Hey…thanks for visiting our page. It’s great to connect!
If you are looking to embark on a new adventure and a new life in Canada, you have come to the right place. Firstly, we’d like to point out that we are not Immigration Consultants and do not give immigration advice (however, we have reputable and well trusted contacts that are established experts in this field that can help you with any questions you may have).
We – Richard and Jane, moved to Halifax, Nova Scotia in March 2007. We came with 2 young children and had our third child 8 months after arriving here. We loved our life in Cardiff and were very happy but knew we wanted more for our family.
Richard is originally from Burnley, Lancs. and has a Chartered Management Accountant background. Jane is from Cardiff and is a Cardiac Registered Nurse by trade. They created Halifax Homes and Lifestyles brand and Moving 2 Nova Scotia over a decade ago when Richard became a licensed Real Estate Agent and Jane joined the team.
Australia or Canada?
We always knew we wanted to travel and explore other countries. Jane had travelled to Australia and was thinking about settling us “down under” whereas Rich was a big advocate for Canada, having travelled around the country as a student. We settled on Canada, as it honestly ticked every box on our Dream List and as much as Jane loved Australia, we both felt it was a just a little too far away. Plus, we both wanted 4 seasons (including snow)!
Putting Together Our Dream List
We spent many evenings working through our dream list – we had a firm idea of what we wanted for our new life and what we didn’t. Finally, after many pros/cons, we decided that Calgary was the place we were going. In November 2004, we used some of our savings for a two week research trip. We looked at schools, houses, neighbourhoods, had job interviews, met other families etc. It was a productive trip but the idea of living in Calgary didn’t fill us with excitement.
We revisited Calgary in February 2006. The city had experienced a boom and the property and lifestyle we would have been able to afford two years earlier, was not longer available to us. In reality, it meant that we would have to modify our dream list OR both of us would have to go to work full time. Neither was an option we were willing to take.
Feeling deflated, we realised that if we still wanted to pursue a new life in Canada, it was back to the drawing board. Our application for Skilled Worker was in the system (and taking a v-e-r-y long time). Luckily, it gave us a little breathing space.
On a whim, we decided to visit Nova Scotia – it had never, ever made it onto any list of ours. Jane suggested it one evening at dinner and within two weeks, we were here for a whirlwind trip, this time with two children in tow. If you are a believer in fate, then you will understand when we say everything just clicked. We loved the community feel, the people, the province and the life it could offer us. It was as though we had discovered Canada’s hidden gem.
We Made It!
The rest is history. We landed at Halifax International Airport as Permanent Residents on 10th March 2007. Richard started work as a Chartered Accountant exactly a week after landing here and Jane stayed home settling the two children and looking after herself as she was expecting baby number three. She nursed briefly in Halifax before deciding to stay home with our three children. Both of us now have several businesses and work for ourselves.
We honestly love it here. It’s not a perfect province and people continually ask us why Nova Scotia – and of course, there are ups and downs, but for us, we are happy and have a very good quality of life, with a great balance of work and play. Living in Nova Scotia is not going to be a fit for everyone, it really depends on what you are into and what determines your perfect lifestyle. But for the KP family, it was and still is a great move!
Like to know more? Please get in touch with us. We are only ever a phone call or email away.
Richard & Jane
