Halifax
 

What a beautiful city Halifax is!
It's people are warm friendly and caring, oh what I'd give to live there...

Re: Halifax
 

I told my then lawyer that I had a daughter at school there.

"The poor girl" he said "in that hole, had she no grades?".

She did hate it but is on the way back there on a schooner, headed for the tall ship regatta in a fortnight or so.

Re: Halifax
 

In my Harness Geographical Book of the World (1924) it says it's very much like Cornwall. So is Halifax the equivalent of Falmouth?

Will you be going to meet your daughter and see the regatta? I woudn't mind going, I have a thing for large sailing ships. We're in Ottawa next week and part of the week after, what's the date of the regatta? Yes I know Ottawa is miles away but Halifax does have an aeroplane runway of sorts, doesn't it?

Re: Halifax
 

More like Portsmouth. A naval/military type of place. Bit rough in parts.

Week of the 16th for her but the main regatta is the week before. I'm not going, in fact I'm babysitting so her mother can go. I have been to one of those before though, it's certainly something to see.

Here's the site: http://www.tallshipsnovascotia.com/

By process of elimination I think sailing daughter must be one of the three people on the Appledore V:

http://www.tallshipsnovascotia.com/s...ils.aspx?id=28

Re: Halifax
 

back in glasgow just now steve......the ottawa public,especially kanata area has been fully briefed on your imminent arrival:p
Paul

Re: Halifax
 

Hey! We're over there between the 10th till the 18th. I'll look up some flight information and check some hotels, I've got to talk my wife into going but after giving her a good beating she'll agree to anything.

Re: Halifax
 

How long are you in Glasgow for?
Am I to have the red carpet treatment:eek:

Re: Halifax
 

Well...the carpet could be red by the time they're done with you. :p:lol::rofl::rofl::rofl:

Re: Halifax
 

:D

Re: Halifax
 

Halifax is one of Canada's better kept secrets, surrounded by wonderful areas such as chester and Mahone Bay, and if visiting, make a point of traveling The Cabot Trail.

My wife is from that area, She is an Acadian, a group of people who were robbed of their land and rights by the British , many forced into migration into Louisiana for being French(Acadian/Cajun).:mad:

Re: Halifax
 

What was it about Halifax that you liked Steve666? Having been to Falmouth, was it really similar?? Need way more detail :eek:

Re: Halifax
 

We've just spent 3 weeks in the Maritimes, 10 days of which were spent in and around Halifax. It far exceeded our expectations. We loved the landscape, laid back locals, harbour, beautiful coastline etc.... We were so won over we put a deposit on a house and will make it our home come September:thumbsup:

Re: Halifax
 

just a few of weeks to dot the i's and cross the t's.
i heard rumours about a civic reception......whether that involves the mayor or a honda....i dont know:D

Re: Halifax
 

So I'm not Steve, but for what its worth, Halifax is wonderful.

A great mix of old and new. The Citadel at the top of the hill standing for all the history and tradition. Down (a steep hill) to the harbour passing good new shops/businesses. A Boardwalk all along the harbour with great eating places with good views.

Lots of stuff going on at different times of year...tall ships....busker festival etc. Get a copy of the "Doers and Dreamers" guide for what is going on.

Location in respect of everyting else is good too. Never too far to drive to prettey villages, wonderful beaches and the airport should you ever want to leave.

Lynn

Re: Halifax
 

Lisa - I want to hear so much more!!! We are in the midst of moving to the Halifax area and that is going to happen shortly hopefully. We havent been on a reccie trip so we are reliant on the internet...........yikes. But OH has a job offer and we just cant wait to get there. It sounds like our kind of place!

Thanks Lynn - just what I needed to hear today, some good stuff! We just cant wait to get there now. :thumbsup:

Re: Halifax
 

Are you the "Poppy" Angie in Bridgewater have been telling me about?

Re: Halifax
 

I surely am!!! Oh my word, my reputation proceeds me...................:eek:

Are you living in the Porter's Lake area?? We must pm!! or email!!

Re: Halifax
 

Oh - just saw that your destination says Stoke on Trent! :rofl:

Re: Halifax
 

I am in the UK but hoping to move to Nova Scotia next year. I am going over in October to take the CRNE

Re: Halifax
 

OMG - are you??? hang on didnt we talk about this yesterday?? On another thread?? I am having a serious blonde day today!!!!

Re: Halifax
 

Might have done. I have lost track who everyone is this week. So much info, so little time.
When are you going to halifax?

Re: Halifax
 

I am glad its not just me having a moment!! Yes, we were talking about this on your meet and greet thread............I am being gormless because I tend to try to remember those who are NS bound and your user name should have been a reminder right there!

We are in the middle of a house sale, any day we could get the offer that we want and go within the month................however the market in this small town in NZ has slowed right down for 5 bed victorian homes......typical. And so we wait. though we do ahve an interested buyer flying over from Australia this weekend, and it sounds like he might be our buyer - if so, then we might well be in NS for August!!! :thumbsup: If we are around in October, we will have to meet up!!

I am the midwife who is going to work as an Obs nurse - ring any bells? :thumbsup:

Re: Halifax
 

Sorry Steve666 - this has been rather hyjacked by me......;)

Re: Halifax
 

Me too. Apologies, we will try the email instead

Re: Halifax
 

I was in Halifax on Sunday (Canada Day) and it looked absolutely lovely down by the waterfront. We saw the Military Tattoo parade enroute to Citadel Hill where we were going to see Nickelback, Chris Daughtry (and others) concert. We caught the Canada Day fireworks late at night.

We are also heading down to see the Tall Ships in a few weeks time.

I love Halifax :wub:

Re: Halifax
 

Halifax is a lovely city, but I always look forward each day to getting out of it & returning home to the peace, tranquility and beauty of "The Passage", it really calms me down and makes me feel great, when I come down the Caldwell road after a bad day, and see the ocean and views of devils & lawlors Islands, with fishing boats coming in etc.

Just far enough away from the city to enjoy peace but close enough to enjoy the city.

Re: Halifax
 

Don't mind at all. Do I look bovvered?:D
My wife may be offered a job on the defence/naval area, and although Ottawa is on our primary settlement plans Halifax hasn't been ruled out, yet.

Re: Halifax
 

If I can put your mind at rest, Halifax is a really beautiful city. Its one of the things I've noticed about Nova Scotia - everyone seems to have views on what its like without ever having visited. Typical comments are that there is no work, its full of fisherman on benefits etc. etc. None of this is true.

Here are some actual facts about Halifax…

• Halifax has the fastest growing economy in Canada after Edmonton and Calgary.
  
• The Conference Board of Canada forecasts this year Halifax’s Gross Domestic Product, the value of all goods and services produced in our city, will be the third highest in the country.
  
• Foreign Direct Investment magazine named Halifax as one of the top 3 cities in North America for economic potential
  
• In the 2007 MoneySense Best Places to Live survey Halifax ranked 2nd best place to live in Canada
  
• Halifax is the most Educated city in Canada - with 81.1 post-secondary students per 1000 people, that’s three times the national average. More than 60% of the working population has post-secondary education, the highest rate in Canada.
  
• Halifax is home to six highly regarded Universities and 5 of the top 11 Universities in Canada (ranked by Macleans) are located in Nova Scotia
  
• On top of that, it’s a great sized city with a population of only 370,000 people. The average commute distance for people who work in Halifax is one of the lowest in Canada at only 3.9 miles. In fact over 20% of the population is able to walk or cycle to work.
  
• Halifax is a centre of excellence for Healthcare and is a leader in North America for healthcare for children and maternity
  
• On top of all that it’s a really beautiful waterfront city. Photo attached!

Re: Halifax
 

How is this a good thing? Surely it just means that one degree isn't sufficient to get a job as a bartender.

Re: Halifax
 

I don't see how it can be a bad thing. I don't think the answer is to surround yourself with uneducated people in order to improve your job prospects or make yourself feel more intelligent. Presumably you wouldn't move to a remote backward town where you had the advantage of being the only person in the whole town with a degree so that you could have your pick pf the top jobs? The advantage of having a cluster of intelligent well educated people is that it attracts high-tech, bioscience and other leading edge industry which in turn cultivates good jobs (in exactly the same way that leading universities in Massachusetts, California, Cambridge UK have been doing for years)

Re: Halifax
 

I did do pretty much that. I don't have a formal education but, in Toronto, it didn't really matter; few people do.

What prompted my comment was that I know people here who gave up on Halifax because they felt underqualified for that location. One friend who has only a B. Sc. moved here and now manages a retail store (Williams Sonoma) whereas, in Halifax, his degree wasn't enough to get such a job.

One might argue that, if that were so, Halifax would have those sorts of industries as it's had a cluster of universities for a long time. I think instead you just get qualification inflation, the man carrying the dustbins has a degree, the dustcart driver a Masters.

Re: Halifax
 

Okay, I know what you're saying. I have only been here a year so I'm not an expert but I haven't noticed that to be the case. I would say your friend was fairly unlucky, I haven't heard of too many people who's qualifications have been undervalued like that. I think probably the problem if more to do with it just not being that big a city - only 370,000 people and less that 1 million in the whole of Nova Scotia. There are around 80,000 gradutes leaving these Universities every year. Most of them came here from other provinces to study and lots want to stay which means job competition especially amoung new graduates can be fairly stiff. At least thats my take on it.

Re: Halifax
 

You may be right. My friend is a flamboyantly gay Newfie so his circumstances are not typical(!) My daughter had no trouble finding shop work in Halifax while she was at school there though she did remark on the high qualifications of the other shop workers.

Re: Halifax
 

Interesting point. We are trying to decide upon Vancouver or Halifax. Whilst we much referred the property prices in Halifax, our one reservation is opprtunities for our children when they are old enough to venture into the world of employment.

Re: Halifax
 

You're assuming that they'll stay where you are, I wouldn't count on that; they may, but they may also go off to a university far away and never return. I don't think you can plan for them and wouldn't make it a major factor in choosing your location.

Just to throw a spanner in the works, if I were choosing a province based on the best educational and therefore career prospects for the children, I'd likely choose Quebec as the in-province tuition fees there are so low.

Re: Halifax
 

Its not that, I agree I'd be wrong (and more than just a little hypocrytical) to stor them moving away if thas what they want o do. My point is that whilst I would love hem to have the choice, I don't want to put themin a position where the HAVE to move away through lack of opportunities.

To further muddy the waters, the company i work for has just set up in Toronto,so they may be opportunities for an internal transfer there !

Re: Halifax
 

Interesting thread. We actually live quite near Falmouth, Cornwall, UK and visit there on an almost weekly basis. The Tall Ships visit is outstanding. We are off to Halifax 3 weeks tomorrow (yipee, dances a jig, so excited :D). So I will comment on the likeness to Falmouth. Although Falmouth is 'proper Cornish', with all it's nooks and crannies old buildings.

Will report further on our return in August!

Karen

Re: Halifax
 

Got it. I'd think Vancouver offers more opportunities but, of course, there are lots of other things to consider.

Re: Halifax
 

I was born and my early years were spent in Plymouth, went to Falmouth now and again, holidays etc. We're looking at flying out to Halifax from Ottawa the weekend after next to see the boats, the cost may be prohibitive though, £1000 in all which includes 2 hotel nights (none booked yet).
My wife scrunched her face up when I broke the news.

Re: Halifax
 

Can you stay in one of the universities? King's has a nice residence with shared student rooms, I expect they rent them to the public in the summer.