Moses2013

Yes a lot of people have come back, or are moving here. Economy is picking up, pretty safe environment for kids and quality of life is good. Dublin is certainly just as pricey when it comes to property, but plenty of cheap properties around the country, if you like it more rural. You're still never too far from places with employment and in Galway we're only 2 hours drive from Dublin. Of course Panama is a complete different environment, but poverty is a big problem outside the capital. Portugal is certainly cheaper when it comes eating out, buying alcohol, but not really a huge difference when it comes to the general living costs. At the end of the day, you can live cheap anywhere if you have a bit of land to grow your own food.

dbd33

We live in rural(ish) Ontario and were in Annapolis in the summer. Admittedly it was summer but Annapolis seemed to me to be more densely populated than where we are. You couldn't commute to Halifax but we met a man in a hot tub in Halifax who had come for the weekend, that's certainly feasible. I wouldn't say that it looked remote by Canadian standards.

Tirytory

Just as a thought and as another parent, you might want your children to become entrepreneurs rather than taking an academic route but I consider our job as parents to be to equip them with the skills and knowledge to become whatever they want to be.. A lack of quality education would be a real problem for me. I'm unaware of education in NS so not sure if it's as bad as Alex states it is.

BristolUK

This is probably one of those things where what happens in some places isn't enough to judge Canada while something that happens in part of a province isn't enough to judge the whole province.

My two stepkids had a far better experience of school here than they did back in the Montreal area.

The 60% level of functional illiteracy that Alex mentions is high.
But on literacy.ca it gives 55% for Canada, so maybe that's not hugely different. Literacy.ca goes on to say "Shockingly, 88% of adults over the age of 65 appear to be in this situation" so when you factor in NB's greater than any other province share of over 65s there may be very little difference when it comes to younger folk of NB compared to others.

I don't mention this to defend the province as there are certainly some attitudes and practices where things are, shall we say, outdated.

But several cities in Atlantic Canada have traditionally shown up in those Macleans Canada's smartest city things so we're not all country bumpkins.

There are differences comparing cities and rural here, and no doubt the same is true in other provinces.

Tangram

So not a fan then ? lol

scrubbedexpat133

Its more a complete indifference than anything. I am bored of living here. It has been nearly 6 years and it feels like a few years too long.

I have the fortunate problem of having a good job and my fiancees family and friends are here.

My fiancee was born and bred here. She has lived in other parts of the country and in Mexico and shares my opinion of the people here. Despite making the effort over the years I have got to the point where I just cant be bothered with most of the locals. I cant put up with the mindless small talk.

We have talked about moving to Southern Ontario but it would not be sensible right now due to careers and mortgage term.

As for the education of course there is going to be a spectrum of good and bad everywhere but the average seems to be lower here. As Bristol points out there is a difference between the young and old. This is could be part of the brain drain effect.

BristolUK

The snow here is the main reason I'd move elsewhere in Canada. Oakville looks good. Cobourg has been recommended to me and that seems a bit more affordable property wise.

I still quite fancy Kelowna Bigger time difference there though. Don't fancy getting up so early for the footie.

Flogger

Must of drove right past(ish) and didn't pop in for a beer

dbd33

Well, since you offer, we'll be back next year ...

scrubbedexpat133

Agree with that

Thurs and Fri night Super League is also a good time here

Deva

We moved to the Annapolis Valley ten years ago and have two children, 9 and 7. So far we've been very happy with the schooling and in this part of the Valley at least there is no shortage of extracurricular activities.

Fortune500

Thanks Deva. Sent you a PM

Flogger

Most definitely. Let us know around the time.

Your daughter wasn't at university at Arcadia was she? I know it was somewhere in NS, just wondering what first brought you vacationing there

dbd33

She was at King's in Halifax, a Dal affiliate, and wound up at UBC. But for the lure of the sea, I suppose she'd have gone to McGill with the rest of her cohort and things would have turned out quite differently.

I'd been to the east coast long before that. When we arrived in Canada we were struck by the ugliness of Toronto and the flatness of the surrounding area. We took every chance to drive to nearby States and Provinces in search of scenery. Luckily, we had a 73 Oldsmobile 98 Regency Brougham, a car so long that, as the boot crossed Yonge St. someone on the bonnet could already see Port aux Basques. We went to NYC, Montreal, Quebec City, Cape Cod, Nag's Head, NS, the UP, Chicago and other places I've forgotten.

I don't remember much of that first trip to NS except for being shocked that everything was closed on Sundays. I know we went back in the minivan years as I recall cleaning a spectacular mess of body fluids out of the van while overlooking the sea on Cape Breton. There's a reason that daughter went ten years in farmer pants with the back straps clamped so she couldn't undo them.

Subsequently I lived with a Newfie for seven years or so, she had seven siblings still living in NF (and another six in Ontario) so there very many trips for domestic matters as well as for holidays. We usually drove so I saw Truro, New Glasgow and Sydney quite often. Despite visiting those places, I've been going to various parts of NS from time to time since then.

I think Ax's "Disney version of Newfoundland" is fair but we're not all hairy chested enough to want to get up and battle a force 10 on the way to a breakfast of cod tongues each holiday morning. NS offers a gentler vacation, something in the manner of Ireland, riding on the beach, brew pubs, squiddly diddly music, nautical excursions, what's not to like?

Moses2013

Never been to NS, but from what I've seen (street view, pictures, reports,) Halifax looks like a great city and the surrounding areas seem affordable enough?