Originally Posted by gvanleer

Dislikes: Alcohol is expensive. You can only buy it through the Government ran Nova Scotia Liquor Corporation. So because we have a monopoly here prices are high. Cheapest bottle of wine is going to run you $11 or thereabouts. There is a very active home brew market! Talking of monopolies, same applies to electric. NS Power are your suppliers of electricity and there is no other option.Graeme

Originally Posted by gvanleer

Hi everyone and thanks for your responses. I have left it a while before I post my thoughts because of Christmas/New Year and the associated craziness with all that.
Anyway, a bit of background. My wife and I and our 8 year old twins (now 13) moved here under the skilled worker program on December 7th 2005. I had no job to come to, thinking that I would hopefully get something fairly quickly, even if it was stacking shelves in Wal-Mart. It’s all about that Canadian Experience right? We kept sufficient funds to support us for 6 months just in case. We had been over on a fact-finding trip in June 2004, visiting Toronto and Vancouver/Victoria, neither of which ‘floated our boat’. We wouldn’t move to London, UK, so why the hell move to either of these cities. The reason we initially considered Toronto was that my background is Flight Simulation and they have a major training center in the airport in Toronto, so it was to increase my job prospects. However this would also be accompanied by a commute from hell, so we discounted it fairly quickly.
My wife was an Occupational Therapist, and she had to take the Canadian Qualification exam, so flew back to Canada in July to attend the OT conference in PEI, and take her exam in Halifax. She also managed a visit to New Brunswick and then stayed a week with friends on the South Shore, Nova Scotia. It was during this visit that she realised that Nova Scotia was the place for us. Decision made!
We got our med requests at the beginning of Aug 2005, and had our visas a couple of months later. We sold our house (on the internet!) and I flew back to Halifax in November to buy our home here. So here are some of our experiences and thoughts.

Banking(not NS specific but useful all the same!): When we were over on a visit to friends in Halifax at Easter 2005 discussed mortgages and accounts with a senior banking advisor at Scotiabank. Getting a mortgage would be no problem she said, so we opened an account, paid in some money so we had funds in Canada and thought we were all set. When I flew over in the November to buy the house, I found the house, made and had the offer accepted, then went into Scotiabank to finalise the mortgage. As I didn’t have a job in Canada they wouldn’t give me a mortgage. This was despite the fact we had 60% to put down. I was panicked and less than impressed. I then walked out of the bank, across the road to RBC, spoke to a mortgage advisor who said not a problem. As I still had my job in the UK, they would use that to simplify the application process. The mortgage process was then fairly similar to the UK and RBC were fantastic. So as far as banking goes, it really depends on the competence of your advisor! Interestingly, I got a call from Scotiabank while i was at the airport waiting to fly back to the UK saying they think they could do something for me. Too late!! Account closed.
Expect to pay bank charges. Yes there are free options (PC Financial) which my wife had an account with, but she had so many problems, she ditched them and came to RBC as well. We pay $30 a month which gives us 4 accounts, plus a US$ account, and it also gives us our Avion Platinum Visa for free (travel rewards card usually $170 a year for the two cards). I like the fact that I pay my $30 a month and have no further fees to contend with, plus RBC has the widest ATM network in Canada.
Having said all this, the Canadian banking System came out of the recent recession unscathed, so they must be doing something right!

Housing: Buying the house was straightforward. We had great realtors (Jerry & Annette Murphy). They had met with us on a previous visit, shown us a load of houses, they then knew exactly what we were looking for and tailored their mailings accordingly. Realtors here do charge a lot to the seller, but then they do a lot more than your typical UK Estate Agent. They tailored our offer, and got us the house at a great price. We then arranged a home inspection, this was conducted very soon after the offer was accepted and the buyer is usually present and accompanies the inspector. Being new to the country the inspector was very good explaining some of the items with which we had no experience. If you buy a house in Nova Scotia out of the city, the chances are you will either be on a well or septic or both. We were lucky to find a semi rural house with septic, but mains water (quite rare!). Septics are a bit of a nightmare to be honest. If it’s a new house then great, you know how the septic and it’s field has been treated, but an older house, it’s a bit of an unknown. They will need pumping every 2 – 5 years depending on state of the field, size of the family etc. Our septic tank is fine, but it looks like someone has driven over the field at some point, so the field is starting fail. To replace it is a big (and expensive) job – probably around $20k. You need to look after your septic!

Cars: In Nova Scotia you will need to take the driving test. I know some provinces will just exchange, but I personally don’t agree with that. Driving here is totally different – as well as the other side of the road, signs are different, priorities are different and so on. It’s important that you understand the rules and regulations and having to take a test is a way of ensuring you do. It's not that difficult and consists of a written and a practical part. It's only a quick 30 minute practical and the examiners are aware that you have previous driving experience - this is just a familiarization test. We bought one car (a minivan) when we arrived with the second one to be bought when I got a job. Public transport where we live is non-existent so a car is a necessity. Price of cars is less than the UK, price of petrol (gas) is cheaper than the UK, BUT, you drive more. Gas prices are regulated by the provincial government (changed every Friday) and NS gas price is usually around 10c more per liter than Ontario. Drivers in NS are not great. Polite to the point of frustration. They stop for no apparent reason other than to let someone cross the road. You might think that charming when you first get here, but once you get into a routine and you are rushing to or from an appointment – not so charming! The MVI (similar to MOT) is carried out every two years and is not really worth the paper it is written on. No emissions tests, so a blue smoke belching clunker that has good brakes and all the lights work will probably pass. Insurance costs are on a par with the UK.
Something else to bear in mind. If you buy a secondhand car privately, you will have to pay the sales tax (15%) when you register it with the province.

Jobs: Two months after arriving I was offered a job by IMP Aerospace. This was great to get a job so soon after arrival and at last I was able to get some ‘Canadian’ experience. However, it was a major culture shock. I worked for BAE Systems in the UK and to move to an Aerospace company which was micro-managed like IMP is was an experience. I could go on, but there is a lot on these forums about IMP, so no point repeating! Most expats who arrive and start working for IMP, leave as soon as possible. For me my opportunity came 11 months later. I moved over to L-3 Communications doing the same job. This was a great move for me and the experience I gained here was excellent. A major benefit of working is the health plan. It’s very important to get a good health plan. I had to pay for the one at IMP (about $75 a month for the family), but at L-3 it was 100% paid for by the company. The coverage was much better as well (it included dental while IMP didn’t at the time). I finally got the opportunity to move back into Flight Simulation last year and now work at a Canadian Forces base on the new Cyclone Flight Simulator. It took me 5 years, but I made it eventually!
I have found that networking and who you know is everything! If you can get someone to put in a good word, then this is almost as important as your past experience. Make contacts, join networking groups, join associations. Our friends at Relocation Nova Scotia are really good at putting you in touch with people that matter. I accept that I was very lucky in getting the original job I did, but realise that now the job situation is not quite as rosy anywhere, so the more contacts you make the better!

Healthcare: MSI is the Nova Scotia healthcare system. You apply and get a card as soon as you land. You cannot get to see a doctor for free unless you have this number. There are a lot of similarities between the Canadian and UK systems, but there are a lot of things NOT covered by MSI for which you will need a health plan. Drugs and ambulance rides are two of them. There is no dental coverage, a limited amount is covered by health plans. Company group plans are much better than any personal plan you can buy, particularly if you have any pre-existing conditions. These are usually covered under group plans, but not personal ones. We have the same issues here. Shortage of nurses (underpaid), shortage of doctors, long waits in emergency and so on. Don’t think you are moving to healthcare nirvana. The bottom line is that modern healthcare is expensive, people are living longer and things like cancer and diabetes are on an upward spiral. On the whole we have been pleased with the healthcare that we have received here. My son has some anxiety issues, and has been on a waiting list for about 9 months. We get him seen privately which is covered to a point by my health plan. (up to $500) Once that limit is reached we either pay up or hope he gets seen soon.

People: We moved here beginning of December which was a really good time to move. Plenty of parties to get invited to and so on. Our new next door neighbours invited our son to a birthday party the Saturday after we arrived (movies to see Harry Potter). The boys are still friends. A family from the next street knocked on our door the first weekend to say hi. They had a daughter who was going to be in their class and wanted to introduce them selves so they had at least one friendly face when they started their new school. It made us feel very welcome. So we made friends quickly and we are still friends with all these people we met on our arrival. We are not a huge fan of British Expat get togethers, and there are a lot of expats that live in NS. They have a tendency to turn into moaning sessions which we don’t think is healthy. Most of our friends are Canadians and we feel that if you move to another country, you accept the local ways and customs and don’t try to inflict yours on them. You really need to put yourself out there, meet lots of people. This is especially important if you decide to live in some of the semi-rural areas of NS. Join groups - I'm a member of a local Toastmasters Club, I'm involved in the local Scout Group, I look after our community website, my wife is a member of a local photographic club, a women's business networking group and she runs her own business.

Education: Touchy subject. Is it better than the UK? Well it’s different. This might be because we left a particularly good, forward thinking primary school in the UK. However, the elementary school they attended here in NS was good. However, there is no flexibility in the teaching methods. Boys learn differently from girls and this was recognised in the UK. It has still to make it here. They are very quick to label your child as ADHD rather than think the teaching method does not match the child. Our son had an issue with a teacher in Grade 4 – personality clash more than anything. This escalated quite quickly with school refusal and all sorts and in discussions with the school psychologist (yes there is one!) ADHD was mentioned. We quickly put paid to that saying it was a personality clash. Sure enough, no problems in Grade 5.
When we arrived we put the children in with their age group, rather than academic level, as we felt it was important for them to fit into the new system, learn the new teaching methods, make new friends without the added academic pressure. We have no regrets and they are now fully ensconced in the Canadian Education System. French Immersion is an option in NS, but only at certain schools, so research if you want your child in French Immersion.
Be prepared to supplement your child’s education, especially with British and World history as this is not covered particularly well (certainly not up to Grade 8).
There seems to be an active school infrastructure renewal program. The oldest school they are involved with is the Junior High where they are now. The elementary and the Senior High are both relatively new.

Dislikes: there are always going to be aspects of life in Nova Scotia that you don’t like or frustrate you. The cost of living is higher here than in some other provinces with taxation being particularly high. A colleague of mine moved here from Ottawa and cannot believe the taxes he has to pay. However his condo is a lot cheaper!
Alcohol is expensive. You can only buy it through the Government ran Nova Scotia Liquor Corporation. So because we have a monopoly here prices are high. Cheapest bottle of wine is going to run you $11 or thereabouts. There is a very active home brew market! Talking of monopolies, same applies to electric. NS Power are your suppliers of electricity and there is no other option.
There is apparently a lot of poverty with food banks being visited by close on 23,000 families in Nova Scotia. However, Nova Scotians are generous people with good responses to charity appeals.
Nova Scotians are also very set in their ways. They have a ‘we’ve always done it that way’ sort of mentality, and a reluctance to try anything new.

Likes: This is a beautiful province with friendly people. Halifax is an awesome city with some superb restaurants. Compared to some other Canadian Cities, Halifax is an affordable option. There are some great festivals in the summer, the annual Buskers festival and bi-annual Tall Ships are two of my favourite.
The climate is pretty good. Warm summers without the horrendous humidity of Ontario, or the high temperatures of Alberta or the prairies. Modest snowfall usually and rarely before December. Summer 2010 was awesome and we’ve had a mild winter so far this year with far less snow than the UK!!

I know on the whole this post appears to be more negative than positive, but on the whole are we happy here? Absolutely. People considering NS as a final destination want to know what it’s REALLY like living here so there is no point me sitting here writing a rose tinted spectacle version. I could go into a lot more detail but if you want to know any specifics, then let me know by dropping me a PM. We live in Fall River which is perfectly located for both Halifax, Dartmouth and the Airport. When we were moving here we had difficulty finding out information on the community, so we put together a community website for potential residents, residents and visitors alike. If you need to know anything about this community, then this website has it. It’s in my signature block as well, so take a look and let me know what you think!
Good luck to everyone considering NS as a destination, we hope your dream is realised. We got our Canadian Citizenship on Canada day last year and have no regrets so far!
I hope this post is useful to some people. Apologies for it’s length (and this isn’t half of it!)
Graeme

Originally Posted by gvanleer

Hi everyone and thanks for your responses. I have left it a while before I post my thoughts because of Christmas/New Year and the associated craziness with all that.
Anyway, a bit of background. My wife and I and our 8 year old twins (now 13) moved here under the skilled worker program on December 7th 2005. I had no job to come to, thinking that I would hopefully get something fairly quickly, even if it was stacking shelves in Wal-Mart. It’s all about that Canadian Experience right? We kept sufficient funds to support us for 6 months just in case. We had been over on a fact-finding trip in June 2004, visiting Toronto and Vancouver/Victoria, neither of which ‘floated our boat’. We wouldn’t move to London, UK, so why the hell move to either of these cities. The reason we initially considered Toronto was that my background is Flight Simulation and they have a major training center in the airport in Toronto, so it was to increase my job prospects. However this would also be accompanied by a commute from hell, so we discounted it fairly quickly.
My wife was an Occupational Therapist, and she had to take the Canadian Qualification exam, so flew back to Canada in July to attend the OT conference in PEI, and take her exam in Halifax. She also managed a visit to New Brunswick and then stayed a week with friends on the South Shore, Nova Scotia. It was during this visit that she realised that Nova Scotia was the place for us. Decision made!
We got our med requests at the beginning of Aug 2005, and had our visas a couple of months later. We sold our house (on the internet!) and I flew back to Halifax in November to buy our home here. So here are some of our experiences and thoughts.

Banking(not NS specific but useful all the same!): When we were over on a visit to friends in Halifax at Easter 2005 discussed mortgages and accounts with a senior banking advisor at Scotiabank. Getting a mortgage would be no problem she said, so we opened an account, paid in some money so we had funds in Canada and thought we were all set. When I flew over in the November to buy the house, I found the house, made and had the offer accepted, then went into Scotiabank to finalise the mortgage. As I didn’t have a job in Canada they wouldn’t give me a mortgage. This was despite the fact we had 60% to put down. I was panicked and less than impressed. I then walked out of the bank, across the road to RBC, spoke to a mortgage advisor who said not a problem. As I still had my job in the UK, they would use that to simplify the application process. The mortgage process was then fairly similar to the UK and RBC were fantastic. So as far as banking goes, it really depends on the competence of your advisor! Interestingly, I got a call from Scotiabank while i was at the airport waiting to fly back to the UK saying they think they could do something for me. Too late!! Account closed.
Expect to pay bank charges. Yes there are free options (PC Financial) which my wife had an account with, but she had so many problems, she ditched them and came to RBC as well. We pay $30 a month which gives us 4 accounts, plus a US$ account, and it also gives us our Avion Platinum Visa for free (travel rewards card usually $170 a year for the two cards). I like the fact that I pay my $30 a month and have no further fees to contend with, plus RBC has the widest ATM network in Canada.
Having said all this, the Canadian banking System came out of the recent recession unscathed, so they must be doing something right!

Housing: Buying the house was straightforward. We had great realtors (Jerry & Annette Murphy). They had met with us on a previous visit, shown us a load of houses, they then knew exactly what we were looking for and tailored their mailings accordingly. Realtors here do charge a lot to the seller, but then they do a lot more than your typical UK Estate Agent. They tailored our offer, and got us the house at a great price. We then arranged a home inspection, this was conducted very soon after the offer was accepted and the buyer is usually present and accompanies the inspector. Being new to the country the inspector was very good explaining some of the items with which we had no experience. If you buy a house in Nova Scotia out of the city, the chances are you will either be on a well or septic or both. We were lucky to find a semi rural house with septic, but mains water (quite rare!). Septics are a bit of a nightmare to be honest. If it’s a new house then great, you know how the septic and it’s field has been treated, but an older house, it’s a bit of an unknown. They will need pumping every 2 – 5 years depending on state of the field, size of the family etc. Our septic tank is fine, but it looks like someone has driven over the field at some point, so the field is starting fail. To replace it is a big (and expensive) job – probably around $20k. You need to look after your septic!

Cars: In Nova Scotia you will need to take the driving test. I know some provinces will just exchange, but I personally don’t agree with that. Driving here is totally different – as well as the other side of the road, signs are different, priorities are different and so on. It’s important that you understand the rules and regulations and having to take a test is a way of ensuring you do. It's not that difficult and consists of a written and a practical part. It's only a quick 30 minute practical and the examiners are aware that you have previous driving experience - this is just a familiarization test. We bought one car (a minivan) when we arrived with the second one to be bought when I got a job. Public transport where we live is non-existent so a car is a necessity. Price of cars is less than the UK, price of petrol (gas) is cheaper than the UK, BUT, you drive more. Gas prices are regulated by the provincial government (changed every Friday) and NS gas price is usually around 10c more per liter than Ontario. Drivers in NS are not great. Polite to the point of frustration. They stop for no apparent reason other than to let someone cross the road. You might think that charming when you first get here, but once you get into a routine and you are rushing to or from an appointment – not so charming! The MVI (similar to MOT) is carried out every two years and is not really worth the paper it is written on. No emissions tests, so a blue smoke belching clunker that has good brakes and all the lights work will probably pass. Insurance costs are on a par with the UK.
Something else to bear in mind. If you buy a secondhand car privately, you will have to pay the sales tax (15%) when you register it with the province.

Jobs: Two months after arriving I was offered a job by IMP Aerospace. This was great to get a job so soon after arrival and at last I was able to get some ‘Canadian’ experience. However, it was a major culture shock. I worked for BAE Systems in the UK and to move to an Aerospace company which was micro-managed like IMP is was an experience. I could go on, but there is a lot on these forums about IMP, so no point repeating! Most expats who arrive and start working for IMP, leave as soon as possible. For me my opportunity came 11 months later. I moved over to L-3 Communications doing the same job. This was a great move for me and the experience I gained here was excellent. A major benefit of working is the health plan. It’s very important to get a good health plan. I had to pay for the one at IMP (about $75 a month for the family), but at L-3 it was 100% paid for by the company. The coverage was much better as well (it included dental while IMP didn’t at the time). I finally got the opportunity to move back into Flight Simulation last year and now work at a Canadian Forces base on the new Cyclone Flight Simulator. It took me 5 years, but I made it eventually!
I have found that networking and who you know is everything! If you can get someone to put in a good word, then this is almost as important as your past experience. Make contacts, join networking groups, join associations. Our friends at Relocation Nova Scotia are really good at putting you in touch with people that matter. I accept that I was very lucky in getting the original job I did, but realise that now the job situation is not quite as rosy anywhere, so the more contacts you make the better!

Healthcare: MSI is the Nova Scotia healthcare system. You apply and get a card as soon as you land. You cannot get to see a doctor for free unless you have this number. There are a lot of similarities between the Canadian and UK systems, but there are a lot of things NOT covered by MSI for which you will need a health plan. Drugs and ambulance rides are two of them. There is no dental coverage, a limited amount is covered by health plans. Company group plans are much better than any personal plan you can buy, particularly if you have any pre-existing conditions. These are usually covered under group plans, but not personal ones. We have the same issues here. Shortage of nurses (underpaid), shortage of doctors, long waits in emergency and so on. Don’t think you are moving to healthcare nirvana. The bottom line is that modern healthcare is expensive, people are living longer and things like cancer and diabetes are on an upward spiral. On the whole we have been pleased with the healthcare that we have received here. My son has some anxiety issues, and has been on a waiting list for about 9 months. We get him seen privately which is covered to a point by my health plan. (up to $500) Once that limit is reached we either pay up or hope he gets seen soon.

People: We moved here beginning of December which was a really good time to move. Plenty of parties to get invited to and so on. Our new next door neighbours invited our son to a birthday party the Saturday after we arrived (movies to see Harry Potter). The boys are still friends. A family from the next street knocked on our door the first weekend to say hi. They had a daughter who was going to be in their class and wanted to introduce them selves so they had at least one friendly face when they started their new school. It made us feel very welcome. So we made friends quickly and we are still friends with all these people we met on our arrival. We are not a huge fan of British Expat get togethers, and there are a lot of expats that live in NS. They have a tendency to turn into moaning sessions which we don’t think is healthy. Most of our friends are Canadians and we feel that if you move to another country, you accept the local ways and customs and don’t try to inflict yours on them. You really need to put yourself out there, meet lots of people. This is especially important if you decide to live in some of the semi-rural areas of NS. Join groups - I'm a member of a local Toastmasters Club, I'm involved in the local Scout Group, I look after our community website, my wife is a member of a local photographic club, a women's business networking group and she runs her own business.

Education: Touchy subject. Is it better than the UK? Well it’s different. This might be because we left a particularly good, forward thinking primary school in the UK. However, the elementary school they attended here in NS was good. However, there is no flexibility in the teaching methods. Boys learn differently from girls and this was recognised in the UK. It has still to make it here. They are very quick to label your child as ADHD rather than think the teaching method does not match the child. Our son had an issue with a teacher in Grade 4 – personality clash more than anything. This escalated quite quickly with school refusal and all sorts and in discussions with the school psychologist (yes there is one!) ADHD was mentioned. We quickly put paid to that saying it was a personality clash. Sure enough, no problems in Grade 5.
When we arrived we put the children in with their age group, rather than academic level, as we felt it was important for them to fit into the new system, learn the new teaching methods, make new friends without the added academic pressure. We have no regrets and they are now fully ensconced in the Canadian Education System. French Immersion is an option in NS, but only at certain schools, so research if you want your child in French Immersion.
Be prepared to supplement your child’s education, especially with British and World history as this is not covered particularly well (certainly not up to Grade 8).
There seems to be an active school infrastructure renewal program. The oldest school they are involved with is the Junior High where they are now. The elementary and the Senior High are both relatively new.

Dislikes: there are always going to be aspects of life in Nova Scotia that you don’t like or frustrate you. The cost of living is higher here than in some other provinces with taxation being particularly high. A colleague of mine moved here from Ottawa and cannot believe the taxes he has to pay. However his condo is a lot cheaper!
Alcohol is expensive. You can only buy it through the Government ran Nova Scotia Liquor Corporation. So because we have a monopoly here prices are high. Cheapest bottle of wine is going to run you $11 or thereabouts. There is a very active home brew market! Talking of monopolies, same applies to electric. NS Power are your suppliers of electricity and there is no other option.
There is apparently a lot of poverty with food banks being visited by close on 23,000 families in Nova Scotia. However, Nova Scotians are generous people with good responses to charity appeals.
Nova Scotians are also very set in their ways. They have a ‘we’ve always done it that way’ sort of mentality, and a reluctance to try anything new.

Likes: This is a beautiful province with friendly people. Halifax is an awesome city with some superb restaurants. Compared to some other Canadian Cities, Halifax is an affordable option. There are some great festivals in the summer, the annual Buskers festival and bi-annual Tall Ships are two of my favourite.
The climate is pretty good. Warm summers without the horrendous humidity of Ontario, or the high temperatures of Alberta or the prairies. Modest snowfall usually and rarely before December. Summer 2010 was awesome and we’ve had a mild winter so far this year with far less snow than the UK!!

I know on the whole this post appears to be more negative than positive, but on the whole are we happy here? Absolutely. People considering NS as a final destination want to know what it’s REALLY like living here so there is no point me sitting here writing a rose tinted spectacle version. I could go into a lot more detail but if you want to know any specifics, then let me know by dropping me a PM. We live in Fall River which is perfectly located for both Halifax, Dartmouth and the Airport. When we were moving here we had difficulty finding out information on the community, so we put together a community website for potential residents, residents and visitors alike. If you need to know anything about this community, then this website has it. It’s in my signature block as well, so take a look and let me know what you think!
Good luck to everyone considering NS as a destination, we hope your dream is realised. We got our Canadian Citizenship on Canada day last year and have no regrets so far!
I hope this post is useful to some people. Apologies for it’s length (and this isn’t half of it!)
Graeme

Originally Posted by Buddyboy

Graeme: My compliments on a well written overview of life here in Nova Scotia from a Brit newcomer's perspective. I have lived in Canada 35 years, Nova Scotia for the last nine, and the insight you have gained in such a short time is remarkable. I agree with all you wrote. I smiled at the negative view you have of traffic stopping to let people cross. It is frustrating to newcomers who are still in high gear at a higher pace. In my view it's a real plus - people have time for one another.

I'm sure your post will be of great help to others considering moving here. You also seem to have registered the intangible - that this is a great place to live even if the numbers don't necessarily demonstrate it.

Originally Posted by gvanleer

Hi everyone and thanks for your responses. I have left it a while before I post my thoughts because of Christmas/New Year and the associated craziness with all that.
Anyway, a bit of background. My wife and I and our 8 year old twins (now 13) moved here under the skilled worker program on December 7th 2005. I had no job to come to, thinking that I would hopefully get something fairly quickly, even if it was stacking shelves in Wal-Mart. It’s all about that Canadian Experience right? We kept sufficient funds to support us for 6 months just in case. We had been over on a fact-finding trip in June 2004, visiting Toronto and Vancouver/Victoria, neither of which ‘floated our boat’. We wouldn’t move to London, UK, so why the hell move to either of these cities. The reason we initially considered Toronto was that my background is Flight Simulation and they have a major training center in the airport in Toronto, so it was to increase my job prospects. However this would also be accompanied by a commute from hell, so we discounted it fairly quickly.
My wife was an Occupational Therapist, and she had to take the Canadian Qualification exam, so flew back to Canada in July to attend the OT conference in PEI, and take her exam in Halifax. She also managed a visit to New Brunswick and then stayed a week with friends on the South Shore, Nova Scotia. It was during this visit that she realised that Nova Scotia was the place for us. Decision made!
We got our med requests at the beginning of Aug 2005, and had our visas a couple of months later. We sold our house (on the internet!) and I flew back to Halifax in November to buy our home here. So here are some of our experiences and thoughts.

Banking(not NS specific but useful all the same!): When we were over on a visit to friends in Halifax at Easter 2005 discussed mortgages and accounts with a senior banking advisor at Scotiabank. Getting a mortgage would be no problem she said, so we opened an account, paid in some money so we had funds in Canada and thought we were all set. When I flew over in the November to buy the house, I found the house, made and had the offer accepted, then went into Scotiabank to finalise the mortgage. As I didn’t have a job in Canada they wouldn’t give me a mortgage. This was despite the fact we had 60% to put down. I was panicked and less than impressed. I then walked out of the bank, across the road to RBC, spoke to a mortgage advisor who said not a problem. As I still had my job in the UK, they would use that to simplify the application process. The mortgage process was then fairly similar to the UK and RBC were fantastic. So as far as banking goes, it really depends on the competence of your advisor! Interestingly, I got a call from Scotiabank while i was at the airport waiting to fly back to the UK saying they think they could do something for me. Too late!! Account closed.
Expect to pay bank charges. Yes there are free options (PC Financial) which my wife had an account with, but she had so many problems, she ditched them and came to RBC as well. We pay $30 a month which gives us 4 accounts, plus a US$ account, and it also gives us our Avion Platinum Visa for free (travel rewards card usually $170 a year for the two cards). I like the fact that I pay my $30 a month and have no further fees to contend with, plus RBC has the widest ATM network in Canada.
Having said all this, the Canadian banking System came out of the recent recession unscathed, so they must be doing something right!

Housing: Buying the house was straightforward. We had great realtors (Jerry & Annette Murphy). They had met with us on a previous visit, shown us a load of houses, they then knew exactly what we were looking for and tailored their mailings accordingly. Realtors here do charge a lot to the seller, but then they do a lot more than your typical UK Estate Agent. They tailored our offer, and got us the house at a great price. We then arranged a home inspection, this was conducted very soon after the offer was accepted and the buyer is usually present and accompanies the inspector. Being new to the country the inspector was very good explaining some of the items with which we had no experience. If you buy a house in Nova Scotia out of the city, the chances are you will either be on a well or septic or both. We were lucky to find a semi rural house with septic, but mains water (quite rare!). Septics are a bit of a nightmare to be honest. If it’s a new house then great, you know how the septic and it’s field has been treated, but an older house, it’s a bit of an unknown. They will need pumping every 2 – 5 years depending on state of the field, size of the family etc. Our septic tank is fine, but it looks like someone has driven over the field at some point, so the field is starting fail. To replace it is a big (and expensive) job – probably around $20k. You need to look after your septic!

Cars: In Nova Scotia you will need to take the driving test. I know some provinces will just exchange, but I personally don’t agree with that. Driving here is totally different – as well as the other side of the road, signs are different, priorities are different and so on. It’s important that you understand the rules and regulations and having to take a test is a way of ensuring you do. It's not that difficult and consists of a written and a practical part. It's only a quick 30 minute practical and the examiners are aware that you have previous driving experience - this is just a familiarization test. We bought one car (a minivan) when we arrived with the second one to be bought when I got a job. Public transport where we live is non-existent so a car is a necessity. Price of cars is less than the UK, price of petrol (gas) is cheaper than the UK, BUT, you drive more. Gas prices are regulated by the provincial government (changed every Friday) and NS gas price is usually around 10c more per liter than Ontario. Drivers in NS are not great. Polite to the point of frustration. They stop for no apparent reason other than to let someone cross the road. You might think that charming when you first get here, but once you get into a routine and you are rushing to or from an appointment – not so charming! The MVI (similar to MOT) is carried out every two years and is not really worth the paper it is written on. No emissions tests, so a blue smoke belching clunker that has good brakes and all the lights work will probably pass. Insurance costs are on a par with the UK.
Something else to bear in mind. If you buy a secondhand car privately, you will have to pay the sales tax (15%) when you register it with the province.

Jobs: Two months after arriving I was offered a job by IMP Aerospace. This was great to get a job so soon after arrival and at last I was able to get some ‘Canadian’ experience. However, it was a major culture shock. I worked for BAE Systems in the UK and to move to an Aerospace company which was micro-managed like IMP is was an experience. I could go on, but there is a lot on these forums about IMP, so no point repeating! Most expats who arrive and start working for IMP, leave as soon as possible. For me my opportunity came 11 months later. I moved over to L-3 Communications doing the same job. This was a great move for me and the experience I gained here was excellent. A major benefit of working is the health plan. It’s very important to get a good health plan. I had to pay for the one at IMP (about $75 a month for the family), but at L-3 it was 100% paid for by the company. The coverage was much better as well (it included dental while IMP didn’t at the time). I finally got the opportunity to move back into Flight Simulation last year and now work at a Canadian Forces base on the new Cyclone Flight Simulator. It took me 5 years, but I made it eventually!
I have found that networking and who you know is everything! If you can get someone to put in a good word, then this is almost as important as your past experience. Make contacts, join networking groups, join associations. Our friends at Relocation Nova Scotia are really good at putting you in touch with people that matter. I accept that I was very lucky in getting the original job I did, but realise that now the job situation is not quite as rosy anywhere, so the more contacts you make the better!

Healthcare: MSI is the Nova Scotia healthcare system. You apply and get a card as soon as you land. You cannot get to see a doctor for free unless you have this number. There are a lot of similarities between the Canadian and UK systems, but there are a lot of things NOT covered by MSI for which you will need a health plan. Drugs and ambulance rides are two of them. There is no dental coverage, a limited amount is covered by health plans. Company group plans are much better than any personal plan you can buy, particularly if you have any pre-existing conditions. These are usually covered under group plans, but not personal ones. We have the same issues here. Shortage of nurses (underpaid), shortage of doctors, long waits in emergency and so on. Don’t think you are moving to healthcare nirvana. The bottom line is that modern healthcare is expensive, people are living longer and things like cancer and diabetes are on an upward spiral. On the whole we have been pleased with the healthcare that we have received here. My son has some anxiety issues, and has been on a waiting list for about 9 months. We get him seen privately which is covered to a point by my health plan. (up to $500) Once that limit is reached we either pay up or hope he gets seen soon.

People: We moved here beginning of December which was a really good time to move. Plenty of parties to get invited to and so on. Our new next door neighbours invited our son to a birthday party the Saturday after we arrived (movies to see Harry Potter). The boys are still friends. A family from the next street knocked on our door the first weekend to say hi. They had a daughter who was going to be in their class and wanted to introduce them selves so they had at least one friendly face when they started their new school. It made us feel very welcome. So we made friends quickly and we are still friends with all these people we met on our arrival. We are not a huge fan of British Expat get togethers, and there are a lot of expats that live in NS. They have a tendency to turn into moaning sessions which we don’t think is healthy. Most of our friends are Canadians and we feel that if you move to another country, you accept the local ways and customs and don’t try to inflict yours on them. You really need to put yourself out there, meet lots of people. This is especially important if you decide to live in some of the semi-rural areas of NS. Join groups - I'm a member of a local Toastmasters Club, I'm involved in the local Scout Group, I look after our community website, my wife is a member of a local photographic club, a women's business networking group and she runs her own business.

Education: Touchy subject. Is it better than the UK? Well it’s different. This might be because we left a particularly good, forward thinking primary school in the UK. However, the elementary school they attended here in NS was good. However, there is no flexibility in the teaching methods. Boys learn differently from girls and this was recognised in the UK. It has still to make it here. They are very quick to label your child as ADHD rather than think the teaching method does not match the child. Our son had an issue with a teacher in Grade 4 – personality clash more than anything. This escalated quite quickly with school refusal and all sorts and in discussions with the school psychologist (yes there is one!) ADHD was mentioned. We quickly put paid to that saying it was a personality clash. Sure enough, no problems in Grade 5.
When we arrived we put the children in with their age group, rather than academic level, as we felt it was important for them to fit into the new system, learn the new teaching methods, make new friends without the added academic pressure. We have no regrets and they are now fully ensconced in the Canadian Education System. French Immersion is an option in NS, but only at certain schools, so research if you want your child in French Immersion.
Be prepared to supplement your child’s education, especially with British and World history as this is not covered particularly well (certainly not up to Grade 8).
There seems to be an active school infrastructure renewal program. The oldest school they are involved with is the Junior High where they are now. The elementary and the Senior High are both relatively new.

Dislikes: there are always going to be aspects of life in Nova Scotia that you don’t like or frustrate you. The cost of living is higher here than in some other provinces with taxation being particularly high. A colleague of mine moved here from Ottawa and cannot believe the taxes he has to pay. However his condo is a lot cheaper!
Alcohol is expensive. You can only buy it through the Government ran Nova Scotia Liquor Corporation. So because we have a monopoly here prices are high. Cheapest bottle of wine is going to run you $11 or thereabouts. There is a very active home brew market! Talking of monopolies, same applies to electric. NS Power are your suppliers of electricity and there is no other option.
There is apparently a lot of poverty with food banks being visited by close on 23,000 families in Nova Scotia. However, Nova Scotians are generous people with good responses to charity appeals.
Nova Scotians are also very set in their ways. They have a ‘we’ve always done it that way’ sort of mentality, and a reluctance to try anything new.

Likes: This is a beautiful province with friendly people. Halifax is an awesome city with some superb restaurants. Compared to some other Canadian Cities, Halifax is an affordable option. There are some great festivals in the summer, the annual Buskers festival and bi-annual Tall Ships are two of my favourite.
The climate is pretty good. Warm summers without the horrendous humidity of Ontario, or the high temperatures of Alberta or the prairies. Modest snowfall usually and rarely before December. Summer 2010 was awesome and we’ve had a mild winter so far this year with far less snow than the UK!!

I know on the whole this post appears to be more negative than positive, but on the whole are we happy here? Absolutely. People considering NS as a final destination want to know what it’s REALLY like living here so there is no point me sitting here writing a rose tinted spectacle version. I could go into a lot more detail but if you want to know any specifics, then let me know by dropping me a PM. We live in Fall River which is perfectly located for both Halifax, Dartmouth and the Airport. When we were moving here we had difficulty finding out information on the community, so we put together a community website for potential residents, residents and visitors alike. If you need to know anything about this community, then this website has it. It’s in my signature block as well, so take a look and let me know what you think!
Good luck to everyone considering NS as a destination, we hope your dream is realised. We got our Canadian Citizenship on Canada day last year and have no regrets so far!
I hope this post is useful to some people. Apologies for it’s length (and this isn’t half of it!)
Graeme

Originally Posted by gvanleer

Tracy
The school system kind of baffles me to be honest!. Fall River has better than average schgools. The two elementary schools are Holland Road Elementary and Ash Lee Jefferson Elementary. Only Ash Lee has French Immersion. Georges P. Vanier is the Junior High (Grades 7 and 8 - my twins are 13 and in grade8). Lockview is the high school. Links to all schools are on the community website. How it equates to Key Stage 4 I'm not sure, but you could check the Halifax Regional School Board website.
I would anticipate your daughter going into a year ahead if she wants to remain in the academic equivalent. But this may depend on when her birthday is. My two started school in the UK when they were 4 and 2 weeks as they were born end of August.
Check out the links anyway and if you need any more specific information I would suggest emailing the principal of Lockview. He may be able to answer any specific questions you have. If you get stuck feel free to email me!
Graeme

Originally Posted by gvanleer

As we rapidly approach our 5th Anniversary of landing here in Nova Scotia, we sometimes sit down with friends and get asked the same two questions. Why did you leave the UK, and why did you choose Nova Scotia?
This gets us thinking and we reflect sometimes between ourselves, sometimes with other expats, what are our likes and dislikes about living in this province. Before I post our observations, I thought I would throw this out there and see what all you honorary bluenosers have to say. My reply will probably be quite lengthy, so it gives me time to put it together! So if you have lived in NS for 3 or more years, let us all know what you are REALLY thinking. Don't forget to remove the rose-tinted spectacles, and let us have it, warts and all...
We obtained citizenship on Canada Day this year and live in the Fall River Area. Looking forward to hearing your thoughts....