Located in downtown Dartmouth are Alderney Gate which houses a branch of the Halifax Public Libraries and other municipal office space, the Alderney Landing market, gallery and theatre building, the 19-story highrise office building Queen Square, as well as the main branches of the Royal Bank of Canada and CIBC.

North America's oldest continually operating saltwater ferry service was started in 1752 by one man rowing customers across the harbour for three cents per trip.

Conceived by Metro Youth for Global Unity, this structure contains stones and bricks donated by more than 70 countries, lying on a bed of Nova Scotian sand.

Irving operating the two sites together with the marine slips specializing in smaller and faster repair jobs and employing about 44 people.

The plans for development of the property, called Kings Wharf, were published in on July 31, 2007, and a long term construction program began in 2009.

Plans for the tallest building in eastern Canada have been introduced and talked about for several years but construction has been delayed with no confirmed start date given.