Halifax, Edmond & Surrey - anyone know about them?

The fact that you called Edmonton too modern, is a surprise to me. But who knows, I haven't been there, and Alberta is growing like hell.

I used to live in Vancouver and worked in greater Vancouver (Richmond, Burnaby). Was in Surrey once, remember it as a place with sprawling suburbia and highways. It could be dirty, but I was visiting a nice subdivision with grand houses, so that wasn't bad.

All the points about Surrey, and Vancouver in general, would be undermined by one HUGE problem - real estate is EXPENSIVE! What do you expect from a place that would be hosting Winter Games. And I thought BC was expensive 10 years ago. HA!

Halifax in many respects is the opposite of Vancouver. A grand house still has a sane price. An oceanfront property even. The feeling about the city is of a smaller town, nothing of a high-powered race of Greater Vancouver. The pace is slower (saner), the cars move slower. The architecture is lovely, in the Old England style. A place to raise a family - definitely! A place with plenty of high paying jobs - No! (that's what BC and Alberta are for). Greenery - yes! Whole peninsula of forests and beaches. In Halifax itself, there is a Point Pleasant Park (just like Stanley Park in Vancouver). People windsurf year round (milder winters, but still winters). Is it windy? Not a lot, I think, since fog stays in place. Downtown Halifax has nice urban life - cafes, shops, no major skyscrapers.


Relaxing city and lifestyle, but you'd have to work hard to find a good paying job.

Thanks for that info. Hamilton was also on my list too. I was chating to a Canadian girl last night at a party and she recomended Vancouver for its scenary. Said the west is better. She mentioned Hamilton was flat and Halifax was too small. But she did admitedly said she was biased towards bigger cities.

I understand Halifax will be hard to find good paid work. But there is dartford accross the water which aparantly is meant to be good for jobs?

I live in Edinburgh which is the same size if you combine Halfiax City and Dartford together.

redpickle, which one would you say meets my criteria the most? baring in mind I hate the wind lol

I can't comment on Hamilton, and Ontario in general. Have been there only fleetingly, the feeling was of big metropolitan areas, but can't say about lifestyle. Mind you, the opinion about the cluster around Toronto is generally - too much work, too much commute, but good pay. Good place to make a pile of money and retire somewhere else. (sounds like London??)

Oh yes, Vancouver is THE scenery king. Verrrry beautiful - downtown skyscrypers + ocean + snow-capped mountains - right all in front of you. Verrrry west-coastish, with people into fitness and yoga, self-development and a bit of hippi-nnes. But but but one example: I went skiing to Whistler 10 years ago - the tickets were about $35 a day, the condo was about $60 per night. Now the tickets are $83 a day, a place to sleep $250/night. A house of a friend of mine was sold 9 years ago for $100K, it appreciated two years later to $500K (three bedrooms, 1 acre, 1 hour of drive to downtown). In other words, if you can take on that kind of debt, go for it.

Halifax is a small city, yes, something a metropolitan person won't like, a small-town person will. Something of a feeling of one big family (if you dig deep enough with a stranger, you'll find out that you are related). But, there are many universities so new blood comes in always.

Halifax and Dartmouth across the basin are one and the same city now, the Halifax Regional Municipality. Dartmouth is more of an industrial place, with lots of business parks. I have to mention that if your vocation is in trades (welder, electrician, carpenter) - there is much and much demand for that.

I am not sure what to say on the wind scale - I think all the places in Canada are somewhat the same in that department, that is, if take a scale [no wind to Chicago] they would be somewhere in the middle. What Vancouver has in abundance is rains, it usually rains from Oct to May. Halifax has it's share of Nor'easters (snow storms). There may be breezes from the ocean, but not always.

Oh boy, I can't say where would the best place be. If you crave peace and quiet - go to Nova Scotia, you'll have a hundred of acres of wilderness by the ocean all to yourself (if you don't care about income). If you like metro, then you'll probably be bored in Halifax, and excited by Vancouver, Calgary, or Toronto. If you are overwhelmed by too much activity and agressiveness of big places, you'll probably like Halifax.

I should mention, too, that the oil fields in Alberta keep their economy hot, this is currently the gold fever place. Calgary, Fort MacMurray are booming - people get good (verrrry good) wages, but - they have to spend like half-mil on a trailer.

Ive lived in big cities all my life. Had enough of that. Want somewhere smaller. Im a youth worker so thats the only job I want. Halifax may be too small for me but with dartmouth a throw away and some other small places near by im sure ill be occupied. With a large student population surely it can't be that boring?

The only things that have put me off Halifax (which is my place of choice) is the wind and lack of job opportunitites - like you mentioned. As long as Halifax has a few places to visit, plenty of cafe's, good archetecture, good scenary a short drive away, id be very happy. Vancouver is way too expensive, i couldn't afford to buy property their. Toronto is a no no, way too big and Calgary is out of the questions, can't remember the reason why though.

Well, that changes the picture I think there's quite a demand for Youth Workers. Why don't you get a feel for that by skimming local job sites, like (don't know if I can name the websites here)
monster, workopolis. theworkplace (these end with dot ca)
Or purely Maritime-oriented:
jobpress, careerbeacon (these end with dot com)

Yes, that's a good way to look at it - with so many students, it can't be boring.

-yes, yes, yes, and yes.

When i last looked for jobs in Halifax I couldn't find any youth work vacancies :/ Ill have a look at those other websites you mentioned though. Thanx for that.

As long as I dont have to put up with too much sailor culture, which ive been told, comes in aobundonce with maritime culture. Anyhow, ill of course go check it out nearer the time

Ha ha seeing a waddling drunken sailor on the streets is a rarity. Now that you mentioned it, I'm thinking - how come, that's true, such a big port, and not much of sailor culture ?? Hmmmmm Financial types, environmentalist types, students, middle class - yes, but sailors???? Huge mystery. Maybe modern sailors are all politically correct now, too....