOUSTON -- NASA will provide a unique audio "time capsule" in observance of the 40th anniversary of the first human landing on the moon. Audio from the entire Apollo 11 mission will be replayed and streamed on the Internet at exactly the same time and date it was broadcast in 1969.

The audio retrospective will begin at 6:32 a.m. CDT Thursday, July 16, two hours before the spacecraft launched. The audio will continue through splashdown of the mission at 11:51 a.m. CDT Friday, July 24, and recovery of the crew shortly afterward. The Web stream will feature the communications between the astronauts and ground teams, and commentary from Mission Control at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston.

To listen to the replay, visit:
http://www.nasa.gov/

For historical information about Apollo 11, visit:
http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/

NASA's Apollo 40th anniversary Web site:
http://www.nasa.gov/apollo40th

Where were you on July 20, 1969? How did this momentous event impact your life? Record your comments and impressions here!

8 July 09
Halifax Consul General Foster and his spouse pose with the Middlesex County Volunteers Fifes and Drums at the Halifax International Tattoo. There had not been a U.S. band play at the Halifax Tattoo in several years.

Independence Day in Halifax – 2009
In accordance with John Adams’s declaration to Abigail that, “The Second Day of July 1776, will be the most memorable Epocha, in the History of America. I am apt to believe that it will be celebrated, by succeeding Generations, as the great anniversary Festival,” the U.S. Consulate General in Halifax celebrated the 233rd birthday of the United States of America with a picnic and barbeque at the Consul General’s residence on July 2, 2009. Several hundred guests from across Atlantic Canada joined the Consul General and his spouse for pulled-pork sandwiches, a live New Orleans-style jazz band, and birthday cake... [more]

President Obama's 4th of July Message
Today, we are called upon to remember not only the day our country was born, but also the indomitable spirit of the first American citizens who made that day possible. We are called to remember how unlikely it was that our American experiment would succeed at all; that a small band of patriots would declare independence from a powerful empire; and that they would form, in the new world, what the old world had never known - a government of, by, and for the people. [more]

04 June 09
A New Beginning - Engaging the Muslim World President Obama's June 4 Speech in Cairo, Egypt
I am honored to be in the timeless city of Cairo, and to be hosted by two remarkable institutions. For over a thousand years, Al-Azhar has stood as a beacon of Islamic learning, and for over a century, Cairo University has been a source of Egypt’s advancement. Together, you represent the harmony between tradition and progress. I am grateful for your hospitality, and the hospitality of the people of Egypt. I am also proud to carry with me the goodwill of the American people, and a greeting of peace from Muslim communities in my country: assalaamu alaykum. [more] [fact sheet]

01 June 09
Consul General twitters about WHTI
On June 1, U.S. Consul General Harold Foster travelled to the Maine/New Brunswick border to see for himself how the first day of the new document requirements for land and sea travel went. Things went very smoothly all along the Maine border that day. He also toured the U.S. Port of Entry at Calais, ME, which will open this fall. You can find out more about how his trip went on Twitter at http://twitter.com/usconshalifax [View Photos on FlickR] .

29 May 09
Consul General Foster travelled to Truro, NS to address a group of high-school students from the Cobequid Educational Centre
On May 29th, Consul General Foster travelled to Truro, NS to address a group of high-school students from the Cobequid Educational Centre. Three of the students had sent letters asking questions about climate change, Cuba, and capital punishment. CG Foster decided to travel to Truro so he could answer their letters in person. [View Photos on FlickR] .

26 May 09
Visit by U.S. Speaker Marco Vicenzino
On May 25th the Consulate hosted Marco Vicenzino, the Founder and Director of the Global Strategy Project to talk about Afghanistan and development. [View Photos on FlickR] .

25 May 09
Memorial Day 2009
On U.S. Memorial Day, the U.S. Consul General and U.S. Navy Exchange Officers honored those who gave the ultimate sacrifice with a small ceremony on Deadman’s Island in Halifax. Historians have concluded that nearly 200 American Prisoners of the War of 1812 died while confined on Melville Island and are buried on Deadman’s Island. The ceremony was attended by members of the general public and the U.S. and Canadian military and honored American and Canadian armed forces personnel. [View Photos on FlickR] .

20 May 09
Collaborating across Borders Conference
U.S. Consul General, Harold Foster brought welcoming remarks to the Collaborating across Borders Conference organized by Dalhousie University. This conference brought together hundreds of healthcare educators from the United States and Canada to discuss how to improve healthcare education in both countries. [Photo] .

Follow the U.S. Consulate General Halifax on Twitter

The United States Consulate General in Halifax is now on Twitter. Follow the Twitter feeds at http://twitter.com/usconshalifax.
Click here, for more information on Twitter.

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Under the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI), for entry into the United States at land or sea borders, as of January 31, 2008:
- Oral declarations of citizenship alone will no longer be accepted;
- U.S. and Canadian citizens ages 19 and older will need to present a government-issued photo ID, such as a driver’s license, along with proof of citizenship, such as a birth certificate or naturalization certificate;
- Children ages 18 and under will only be required to present proof of citizenship, such as a birth certificate;
- Passports and trusted traveler program cards - NEXUS, FAST, and SENTRI - will continue to be accepted for cross-border travel. All existing nonimmigrant visa and passport requirements will remain in effect and will not be altered by this change. A passport has been required for air travel since January 23, 2007. [read more on WHTI]
NEW. Entry requirements at land or sea borders in effect June 1, 2009:
Washington -- The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the U.S. Department of State (DOS) announced today the final rule for the land and sea portion of the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI), a core 9/11 Commission recommendation. The WHTI final rule requires travelers to present a passport or other approved secure document denoting citizenship and identity for all land and sea travel into the United States. WHTI establishes document requirements for travelers entering the United States who were previously exempt, including citizens of the U.S., Canada and Bermuda. These document requirements will be effective June 1, 2009 [Press Release] [FAQs] .

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