The4BellsLondon

There does seem to be a big divide over NS.

I have never been but would like to visit. Maybe the divide is due to people liking different things.. And that (i may be wrong) it seems easier to get into NS .. But it doesn't suit everyone. I know I couldn't do rural !

However, of the people I am friends with, the consensus is get me out of NS.

Horses for courses .. Some people hate BC and Van (but we know they ate wrong )

bats

People seem to like Saskatchewan .

haggis88

you should move to the Yukon

Shard

Yes but you don't even have a bridge to the mainland

NS is a very understandable choice for Brits, the main downside is the economy and jobs, but that's mitigated by property affordability.

Shard

Yes but the divide is exaggerated when people who haven't been east of Montreal out down the whole region.

Siouxie

Could we concentrate on the OP's questions rather than having a discussion on whether people favour NS or not please?

If people who actually live in NS could offer some advice, it would be much appreciated.

Thank you.

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I currently live in the UK with my family, we are looking to move to CANADA. I know this will be a big change but I feel it will better mine my partners and my children's lives. My partners mother and father are also looking to move with us. Myself and my father in law will be seeking jobs in the trucking/distribution industry (any advice or opioins on jobs in Canada will help)

We are looking to move to the Nova Scotia area. Again advice on the area, life style even the schools in the area will be greatly received.

Im hoping that even though this move may be stressfully at the beginning it will give us all a better life and through hard work be rewarding !

So in short, WHAT'S NOVA SCOTIA LIKE ?
WHAT LIFE LIKE OUT THERE ?
IS WORK HARD TO COME BY ?
HOW HARD WAS THE MOVE FOR YOU ?

Again YOUR views will be a great help .

THANK YOU ,

drummond82

Thank you, I think I upset a few people on here. To be fair , I want to move from the uk with my family and heard that NS is a place that a lot of ex Brits head for.

But still I have tamed heed and read all the advice given. Some helped some didn't. If you do know of places or a place that is a good choice please say. Thanks again

Shard

Don't worry you didn't upset anyone. What kind of place do you want to live in? City, near city, rural? Do you need an ocean? How important is climate?

izzi81

What sort of life are you looking for?
Where do you live at the moment?
Nova Scotia has different areas that offer different things. I'd say most expats are in the Halifax area or the Truro area, but the Valley (where we are) and the south shore are lovely.
The most important thing though is the visa. NS used to have the community identified stream, but that seems to be in limbo at the moment, I'm not sure whether you can still apply through it, and if you can you'd have to visit a couple of times at least beforehand (though I'd recommend doing that anyway, wherever you want to go!)

We moved to NS 3 months ago. We made 3 visits before we moved, which meant we knew what to expect when we arrived. We were looking for a more rural life, friendlier people, a more relaxed outlook, more positivity and optimism, and that's what we've found. I can't tell you about jobs, because we've started our own business here. We're hoping to avoid the job market lol. I also can't helps with schools as we have no kids!

The emigration process is expensive, and then you have to factor in the time you will have to live here with no income until you get a job. You definitely need more than Canada requires for emigration!

So to summarise, first check your visa options, then check employment options, work out what life you want in Canada, then come visit!

not2old

very good post

To the OP - I'd start with the post above by izzi81

drummond82

I'm not looking for city living as I'm from Manchester in England and this is very busy. Just outside the city would be great for us all. I know that no matter where home is you still have to work, pay bills, and do all the other things but I'm hoping that a move could possible offer us all a better quality of life. Thanks for taking time to reply .

drummond82

Great advice , and thank you. We are planning to visit wherever we plan to moVe to. Hopefully the job side of things will be sorted before we make the move. We are from Manchester in the uk which is very busy. I don't mind being close to a city or busy are but I don't want to be IN it. We are wanting a better quality of life , space, time, a good area with good people . Hopefully we will find it !

thank you for your great advice .

not2old

I want to add to what izzi81 post#24 which I thought was extremely good advice. The the links provided in post #2 are a good start.

I've been in Canada a very long time and since I'm a no nonsense type of person, respectful of your question - I can be as helpful as the next person, but 'you know what' you need to do some of this work yourself.

Just curious how you believe Nova Scotia or Canada can offer you a better life than living anywhere else in the UK?

What are the specific reasons to leave the N.W of England & move 5000km, have you looked at other regions of the UK as a possibility?

Have you been to Canada as a visitor or made a field trip specific to looking at emigrating. Do you know someone here - a friend or relative perhaps?

My advice (along the lines of post#24) would be to come out alone for a month to Nova Scotia as though you are a new immigrant - Budget $3000 (£2000). Live in a bedsit or a furnished apartment for a month, travel the local transit, look at & go visit a few real estate agents, or go on-line looka t mls.ca for house rentals or purchase prices. For rental apartments you can start by looking at viewit.ca, read every daily newspaper there is, sit in the coffee shop, visit the the malls & grocery stores & jangle with as many folks as you can. Go to the local job centre, look at the job bank, speak with those in jobs or out of work.

You need a touch & feel IMO, this is one of the ways to do a pre-emigrate exploratory trip.

After the first trip if its a go - then bring your partner over or your F.I.L for a two-week visit. You'll know the scope of things, where everything is or at

Many folks on here will tell you the good side of emigrating & how they've settled in. There are a few folks that have had or having a terrible time of it.

The cost of one-month field trip can save you a lot a future anguish IMO

On trucking jobs you could start by looking at Nova Scotia classifieds simply by google jobs specific positions in Nova Scotia

Good luck with it

Hayden4560

Research is the key, wherever you choose! I spent almost two years investigating the job market, schools, areas, crime, amenities, politics, cost of living, house market (shall I go on), followed by a month long visit last summer looking at various places in the west. We moved in July to Calgary and so far the investigation has paid off and everything fallen into place. Having said that there were still some surprises but you can cope with one or two of those if your expectations on everything else are realistic. My husband is Canadian, although bought up in the UK, so we went the family class sponsorship route but it is still a long process and definitely needs be your starting point. Good luck

izzi81

not2old's advice is very good. Your position might not allow for a 1 month trip, but if you make a shorter trip I'd definitely advise renting a cottage rather than staying in a hotel/motel. It means a much more realistic experience - you'll be shopping for food in supermarkets and so on - and so give you a better idea of what life will be like. Also it can be difficult but try not to make it like a holiday - make sure you do lots of day to day things, rather than just touristy things!

You said you didn't want to live in a big city but don't mind being close to one. If you want to live close to a big city, the only option in NS is Halifax. If you don't mind living somewhere outside of a city, then there are more options. One thing to bear in mind about NS is it definitely is rural. Which we like, but some might not!
To give you an idea:
population of Manchester UK: 512,000
pop. of Greater Manchester area: 2,553,000
pop. of Nova Scotia: 1,000,000
pop. of Halifax regional municipality: 413,700
pop. of Halifax: 95,000

the next biggest towns in NS would be Truro (12,000), Amherst (9700), New Glasgow (9500) and Bridgewater (8200).
All figures courtesy of Wikipedia!

As you can see, the population centres here are small. It means it is quiet, the roads are quiet, there is a community feel. But it also means fewer amenities compared to city living (although sometimes it can surprise you - a village with a population of 2500 can have an ice rink ). Also there is very little public transport - a car is a must here unless you plan to live and work in Halifax.

This is very different from, say the area outside Toronto, where you could be well outside the city but still in a well-populated area. So it depends what you're looking for....