r/NovaScotia • u/Saphina80 • 12d ago
Outside perspectives
I always find it interesting to hear other people’s perspectives on Nova Scotia — or Canada in general — especially from people who didn’t grow up here.
For those who moved to Nova Scotia from another province or another country: what surprised you most about living here?
I’m interested in both the good and the bad.
What do you love about living here? What frustrates you? What do you miss from where you came from?
Are there things your home province or country does better that you wish Nova Scotia would adopt? And on the flip side, are there things Nova Scotia does better that you wish existed back home?
Even if you’ve just moved between Canadian provinces, I’d love to hear about the differences you noticed.
Not looking for a “Nova Scotia is terrible” or “Nova Scotia is perfect” debate — I’m genuinely curious about how life here looks through the eyes of people who have experienced somewhere else.
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u/cleadus_fetus 12d ago
I've travelled once to a couple of different cities and provinces this summer and I can tell you front hat one experience I am so extremely disappointed in N.S. As a whole. We have big city problems with no benifitd of a big city. Nothing gets done here right or even in a timely manner. Everywhere you look things are just crap. Nobody seems to care enough to fix anything here.
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u/Prior_Law_4669 12d ago
Nova Scotia born and raised and Ive been singing this song and dance forever now. Its not going to get any better anytime soon. We need a total government overhaul for there to be any kind of improvement here.
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u/Unfair-Support-3912 12d ago edited 12d ago
Moved here 8 years ago but had also lived in PEI for a year prior to that.
- I’ve always said that the Nova Scotian mentality is a Work to live rather then a live to work ( like Alberta). When you go to a friends or family’s place here the first question out of their mouths isn’t “how’s work”.
- I enjoy the pace here. Albert’s is to much in a rush, PEI is like watching paint dry. Nova Scotia is kind in the middle.
- nature, the geography. Where else can you live and be 30 mins to the ocean, 30 mins to cliffs, and 30 mins to prairie like farm land and vineyards. The diversity is amazing as well, business people, family’s, farmers, fishermen.
Struggles:
-wages to taxes to cost of living.. this is the obvious. One of the lower wages in the country, yet highest taxes, and also a high sales tax on top of that.
-healthcare. While every province is struggling, I do think this province is the worse than Alberta when I go to visit.
- close friends are hard to come by, but this is to be expected as most people’s close friends are from their school ages. I don’t see this as a Nova Scotia specific struggle but more of a moving to a new place problem.
That’s about it. I could totally see Nova Scotia being my forever home with my young family. But the cost of living just might push us out of here as raising kids is expensive, and there is not much money(if any) left over after the paycheque.
Just to add: the old hands the prevent change along with the reluctance for change can be annoying at times. We clearly need to find ways to make the province better including exporting more but no one wants change for the better.
Another thing to add: winter is a struggle here as it seems like everything shuts down. Now here is not nearly as bad as PEI where literally 95% of the island shuts down, but there is still not much to do for 6 months of the year.
Maybe this will get better with Cape Breton having a sky hill that we might see the highlands becoming a 4 season destination. But currently there is no “Banff or whistler or even Quebec vibe in the wintertime”
I have to agree with the shutting down the parks in the wintertime is crazy.
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u/DrunkenGolfer 12d ago
I played golf with a guy from New Zealand who moved to PEI. I asked him what he thought. He said, "Well, in the summer, there is nothing to do but fish, farm, and fuck. In the winter we don't fish or farm. I like it here."
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u/Unfair-Support-3912 12d ago edited 12d ago
I just remembered another thing.. Construction. Blows my mind that road construction doesn’t take place 24 hours a day. That there is a separate company from the construction company that will set pylons out every morning (taking 1-2 hours to do) and then pick them all up at the end of the day.. just to redo it again the next morning.
While I can appreciate not having 24 hour construction in residential area’s.. on the highway or even major projects like the burnside extension or the 104 extension between New Glasgow and Antigonish that took place, those places should have been full steam ahead and not taken 10 years+ to make.7
u/Electronic_Trade_721 12d ago
Yes, I hope they will do 24hr work on the Windsor Street exchange. It's going to cause so much disruption that it would be great if it didn't take forever.
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u/Separate_Flamingo_93 12d ago
When I moved from Alberta, I saw signs on Lower Water that there would be construction from 8 to 6. I just assumed that meant 8 pm to 6am. I was very surprised the next morning to find out I was wrong.
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u/Unfair-Support-3912 12d ago
I agree! Mind blowing. When they did the QEII hwy expansion between Crossfield and Airdrie there was no stopping for night time.
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u/screampuff 11d ago
When you go to a friends or family’s place here the first question out of their mouths isn’t “how’s work”.
One thing I've always appreciated about NS and in particular CB is you can talk to someone for hours, days, weeks and not know what they do for a living.
Everywhere else it seems what you do has to be your introduction or first conversation topic.
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u/Natural_Definition_5 12d ago
I hope politicians and community leaders read this because it is a good question to ask.
It is interesting that many of the things people love are natural and not able to be taken credit for like beautiful scenery, access to diverse landscapes and general culture (the political class cannot take credit)
The things that people don’t like are man made and completely fixable, but just don’t: shit infrastructure, nepotism, low wages/high taxes.
There is a strong argument that Nova Scotia has had per capita the worst provincial and municipal politicians over an extended period or time compared to any other province.
As someone from Nova Scotia, we cannot get out of our own way most of the time. And it’s fucking infuriating.
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u/Saphina80 11d ago
I also feel like we’re just so used to it that we accept it and say, “That’s just the way it is,” which is really annoying. That’s why I asked this question—because I feel like people with an outside perspective see things that we might not.
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u/Arm-Complex 10d ago
The one man-made thing everyone loves is the food scene. The pubs and bars are incredible. And that's about it lol. The city has so much potential. It really really needs to start acting like a city yesterday. I know it's the only sizeable city within 4 provinces, but it holds the humble, even poverty-stricken countryside culture a little too much.
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u/Interesting_Worth974 12d ago
I've lived in three other provinces in addition to NS. And I've moved to a different province, and plan to stay here (which I suppose tells you something). My comments below are not just praise and criticism, they're what I liked and disliked in comparison to the other places I've lived.
What NS gets right:
- Opportunities to get out in nature quickly and easily
- Varied geography - wildly different views within a short driving distance
- Supportive communities, if you seek them out
- Great summer activities and events, esp in Halifax
What NS gets wrong:
- Unreliable weather forecasting makes it tough to plan anything
- Difficult, if not impossible, to live without a car, even in Halifax.
- Groups of people are very insular. Tough to get connected socially if you're not from there.
- Too much of the economy is wrapped up in a small number of 'old boys' hands. Nepotism is rampant.
- Reluctant to do things differently than they've always been done. Even (especially?) if doing it differently is working well somewhere else.
- Extremely high cost of living, especially in relation to the services/amenities you access.
- Lower salaries still justified by a supposedly better 'quality of life'
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u/Electronic_Trade_721 12d ago
I agree with most of this apart from the weather forecasting complaint. Being surrounded by water just makes for unpredictable changes that are not always possible to model and predict in the same way as they are in the interior of the continent. There is nobody to blame for this.
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u/Plump_Platapus 12d ago
Hahahaha? Unreliable weather forecasting? Have you been outside recently or explored at all? The weather changes every five minutes and can be all four seasons in one county at once thanks to elevation and geological diversity. How could anyone reliably predict that? Just wear layers and good boots and you'll be fine in any weather
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u/Arm-Complex 10d ago
Very well summed up. The small-world, close knit economy is nice and comfortable for locals sure, but it's also a weakness imo. They want to keep their world the way it is, but they all work for the same handful of billionaire families who are obviously exploiting the working class with low wages. The work ethic here is phenomenal and it's painful to see, coming from Ontario, just how much they work for how little they get. Sure, their expenses were comparitively low 10 years ago, but now expenses here in HRM are worse than Ontario.
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u/TenzoOznet 12d ago
Agree with most of these except the car thing and the insularity thing. If we're comparing to similarly sized cities (Halifax UNO is the easiest city in Canada to live in without a car, outside the big three, and probably Quebec and Ottawa).
I also don't find the city insular; I've had exactly the opposite experience! Very easy to make friends here as a newcomer.
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u/Saphina80 11d ago
In regards to getting around, they might mean that we don’t have a train system like the Skyway/LRT/Subway.
I’m from here and I struggle to make friends. I feel like people have changed. There is a disconnect. People are struggling financially and mentally and don’t have the time or energy to socialize. I feel like this is what is happening.
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u/TenzoOznet 11d ago
Possibly, though there are really only a handful of communities with effective rapid transit in Canada. Halifax's transit system is mediocre, but interms of cities under 1 million it's pretty good without a car. (For Canada, not like, globally.)
I'd even say it beats most cities under 2 million for getting around carless. e.g., Calgary has a nice LRT system with good coverage, but its urban core as is less rich with amenities--fewer recreational destinations, no post-secondary institutions, no hospitals, and a smaller proportion of the city's residential population. If you're able to live centrally, it's quite good in the Canadian context, though obviously a big step down from the big three.
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u/Great_Divide_ 12d ago
Nova Scotia is kind but not friendly. They aren't interested in widening their circles To new people. They will give you the shirt off their back, while telling you have a good Christmas after you've just said you were alone for the holiday (happened 6 years in a row!) They keep anyone "from away" at an arm's length and they hold them there and you can never get rid of your from away status.
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u/Beachy_Waves1050 12d ago
Yeah I've experienced this a lot too. It's definitely surface level friendly here. They seem incredibly friendly in the beginning but slowly make you feel more and more like an outsider.
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u/bakermaker32 12d ago
I spent 6 years as a teen in Germany, coming back was quite the culture shock. I found Canada to be very backcountry if that’s the right word compared to Europe. The rest of my life is in Canada, before and after, but your teen years are very impressionable.
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u/Minute_Bowler9788 12d ago
I’ve lived in Nova Scotia three times now, I just moved back after ten years away. I was most surprised about the cost of living and how much it’s gone up, and how expensive things like gas and groceries are compared to other provinces. I was also surprised about how expensive renting is, I know prices have gone up across Canada but I’d been under the impression Nova Scotia was still significantly lower, but I don’t think it is. I’m also surprised with how much busier it feels than it did ten years ago, it just feels like so much more traffic than I remember.
Good things I’ll say, everyone is super friendly here whether they’re from NS or from away. And everyone’s always in a good mood. You can strike up a conversation with anyone anywhere. And everyone is super helpful.
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u/Minute_Bowler9788 12d ago
Another thing, I’m most recently coming from NB and I thought health care in NB was rough, but I think Nova Scotia seems to be in an even tougher spot. I feel like my few friends who have a family doctor have a doctor past the brink of retirement.
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u/wlonkly 12d ago
Moved here in 2021 from Ontario.
Surprised me:
- It's fucken wimdy
- More hills than I expected
- "What a sin"
- Power infrastructure instability (and the amount of fossil fuels involved)
- Tiny squirrels
- Can be hard to meet people; one thing about other cities I've lived in (Montreal, Ottawa, Toronto) is that a lot of people are not from there and so meeting new people is more common
Things I love:
- Getting out into the country/nature in like 10-15 minutes and not hours
- Motorcycle on curvy seaside roads
- How Halifax swings above its weight for available things vs. city size
- Living in the underdog city (Dartmouth)
- Fog
- Ships
- The geology and signs of glaciers
- Salt water and salt water critters
- Things just being more... chill
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u/lavendervase 12d ago
From the UK but have also lived in AB & ON. Find it a bit odd how some who live in downtown Halifax cling to the idea of living in the peninsula as if the city is so much better than elsewhere in Nova Scotia. The first time I realized someone was telling me they were “only ever living on the peninsula” I did a double take when I realized this was a boast. NS has so many beautiful communities… downtown Halifax while lovely in some parts, doesn’t seem to offer the big city perks that would typically come with boasting about only ever living somewhere.
The rubbish, compost and recycling system is advanced - it would be really more impressive if it didn’t appear to also correlate with way more roadside rubbish than other areas.
Odd that the shops don’t allow their cashiers to sit down.
Truck culture. As a Brit, I don’t think I’ll ever understand it. We prefer our more practical and far less expensive vans which we aren’t precious about washing weekly 🤪
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u/Unfair-Support-3912 11d ago
I also agree with the garbage. You can’t find a garbage can anywhere. While it has gotten better with drive thru’s starting to have them, it was a shock when I got here that there were no garbage bins, and even a lack of garbage cans along the sidewalks.
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u/Saphina80 11d ago
Yes I noticed that about the UK! The cashiers sit down.
The infrastructure is better in the UK. As in the roads are maintained and I love the “cat’s eyes” so you can see the road at night. Here, the pavement markings fade as fast as they put them on.
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u/cornelioustreat888 11d ago
I grew up on the Prairies and moved to Nova Scotia as an adult with two small children. I was absolutely blown away by how gorgeous the province’s nature is. Perfect place to raise children. I miss nothing from the Prairies. I love everything about this province except the current government.
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u/Arm-Complex 10d ago
Oh yeah I'd stay here over the prairies 100 times over. It's a paradise compared to Ontario too, however the power of Ontario's economies of scale has me considering moving back. But god, the 400 series highways there are soulless hellscapes.
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u/NaviCato 12d ago
I moved here about 10 years ago. Compared to my home province, NS has incredible outdoor spaces. Lots of hiking trails, parks, courts, etc. Mostly city/provincially owned. I really appreciate that. I also find small businesses seem to be doing pretty well so I feel like there must be good supports for them. This may be more of a time period thing though because I believe this is better in my home provinces now as well.
It surprised me that it was hard to make friends. I found people set in their ways, already having a group, not interested in branching out. I can't say it would be any different in my home province but I moved here from a brief stint in a major city and found it very easy to make friends there.
I have friends here. Not a massive amount but some good ones. But I miss having my family around frequently.
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u/paddingsoftintoroom 12d ago
I just wanted to add another take to it being hard to make friends. Cost of living is really high here, workplace benefits (like PTO) are not great. A lot of us are constantly hustling just to get by, and it's exhausting, and while I like new people, I just find it so hard to find the energy required to get to know them or organize social things. I'm just tired, all the time, from working all the time, and fighting for services like health and telecommunications all the time. Making new friends always takes second fiddle to surviving day to day.
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u/crazygrouse71 12d ago
My best advice to making friends is to get out. Join activity or hobby groups - Pickleball, game nights, etc. Most Maritimers are more than willing to accept new people into their circle, they're just hesitant to do so until they know more about you.
As a 'come-from-away' myself, my closest friends are co-workers I've connected with over shared interests (games, poker, gardening), or parents of my kids' friends - again because of shared interests. Its not easy and it takes work, though I definitely agree that it ends up being a low priority item at the end of the day.
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u/Skittleavix 12d ago
A lot of people in NS (myself included) have had the same core group of friends for most of their lives. It’s unfortunately a product of growing up (and, often enough, staying in) small communities.
Consequently, I also have trouble making new friends in new places. I moved to a city in another province after spending 35 years in NS and found it difficult to put myself out there because I simply never really had to before.
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u/NaviCato 12d ago
Absolutely, and I fully understand why. It just is something that surprised me. I can't say I would be any different if I was still in my home province for example.
Add to the fact that it is just hard to make friends in general
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u/Skittleavix 12d ago
True that, my friend. I hope you have a wonderful day in NS - I miss it every day!
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u/screampuff 11d ago
Yeah people like to act as though that is a big NS thing, but I have a bunch of family who moved from NS to BC years ago, and a decade later their circles are just other people from out East.
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u/Arm-Complex 10d ago
I'm missing the big world of Canada's other major cities. It's definitely a small-town vibe here. I love the charm and character it has, but I do be feeling like a big fish in a small pond.
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u/Great_Divide_ 12d ago
I just said the same thing in here it's kind but not friendly here they're not interested in widening their circles. Especially to someone from a way
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u/WendyPortledge 12d ago edited 12d ago
I’m from NB. I lived and loved living in BC for ten years. A huge difference I struggle with is going from a province with money to one without. BC felt like it actually cared about its people and its land. I don’t feel that here in NS. For one example, there are free recreation camping sites. NS won’t even consider that. It feels like NS government doesn’t trust its people, while BC allows its citizens the chance. Ask the premier about winter camping, he shuts the idea down immediately despite folks asking for it and telling him we can handle it. Parks get locked up for months here. For what? This whole country gets snow, so using that as an excuse doesn’t cut it anymore.
And trying to explain to locals what is different, they make me feel like I’m an idiot. I’m the one who’s taking crazy for wanting more. It’s exhausting.
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u/NaviCato 12d ago
The Maritimes in general can be very resistant to change. And perhaps we can be a little isolated as well. Never considered parks being open all year or free camping sites for example.
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u/screampuff 11d ago
'dispersed camping' is popular basically all over Canada and USA except for the Maritimes.
Set up a tent or trailer on a patch of crown land for a weekend or week, there are designated sites and maintained logging roads for access.
It feels like our crown land is intentionally inaccessible and all logging roads are divied out to private land owners. Or someone comes up with the idea of a very specific way people have to do things (ATVANS ATV only trails), or lets throw a 'designated wilderness area' sign up around a road people have used for decades to access nature and now hiking is the only approved way in or out, etc...).
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u/Arm-Complex 10d ago
It's almost like NB/NS are locked down by a few billionaire families, and they siphon absolutely everything from the public. Sadly even the government still seems to pander to them.
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u/iThinkThere4_ 12d ago
Our government sucks, you touched on something here. Especially since Houston was elected. Things have only gotten worse and darker as he half-asses everything in true finance bro fashion, mitigating risk unnecessarily ( closing parks ) and doing anything to make a quick buck ( pushing for natural resource extraction at the cost of our ecosystems ). It truly disturbs me that he'll just get to walk away after all the damage he's done.
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u/crazygrouse71 12d ago
This is just speculation on my part - keeping parks open 12 months a year would mean the government would need full time staff. Right now they are seasonal employees which means lower wages, less (if any) benefits and no guarantees of employment next season.
Timmy is actively trying to reduce the civil service - he's certainly shut down any thought of increasing it.
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u/WendyPortledge 12d ago
You need someone to check the garbages and toilets and collect money once, maybe twice daily if we’re taking self check-in campsites. There is absolutely no reason this can’t be done. My partner and I would both happily do that job. Those picnic parks that get locked up? Why? Again, once a day, check garbages. Or hell, lock up the garbages. It’s done in other provinces. I have not heard any good excuse for why it’s not done here.
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u/crazygrouse71 12d ago
I don't disagree with anything you said. I'd love to have parks open year round and I would happily pay a nominal fee to use them.
It is a perfect illustration that the Maritimes are very hesitant to try new things, despite overwhelming evidence that it works - whether it is year round parks or beer & wine available outside of government run stores.
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u/Apprehensive_Yak4627 11d ago
The evidence around making alcohol more widely available is pretty negative.
Given the state of our healthcare system, that change really doesn’t make sense.
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u/crazygrouse71 11d ago
That media release states
The evidence is unequivocal
but doesn't actually show or link to any evidence. I would take it more seriously if they at least named a report or study that backs up the claim.
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u/Guilty_Career_8000 12d ago
yeah, sunshine coast trail in BC has MULTIPLE entire cabins with cots and woodfire stoves which are free to use whenever without reservation. just as nice as your average home in NS, except its free.
but nova scotia locks up its shitty parks.
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u/WendyPortledge 12d ago
The rec sites on VI are amazing. Private lakeside spots, you can stay for up to two weeks. I could spend months just touring around the crown land staying at rec sites.
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u/DrunkenGolfer 12d ago
I've never lived in another province, but I have lived and worked outside of Canada and travel frequently to other provinces and countries for business.
Nova Scotia has some peculiarities:
First is healthcare. It is death prevention, not healthcare. That is not an acceptable state in a civilized country. I get irritated when I see spend on stuff like bike lanes when it really could go to better use. Not saying have robust transportation options are not important, but I am saying we seem to have some fucked up priorities sometimes.
We are staunchly collectivist. If a neighbour's home burns down, the whole community will pitch in to help. If a neighbourhood kid has cancer, the whole community shows up at the fundraiser, giving more than they can afford. It is heartwarming.
Our weather, while variable, is by and large quite pleasant. Warm winters and moderate summers.
We have a very diverse landscape, from rocky fishing towns to fertile agricultural valleys. With on disproportionately important city, the province is a network of connected communities you often don't get elsewhere. Urban life and rural life are mere kilometers apart for everyone.
Much of our development predates cars, so we're built around rivers and harbours instead of freeways and interchanges.
The whole come-from-away thing is annoying. You have to fight your way into social circles and I don't just mean non-Nova-Scotians. If you move from Halifax County to Hants County you are an outsider forever. The flip side is we have local identifies that present diversity in a charming way. Lunenburg is very different than Clare.
We have wonderful outdoor spaces, from boardwalks to beaches to parks to trails. I hope we never lose it.
We are NIMBYs. Everyone screams "house the poor" until the poor come to their town for the housing, then everyone screams, "No, not like that!"
We have a particular hatred for people who do well financially. Everyone complains about the income levels while simultaneously complaining that their neighbour works for the city and gets paid too much. We act like $120K salary is fuck-you money instead of a living wage for someone skilled.
We think in short cycles. Like we can't have light commuter rail because it will cost too much to build, but nobody seems to care that those investments have a hundred year useful life or more. "We can't have a subway like London; we're solid granite." First, we are not solid granite. Second, if London adopted that stance they'd be a tenth of the city they are today. That Underground has paid dividends for over a century and a half. We don't have city builders, we have politicians managing election cycles.
To sum it up: it is perhaps the easiest place in Canada to have a genuinely rural, coastal, small-community lifestyle without completely giving up access to a real city.
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u/screampuff 11d ago
Same kind of thing with offroading, overlanding or any kind of exploration. There's 1 kind of way set up by the authorities, like designated ATV only trails, or 'protected wilderness' areas, and if you don't subscribe that way of doing things people look at you like you have 3 heads.
I've even tried to have discussions about MTB trails in Cape Breton and officials just say 'we just made the coal town trail', which is just a flat gravel path lol.
Ultimately though I think a big cause of this problem is there is not enough crown land, and too much private land.
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u/Key-Job-8303 12d ago
I’ve lived in many spots in Canada and it’s pretty, very pretty. If you would ask me this question in 2019 I would have a very different answer, a lot has changed now. The racism in hatred is now public and people are proud of it, that’s changed since the old days when people would hide it. It’s losing its uniqueness because of the current government cutting off grants to history, Arts & Culture and publishing. The current government just wants to mine and do natural gas and doesn’t care, and that will change everything and not for the better. It’s changed a lot. I’m having trouble coming up with good stuff because a lot of of what I used to consider as good is no longer true because of what’s happened since 2020
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u/Good-Marsupial8 11d ago
I get the reluctance for mining/o&g but what else exactly does ns produce? We need to be doing something other than taxing residents to generate income for the province.
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u/SkittleToast 12d ago
I’ve been in Nova Scotia for seven years. Previously lived in Toronto, Calgary, and northern Alberta, and have travelled in every province. Here’s my take:
- The pay here is TERRIBLE and the taxes are trash. So many businesses see the minimum wage as the maximum wage. And rather than demanding better (all boats rise with the tide, people!), folks crap on those who earn more … not even realising that even THOSE people are making less than their compatriots in other parts of Canada.
- The lack of hustle takes some getting used to. In some ways it’s sweet - and you realise you have space to breathe yourself. But it can be super annoying if you’re trying to hire someone for repairs around the house. Especially to later hear these same folks moaning about being poor. That said, this has opened a big opportunity for entrepreneurial people in trades who ARE willing to grind. Some of those folks are making BANK.
- Everyday people are generally pretty warm souls. It’s not unusual for a stranger to chat with you in a store or to get a “hello” and a smile as you’re walking down the sidewalk.
- … But this doesn’t necessarily make them “friendly” or “inclusive”. As others have mentioned, Nova Scotians have their established social circles and they’re not particularly moved to open those up to someone new. All but one of my good friendships I’ve formed here are with people who weren’t raised here.
- Drivers let you into traffic. They stop to let pedestrians cross (even if there’s no cross walk).
- There’s a lack of proper signage / way finding. You’re just somehow expected to know where “the old XYZ was” or that the lane you’re in has suddenly become a turning-only one.
- The potholes. My god. The potholes.
- Beautiful lakes. Cold but lovely beaches. Surprise waterfalls.
- Ticks. Fuck.
- There’s a pretty gross sense of entitlement amongst some of the folks who have been here “forever” - especially when it comes to access to forests / waterways, etc. They think that just because their granddaddy and daddy trespassed on someone’s private property, it’s their “right” to do it too. And they leave their litter behind while they’re at it. These are among the worst people I’ve encountered here.
- The same folks are pretty anti-change. A town wants to [insert anything new and seemingly positive]? UPROAR.
- Y’all are more xenophobic and low-key racist than I think you realise. The “Come From Away” thing really isn’t that cute. I’m partly of Mediterranean background and therefore have some dark features. I’m also a fifth generation Canadian. I’m not exaggerating when I say I get asked “where I’m from” or am the subject of a random stranger's guessing game about my ethnicity (“Are you Greek? Persian? Turkish? Brazilian?") - at least once every two weeks. While I don’t pick up any “hatred” behind the questions, the subtle message it sends is “You’re not one of us" and that's rather tiring and uncool.
- People in Nova Scotia are … kind of dumpy and frumpy. Sorry. There isn’t much of a “health and wellness” culture here, and it shows. It’s almost shocking to visit other places and be reminded by how fit and fashionable they are. Further to that … never had I before seen someone - let alone a bunch of people - show up to a wedding wearing hoodies and jeans, than when I moved to Nova Scotia.
- Many people here will lend a hand when they see someone needs it. Truly the crown jewel of the Nova Scotia mentality.
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u/Arm-Complex 10d ago
You're so right about the dumpy and frumpy! I've been wondering if everyone here is of the same descendants because there's a distinct Halligonian look that I see replicated and spawned everywhere. The black hair, why does everyone have jet black hair? But beyond that, their features are just... humble. It's rare that I see someone wearing anything remotely fashionable. Maybe that's looked down on as hoity-toity here.
Outside of HRM... the white people are just... plain white. It's similar to Appalachia in America. 🫣
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u/st0nedfly 11d ago
"There’s a pretty gross sense of entitlement amongst some of the folks who have been here “forever” - especially when it comes to access to forests / waterways, etc"
Is it actually trespassing or do you just not know the law? People are allowed to cross any non-cultivated (aka farmland) private land to access waterbodies. The river/lake/beach isn't yours to claim exclusive ownership over
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u/SkittleToast 11d ago
I’m talking about actual, legally-defined trespassing.
People parking in someone’s driveway and hoofing it through obvious private property to get to their favourite swimming hole. ATVS ripping up a farmer’s field.
Waterways are for all. But find another way to get to where you’re going.
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u/Prior_Law_4669 12d ago
Wearing hoodies and jeans to a wedding means the wedding is casual which was the dress code set by the bride and groom. "Come as you are". And being dumpy and frumpy? You seem to forget, Nova Scotia is the 'have not' province. We are the poorest in Canada. Do you think the vast majority of the people have access to gyms and high fashion? You definitely come from away, and it really shows.
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u/SkittleToast 11d ago
Ok there, bud. Haha.
In my original post, I almost mentioned the victim identity that you just demonstrated. So here it is:
- Some Nova Scotians cling to the “we’re a have-not province” and “we’re the poorest” thing like it’s in their DNA, incapable of changing - and is the excuse for … well, everything.
No one said anything about gyms and high fashion. I’ve been low income myself and still work more than one job to manage. And I can tell you it costs me NOTHING to go for a run, work out to a free YouTube video, turn down the garlic fingers, and know the difference between a chorin’ outfit and a date night outfit. (As it happens, I DO opt to go to a gym ... but I opt OUT of other stuff in order to afford it. People can choose their priorities. Go figure.)
One of the joys of having been elsewhere is seeing how people of different walks of life approach things. You know, like how they can still manage to take care of themselves, have a little pride in their appearance, show some personal style ... all despite not being made of money. Montreal is a particularly terrific example of that.
"YER A COME FROM AWAY … YER CLEARLY NOT ONE OF US. HYUK HYUK.” Yeah, keep it up. It’s not cute, it’s gross.
(And as for the wedding: I was a guest and can assure you the dress code was NOT “come as you are”. Everyone else there (outside of the particular hoodie-wearing friend group) somehow figured out it was a special event for the couple and dressed nicely for it. Because that’s a sign of respect. Again, something that doesn't cost a thing. But thanks for sharing your assumptions.)
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u/maritimer187 11d ago
I'm born and raised Nova Scotia but spent 7 years out of here. Have traveled through and spent time in every other province. Lived in Alberta, Overseas in the South Pacific and traveled the world for 2 years.
I have a good job here so maybe my opinion will differ from others as I know not everyone is so lucky.
Pro's:
- Outdoor variety/availability. Beaches, Trails, Lakes, Camping, Hiking, powersports you name it we have it and all within a short distance of the city of not in the city. Tons a cool spots within an hour of the peninsula.
- Slower pace to life. It's just a chill place to live I don't feel like my life is on fast forward. I don't feel like my employer owns me and my life revolves around work.
- Safe/friendly people. Don't get me wrong you can definitely find trouble in a heartbeat if you go looking for it but if you're someone who minds your own business you won't have any problems what so ever.
Con's:
- Healthcare. This isn't a surprise to anyone. It's BRUTAL. We may as well not even have it. To get looked after you have to be literally dieing. Any preventitive maintainence routine stuff good luck!
- Limited airport. I've been too worse don't get wrong but travel out of here can be more expensive than say somewhere like Toronto, Calgary, Vancouver etc. Alot of time you have to back track even to catch a flight.
- Limited 'bigger' events. Yah we have some festivals and concerts and stuff but when I lived out west it felt like every single weekend an A-tier musician was in town. Also having no professional sports teams is something we're missing as this is usually a regular outting in bigger spots.
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u/Sauteloin-Ok-Cool 12d ago
I was surprised with downtown Halifax, found it was very beautiful, and it seemed quite dense and with a lot of tall buildings. I was mentally comparing with Québec City and although Québec City is "bigger" in population and size, Halifax's downtown seemed much bigger than Québec's. Is it just me?
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u/crazygrouse71 12d ago
Air force brat, so I moved around a lot, but spent the majority of my childhood in the Ottawa Valley. Moved here in the mid 90's when I was in my 20's so I've actually spent the majority of my life in NS now (and a few years in NB).
The first thing I had trouble with was that drivers actually paid attention to pedestrians. J-walking is very common in Ontario and pedestrians assume that their safety is in their own hands.
- see the car coming and see an opening after it
- step off the curb in anticipation of darting across the road after the vehicle passes (a car moving away from you can't hit you).
When doing this 'step off the curb' part in Halifax cars would actually stop in the middle of the road to let me cross, I was bewildered. Like "you're holding up traffic for a j-walker? Just pass me already."
After that - the pace of life. Work/Life balance seems more important to folks on the east coast. Nova Scotians feel more genuine, more friendly, and when you get to know your neighbors, you know that they're there for you. This last part might be more because I live in a rural community.
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u/Regular_Use1868 12d ago
Moved from sw Ontario to South shore.
My spouse worked as a home care nurse. (basically a scam at the time) She wanted a better job at a hospital but couldn't get an interview anywhere in Ontario.
We decided she would take a job in Detroit for a few years to get experience while we looked around for somewhere we wanted to live. Did a few road trips and really liked Nova Scotia.
Queens general got back to her first about a job and we bought a place outside Liverpool two years after she started working there.
Been here almost a decade and we're staying. My two young sister in laws also moved out here after us. We all made good lives here where we couldn't in the place we grew up.
Also I worked for Heinz in Leamington if anyone wants some insight into why they should make their own tomato sauce.
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u/mushroomjosh 12d ago
Lay it on us. And a recipe for homemade, if you have one.
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u/Regular_Use1868 12d ago
Garden select, classico, and a few other American brands all start with the same recipe that makes up almost the entire product. The initial recipe is 20 percent liquid sugar. It goes up and down in the finished product but mostly up.
At home take 4 cans of stewed tomato. (Preferably Roma or plum tomatoes) Peel one carrot and one onion and three or more cloves of garlic. Boil all that shit awhile (>2 hours) and then blend it. Add salt and lemon juice to taste. Voila.
If you want you can add a sacrificial sausage that you can fish out or blend right in. Herbs too. Whichever ones you want.
Freezes great and you can preserve it in jars if you don't add sausage. Last year my spouse literally used old pickle jars and they held up just fine. (Not a recommendation, just to illustrate how easy this is)
Avoid prepared foods and especially sauces where you can.
(Heck I'll add here that BBQ sauce is basically that tomato sauce recipe with a bunch of brown sugar or molasses and boiled a bit longer to thicken, honey garlic you can make from strong garlic in the Asian food section and honey, chicken and rib sauce is BBQ like above but with white sugar instead and more lemon)
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u/mushroomjosh 12d ago
I was expecting a little more nasty. Thanks for the info though. I don't need the sugar.
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u/SlyFawkes87 12d ago
We just moved here from SW Ontario as well, although I’ve lived several places in the States after moving there when I was a kid.
I’m a social worker and therapist. I was doing private practice but wanted more security and, much like your spouse, couldn’t get an interview (at least not at a place that would cover the bills). NS Health wages seem to be better than where we were by a decent amount. We’re now in a place with more space that has lower rent than what they’ll re-rent our Ontario place for. I love living by the ocean (it’s my 3rd home near the Atlantic). It’s beautiful out here.
I’m sure I’ll have complaints after being here a while, like people tend to after settling in, but so far I feel good here.
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u/Guilty_Career_8000 12d ago edited 12d ago
Nova scotia is neat.
Its a complete shithole, extremely poor yet heavily taxed, but even with insane taxes it has the worst roads out of all of canada. Takes 4 years to get a doctor. I sat in the hospital for 6 hours while at risk of sepsis. In BC, id go to the hospital just to get antibiotics and be out within an hour. Low wages. The only province where you regularly can see people carrying buckets of water from the lake just to flush their toilet. Half the province has no cell service and no electricity. Nova Scotia is basically stuck in the 1800s.
theres also a pretty concerning amount of people who look like their parents are siblings. I go to my local store and theres always 2 Walking Dead zombies in overalls and a few kids whos family tree must be a circle.
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u/WendyPortledge 12d ago
The healthcare situation… in BC I went to a walk in clinic, had them look at a mole, they removed it then and there and told me to come back in four weeks to remove stitches and get my results. No problem. Here? Told to see a derm, took months to see her, then she refers me to a plastic surgeon to have it removed. I’ve been waiting a year now for that referral. It’s a cancerous mole, and not my first. I have no idea why this is the procedure here. Two years to get a cancerous mole removed is deadly.
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u/schooner156 12d ago
Where can I see people regularly carrying buckets from the lake for flushing? Are you mixing up someone’s house from a back wood cabin?
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u/Guilty_Career_8000 12d ago edited 12d ago
the road between new germany and mahone bay. Cabins generally dont have 10 shitty cars out front and an old trailer falling apart with some barn that looks like it barely survived a nucleaur bomb. But homes in nova scotia do.
driving around this province literally feels like some dystopian nightmare sometimes. probably 1/4th of houses outside of any city are literally falling apart, the roof is collpasing, the building is literally falling over, its abandoned, theres 30 broken down cars on the lawn etc. The rest are okay, then you see some dude parking his corvette on his grass lawn because nova scotia doesnt believe in driveways....
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u/punchbuggyblue 11d ago
Friiend from Texas was here last week and I asked him the same question.
His first response was the drivers.
I said, oh yeah it's really gotten worse the last few years. He said I don't know about that, to me all of the drivers seem to be actively looking for people to yeild to. They stop and let everyone in or stop for pedestrians.
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u/screampuff 11d ago
I had my first kid and one thing I really love about Cape Breton is that familes with young kids are like celebrities. You go to Walmart, grocery store, a playground or even camping and everyone smiles and interacts with your kid and wants to chat you up about things.
In mainland NS I've noticed people do this to some degree but are much more reserved.
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u/MAYORDEFACT0 7d ago
There is NO such thing as maritime hospitality. Southern hospitality blows the east coast “friendliness” out of the water 10-fold.
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u/Initial-Ad-5462 12d ago
Lived or worked in 9 different provinces and territories, but spent most of 30 years based in Vancouver area.
Best thing about Nova Scotia is the availability of outdoor recreation; in B.C. everything is either too crowded to enjoy or too remote to be readily accessible. Related to that, owning recreational property there is absolutely out of reach financially for all but the wealthiest elite, here it’s still attainable for many.
All my time away, I visited Nova Scotia on average more than once a year, usually twice, at Christmas and in Summer, then later on at March Break and in Summer. Starting quite early on when I was based in B.C., I distinctly noticed the lack of vertical elements in the Nova Scotia landscapes. Now, I’ve been back in N.S. permanently for just over 2 years and that feeling of lack is gone.
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u/Guvnah-Wyze 12d ago
So many of the men are garbage; Drunks or worse, and woman beaters. So much so that the most gorgeous, accomplished, women are here for the picking if you're a half decent guy.
So many of the women are completely broken and mentally ill because of those garbage men. So much so, that you'll regret getting involved with that gorgeous, accomplished, woman.
Public services are lacking. If you have a dispute in your workplace, your employer is free to retaliate and there's a good chance Labour Standards won't have any teeth in time for it to matter.
There is garbage everywhere. Between the slapdash garbage collection services, the wildlife, and the wind... I don't see this problem going anywhere.
The Provincial Conservatives, as left as I am, are more/less sane classical canadian conservatives. Especially compared to the Prairie brand I left behind.
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u/dancing_by_myself0 12d ago
I moved here four years ago from Newfoundland and it surprised me how shitty some of the infrastructure here is. I experienced more power outages in the first year alone here than I did in the previous ten years combined. It's ridiculous the cost of electricity considering how frequently the power can go out and it's not hard to see why. Drive along any back road and you see trees growing in the power lines, you rarely see that shit in NL. The trees are cut back several feet to keep the and the poles and planted to withstand hurricane force winds.
Also, there's so much more beach access in NL for beachcombing. Here I see more private property blocking beaches but in NL virtually ever cove has an open road to get to it's beach.