moonraker

Today the sun has come out and temperatures are steadily rising. When it is sunny with blue skies you can't beat it whatever the temps. I don't like rain and grey skies either but here the wind can bite into your bones like nowhere else I have lived. There is stuff on the net about weather patterns for NS and you can of course keep track of the 5 day forecast if you are really interested. Good luck and enjoy your time here

moonraker

cheers Harpie

Karen1

Hi Moonraker

You certainly haven't put us off NS, but you have provided us with some food for thought.

When making such a big move it is important that we make the right decision. In July we will be in Canada for a month visiting Calgary, Banff and Lake Louise, places we have visited in Summer and this Winter. We're also going to Kelowna, Vancouver and wherever else we end up.

We value your update because it puts things into perspective and makes us wanna be canadians research, research and research. Weather is not the most important thing on our moving list - isolation doesn't really bother us either, but with two growing lads we need to consider work opportunities for them and us (we both teach) and things for them to do all year round.

Hope you enjoy the rest of your week and the weather is kind to you.

Have a safe journey back and keep us updated on where you eventually settle in Canada.

Take care

Karen

Liana

Hi Moonraker

Mill Cove is really the Blandford Peninsula and is the cheapest part of the region- that should tell you what the sort of people living there are. Fishing people tend to live off welfare benefits these days- they only have to work 13 weeks and they have the unique benefit of getting unemployment benefits the rest of the year.

The peninsula is really a dog patch and not a great area. Did you travel around it and after Deep Cove see the awful squalid houses there? Don't know why the social workers haven't been there to get the children out of that terrible lifestyle. You have had a couple of months though - so hope you checked out elsewhere.

I do live in Halifax and despite a rise in gas prices we only pay about $60 a month for gas because we do not have to travel far for anything. People we know who live outside Halifax spend up to $ 400 a month for travelling. Yes my house taxes are big but working in the Downtown means even coming from the other side of the harbour I would have to pay for bridge tokens- so the saving of money for that, gas and time spent travelling- it takes us 4 minutes to get to work- is a great thing.

There are many people here who do not like the peninsula but I do - great access to the university for children, the best schools in the province, movie theatres, Neptune theatre, Rebecca Cohn concert hall, Dalplex, Metro Centre, Point Pleasant Park- all these are things that are good for the winter and all within easy walking distance. My children never drove cars until they left Nova Scotia because there was no need to - even bikes for a quick trip to a friend.

Despite my positive perception of Nova Scotia it is not necessarily my choice of living but I would not live anywhere in Canada. We came for the cold weather skiing- being a qualified ski instructor it seemed a great place but the ski resorts here are nowhere near as nice as my European places and even then too cold hanging out on the ski lifts. And NO decent restaurants or wine .

But Nova Scotia is an affordable place to live and does have work for professionals and trades people. It also has one of the better climates in Canada. Hope you can find a good place that will suit you and I wish I had been able to do what you are doing now; checking out before you move is very sensible.

Good Luck

moonraker

I'm sure the owner of where we are staying would be delighted to hear her $600000 house is located in a dog patch

I would suggest the area is quite mixed with some poor quality places, some average and some really beautiful ocean front properties one of which we happen to be staying in!

High numbers

Any good pictures you could share?

moonraker

What do you think?

http://www.chester-properties.com/captainwallace.htm

High numbers

What a view to wake up to each morning! Lucky you I bet you wish you could stay longer. Thanks for the updates. A worthwhile read that tells it as it is and not what the tourist board would tell you.

Good luck and keep us posted!

Liana

Yes, that is a dog patch- a combination of very poor areas with very nice ones. I know a couple of people who live on that peninsula but they are not in the poor rural areas either. Blandford Peninsula is the cheapest area around there- East River is becoming more expensive now as Chester popularity has moved on to East Chester and now to East River, the top of the peninsula the Chester side; perhaps in 20 years it will be as expensive as Chester also. There are some new developments coming up because it has not been popular in the past few years and the land is quite affordable but still not a place to live if you want to travel every day into Halifax. But it could be a good investment.

moonraker

Sorry - this was my undestanding of the term:

Urbandictionary.com

Dog Patch - an isolated place where families intergrate, or interbreed.

My cousin is my brother, its a dog patch thing.

or from wikipedia

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dog_Patch

Liana

The realtors introduced me to that word when we first moved here- their definition, so I have maintained that. I suppose it is because the areas here are mixed because of the size of the population- not enough people to upgrade a community sometimes.

Londonuck

our first winter in 98 in Vancouver we stood at the windows on day 80 of rain and wondered why the locals dont have webbed hands and feet!

swings and roundabouts.

NovaBoy

Hi moonraker

Thanks for the update. Another great read. I have been keeping up to date with your posts over the last few months with great interest.

We fly out on the 24th May from Newcastle to Toronto. We are staying with my brother for the first couple of weeks then driving up to Nova Scotia. Intend to be in NS by 18th June.

Then reality will hit home!

Enjoy the remainder of you hols and glad to hear the weather is warming up for you!

Take care.

moonraker

Hi Novaboy

Do you know where you are going to live in NS yet? Wouldn't want you buying a house in a dog patch now would we tee hee? Seriously the best of luck to you and your family and I look forward to hearing your experiences once you land.

NovaBoy