Nova Scotia & Coffee Canuck?

[Struts 'N' Stuff Auto]

I am really interested to know what life is like on the other side of Canada, how the weather is, summertime storms, house prices, gas prices, etc, etc.
Houses are almost free compared to Kelowna, it's almost like we are in a time warp compared to life elsewhere in Canada.
Coffee Canuck please fill us in, if you don't mind, as this would be real interesting to say the least!

[Struts 'N' Stuff Auto]

Looks like you can get a pretty nice shack for under $300,000
http://www.mls.ca/PropertyDetails.aspx? ... ID=6541593

[BriTer]

Looks like you can get a pretty nice shack for under $300,000
http://www.mls.ca/PropertyDetails.aspx? ... ID=6541593

Back there you can get a pretty nice looking shack for under 100K. And no sunshine tax.
Struts, how come I can't pm you? Do you hate me???

[Struts 'N' Stuff Auto]

I dunno, I have you on my list of friends!

[BriTer]

I dunno, I have you on my list of friends!

Don't worry, you have friends in high places, they'll get it straightened out for you.

[BriTer]

Okay. I'm off topic here but...
Struts, I got your pm but still can't pm you or reply or quote in pm.
You sure you don't hate me???

[Struts 'N' Stuff Auto]

Absolutely Not!

[CoffeeCanuck]

I just saw this thread, sorry for not responding earlier Struts. I'll try to answer your questions as best I can.

I've made it no secret, I LOVE this place! I moved here last June. July it rained quite a bit, which I'm told was unusual, but Aug was hot, reaching the low 30's on some days. I did not need an air conditioner though, was able to get by with just a few fans, as there is always a wonderful ocean breeze. We had an incredible Fall, it was quite warm. Wintre is still happening, though our snow is mostly gone now. My neighbours who have lived here for 20 yrs said this is the first wintre in a number of years where we've gotten quite a bit of snow. The previous years have apparently been quite mild and temperate. The one thing I noticed immediately was how fast the city crews were clearing the roads, even the little side streets like mine. They also clean off all the sidewalks which I like.

It's different here than in Kelowna with 'snow days'. In Kelowna, even when it heavily snows, schools and businesses don't close, here they do. I've experienced a variety of weather here that does not happen in Kelowna, such as snow squalls and ice pellets. The snow squalls are kind of cool actually. They move in very quickly, blow a bunch of snow around and then move out.

There is a common saying here. If you don't like the weather, wait 10 minutes. LOL, so true! That wonderful summer breeze can be quite cool, adding to the windchill, but I expected that. We had a few days here and there that reached -20ish, but it didn't' last long. The one thing I noticed right away is there is way more sunshine in the wintre here. In Kelowna, you get that awful inversion and valley cloud. Man I hated that and don't miss it one bit. I don't care if it's cold as long as it's sunny.

Gas prices are regulated here. Gas stations can only change their prices once a week, Thursday midnight. Today, it's $112.3, and I understand it's going up tonight.

Groceries are basically the same as Kelowna, except for milk. I was shocked at how expensive milk is here, but found it's because it's because of regulation. A 4 litre jug of milk goes for around $7. I don't have small children and don't drink a lot of milk, so it's no biggie to me.

Car insurance is private and mine was half what it was in Kelowna, so that is a major

Driving anywhere in Nova Scotia is a breeze. Holy moly I love driving here. They have main hwy's/freeways with on and off ramps, that go throughout the province, so you can easily get from point a to point b in no time.

The people here are simply incredible. I just cant say enough good about them all. They are very friendly, welcoming, genuine, warm, smiling, and courteous. My son and I took a number of day trips in the summer and fall to explore, and we would pass homes where people were on their front porches (they do that a lot here), or working in the yard, and they would smile and wave at us. It took me a little while to get used to, but now I find myself smiling and waving first. It's quite laid back here, something I really like. There also seems to be a lack of yearning for material possessions and having to out do the Jones's. People here just seem more content with what they have, and I like that.

No matter where you are in Nova Scotia, you are never more than 30 min. from the ocean. I'm 10-15 min away and we often take the dogs down to the beach. Oh, that's another thing I love. Often I can smell the ocean in the air and feel the ocean mist. Just soooo nice!

As for crime. It's there of course. Halifax seems bad for it, like most larger cities, but the smaller areas, like where I am are fine. I honestly feel completely safe walking the streets anywhere here, even at night. I've never seen a drug deal, someone smoking up, nothing. I know it happens, but it's not out in the open here. There doesn't seem to be the same acts of vandalism as in Kelowna. At the Cennopathe, all the Remembrance Day wreaths are still there, not one touched. The only graffiti I've really noticed is on the trains that pass by.

Housing is definitely less expensive here. My home that I bought last Sept. is a 90 yr old home that was almost totally reno'd. New thermal windows, wiring, plumbing, siding, roof, furnace, H2O tank, ceramic tile and new carpeting upstairs, newly poured basement, and a huge new wood back deck. I got it for $126k and the same home would sell in Kelowna between $500-$700k, depending on area.

Home heating costs are higher here due to it being mostly oil heat. Natural gas has arrived in some areas though and they are expanding each year.

Many say that the Maritimes are losing people because there is no work. Well, there is work. In fact there is a skilled worker shortage and the Government is trying to get Nova Scotians to come back home. I don't blame young people that leave to work in Fort Mack though. If you're single, why the heck not. What I'm reading about more and more though is that these people are moving back to NS when they have families. Family life is great here and the quality of life is wonderful, which is a big draw.

Well, hope that answers some of your questions Struts.

~D

[Bsuds]

Are you anywhere near Port Morien? We have some friends who moved there a couple of years ago and love it.

[CoffeeCanuck]

I 'think' Port Morien is on Cape Breton Island. It is on the Atlantic side, so no, I'm not close to it. I'm 15 minutes from the Northumberland Straight, which is between NS and PEI.

I forgot to mention about housing. If a person is handy and can do a lot of reno's, there are tons of cheap homes to be had for under $100k. The majority of these homes are century homes with century old foundations. Apparently one can get the house jacked up and a new foundation poured for around $12,000. Not a bad deal if you ask me.

Here are some homes available in my area. The first one has a couple of acres of land. I had actually booked an appt to view this one when they took it off the market for some reason. The second one also has 2 acres and an ocean view.

http://www.mls.ca/PropertyDetails.aspx? ... ID=6468573

http://www.mls.ca/PropertyDetails.aspx? ... ID=6549923

Here are some cheapies...

http://www.mls.ca/PropertyDetails.aspx? ... ID=6516616

http://www.mls.ca/PropertyDetails.aspx? ... ID=6506822

http://www.mls.ca/PropertyDetails.aspx? ... ID=6415175

~D

[Struts 'N' Stuff Auto]

Thanks for getting back to us CC.
I almost fell over when I was looking at homes around there, unbelieveably affordable, as a matter of fact, I can sell here, and buy 4 or 5.

I always thought the weather there was close to the same as Kelowna, except of course, the nice ocean breeze. Our snow will be gone in another week or so and has been Plus 3-7 for the last few days. Do you get wicked storms there?

Im curious, why did you pick the East Coast?
When did you move there?
Are house prices pretty stable, or going up or down?
And...... Did you move very much of your personal belongings from Kelowna to N.S. ?
Did you hire a moving company, or did you sell mostly everything?

Gasoline is $1.15.4 a litre today, probably will be between $1.30-$1.50 a litre come summer.

What does everyone do for fun and outings?
Are there lots of backroads?
What have you got for wild animals?
Whats there for work?
How's the prices of seafood?
So, Im guessing all dairy products must be expensive, if milk is $7 for a 4L jug
What Grocery stores do you have near you?

Please fill us in, I find it totally amazing how life is so different there, and seeing as I am ready to get out of Kelowna and find a nice place to live, I'm considering the East Coast.

[BriTer]

With what you would have from the sale of your place you could probably get 100 acres and a nice house. Hey! Be a farmer.
If it is anything like Quebec storms can be torrential. Lots of thunder and lightning. I liked it, ferri hid under the table.

[Struts 'N' Stuff Auto]

I miss thunderstorms, Kelowna doesn't get very many, and I love em!
2 Acres of land, a nice garden and big garage would suit me fine.
But, I'd have to live close enough to a big city that groceries wouldn't be a problem.
As well, a good reputable Hardware store is also a must.

And, the lack of traffic, noisy cars and druggies would be the best part.
I could have my sanity back!

[BriTer]

I miss thunderstorms, Kelowna doesn't get very many, and I love em!
2 Acres of land, a nice garden and big garage would suit me fine.
But, I'd have to live close enough to a big city that groceries wouldn't be a problem.
As well, a good reputable Hardware store is also a must.

And, the lack of traffic, noisy cars and druggies would be the best part.
I could have my sanity back!

Most of the towns probably have one of the major chain grocery stores. If it's a smallish town you might find Mom and Pop restaurant, butcher shops, hardware. Like things used to be before they got...better.

[CoffeeCanuck]

Thanks for getting back to us CC.
I almost fell over when I was looking at homes around there, unbelieveably affordable, as a matter of fact, I can sell here, and buy 4 or 5.

I always thought the weather there was close to the same as Kelowna, except of course, the nice ocean breeze. Our snow will be gone in another week or so and has been Plus 3-7 for the last few days. Do you get wicked storms there? Being on the East Coast, storms certainly occur. We got the remnants of that big hurricane that hit the Caribbean, though it was downgraded to a tropical storm by the time it hit us. The high winds were unreal. When it rains here, it pours. I was caught in a torrential rain storm when we first got here. My wipers were at their highest speed and still could not keep up. Rivers of water was running down the street. It was really unreal and neat at the same time, and something I'd never experienced in Kelowna. This is my first year here, so it's difficult for me to accurately judge what a normal season is.

Im curious, why did you pick the East Coast?Cheap housing, the ocean and the friendliest people in Canada. I had visited twice and had a look around before deciding to move here.
When did you move there?Just this past June, 2007
Are house prices pretty stable, or going up or down? Housing seems to be fairly stable with slight increases.
And...... Did you move very much of your personal belongings from Kelowna to N.S. ? I made the mistake of moving everything, including my car. It cost me about $9500, but that included a professional mover packing me up in Kelowna, and shipping my car out, which was $2500. I would never do that again. Either sell everything and by new, (you can buy a lot of furniture for $7500), or pack up a small u-haul with things you don't want to sell, and drive out.
Did you hire a moving company, or did you sell mostly everything? I got 3 quotes from moving companies registered with the BBB. I went with the lowest bid, which was AMJ Campbell, which I think is Allied. Overall I was happy with their service.

Gasoline is $1.15.4 a litre today, probably will be between $1.30-$1.50 a litre come summer.

What does everyone do for fun and outings? It all depends what you are into. Everything is here. I'm 90 min away from Halifax if I want to see Broadway plays, big name concerts, major shopping, bars, pubs and restaurants. There are wonderful Provincial parks, beaches, the ocean, dense wooded area's everywhere. You name it, you can probably do it here. In my small town, we have a small mall, a new Walmart, Canadian Tire is building a big and bright store like the one in Kelowna, ready to open this Spring, there is a Zellers, small Sears, Staples, small Home Hardware and a Central Hardware.
Are there lots of backroads? That I'm not sure of, but there are scenic trails that are wonderful. Each trail goes through a particular part of the Province and has a name. Check this out. http://novascotia.com/en/home/default.aspx Tons of great info in there, and you can order the book from that site and they'll send it to you for free.
What have you got for wild animals? Billions of bloody racoons!!! Deer, moose, fox, whales, bald eagles, seals, bears, are some that come to mind.
Whats there for work? Depends what you're into I guess. Health care, skilled trades. Best place to find out about jobs, pay, employment prospects is here. http://www.labourmarketinformation.ca/s ... in&lcode=e
How's the prices of seafood? Pretty good actually. I just bought some shark steaks and they were half the price of what I paid for them in Kelowna. Lobster surprisingly is market price.
So, Im guessing all dairy products must be expensive, if milk is $7 for a 4L jug
What Grocery stores do you have near you? Dairy products are higher than BC, but it's the milk that is the highest. Superstore and Sobeys is huge here. IGA is owned by Sobeys.

Please fill us in, I find it totally amazing how life is so different there, and seeing as I am ready to get out of Kelowna and find a nice place to live, I'm considering the East Coast.