canadian_bacon_boy

After landing in Vancouver on 7th March (will post about that later) and spending two weeks traveling around BC (will also write about that later) we have decided to do a few more reccie trips to other provinces.

Next on our radar for this year is the maritimes (nova Scotia, new brunswick and prince edward island).

The main thrust for this is that we found BC far too over populated and in your face. We have spent almost all our lives living in the cotswold villages and the contrast was a bit much. The maritimes appears to have a much smaller population and we thought this may fit us (me, wife and 3 kids) more.

So I would like to invite any of those who have done reccie trips to the maritimes and more importantly those that now live there where are the main places we should check out over the two week trip.

The plan is to go between may and july when the weather will be better.

Many thanks and I will write up on our last trip and landing process soon

Simon Legree

A lot depends on whether or not you will need to find employment
If you do then maybe you should concentrate on those places where there are jobs.
Otherwise you can do a pretty comprehensive tour in two weeks.
I must say that I had to smile when I read that you thought BC was "far too over populated". Which part of BC are you referring to ? Just Vancouver ? There a literally millions of square miles of wilderness.

By the way, it is a well known fact that the streets of the fabled North Shore of Nova Scotia are paved with gold !

Tangram

What Simon says. I like NB and NS but unless you are independently wealthy, you need to have a job.

Atlantic Xpat

From previous threads, you (Mr Bacon) are a manager in an IT related field? If so, presumably you will be looking for similar employment in the Maritimes? I would imagine that rather limits you to a commuting distance from Halifax or Moncton. With due respect to PEI (a place I considered moving too once) I doubt there is much in the way of an IT industry there.

www.careerbeacon.com might help with insight into job opportunities.

el_richo

Out of curiosity, where did you stay, and which places in BC did you visit?

canadian_bacon_boy

We stayed in port moody and visited

Coquitlam
Port Coquitlam
Port Moody
Maple Ridge
Pitt Meadows
New WestMinster
Burnaby
Capilano
Deep Cove
White Rock
Langley
Abbotsford
Chilliwack
Kitsilano

canadian_bacon_boy

My job is a bit more broad. While I class myself as an IT manager I can go for many types of project management jobs outside IT (energy, automotive, pharma and medical) and service delivery management jobs.

Already found both kinds listed in fredericton.

canadian_bacon_boy

Is that not the case everywhere. I would rather live somewhere that fits earning half the cash then earning loads as I could in BC and not enjoying it one bit.

The place has changed so much in 5 years. It was a shock

canadian_bacon_boy

Maybe look for jobs while there but no rush yet. Want to find the place we like then see what the jobs are there.

Tangram

It's very difficult to advise, one man's meat and all that.

BristolUK loves Moncton, I disliked its bland ugliness. Horses for courses. You will need to visit to get your own perspective.

JonboyE

BC - four times the size of the UK, a population of four and a bit million.

ExKiwilass

Yes, but sadly lacking in cotswold villages

JonboyE

You would think they would try and fix that.

ExKiwilass

no kidding eh

el_richo

A couple of questions out of curiosity.

What is your definition of "in your face"? In what way have those places changed in the last 5 years to make it such a vast difference? Maybe it's you who has changed? Or maybe your memory of how you liked to remember it was a little too sugar coated?

Instead of visiting the main hubs of the areas mentioned above, did you venture out into the quieter and also more rural areas? Looking at the places you visited, 14 places over 14 days doesn't really give much time to really explore does it. Where else in BC did you visit? Or are you classing the above as BC?

How about places further afield like Kimberley, Kelowna, Naramata.....?

I personally wouldn't have bothered with at least 7 of the above you mention and haven't see THAT much change over the past 5 years other than a few new buildings/building sites, the odd strip mall (Coquitlam is one big one) & sub division, and construction on the highways/freeways in and around them.