I did not land in Halifax (I landed in Vancouver, and it has been a while since I landed, though for the most part the landing related questions appear to be general and applicable to Canada, not just Halifax. Having lived in Halifax now for 8 years I can hopefully offer some insights. So..
4. Spices. Good spices are hard to find in Canada and especially Halifax. If you want good spices you have to have a friend send it to you.
5. If you are coming from a place that is not generally cold I would suggest that you save your money and buy winter clothes in Halifax. For the most part even in winter regular clothes will prove adequate. Mostly you need a good winter coat (rated for cold temperatures). Good pair of snow boots. Cleats for ice. Some warm socks would be nice. If you are working outdoors in winter, you may need some work specific clothing, like insulated coveralls. In either case I would suggest that you come here and buy your actual winter clothes here. For your info, coldest I have experienced since moving to Halifax was -22 degrees C. Mostly winter temperatures hover around -5 degrees C.
6. SIN. Don't remember having to do much when I landed. My SIN letters just arrived, as part of the regular process. (might be different now)
BANK : There are 5 big banks in Canada. They have started competing more and more with each other for foreigner accounts. They are RBC, BMO, TD, Scotia and CIBC. Best to is to shop around when you arrive to find the package that works the best for your needs. Fair warning. Banking in Canada sucks and is generally rather painful and complicated.
SIM : Most of the major networks do not use SIM cards (as you would know them) any more. Same as banks, a few networks. Mostly expensive but fairly good. Options are Bell, Telus, Rogers, and budget Kudoo + plus a few smaller local operators. I am with Bell. Best coverage and service. Might also be worth looking and bundling services. Can often bundle cell, cable and telephone into one package with some savings. Hunt when you arrive.
Real Estate agents : Most are pretty good so no real need to fuss to much about it. In Canada most property transactions have two agents. One for the buyer and one for the seller. If you are able to reach the listing agent, might be possible negotiate a slight discount on commission. Realty is very strongly regulated so you can feel safe to deal with any licensed realtor.
7. I don't know that there are actually specific foreigner communities in Halifax. It is a pretty small city. Someone else might have a different perspective.
8. Job market is not great for the most part. Sales positions are fairly common, call center and banking positions fairly common. Loads of online resources and I would suggest that you search for employers and contact their HR departments directly (often through the employer websites directly). There are one of tow agencies that help with executive positions though those positions are few and far between.. If you have status I would suggest that you start looking for a job as soon as you can. Don't wait until you arrive..
Feel free to reach out if you have any other Halifax specific questions.
