10 Reasons People are Moving to Nova Scotia
Updated: Jan 24, 2022
Move to Nova Scotia they said. It will be fun they said. Why the heck is everyone moving to Nova Scotia?! The answer is on not one dimensional but I’ve done my best to compile the reasons I’ve heard from buyer clients I’ve helped find homes here in Nova Scotia into 10 key points.
Average Home Price: Nova Scotia has one of the lowest average home price in Canada sitting at $356,757 as of October 2021 according to wow.ca Canadian Housing Market Report which is well below the Canadian average home price of $686,656. So many people living in provinces like Ontario and BC with healthy down payments will never be able to get into the housing market where they live, forcing them to look elsewhere.
Weather: The weather, on average, is milder than it is in the prairie or Northern provinces. The winter season is shorter, it doesn’t freeze as hard and lends itself well to growing and being outside in all seasons.
History: The rich and vibrant history of Nova Scotia sometimes calls people ‘home.’ Maybe they feel drawn to the ocean or have distant relatives that started out here and they feel inclined to experience this life. It’s also easy to fall in love with the architecture and preserved history. Nova Scotia boasts 6 UNESCO designated sites and countless old homes, villages and trees.
Investment and Jobs: With growth in population comes investment opportunities and the demand for more laborers and skilled workers. We are seeing construction demands at an all-time high and a need for more health care professionals among other things. At one time it was difficult to get a job in Nova Scotia for some and now if the time that they can return home with little stress of job security.
Remote Work: Nova Scotia ran an extremely successful campaign from December-March 2020 which emphasized the ability for people to work remotely and live in Nova Scotia. Many people listened. Half of my out of province buyer clients are moving here to Nova Scotia and are continuing to work remotely for their jobs in another province. I guess this is one silver lining from the pandemic.
The Scenery: All of the sightseeing opportunities in Nova Scotia is definitely my favorite part about living here. With the mild weather we can be out in all seasons enjoying the beautiful waterfalls, beaches, trails, etc. I want to give a specific shout out to my town of Truro, often called the hub of Nova Scotia. I love that I can drive a 90km radius and go somewhere new every weekend, and these places are free aside from gas. There are also various clubs for ATV, hiking, tidal rafting, sea glass collecting, canoeing, you name it, which can be a great way to meet like-minded people.
Food: The food scene in Nova Scotia drew me in for sure. There are so many small restaurants, food trucks, and a real food to table scene. The farmer’s markets in Nova Scotia are absolutely and you’ll find several market type grocery stores and small farmers in every community to ensure you get the best local food. Let’s not forget about seafood, you haven’t had good seafood until you’ve had fresh seafood! Nova Scotia is actually famous for several foods including blueberries, donairs, dulse, oatcakes, fresh apples, rappie pie, pepperoni, and all things seafood. I can’t forget to mention all the amazing breweries and vineyards in almost every community, the support they receive is heartwarming.
The People: Many come to Nova Scotia seeking a slower pace of life, kind people and a great place to raise children. In general, I have found Nova Scotians to be very welcoming, super kind drivers and never afraid to strike up a conversation in the grocery store line up or call you ‘hun.’
Covid-19 Strategy: While other provinces were locked down, we were living life fairly normally. Nova Scotia had an aggressive Covid strategy which wasn’t well received by all but really did work well for keep most of its citizens safe. It implemented mandatory masks quite early on and put in a 14-day quarantine mandate for all who enter the province. When things got a little out of hand in the spring of 2020 the province did a brief county lock down (residents were required to stay within their own county) which helped to bring the number of cases back down. The majority of residents were happy to cooperate and really kept in mind the big picture of taking care of each other rather than focusing on having their freedoms taken away.
Moving Home: Quite a few people that I’ve worked with were originally from Nova Scotia and had to move away to find work several years ago. We are now seeing that with all of the factors above, many of them are returning home and bringing their families along with them.
In summary, Nova Scotians have a great pace of life, and the rest of Canada wants to be a part of it. People have the ability to move around and work remotely and live the life they always wanted, so why the heck not.