lousid

Probably several posts about this already but things change constantly. Please bear with us as we try to establish where in Nova Scotia one might settle and have access to cities, shopping, schools and road networks. I like to think that Halifax and its surrounds would be ideal but looking through mls you get far more bang for your buck in outlying areas (as is usually the case). However, what are these areas really like to live in longer term? If you've settled in and around Nova Scotia, please tell us what your experiences have been like. Happy? Wouldn't recommend it? Love it? Hate it? Looking for up-to-date comments from those in the know. We're thinking of relocating from BC for the following reasons:

-affordability
-saving for our children's future
-more house/land
-less populated
-less traffic
-access to good schools/uni
-seasonal weather (does it exist anymore?)
-cheaper/shorter flights to UK for ailing relatives and for those who'd be able to visit
-being able to indulge ourselves once in a while with the savings we'd make
-can't think of anything else offhand

Any ideas?
Cheers,
Lousid

Atlantic Xpat

Doesn't it all come down to jobs? If you need good jobs then you have to be nearer a major centre and in NS's case then that means Halifax. There are plenty of towns within daily commuting distance of Halifax that would seem to meet your requirements. For example, we have friends who live in Middle Sackville, have a acre of land and about a 30-40min commute to downtown Halifax/Dartmouth.

My 2 cents.

AX

Corky

There are lots of great places to live in Nova Scotia but it really comes down to where you think you maybe working and how much travelling you want to do to get to work. We are on the south shore and Bridgewater to Halifax is almost 1 hour. There are quite a few people that live in my neighbourhood and travel to Halifax to work....so I guess it really boils down to how much you want to travel. Also lots of great places to live in the Annapolis Valley. Kentville New Minas look at Wolfville. Maybe you would find Windsor a great place, they have a great Pub there!!! Thats about 45mins to the city. So it comes down to what you want.

Londonuck

Funny... we're thinking of Nova Scotia after living in Vancouver for 6.5 years. We've been back in London for almost three years and ready to get off again. BC is just too expensive and we'd want to be back on the North Shore. Unless we win the lottery we're looking at NS. The houses look amazing.

lousid

Just out of interest, why did you initially go to BC and why then return to UK? Is this next trip to BC for similar reasons or are you (like us) serial movers?
Just curious! I always wondered if we ever went back to the Uk (not likely) just how long we'd last before jetting off again. Having young kids, however, makes these ideas a little more difficult though.

Cheers,
Sid

welshmountie

I used to live in Sydney in 1974. I was 9 then. At the time it seemed town like in size. I do remember it being a close knit community with very friendly people. The scenary around the area was fantastic. Cape Breton is an island with a beautiful coastline. Large hills and long sandy beaches and coves. When it snowed, it really snowed and deep. Being a coastal region it was prone to more temperate weather with the occassional huricane sweeping up from the gulf along the US eastern seaboard. Having said this, the weather was still seasonal with fantastic colours in fall.

I should imaging the cost of living there cheaper on the whole mainly down to property and land prices.

It had an airport that you could get to from the UK via Gander Newfoundland. I suspect that these days you may be able to fly directly there which means that flying times could be around about five hours on a good day. Even via Gander it is probably a six hour trip.

I suspect population is still sparse and that the closest Uni would be Halifax.

Hope this helps. Like I said though it has been a while for me.

Atlantic Xpat

Um, Isn't Sydney a rather economically depressed area what with the decline of coal mining / fishing? Certainly, Cape Breton is pretty I understand and certainly property would be cheap but as the saying goes, you can't eat scenery!

Flights to Uk would be via Halifax. No flights to UK from Gander these days.
Halifax to London is 5.5hrs or so.

Actually thinking on, LouisD Why not consider Newfoundland. Certainly ticks most if not all the boxes on your list. Closest point to Uk and now year round direct flights with Astreaus (& AC in the summer).

EDIT: I see from your profile that you are teachers? Then maybe not Newfoundland if you need a job in a hurry. Getting into teaching here is a loooong slow business.

madison2007

I agree .

welshmountie

Like I said, going by when I lived there in 1974. I supect time has changed the place in an economical way at least.

Londonuck

I think now we're moving back we're heading into the serial movers category! Saying that this is the last time.

We're finding London very depressing and expensive these days. I'm quite excited about moving back and fancy trying Nova Scotia mostly due to its proximity to Europe. I'd love to go back to BC but the houses prices are way to much especially when the only place we'd want to live would be the north shore.

dbd33

I dunno that this really holds. It's between seven and twelve hours from here to London depending on the routing. Add getting to the airport and all and it's really ten to fifteen. There are loads of carriers so, if need be, I can be in London (or Amsterdam or Frankfurt or wherever) tomorrow. Going this afternoon would be expensive but having lots of carriers means cheap but inconvenient is another option; we have tickets for early May which cost $95 each way (without taxes of course). I know that they have aeroplanes in Nova Scotia but I don't think it is more proximate to Europe in any useful way unless you're sailing.

Liana

Er- did you forget to post these with your "opinion" -
I appreciate many of your posts but am well aware of your, mmm, "dislike"(??) of NS.

Check out the Air Canada website for the time it takes to get to the UK- definitely only 5.5 hours- nowhere in Canada is as near to the UK as that. In fact Nova Scotia is less distance to the UK than it is to Vancouver. Unfortunately we all have to put up with the huge amount of time spent at the airport going through security etc but only 5.5 hours flying- good grief, it used to take me longer than that by train to get to university in London and I only lived 200 miles away.

Most people who post here live in different parts of NS and most seem to like their area. Living anywhere depends on what job one has and of course if one loves having many cars and travelling to work - as most immigrants from the UK have already done- then live anywhere definitely.

I would not recommend certain rural areas- too many incestuous relationships in some places in parts of the Valley but the little towns there are lovely. All of Nova Scotia is attractive- driving down the highways and seeing the islands and the bays and a little more appealing than Southern Ontario- boring with no hills and no sea and no decent rivers. Driving around there is like being in a maze.

The climate on the Mainland is better than most of the rest of Canada- apart from Vancouver Island. The summer is warm and the winter much better than Newfoundland and Cape Breton. But Cape Breton is certainly gorgeous too and BTW the coal mines have been sold to an Australian mining company and will be reopening.

Atlantic Xpat

Apart from Newfoundland of course, which is closer to GB by an hours flying time. Leastways during the summer for AC and year round for Astreaus. An added bonus is that the small airport here means check in is a breeze even compared to Halifax which itself is hardly a big airport.

dbd33

I don't dislike NS. We had a fine camping holiday in Cape Breton a couple of years ago. My point is just that more flights mean more access, it's the number of planes rather than the absolute distance that's important.

Liana

OK- but there is Zoom and Icelandair flying from Halifax to UK as well as Air Canada. Perhaps other charter flights too?

AX- yes you are right but I am grateful we do not have to do that now and sorry that you have to fly to Halifax. I have posted my opinion on this before.Do you have Icelandair flying in to St John's now?