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Before the construction of the Angus L. Macdonald Bridge across Halifax Harbour in the 1950s, traffic between Dartmouth and the capital had to take a long route around the
Bedford Basin. A ferry shuttle between the downtown areas of Halifax and Dartmouthcarried pedestrians but not vehicles. A second traffic crossing, the Mackay Bridge, is also now available.
The city was not only a bedroom community for Halifax but also had commerce and small industries of its own, including a molasses plant dating back to the days of the "triangular trade" with the West Indies.
The city takes pride in the chain of lakes within its boundaries, most famously Lake Banook , which provides an excellent location for recreation as well as attractive vistas. However, Dartmouth's most historic body of water is an artificial one: Sullivan's Pond in the downtown area, dug in the 1830s as part of the Shubenacadie Canal that connected Halifax Harbour with the Bay of Fundy on the far side of Nova Scotia.
Dartmouth is also commonly called the 'Darkside', in reference to the fact that its city lights look, from a distance, darker than Halifax's.
Traditionally, there has been a rivalry between Halifax and Dartmouth over which has better facilities and quality of life.