As the city gets ready to celebrate the Natal Day long weekend, HRM is advising residents that there will be no regular municipal curbside collection of solid waste on Natal Day, Monday, Aug. 6. If you would usually waste collection on Monday, your alternate collection date will be the this Saturday, Aug. 4.   
 
The Otter Lake Waste Processing and Disposal Facilities, the two Composting Facilities and the HRM Recycling Plant will be closed on Monday, but will be open on this Saturday, with regular operating hours. Also, The HRM’s residential Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) Depot will be closed Saturday, Aug. 4 but will be open Saturday, Aug. 11 and Saturday, Aug. 18 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.  
 
For more information, on HRM holiday disposal hours, you can vist HRM online at www.halifax.ca/recycle or call 490-4000.  
 

Metro Transit is offering extended Alderney ferry service during the Natal Day weekend, to accommodate citizens attending various Natal Day celebrations. The extended schedule is as follows:  
 
Alderney Ferry Service  
 
Saturday, August 4:   
6:30 a.m. – 12 p.m. (every 30 minutes)  
12 p.m. – 12 a.m. (every 15 minutes)   
12 a.m. – 1 a.m.* (every 30 minutes)   
 
Sunday, August 5:  
10 a.m. – 12 p.m. (every 30 minutes)  
12 p.m. – 9 p.m. (every 15 minutes)  
9 p.m. – 12 a.m.** (every 30 minutes)  
 
Monday, August 6:  
7 a.m. – 12 p.m. (every 30 minutes)  
12 p.m. – 6:30 p.m. (every 15 minutes)  
6:30 p.m. – 12 a.m.** (every 30 minutes)  
 
*last trip departs Halifax Ferry Terminal at 12:45 a.m.  
**last trip departs Halifax Ferry Terminal at 11:45 p.m.  
 
The Woodside Ferry will not be in operation on Saturday, Sunday or Monday, as per its regular schedule.   
 
HRM holiday bus services are as follows:
 
Saturday, August 4:  
Regular Saturday service  
 
Sunday, August 5:  
Regular Sunday service  
 
Monday, August 6:  
Conventional bus, Access-A-Bus, and Beaver Bank Community Transit service will operate on holiday service schedules;   
          
MetroX #320 Airport/Fall River route will operate on Sunday service; and MetroLink, MetroX #330 Tantallon, and Porter’s Lake and Sambro Community Transit will not be in service as per their regular schedules.   
 
Metro Transit is also advising that there will be a number of bus route detours will be required throughout the Natal Day weekend to accommodate various Natal Day events, parades and Macdonald Bridge closures. Detailed detours are available online at www.halifax.ca/metrotransit/service_disruptions.html or by calling 490-4000. Passengers should anticipate minor delays throughout the weekend as a result of buses required to detour via the MacKay Bridge.  
 
For more information on bus and ferry schedules, visit www.halifax.ca/metrotransit.  

    
Finally, all those partaking in a celebratory libation will want to know The Nova Scotia Liquor Corporation’s retail stores in Halifax Regional Municipality will be reducing store hours Monday, Aug. 6, for Natal Day.

NSLC Stores in HRM will be open from noon to 6 p.m., except Scotia Square, which will be closed, and Halifax Shopping Centre and Mic Mac Mall locations, which will close at 5 p.m. NSLC retail stores outside HRM will be open regular business hours.  
 
All NSLC stores will resume normal business hours on Tuesday, Aug. 7. For more information on NSLC store hours, visit myNSLC.com and select Store Locator.