amardan

We have been living in Alberta now for nearly 3 years and have enjoyed some of it, but now more and more we are thinking that maybe we have settled in the wrong province as there is such a lot we miss and we have always wanted to live by the sea. We went to Kelowna last year and fell in love with it but unfortunately found it too expensive, but it did make us think.

We have always liked the look of Nova Scotia and in particular Halifax and Windsor. The thought of being able to own a property with no mortgage is also very tempting but when I have mentioned NS to colleagues they have scared me saying that yes it is beautiful but you can't eat scenery and there is no work. What does that mean that there is no work whatsoever or that the wages are low.

I would be very interested in hearing from anyone living in Nova Scotia and their first hand experience. Ideally, we are looking to move to a town that is 30 mins away from Halifax so any suggestions on where to look would be most appreciated. Also, we would like some idea on the school's as we have 2 children ages 14yrs and nearly 13 yrs.

Also if anyone had difficulty finding work and do they find the winters harsh.

We plan to take a trip to NS next year but any advice would be most welcome.

Thank you

Atlantic Xpat

What do you want/need to do for a living?

jameswales

I'm in Dartmouth, and can tell you that Halifax is gorgeous, with lots of very happy Brits living there.

Windsor is also very nice. Very small-townish but far enough from the city to feel out of the way, and close enough to be in the city whenever you want to.

I moved here from Wales, and find the people just as friendly. We enjoy good salary and a very fair cost of living.

I'm more than happy to go into more detail - set up a phone call etc if you want to chat.

amardan

Thank you that is very encouraging i would be very interested in chatting to you.

amardan

my hubby is an electrician and I work in a bank

Flogger

NS has both electricity and banks.

Tangram

"Gorgeous" ?

Howefamily

We have been here now 6 weeks and I got a job after 3 weeks as an accountant for a reasonably sized company. There is definately work here, and alot of beaches if the sea is what you are missing.

I wouldnt personally say that Halifax is gorgeous as its a large port. I have heard that its the second largest (but not sure if thats true) and there are parts that are very industrial.
There are also parts of Halifax that are pretty.

We saw the area from the air a couple of weeks ago on our way to New York and it was stunning, I didnt realise how many lakes there are, mainly because there are also lots of trees.

Good luck with your research.

jameswales

I do think Halifax is gorgeous - when you take into account its culture, versatility and offerings.

I grew up in South Wales, breathing in steel works smoke each morning and getting mugged 3 times by the age of 15 - once with very bad results.

Halifax is a big improvement! Plus I make money here I could NEVER make back home ($60,000 aged 23!).

davidsk

Definitely there are jobs for you two. After all Halifax is the centre of Atlantic Canada. It can't be that bad as people say.

When I mentioned to American friends, they said there is an expression in America: Go to Halifax if you wanted to go to the hell. Every one says it is too cold to live. I will give a try.

davidsk

Very good indeed!

The statistics show the average of annual household income after tax in NS is $65,000. However, NS is one of the highest tax province in Canada. Last year there were $130 million (from my memory) budget surplus. They probably need to reduce tax!

Winston Green

As a large percentage of houses in ns are owned by Americans they would appear to like living in hell. Perhaps it is a roumor started by nova scotians to stop the Americans buying up the pretty houses.
I live in porters lake about tem mins from the sea and twenty minutes from Halifax and dartmouth.its lovely and I would recommend ns to anybody. Pm me if you want any info.

YoshiPal2010

Yes, but they would only have to raise taxes again, if (or rather when) the financial s*** hits the fan! Better to put the surplus aside for a "rainy day fund", just like Alberta (it has kept the worst of the downturn from Alberta's door -- although there appears to be more downturn than money to cover it)!

Buddyboy

There may have been a provincial budgetary surplus last year, as described, but that was likely a one off aberration. The province, like others, has a huge public debt that will take decades to pay down, if ever. Having said that, you won't find a better place to live and raise a family. The people are amazingly friendly. If you can settle here as a Brit, you will have it made.

davidsk

Well, apparently they used it to pay the debt.