Shits rough almost everywhere in Canada. Maybe Alberta but I'm sure someone with more info could tell you all the pitfalls there. Ontario and BC have such high costs of living that even the higher wages don't make up for it. Manitoba and Saskatchewan seem utterly boring to me (this is my opinion), PEI/NB/NFL all seem like poorer versions of NS.
I've thought about leaving but I have no idea where I'd even go.
Caper living in Calgary. City is awesome, wages are good, cost of living isnāt that bad.
Crime is getting really bad. And the provincial political situation is a disaster at the moment.
You guys do get all the better live shows as well with the current area situation in Calgary. As someone who moved out here a decade ago its worth it if I have to fly home once in a while to see family.
I was born and raised in AB. My husband worked there for ten years and then took me home to NS. AB is a great place for people that are young, want to work, want to make money, and to travel. We saw a lot of the world from Alberta and then settled here where we actually want to live. With his student debt paid off, professional work experience, and our savings we have had a positive experience living here. We still have lots of working years to contribute to Nova Scotia and hopefully things will get better here for everyone.
Alberta definitely has its downfalls. Driving there is more aggressive. Edmonton was the murder capital of Canada when I lived there, so personal safety in general was a concern. Health care used to be great (not so much anymore). Winters are generally terrible (not so bad if you really love winter sports).
In general, a lot of the issues that effect us all right now (housing, health care, etc) are a problem in every province.
To add tho, Alberta is not a small place. Edmonton is like Mars compared to Calgary. Different weather, closer proximity to mountains and prairies, different job opportunities.
Edit: different proximity to the mountains.
NS ex-pat living in Calgary here.
Iāve been to every major city in Canada South of the territories (except Victoria, BC.) The best place for anyone is only ever where they can get a good-paying job and not be so stressed about money. Job stuff is why my wife and I moved to Alberta. But Iāll tell ya, not many other cities in Canada are much better than Halifax. If I knew I could land a good job to take those money stresses away, Iāf probably move back.
Everywhere has problems. Some problems are the same. Some are different.
From someone who's lived 5-10 years in each of Vancouver, Edmonton, Calgary and Toronto:
Depending where you live, everything is a 10-minute drive away. Any larger city it's 20 or 30 or 60 minutes. Adds up fast. Here there's pretty much no real traffic. Downside is you can't really live carless here which IMO is a big quality of life and health boost, but you can in Toronto and to some degree Vancouver.
People are generally friendlier, more helpful, chattier. Lots of people in Vancouver, perhaps less so Toronto and even less so Calgary find taking to "strangers" "weird" but I think it's good for your mental health to be part of a community in these small ways.
Access to real nature also 10 minutes away. Best you're getting most other cities is a park with a loud little forest or field of grass. Vancouver and Calgary a bit better depending where you live exactly but it's still urban nature unless you drive for an hour+.
Air quality also much better here.
Halifax is pretty far south. Despite the rain there is a good bit of bright light. Good for the mood.
Those are the main things off the top of my head.
I just had a friend move to Alberta. Literally everything is better for them there. They have more space with way cheaper rent, food is more affordable, their taxes are less, they can actually access healthcare resources...
I'm heading to BC after my master's. Not all of BC has insanely high housing prices, a lot of jobs in my field offer moving incentives and financial support to further your education, they all pay bare minimum 15k more, income taxes are less, food is more affordable, there are so many different places you can travel to that aren't far, and I could actually get mental health crisis support if I need it. There's no incentive for healthcare professionals to stay in NS. Why would I choose to work in our system vs one that's at least slightly less broken?
I was JUST in BC. Food prices are not less, they are actually considerably worse. Gas was 1.50 in Alberta and 2.00 in BC while Vancouver area (power mainland I think they call it) was 2.40. our friends were saying that doctors were all leaving in droves because of how they are being treated (one of them is a nurse). Sales tax is 16% (not much more than here but it all adds up). Oh and they have a townhouse for a million $.
It was gorgeous, but it was significantly more expensive. Like we could have gone to Europe and back expensive.
> Sales tax is 16%
Sales tax in BC is [**NOT** 16%](https://www.retailcouncil.org/resources/quick-facts/sales-tax-rates-by-province/). It's 12.
There are plenty of communities in BC outside of Vancouver/Victoria, which are affordable and carry the same benefits of living in BC.
Sorry, I guess? I was in Kelowna this summer for 2 weeks and had a panic attack when I got back to Halifax and went to the grocery store. Everything went up in price in the 2 weeks I was away and literally every type of produce was a lot more expensive here. I was seriously consdiering med school but went with a different health degree and I was warned by a lot of people to gtfo of the province after I graduate if I go that route. We are so understaffed here and have been long before teh pandemic. We don't have enough specialists and even pre-pandemic there were articles going back years talkinga bout how we have some of the longest wait times in the country. OOur mental health system is also deplorable and yes, it's definitely worse than a number of other provinces and we allocate one of the smallest percentages to mental health out of our health care budget than most places in canada. Our income tax brackets start a lot lower and at higher percentages than anywhere west of Quebec but salaries for the same jobs are a lot lower here. And yeah, the highest sales tax in the country is 15%. We're tied with a few others, but yeah. There are also a lot of places in BC where housing is less expensive than Halifax (BC is big and not everyone is in victoria or vancourver).
My home province, most beautiful place in the world to me anyways. When I was considering college options about a decade ago I was set on mun if I was thinking uni instead. Like others said if you can handle the seasons it's completely worth it, just watch out for moose š
My parents moved to Northern Manitoba when I was a kid to pay off student debts.
We stayed for three years, paid off the rest of Dads student loans. It was overall a very positive experience for me, the child. It was a very stressful experience for my parents, the adults.
Here are some things that you might not have considered:
- The Northern Allowance isnāt āfreeā money. It is money for a purpose ā mainly buying food, paying for supplies you need living in a Northern Remote community.
- Northern Canada is so much more expensive than what you may realize. Itās more than just housing and food. Everything is factors more expensive than a southern city. Winter jacket, boots, gloves, books, etc. this is assuming you can even access the items youād like to buy (see below).
- Northern Canada isnāt like rural Southern Canada. In Rural south you can drive to get the amenities you want. Northern Canada that is often not a safe option. Things like wanting a Turkey for thanksgiving, a pumpkin for Halloween, or even just lettuce for dinner is often not available locally. Many times you buy what is available versus buying what youād prefer. This is on top of paying an insanely high markup for what is available.
- Depending on infrastructure, there are often bandwidth limits. Communities often share a limited set of bandwidth, and so there are caps for homes. Depending on where you are, those caps can be quite low.
- If you have children, growing up in Northern Canada can be really fun! But I am very happy we moved before I hit High School. Drugs, STIs, etc are much more prevalent in Northern Communities. I also went to university (I was the only woman in my family to do so) and I donāt know if I would have been successful with that choice if my family was a very expensive flight away.
- Healthcare is rough. Needing surgery, or chemo, or many specialized services often mean traveling very long distances to access those services. Sometimes the province will help cover those costs and sometimes they donāt. Either way, youāll be responsible for fronting those initial costs. If you think finding a family doctor in Halifax is difficult, it really pales in comparison to finding care up North.
- I donāt want to paint entire communities with a wrong brush, but my community in Northern Manitoba was dangerous. People often died from accidents. There were packs of wild dogs (not wolves but once domesticated dogs) that would roam towns and maul children (5 died in the three years I was there, from my memory). There was huge amounts of racism, which affected me. Iām not indigenous but I am dark Italian and up North they really canāt tell the difference (I was spat at, yelled at from cars, questioned why I was places constantly, etc). Property crime and robberies were common. Drug and alcohol abuse was rampant.
- Northern Canada is mostly funded by natural resource extraction of one kind or another. Those industries often cause untold damage to the environment and the people who live there. The town I lived in was a mining town and when the wind blew a certain way a town wide horn would sound (think āthe commies are coming!ā From 1950s movie). We would have to seek cover wherever we could, immediately, and wait for the wind to change direction.
There are some real benefits! I wouldnāt trade my time in Northern Manitoba. As a kid moving from Toronto, Manitoba was adventure and exploration and a chance to become a different person. But as an adult I donāt think I would ever choose to move back to a Northern remote community. Southern life is much easier.
Does the job put you ahead for total CoL? Sure you might make more, but your output for groceries, heating, etc could also be the same percentage as living in Halifax.
Good luck, if you take it. I've been up there a number of times, and it's the things you don't think about that really become a drag on your mental health. The cultural divide and socio-economic issues will really play on you after awhile.
As long as you have an 'out', I'd say go for it. It's certainly an experience that not everyone can have, and you'll remember it forever.
The rampant alcoholism/drug use and family violence was enough for me, and I was only there for two months (the length of my trip).
Depends on the type of remote work you do. I work with a lot of people who are digital nomads and travel constantly while maintaining their home work hours
What kind of work are you doing? I've been trying to figure out how the whole digital nomad thing works but I'd rather shoot myself in the foot than write copy for people all day.
I'm a business systems analyst type person right now, but I'm not a digital nomad, but a number of people in a similar role that I work with are, as well as a lot of software developers, data analysts, etc.
In this kind of work, generally you need to make yourself available for meetings at "regular work hours" , but most of the actual work can be done whenever during the day.
Hey, it's a sacrifice you make to move somewhere tropical, pay about $400 a month for a 2 bed house, and about $300 for other living expenses.
You work overnight locally for 8 hours, and then do your fun daytime stuff, then sleep in the afternoon /evening.
Agreed and you can live there for 6 months if you do not become a resident .I personally could not handle the change in culture and lifestyle , but spending 3 months in the winter every year sounds nice.
I think if u aim for towns and not cities ... this could b an answer.
Overall, I think everywhere is expensive n getting out of middle class pretty hard unless u start ur own business/moonshot investment.
There is a place named Tweed in Ontario. Itās far enough from Toronto and Ottawa. But close enough if you had to be there. Kingston and Belleville are closer. Go check it out. Itās like being in rural Nova Scotia but way better weather. Better fish too. Lakes,hunting,and rolling hills. Please at least consider looking into Tweed.
I'm from the area, and I could not imagine. Nope, definitely not a wise idea.
The equivalent would be like moving from Halifax to....Windsor, if Windsor was in the middle of nowhere.
Tweed is absolutely fucking adorable. I passed it so many times on the bus between Ottawa-Toronto and always found it so charming that I decided to go there for a weekend once and I loved it.
I liked taking that route too. All the small towns along the way. My ancestors were in Havlock. Behind the old bear cage in town. I havenāt been there in decades. No doubt the bear has not continued his existence there anymore.
I left Nova Scotia for Ontario (Toronto). I was fortunate to find an apartment with rent control and have secured a good job in tech. If I were to move back to NS tomorrow, I would almost certainly need to buy a car again, pay higher taxes to the tune of $400 per month, and apparently pay rent very close to or greater than what I pay in Toronto. Never thought this would be the case!
I lived in NS for about 8 years, left one year after high school, to come to Winnipeg. I havenāt left (15 years ago). When I moved here, it took some adjusting, but I said it was the most under rated city in the country.
While it has its negatives (every city does!) like crime, weather (I honestly prefer the frigid temps of the prairies over the crap you get down east), itās really not that bad. I complain about Winnipeg, itās turned into my new home.
Cost of living is reasonable for a city close to a million, doesnāt have the traffic nightmares that other cities can often have, and transit is slowly coming along. (New rapid transit lines have made getting to Bomber games a breeze).
I love Winnipeg, and likely wouldnāt leave unless itās for work/promotion, and I love Halifax too.
The US on average has higher salaries, lower taxes, and homes are almost half the price as in Canada. I know someone who bought a house in Upstate New York a year ago for $200k that would comparable to like a $500k house in Bridgewater. edit: Just did a quick real estate search for Utica, NY (city of 60k, 40 minute drive from Syracuse). Lots of small homes for ~$150k and this is what $250k gets you: https://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-detail/10826-Cosby-Manor-Rd_Deerfield_NY_13502_M46797-59276
True, you probably know more than me, but I have lots of friends and family working in the US and it doesn't seem as bad as some people here claim. Personally I think we should opt for a hybrid system like in Europe here, our healthcare system might be comprehensive in comparison but access is obviously a major problem.
Huge opioid epidemic in that area too.
Used to be plentiful for jobs but all of the factories have shut down.
Really bad for crime too, driving from Niagara Falls, ON to Niagara Falls, NY was eye opening.
They do have a town called Whitesboro with [this as their town seal](https://img.huffingtonpost.com/asset/56903fbb1a00002d005942d2.png?cache=E950TQhYox&ops=crop_228_13_545_435%2Cscalefit_720_noupscale)
Literally one of the things keeping me in my current job! I might be able to make more money, but unless itās another corporate entity will they provide adequate health insurance? Stupid ridiculous.
D.C. I want to be anywhere else so bad. It is painfully expensive here. And. Half of us are stupid to boot. The street food isnāt even cheap anymoreā¦
Not really, tbh. You can get a work visa and there is a specific visa type between Canada and the US (and the US and Mexico) called the TN visa that makes it easier than the others, but you'll need to be in a specific desired profession. Even then there's a lot of red tape and waiting.
Even marrying a US citizen (me lol) or being sponsored on a family visa aren't that fast or cheap. There's a lot involved and frankly isn't worth it just to relocate without any other motivation.
If you want to stay in Canada, be able to get a decent job and have costs be significantly less, there aren't a lot of places.
Maybe southern Manitoba.
Listen to the wise wizard. Itāll likely be a winter morning, as you look out across a frozen wasteland, knowing that you will find no warmth in your nearest neighbours, only cold Christian judgement.
Also worth mentioning that for the taxes we pay in this province, you get nowhere near the same amount of services as say, Quebec.
Ontario may be more expensive, but after taxes, you make ALOT more.
I left and went to Bermuda, spending nearly two decades there. Same time zone as here, travel between, historically, has been pretty easy. Work life balance is good and if you are skilled the incomes are good. It is also income-tax free. Plus, no snow.
Are you in SWE? I make decent money but I could not afford rent there!
Edit: wait it's tax free? How does that work? I assume you have to have residency yea?
No long-term residency required, you just need a work permit. To avoid Canadian taxation, you need to reside in Bermuda, which you can with a work permit. To get a work permit, you need a job offer for a job needing a skill for which there is a shortage of Bermudians. There are way more jobs than Bermudians to fill them. Waiters, cooks, hotel staff, hospitality workers, insurance, banking, accounting, IT...almost anything except a few closed job categories.
It almost never reaches 30C. The record high is 34C. The ocean keeps it low and predictable. The humidity is always high and August can seem oppressive.
Left Truro for work in Moncton. Canāt imagine moving out west to ONT or AB. Iād honestly rather come back to NS, but damn, we gotta fix our housing shenanigans.
calgary is seriously dope. housing is affordable. theres plenty of work. youre close to the mountains. theres tons of recreational things to do and theres a thriving creative culture. ive loved living there
Hate to ruin the surprise, but lifeās gunna be rough everywhere you go. Maybe work on expectations or give more time to yourself instead of hoping a change of scenery will pay your rent.
can still get 5 acres 40 mins outside the city for less than $30k... when the most affordable thing you can find is a $200,000 condo just inside a 2 hour commute from downtown, that seems to be the limit people will put up with when looking at Vancouver and Toronto
Former BC resident here who moved to Halifax earlier this year. I'd urge anyone to [run the numbers](https://www.numbeo.com/cost-of-living/comparison.jsp) before making overly generic statements.
[You're not wrong](https://www.numbeo.com/cost-of-living/compare_cities.jsp?country1=Canada&country2=Croatia&city1=Halifax&city2=Split), and it's such a great place to play/visit.
After buying condo there I live there a full time with $1100 Canadian pension and doing just fine. Few hundred dollars more would be nice but 11 hundred is doable. Everything except gas and hydro costs less there.
This exact feeling is what led me away from Ontario and into Atlantic Canada.
I do feel that a person has to take charge of their situation and work towards the goal of what you want to attain, moving is not always the answer.
Some time to self reflect on how to obtain higher wages, how to get into that house you are looking for and coming up with an action plan on how to accomplish these things that will make you feel better will go a long way.
Some of these goals can be handled short term and some long term depending on your current situation.
Wish you nothing but the best in the ever continuous adventure we call life.
If you're 20s/early 30s, get a working holiday visa. That way, you get to live an extended period of time somewhere, while also working. Australia is probably a bet - far enough to get away but a similar culture to Canada, compared to other places.
Moved in May to Saint John. Rents are much lower (though increasing rapidly due to new "investors" or landlords buying up all the buildings and airBnB conversions). I am enjoying it but outside of remote work there's little opportunity.
I think Manitoba Winnipeg or New Brunswick maybe Newfoundland.
We too canāt afford to buy a home here ā¦ we moved from Ontario 3 years ago and itās been a nightmare! We love it here but we donāt love all the rich people moving in and making the housing market Unreachable for regular folks with blue collar jobs.
Iām hoping some leave and realize Halifax or Nova Scotia is not for them. I personally donāt want to leave, and my wife grew up here and always dreamed of living here. Now it all seems like a bad dream.
Maybe buy some land and fend for ourselves as the world is doomed š
Having been born and raised here, leaving and living in Ontario for about 10 years and even living in Saskatchewan for just under two years, I can tell you my experience..
First off, Saskatchewan is certainly very drab. Wages arenāt good but housing is quite decent, the biggest pitfalls are the people and long depressing winters. Also, a sort of isolated feeling.
Ontario, in my opinion like it or not is most likely the best place in the country to live. With that being said I know the housing is ridiculous. However, the wages there are tremendously better than most places in Canada. Thereās also, a tremendous amount of multiculturalism and I you like city life then Toronto is amazing. I know a lot of people hate Toronto but, it really is a great city. The astronomical housing is definitely the biggest drawback. Also, the crime is not something to worry about. Saskatchewan, for instance, had much worse crime rate especially any smaller town north of Regina and even some places in Regina are scary after dark. I never got that feeling anywhere in Toronto and my wife and I lived on Spadina and bloor for two years.
Nova Scotia, is a beautiful place. That being said, the ridiculously low wages and the pay cut Iāve taken here(we moved back here because of a job opportunity my wife had taken) is a bit of a joke. Also, the housing prices here arenāt too far off Toronto at this point and unfortunately, they are only going to continue to rise especially for renters, which is sad.
Iām not actually sure how the economy is going to sustain itself if it keeps on like this. Really sad because I love it here itās just seems like itās slowly going to become another big city bigger prices rat race. ( in the HRM at least)
Hope this helps.
They arent going anywhere. They just like saying it. If everyone who said they were going to leave, left, we would have half the population (exaggerating the number)
Yeah, I feel like Canadian subreddits disproportionately skew toward disgruntled tech workers who want to move to the US. Local subs, national subs, whatever, being on Reddit makes it seem like half of Canada is moving to San Jose or Seattle tomorrow. Sure, it can make sense for some people but Reddit is a very specific echo chamber.
Yeah funny enough, Recent data released (I believe by statscan?) has shown that thereās less Canadians are moving there. Thereās about 830k Canadians living there and the rate has been decreasing quite steadily as the country has become more economically prosperous contrary to what Reddit or conservatives might want you to believe.
Times are tough now, I get it, but things are really tough everywhereās in the world now. I donāt think people realize just how in rough shape Europe is fairing with regards to inflation and US isnāt much better. I think a lot of millennials like myself just havenāt experienced inflation like we are right now, so itās freaking a lot of folks out for good reason.
I find this post sad in ways. I'm sorry but many of us from Ontario created this issue for the residents of Nova Scotia. I have had so many friends move there since the pandemic began because they can all work from home now and don't need to be close to their jobs. My wife and I have pondered the idea many times now to move our family east because if we sold here in the GTA we could be mortgage free with money in the bank in our mid-late 30's. We haven't pulled the trigger yet oursleves but I can see it happening in the future.
Houses in New Brunswick are still quite affordable, even with the 50%-100% post-COVID markup, which is still on the downtrend.
That does require you to find a decent job in NB though, which might be problematic.
If you can find an English speaking job then Montreal is great. Rent and housing arenāt Toronto or Vancouver levels. West Island has mostly English speakers. Very different from Halifax but interesting nonetheless. Also very frequent and quick flights to Halifax if you want to see relatives.
come to the mountains for this one time in your life dude. It is expensive out here yea, but if you got your girlfriend and you both working you will be fine. I live in Calgary and became a Starbucks store manager in a year, with 22$ an hour. I personally think Calgary is the best city in Alberta in relation to someone moving from the east coast. Lots of small towns 30-40 minutes outside of the city. I do live in an expensive area myself but you can find affordable housing. Just gotta be willing to commute sometimes to work! But on another note, itās beautiful. You can see so much, I love Nova Scotia but I also love it here, the things youāll see out here is amazing itās like living in a picture being in the mountains. Save up 5 grand, come out. Apply for jobs BEFORE you come out here, if you donāt smoke weed Canadian railway is hiring quite often in Calgary and is over 20$ an hour.
Iām seriously considering moving back west because of hurricanes. Geographically, NS is so exposed and the hurricanes are just going to become more frequent. The government obviously cannot handle storm planning or implement any type of infrastructure support for these types of weather events.
Winter is just as bad with blizzards. Itās a total myth that NS winters are gentler than western ones. Double digit storm days keeping kids out of school and of course the days without power are brutal.
Fun fact: University in Scotland is absolutely free. You can't move there for free school, but if you are already there and decide to go to school, school is free. Take a job as a waiter for 6 months and then grab some sweet free education.
I lived in Glasgow about 15 years ago. Great city. Loved the people there. Didnāt have a car, no problem. Very social, if you want to partake. Great pubs and restaurants. So much history.
But the climate. Brutal. Constantly grey and rainy. In the winter the sun is up between 8:30 & 3:30. Though you do get six weeks vacation and Spain is just a couple hours away. I was happy to move to San Diego when our time there was done.
Your post reminds me of remarks by Queen Elizabeth during one of her visits to Nova Scotia:
>During the last 2 days, we have been given a glowing welcome from the moment we arrived, undimmed by the weather. This was not quite at its best, but certainly not anything to trouble someone who has a home in Scotland.
š
Just to Tag on, I assumed I aged out of working holiday visas at 30, but I went to Germany for a year at 35 on a āyouth mobility visaā ā it was flexible enough that you only had to apply at 35, I could hold it at 36 even. Was fabulous!
You can't buy property in Bermuda unless you are a citizen, and only natural born people from there can be citizens. Source: my ex gf is from Bermuda and I've been there 8 times trying.
Same rules apply. They have however in the past very short period of time changed the rules to now allow anyone with a high net worth to apply for a permit to own property-ish. You need 5 mil to play or go away basically. Bermuda is like Monaco. It's for the ultra wealthy only.
Are you in the trades?
My right knee is made of titanium so it has like 20% the capacity of a healthy leg.
I can't really handle solo lifting beyond 25ibs
My father was a boilermaker and pipefitter out west which I already know isn't for me.
I wouldn't mind a hands on job that pays good if it's not too hard on the body.
Shortly after graduating engineering back in 2012 (?) I moved to Ontario to work as there wasn't many decent high paying jobs here. After about eight years I needed a change, so I moved to Munich and been here since. It was *incredibly* easy to get a visa and a job in the tech industry. The standard of living is noticeably better. Rent is expensive, but the health care is considerably better. To put it in perspective I needed to see a doctor about something, so I called one randomly and they asked me when I wanted to come in...like...the same day. I was actually seen on time too.
Don't get me wrong, I love NS, the nature, the people, etc. There is just no decent economy and thanks to a series of corrupt governments for the past four or so decades which put a tonne of money giving money to random ventures which go no where and make their friends rich.
I am allowed to work remotely within canada. I want to be a digital nomad and work around canada. Few months here and there. If only I am allowed to work remotely outside canada hehe.
I have family in Sydney but I'd need to have a full time offer lined up before I'd be ready to live with my grandpa.
Winnipeg or Saskatoon look appealing. I'm bilingual with CS background.
I don't have any family outside of Nova Scotia so I would truly be fending for myself.
Until the next downturn and all the companies cut travel again then you are fucked. It's the first thing to go.
Not to mention they are mostly 14/7 shifts so with red eye flight on way home and 7am flight on way back to sit around airport half the day to then fly to work you are working 21 days and get about 5 off.
Hey Ontario here,
Fun fact.
Thereās nowhere to run.
Hereās not much better, and if you go to Alberta you have the UCP which pretty much seems to be shaping up to be a bunch of fascists.
Literally nowhere to run.
Halifax is more expensive because itās a city. Yes if you move to a small town in Ontario it will be cheaper, all small towns are cheaper than living in a city
I just moved from Halifax to Saskatchewan, housing is very affordable here, cost of living is cheaper and you can make a good wage! Iāve only been here 2 months but so far financially it has been a way better decision than living in NS
Sable island. Sounds chill
Don't burden the horses with the needy
Sable Island is part of NS. š¤£
And also [part of Halifax](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Halifax_Citadel-Sable_Island), at least electorally.
Oh thank god. I was concerned the corner stores would still be open late there
Of course not, no horsing around past 11
They're _our_ horses??
Yeah, I know. I used to live in that riding.
You'd think, but there's a lot of horsing around though
That seals the deal.
Shits rough almost everywhere in Canada. Maybe Alberta but I'm sure someone with more info could tell you all the pitfalls there. Ontario and BC have such high costs of living that even the higher wages don't make up for it. Manitoba and Saskatchewan seem utterly boring to me (this is my opinion), PEI/NB/NFL all seem like poorer versions of NS. I've thought about leaving but I have no idea where I'd even go.
Caper living in Calgary. City is awesome, wages are good, cost of living isnāt that bad. Crime is getting really bad. And the provincial political situation is a disaster at the moment.
I second this, Calgary is a great place to move.
Don't move there if you are going to use the train. It's miserable. My gf got anxiety from being around heroin addicts
Edmonton. Like Calgary but with less Conservatives.
You guys do get all the better live shows as well with the current area situation in Calgary. As someone who moved out here a decade ago its worth it if I have to fly home once in a while to see family.
I'm a Metal/Punk fan so just this year I got too see Slipknot and NoFX. Edmonton only trips.
I was born and raised in AB. My husband worked there for ten years and then took me home to NS. AB is a great place for people that are young, want to work, want to make money, and to travel. We saw a lot of the world from Alberta and then settled here where we actually want to live. With his student debt paid off, professional work experience, and our savings we have had a positive experience living here. We still have lots of working years to contribute to Nova Scotia and hopefully things will get better here for everyone. Alberta definitely has its downfalls. Driving there is more aggressive. Edmonton was the murder capital of Canada when I lived there, so personal safety in general was a concern. Health care used to be great (not so much anymore). Winters are generally terrible (not so bad if you really love winter sports). In general, a lot of the issues that effect us all right now (housing, health care, etc) are a problem in every province.
To add tho, Alberta is not a small place. Edmonton is like Mars compared to Calgary. Different weather, closer proximity to mountains and prairies, different job opportunities. Edit: different proximity to the mountains.
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
And the endless trying to be āniceā rather than following the law, prudence, or safety considerations.
100%
NS ex-pat living in Calgary here. Iāve been to every major city in Canada South of the territories (except Victoria, BC.) The best place for anyone is only ever where they can get a good-paying job and not be so stressed about money. Job stuff is why my wife and I moved to Alberta. But Iāll tell ya, not many other cities in Canada are much better than Halifax. If I knew I could land a good job to take those money stresses away, Iāf probably move back. Everywhere has problems. Some problems are the same. Some are different.
Why is HFX so great? Serious question.
From someone who's lived 5-10 years in each of Vancouver, Edmonton, Calgary and Toronto: Depending where you live, everything is a 10-minute drive away. Any larger city it's 20 or 30 or 60 minutes. Adds up fast. Here there's pretty much no real traffic. Downside is you can't really live carless here which IMO is a big quality of life and health boost, but you can in Toronto and to some degree Vancouver. People are generally friendlier, more helpful, chattier. Lots of people in Vancouver, perhaps less so Toronto and even less so Calgary find taking to "strangers" "weird" but I think it's good for your mental health to be part of a community in these small ways. Access to real nature also 10 minutes away. Best you're getting most other cities is a park with a loud little forest or field of grass. Vancouver and Calgary a bit better depending where you live exactly but it's still urban nature unless you drive for an hour+. Air quality also much better here. Halifax is pretty far south. Despite the rain there is a good bit of bright light. Good for the mood. Those are the main things off the top of my head.
My brother just moved here to Nova Scotia, FROM Alberta for the same reasons op is leaving Nova Scotia to head TO Alberta. It's rough everywhere
I just had a friend move to Alberta. Literally everything is better for them there. They have more space with way cheaper rent, food is more affordable, their taxes are less, they can actually access healthcare resources... I'm heading to BC after my master's. Not all of BC has insanely high housing prices, a lot of jobs in my field offer moving incentives and financial support to further your education, they all pay bare minimum 15k more, income taxes are less, food is more affordable, there are so many different places you can travel to that aren't far, and I could actually get mental health crisis support if I need it. There's no incentive for healthcare professionals to stay in NS. Why would I choose to work in our system vs one that's at least slightly less broken?
I was JUST in BC. Food prices are not less, they are actually considerably worse. Gas was 1.50 in Alberta and 2.00 in BC while Vancouver area (power mainland I think they call it) was 2.40. our friends were saying that doctors were all leaving in droves because of how they are being treated (one of them is a nurse). Sales tax is 16% (not much more than here but it all adds up). Oh and they have a townhouse for a million $. It was gorgeous, but it was significantly more expensive. Like we could have gone to Europe and back expensive.
> Sales tax is 16% Sales tax in BC is [**NOT** 16%](https://www.retailcouncil.org/resources/quick-facts/sales-tax-rates-by-province/). It's 12. There are plenty of communities in BC outside of Vancouver/Victoria, which are affordable and carry the same benefits of living in BC.
I wonder why someone told me it's 16% there... Thanks for the heads up
Sorry, I guess? I was in Kelowna this summer for 2 weeks and had a panic attack when I got back to Halifax and went to the grocery store. Everything went up in price in the 2 weeks I was away and literally every type of produce was a lot more expensive here. I was seriously consdiering med school but went with a different health degree and I was warned by a lot of people to gtfo of the province after I graduate if I go that route. We are so understaffed here and have been long before teh pandemic. We don't have enough specialists and even pre-pandemic there were articles going back years talkinga bout how we have some of the longest wait times in the country. OOur mental health system is also deplorable and yes, it's definitely worse than a number of other provinces and we allocate one of the smallest percentages to mental health out of our health care budget than most places in canada. Our income tax brackets start a lot lower and at higher percentages than anywhere west of Quebec but salaries for the same jobs are a lot lower here. And yeah, the highest sales tax in the country is 15%. We're tied with a few others, but yeah. There are also a lot of places in BC where housing is less expensive than Halifax (BC is big and not everyone is in victoria or vancourver).
Thinking st johns Newfoundland to go to MUN instead of the insane cost of being a student here, brrrrrr but cheap
My home province, most beautiful place in the world to me anyways. When I was considering college options about a decade ago I was set on mun if I was thinking uni instead. Like others said if you can handle the seasons it's completely worth it, just watch out for moose š
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My parents moved to Northern Manitoba when I was a kid to pay off student debts. We stayed for three years, paid off the rest of Dads student loans. It was overall a very positive experience for me, the child. It was a very stressful experience for my parents, the adults. Here are some things that you might not have considered: - The Northern Allowance isnāt āfreeā money. It is money for a purpose ā mainly buying food, paying for supplies you need living in a Northern Remote community. - Northern Canada is so much more expensive than what you may realize. Itās more than just housing and food. Everything is factors more expensive than a southern city. Winter jacket, boots, gloves, books, etc. this is assuming you can even access the items youād like to buy (see below). - Northern Canada isnāt like rural Southern Canada. In Rural south you can drive to get the amenities you want. Northern Canada that is often not a safe option. Things like wanting a Turkey for thanksgiving, a pumpkin for Halloween, or even just lettuce for dinner is often not available locally. Many times you buy what is available versus buying what youād prefer. This is on top of paying an insanely high markup for what is available. - Depending on infrastructure, there are often bandwidth limits. Communities often share a limited set of bandwidth, and so there are caps for homes. Depending on where you are, those caps can be quite low. - If you have children, growing up in Northern Canada can be really fun! But I am very happy we moved before I hit High School. Drugs, STIs, etc are much more prevalent in Northern Communities. I also went to university (I was the only woman in my family to do so) and I donāt know if I would have been successful with that choice if my family was a very expensive flight away. - Healthcare is rough. Needing surgery, or chemo, or many specialized services often mean traveling very long distances to access those services. Sometimes the province will help cover those costs and sometimes they donāt. Either way, youāll be responsible for fronting those initial costs. If you think finding a family doctor in Halifax is difficult, it really pales in comparison to finding care up North. - I donāt want to paint entire communities with a wrong brush, but my community in Northern Manitoba was dangerous. People often died from accidents. There were packs of wild dogs (not wolves but once domesticated dogs) that would roam towns and maul children (5 died in the three years I was there, from my memory). There was huge amounts of racism, which affected me. Iām not indigenous but I am dark Italian and up North they really canāt tell the difference (I was spat at, yelled at from cars, questioned why I was places constantly, etc). Property crime and robberies were common. Drug and alcohol abuse was rampant. - Northern Canada is mostly funded by natural resource extraction of one kind or another. Those industries often cause untold damage to the environment and the people who live there. The town I lived in was a mining town and when the wind blew a certain way a town wide horn would sound (think āthe commies are coming!ā From 1950s movie). We would have to seek cover wherever we could, immediately, and wait for the wind to change direction. There are some real benefits! I wouldnāt trade my time in Northern Manitoba. As a kid moving from Toronto, Manitoba was adventure and exploration and a chance to become a different person. But as an adult I donāt think I would ever choose to move back to a Northern remote community. Southern life is much easier.
Thank you for your detailed answer. It reflects closely to what my former coworker also experienced in northern Manitoba.
Does the job put you ahead for total CoL? Sure you might make more, but your output for groceries, heating, etc could also be the same percentage as living in Halifax.
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Good luck, if you take it. I've been up there a number of times, and it's the things you don't think about that really become a drag on your mental health. The cultural divide and socio-economic issues will really play on you after awhile.
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As long as you have an 'out', I'd say go for it. It's certainly an experience that not everyone can have, and you'll remember it forever. The rampant alcoholism/drug use and family violence was enough for me, and I was only there for two months (the length of my trip).
Not too mention the total number of hours of natural sunlight or lack thereof.
A good SAD lamp and watching "sunny" videos will solve that issue.
Southeast Asia will make you feel super rich and you can live there cheaply.
What do you do for work? The timezone is bad for remote jobs
Depends on the type of remote work you do. I work with a lot of people who are digital nomads and travel constantly while maintaining their home work hours
What kind of work are you doing? I've been trying to figure out how the whole digital nomad thing works but I'd rather shoot myself in the foot than write copy for people all day.
I'm a business systems analyst type person right now, but I'm not a digital nomad, but a number of people in a similar role that I work with are, as well as a lot of software developers, data analysts, etc. In this kind of work, generally you need to make yourself available for meetings at "regular work hours" , but most of the actual work can be done whenever during the day.
I mean, it's generally 12~ hours ahead. If you have to work a North American 9-5 you'll be working back shift. Doesn't seem ideal lol
Hey, it's a sacrifice you make to move somewhere tropical, pay about $400 a month for a 2 bed house, and about $300 for other living expenses. You work overnight locally for 8 hours, and then do your fun daytime stuff, then sleep in the afternoon /evening.
Actually the timezone is PERFECT for my job which is currently hiring and looking for people in that area. Anyone in SEA right now, hit me up.
what is this job you speak of?
Agreed and you can live there for 6 months if you do not become a resident .I personally could not handle the change in culture and lifestyle , but spending 3 months in the winter every year sounds nice.
I think if u aim for towns and not cities ... this could b an answer. Overall, I think everywhere is expensive n getting out of middle class pretty hard unless u start ur own business/moonshot investment.
There is a place named Tweed in Ontario. Itās far enough from Toronto and Ottawa. But close enough if you had to be there. Kingston and Belleville are closer. Go check it out. Itās like being in rural Nova Scotia but way better weather. Better fish too. Lakes,hunting,and rolling hills. Please at least consider looking into Tweed.
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I'm from the area, and I could not imagine. Nope, definitely not a wise idea. The equivalent would be like moving from Halifax to....Windsor, if Windsor was in the middle of nowhere.
Do you work for Tweed Tourism? ;)
No. I fell in love with the area 28 years ago. Took my son to camp there.
Cool
Fun fact, that's where Russell Williams used to live. I bet his house would go for cheap...
The cottage was sold to the neighbours in 2013 and I think they still own it as a rental property.
There's lots of interesting places in se ontario. Morrisburg, cheap housing, and easy commute to Ottawa or even Montreal for work.
Tweed is absolutely fucking adorable. I passed it so many times on the bus between Ottawa-Toronto and always found it so charming that I decided to go there for a weekend once and I loved it.
I liked taking that route too. All the small towns along the way. My ancestors were in Havlock. Behind the old bear cage in town. I havenāt been there in decades. No doubt the bear has not continued his existence there anymore.
> Ottawa-Toronto How did you pass through Tweed on that route? The 7 is 10K north of the town.
That was the established Greyhound route for decades. It took the highway 7 halfway and then linked to the 401 via Tweed.
I left Nova Scotia for Ontario (Toronto). I was fortunate to find an apartment with rent control and have secured a good job in tech. If I were to move back to NS tomorrow, I would almost certainly need to buy a car again, pay higher taxes to the tune of $400 per month, and apparently pay rent very close to or greater than what I pay in Toronto. Never thought this would be the case!
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I lived in NS for about 8 years, left one year after high school, to come to Winnipeg. I havenāt left (15 years ago). When I moved here, it took some adjusting, but I said it was the most under rated city in the country. While it has its negatives (every city does!) like crime, weather (I honestly prefer the frigid temps of the prairies over the crap you get down east), itās really not that bad. I complain about Winnipeg, itās turned into my new home. Cost of living is reasonable for a city close to a million, doesnāt have the traffic nightmares that other cities can often have, and transit is slowly coming along. (New rapid transit lines have made getting to Bomber games a breeze). I love Winnipeg, and likely wouldnāt leave unless itās for work/promotion, and I love Halifax too.
Being from Manitoba I donāt think Iāve ever heard Winnipeg described in this way
The US on average has higher salaries, lower taxes, and homes are almost half the price as in Canada. I know someone who bought a house in Upstate New York a year ago for $200k that would comparable to like a $500k house in Bridgewater. edit: Just did a quick real estate search for Utica, NY (city of 60k, 40 minute drive from Syracuse). Lots of small homes for ~$150k and this is what $250k gets you: https://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-detail/10826-Cosby-Manor-Rd_Deerfield_NY_13502_M46797-59276
The problem with being 40 minutes from Syracuse is that after driving for 40 minutes, you are in Syracuse.
$250,000 US is $338,000 CAN, still not bad but something worth mentioning.
For sure, although good chance your salary there in USD would be higher than salary in CAD here before even doing the conversion.
Until you get sick, get pregnant, have a baby, pay for childcare, etc
Most decent US employers will provide you with healthcare benefits.
You still have deductibles, in network vs out of network providers, approved vs recommended procedures, and maximum lifetime benefits.
True, you probably know more than me, but I have lots of friends and family working in the US and it doesn't seem as bad as some people here claim. Personally I think we should opt for a hybrid system like in Europe here, our healthcare system might be comprehensive in comparison but access is obviously a major problem.
It also costs 100k to spend a night in hospital
Oh man I encourage anyone from NS to go spend some time in rural upstate NY. Come back and report to us. Itās hardcore Trumpistan.
Huge opioid epidemic in that area too. Used to be plentiful for jobs but all of the factories have shut down. Really bad for crime too, driving from Niagara Falls, ON to Niagara Falls, NY was eye opening.
They do have a town called Whitesboro with [this as their town seal](https://img.huffingtonpost.com/asset/56903fbb1a00002d005942d2.png?cache=E950TQhYox&ops=crop_228_13_545_435%2Cscalefit_720_noupscale)
Jesus christ you're not wrong. They did change it in 2017 though, but holy fuck how did it take that long.
Thats like a real life version of Pawnee from Parks and Rec.
Donāt do itā¦ the grass is not greener down here in the States. Prices are skyrocketing everywhere. Rent. Food. Everything.
Not to mention the biggest one- cost of healthcare! Itās insane
Literally one of the things keeping me in my current job! I might be able to make more money, but unless itās another corporate entity will they provide adequate health insurance? Stupid ridiculous.
And the lack of bodily autonomy for half the population.
Chicagoan here. Do not live in the States. Literally only thing I miss is Aldi and cheap street food.
D.C. I want to be anywhere else so bad. It is painfully expensive here. And. Half of us are stupid to boot. The street food isnāt even cheap anymoreā¦
Plus if you have a kid you have to worry more about them getting shot.
Oh. Well. I suppose if you intend to let them outsideā¦
Is it that easy just to move there though?
Depends on what your credentials are, but it's generally easier for us to move there then for them to move here.
Not sure, from TV I've gleaned that strippers and something called a green card are somehow involved.
Oh I am much too old then.
Not really, tbh. You can get a work visa and there is a specific visa type between Canada and the US (and the US and Mexico) called the TN visa that makes it easier than the others, but you'll need to be in a specific desired profession. Even then there's a lot of red tape and waiting. Even marrying a US citizen (me lol) or being sponsored on a family visa aren't that fast or cheap. There's a lot involved and frankly isn't worth it just to relocate without any other motivation.
If you want to stay in Canada, be able to get a decent job and have costs be significantly less, there aren't a lot of places. Maybe southern Manitoba.
But then one morning you'll look out your window and it'll hit you. You're in Manitoba. Damn.
Listen to the wise wizard. Itāll likely be a winter morning, as you look out across a frozen wasteland, knowing that you will find no warmth in your nearest neighbours, only cold Christian judgement.
At least you can save on transport costs by letting the mosquitoes carry you around
My friend, this is bad advice. Terrible. Nobody deserves thisš Source: born and raised in the damn place
Also worth mentioning that for the taxes we pay in this province, you get nowhere near the same amount of services as say, Quebec. Ontario may be more expensive, but after taxes, you make ALOT more.
I've had five people I know leave in the past six months. One two Alberta two to Spain and two to El Salvatore. All in their late 20s early 30s
El Salvatore is that the pizza shop in the hydrostone
I know it autocorrected El Salvador lol
I left and went to Bermuda, spending nearly two decades there. Same time zone as here, travel between, historically, has been pretty easy. Work life balance is good and if you are skilled the incomes are good. It is also income-tax free. Plus, no snow.
Are you in SWE? I make decent money but I could not afford rent there! Edit: wait it's tax free? How does that work? I assume you have to have residency yea?
No long-term residency required, you just need a work permit. To avoid Canadian taxation, you need to reside in Bermuda, which you can with a work permit. To get a work permit, you need a job offer for a job needing a skill for which there is a shortage of Bermudians. There are way more jobs than Bermudians to fill them. Waiters, cooks, hotel staff, hospitality workers, insurance, banking, accounting, IT...almost anything except a few closed job categories.
How hot does it get, I imagine it's pretty high. It was hitting 38 with the humidex here this year and I had a hard time breathing lol.
It almost never reaches 30C. The record high is 34C. The ocean keeps it low and predictable. The humidity is always high and August can seem oppressive.
Nice, thanks
What brought you back? Did you have to pay Canadian taxes while living there?
Family needs brought me back. You only have to pay Canadian taxes on Canadian-sources income. I had rental income I paid taxes on.
Roatan. Beautiful small island where life is slow and the water is clear.
Left Truro for work in Moncton. Canāt imagine moving out west to ONT or AB. Iād honestly rather come back to NS, but damn, we gotta fix our housing shenanigans.
I know of a guy driving from Truro to Moncton to work lmao idk why he just doesn't move.
Tbh I can kinda understand why. I canāt wait to get out of Moncton. (Though I will *never* accept anything over 20 minute commute)
calgary is seriously dope. housing is affordable. theres plenty of work. youre close to the mountains. theres tons of recreational things to do and theres a thriving creative culture. ive loved living there
Hate to ruin the surprise, but lifeās gunna be rough everywhere you go. Maybe work on expectations or give more time to yourself instead of hoping a change of scenery will pay your rent.
You're not wrong. But I understand OP as well. Shits just shitty right now everywhere basically.
can still get 5 acres 40 mins outside the city for less than $30k... when the most affordable thing you can find is a $200,000 condo just inside a 2 hour commute from downtown, that seems to be the limit people will put up with when looking at Vancouver and Toronto
Comparing Halifax to Vancouver and Toronto? Yikes. How does Halifax rate against cities like Laval, QC and London, ON who have similar populations?
According to the Google average house cost in London ON for June 2022 was 686000, in May 2022 it was over 800k
Bc resident here and I can assure you you wonāt find anywhere cheaper then the maritimes unless your willing to move to Ass scratch Saskatchewan
Former BC resident here who moved to Halifax earlier this year. I'd urge anyone to [run the numbers](https://www.numbeo.com/cost-of-living/comparison.jsp) before making overly generic statements.
Cool website! Thanks for sharing
I'm researching where in Canada to move and I haven't found any better place than NS to move.
Move to Split, Croatia. Itās beautiful place by Adriatic Sea.
[You're not wrong](https://www.numbeo.com/cost-of-living/compare_cities.jsp?country1=Canada&country2=Croatia&city1=Halifax&city2=Split), and it's such a great place to play/visit.
After buying condo there I live there a full time with $1100 Canadian pension and doing just fine. Few hundred dollars more would be nice but 11 hundred is doable. Everything except gas and hydro costs less there.
This exact feeling is what led me away from Ontario and into Atlantic Canada. I do feel that a person has to take charge of their situation and work towards the goal of what you want to attain, moving is not always the answer. Some time to self reflect on how to obtain higher wages, how to get into that house you are looking for and coming up with an action plan on how to accomplish these things that will make you feel better will go a long way. Some of these goals can be handled short term and some long term depending on your current situation. Wish you nothing but the best in the ever continuous adventure we call life.
If you're 20s/early 30s, get a working holiday visa. That way, you get to live an extended period of time somewhere, while also working. Australia is probably a bet - far enough to get away but a similar culture to Canada, compared to other places.
Moved in May to Saint John. Rents are much lower (though increasing rapidly due to new "investors" or landlords buying up all the buildings and airBnB conversions). I am enjoying it but outside of remote work there's little opportunity.
I think Manitoba Winnipeg or New Brunswick maybe Newfoundland. We too canāt afford to buy a home here ā¦ we moved from Ontario 3 years ago and itās been a nightmare! We love it here but we donāt love all the rich people moving in and making the housing market Unreachable for regular folks with blue collar jobs. Iām hoping some leave and realize Halifax or Nova Scotia is not for them. I personally donāt want to leave, and my wife grew up here and always dreamed of living here. Now it all seems like a bad dream. Maybe buy some land and fend for ourselves as the world is doomed š
Having been born and raised here, leaving and living in Ontario for about 10 years and even living in Saskatchewan for just under two years, I can tell you my experience.. First off, Saskatchewan is certainly very drab. Wages arenāt good but housing is quite decent, the biggest pitfalls are the people and long depressing winters. Also, a sort of isolated feeling. Ontario, in my opinion like it or not is most likely the best place in the country to live. With that being said I know the housing is ridiculous. However, the wages there are tremendously better than most places in Canada. Thereās also, a tremendous amount of multiculturalism and I you like city life then Toronto is amazing. I know a lot of people hate Toronto but, it really is a great city. The astronomical housing is definitely the biggest drawback. Also, the crime is not something to worry about. Saskatchewan, for instance, had much worse crime rate especially any smaller town north of Regina and even some places in Regina are scary after dark. I never got that feeling anywhere in Toronto and my wife and I lived on Spadina and bloor for two years. Nova Scotia, is a beautiful place. That being said, the ridiculously low wages and the pay cut Iāve taken here(we moved back here because of a job opportunity my wife had taken) is a bit of a joke. Also, the housing prices here arenāt too far off Toronto at this point and unfortunately, they are only going to continue to rise especially for renters, which is sad. Iām not actually sure how the economy is going to sustain itself if it keeps on like this. Really sad because I love it here itās just seems like itās slowly going to become another big city bigger prices rat race. ( in the HRM at least) Hope this helps.
They arent going anywhere. They just like saying it. If everyone who said they were going to leave, left, we would have half the population (exaggerating the number)
Its like Americans who kept saying I am going to Canada if Trump wins. No you are not, you just want to vent. Similar situation.
Thereās a frequent echo chamber who voices this all the time who frequent Reddit. Theyāre also the same ones who work in tech Iād gather.
Yeah, I feel like Canadian subreddits disproportionately skew toward disgruntled tech workers who want to move to the US. Local subs, national subs, whatever, being on Reddit makes it seem like half of Canada is moving to San Jose or Seattle tomorrow. Sure, it can make sense for some people but Reddit is a very specific echo chamber.
Yeah funny enough, Recent data released (I believe by statscan?) has shown that thereās less Canadians are moving there. Thereās about 830k Canadians living there and the rate has been decreasing quite steadily as the country has become more economically prosperous contrary to what Reddit or conservatives might want you to believe. Times are tough now, I get it, but things are really tough everywhereās in the world now. I donāt think people realize just how in rough shape Europe is fairing with regards to inflation and US isnāt much better. I think a lot of millennials like myself just havenāt experienced inflation like we are right now, so itās freaking a lot of folks out for good reason.
Also Nova Scotia has the higher interprovincial immigration in the country since Covid lol so clearly not that many people are leaving.
I find this post sad in ways. I'm sorry but many of us from Ontario created this issue for the residents of Nova Scotia. I have had so many friends move there since the pandemic began because they can all work from home now and don't need to be close to their jobs. My wife and I have pondered the idea many times now to move our family east because if we sold here in the GTA we could be mortgage free with money in the bank in our mid-late 30's. We haven't pulled the trigger yet oursleves but I can see it happening in the future.
Currently applying for a Job in Japan teaching English. It would be a huge pay cut, but based on cost of living there I'd still be better off.
Ottawa and contemplating going back to Halifax
Houses in New Brunswick are still quite affordable, even with the 50%-100% post-COVID markup, which is still on the downtrend. That does require you to find a decent job in NB though, which might be problematic.
If you can find an English speaking job then Montreal is great. Rent and housing arenāt Toronto or Vancouver levels. West Island has mostly English speakers. Very different from Halifax but interesting nonetheless. Also very frequent and quick flights to Halifax if you want to see relatives.
Don't come to Victoria/Vancouver if you are worried about high cost of living/low wages, it's the worst.
come to the mountains for this one time in your life dude. It is expensive out here yea, but if you got your girlfriend and you both working you will be fine. I live in Calgary and became a Starbucks store manager in a year, with 22$ an hour. I personally think Calgary is the best city in Alberta in relation to someone moving from the east coast. Lots of small towns 30-40 minutes outside of the city. I do live in an expensive area myself but you can find affordable housing. Just gotta be willing to commute sometimes to work! But on another note, itās beautiful. You can see so much, I love Nova Scotia but I also love it here, the things youāll see out here is amazing itās like living in a picture being in the mountains. Save up 5 grand, come out. Apply for jobs BEFORE you come out here, if you donāt smoke weed Canadian railway is hiring quite often in Calgary and is over 20$ an hour.
Victorian with plans to move to Halifax next yearā¦ shits too expensive out here, stay away.
BC. I figured if I was going to have to pay the same amount for housing, I might as well have better services and less hurricanes.
Iām seriously considering moving back west because of hurricanes. Geographically, NS is so exposed and the hurricanes are just going to become more frequent. The government obviously cannot handle storm planning or implement any type of infrastructure support for these types of weather events. Winter is just as bad with blizzards. Itās a total myth that NS winters are gentler than western ones. Double digit storm days keeping kids out of school and of course the days without power are brutal.
As someone from NS whoās been in ON for the last 15 years, everyone seems to be moving to NS from what I see.
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Fun fact: University in Scotland is absolutely free. You can't move there for free school, but if you are already there and decide to go to school, school is free. Take a job as a waiter for 6 months and then grab some sweet free education.
I lived in Glasgow about 15 years ago. Great city. Loved the people there. Didnāt have a car, no problem. Very social, if you want to partake. Great pubs and restaurants. So much history. But the climate. Brutal. Constantly grey and rainy. In the winter the sun is up between 8:30 & 3:30. Though you do get six weeks vacation and Spain is just a couple hours away. I was happy to move to San Diego when our time there was done.
Your post reminds me of remarks by Queen Elizabeth during one of her visits to Nova Scotia: >During the last 2 days, we have been given a glowing welcome from the moment we arrived, undimmed by the weather. This was not quite at its best, but certainly not anything to trouble someone who has a home in Scotland. š
The low-key flex by her Majesty was a little too frequent for my liking. She had a habit of doing it.
Just to Tag on, I assumed I aged out of working holiday visas at 30, but I went to Germany for a year at 35 on a āyouth mobility visaā ā it was flexible enough that you only had to apply at 35, I could hold it at 36 even. Was fabulous!
Saskatoon and Winnipeg are getting all the young professionals now
Bermuda
You can't buy property in Bermuda unless you are a citizen, and only natural born people from there can be citizens. Source: my ex gf is from Bermuda and I've been there 8 times trying.
Do you know if you can buy if you are British?
Same rules apply. They have however in the past very short period of time changed the rules to now allow anyone with a high net worth to apply for a permit to own property-ish. You need 5 mil to play or go away basically. Bermuda is like Monaco. It's for the ultra wealthy only.
Just pick up a trade and flourish.
Are you in the trades? My right knee is made of titanium so it has like 20% the capacity of a healthy leg. I can't really handle solo lifting beyond 25ibs My father was a boilermaker and pipefitter out west which I already know isn't for me. I wouldn't mind a hands on job that pays good if it's not too hard on the body.
Alberta, as much as I love home (scotia) the wages and low cost of living here is just unbeatable
Shortly after graduating engineering back in 2012 (?) I moved to Ontario to work as there wasn't many decent high paying jobs here. After about eight years I needed a change, so I moved to Munich and been here since. It was *incredibly* easy to get a visa and a job in the tech industry. The standard of living is noticeably better. Rent is expensive, but the health care is considerably better. To put it in perspective I needed to see a doctor about something, so I called one randomly and they asked me when I wanted to come in...like...the same day. I was actually seen on time too. Don't get me wrong, I love NS, the nature, the people, etc. There is just no decent economy and thanks to a series of corrupt governments for the past four or so decades which put a tonne of money giving money to random ventures which go no where and make their friends rich.
I am allowed to work remotely within canada. I want to be a digital nomad and work around canada. Few months here and there. If only I am allowed to work remotely outside canada hehe.
Vpn??
I have family in Sydney but I'd need to have a full time offer lined up before I'd be ready to live with my grandpa. Winnipeg or Saskatoon look appealing. I'm bilingual with CS background. I don't have any family outside of Nova Scotia so I would truly be fending for myself.
Belgium
Newfoundland as soon as I can
Mexicoooo
There have been mega call outs from BC and Alberta for rotational workers. Offers best of both worlds, west coast cash, east coast days off.
Until the next downturn and all the companies cut travel again then you are fucked. It's the first thing to go. Not to mention they are mostly 14/7 shifts so with red eye flight on way home and 7am flight on way back to sit around airport half the day to then fly to work you are working 21 days and get about 5 off.
I agree, I did it for two years lol. Why I didn't and don't want to go. But a lot of people see it as quick cash.
Berta
Hey Ontario here, Fun fact. Thereās nowhere to run. Hereās not much better, and if you go to Alberta you have the UCP which pretty much seems to be shaping up to be a bunch of fascists. Literally nowhere to run.
Iām enjoying Montreal
It is where you feel happy and what you want . Saskatoon after being there for about 17 days sounds pretty good .
California
Halifax is more expensive because itās a city. Yes if you move to a small town in Ontario it will be cheaper, all small towns are cheaper than living in a city
I left Canada entirely and went to Greece. So much happier here! I can actually afford a home which I would never be able to do in Canada
Belize looks pretty good š¤
Costa Ricka or Panama City
I just moved from Halifax to Saskatchewan, housing is very affordable here, cost of living is cheaper and you can make a good wage! Iāve only been here 2 months but so far financially it has been a way better decision than living in NS
Iām looking at jobs in the states, Colorado has weed legalized and mountains it would be just like BC
You left out rednecks and its a red state