Moving 2 Nova Scotia Your Essential Settlement Guide www.moving 2novascotia.com 1 | Page Top 10 Reasons to Move to Halifax, Nova Scotia Quality of Life: Halifax (or HRM – Halifax Regional Municipality) ranks high among Canada’s desirable cities to call home. In fact, some would say that Halifax is a bit of a hidden gem! The region offers unparalleled health services, economic securities and affordable housing options. From first time home styles to high end properties to mature adult surroundings, there are many styles, price points and neighbourhoods to choose from. The average housing prices in Halifax are currently below the National average which means it is a great city to invest in. Neighbourhood Lifestyles: The city offers a wide variety of neighbourhood settings from sophisticated downtown urban lifestyles, to well-planned family style communities to rural country atmospheres. The developed city core provides an assortment of choices from new construction, cozy heritage properties to condo high rises. www.moving 2novascotia.com 2 | Page Charm: Population is currently under 400,000, a small town feel with a medium city presence. There is a variety of sports, arts, festivals, entertainment and fine dining options to choose from. It has 3 major shopping malls with the major brands and national retailer chains. There are a total of 9 Universities and Colleges throughout the city. The presence of so many students helps contribute to a vibrant youth culture in the region. There are public and private school options in English and French. Employment Destination: Halifax offers a wide variety of employment options from Industry, Technology, Health Services and Government. It is a destination city which offers jobs to a large labour force, educational training and an above average community feel. Recreation/Vacation: You can stay in town and/or head 60 to 90 minutes in any direction to find incredible beaches, a large selection of camping, boating and cottage destinations. There is recreation for skiing/snowboarding, golf, fishing, biking, kayaking and hiking to name a few. Four Seasons: Nova Scotia is a full four season destination. Each one offering its own options, charm and appeal. Despite its coastal location, the weather is usually milder or cooler than that of inland Canada with warm summers and mild winters City of Festivals: Tourism, Conventions and Entertainment are an ongoing part of life in Halifax. A wide variety of festivals take place throughout each year, including The Royal Nova Scotia International Tattoo, The Halifax Busker Festival, The Atlantic Film Festival, The Atlantic Fringe Festival, The Atlantic Jazz Festival, Shakespeare by the Sea, periodic Tall Ships event, to name but a few! There is a lot to see and do throughout the year. Foodies: Nova Scotia's food scene has long made good use out of its most obvious resource: the Atlantic Ocean. But there's more here than just excellent fresh seafood. There are a wide variety of eateries, local markets and international food resources. The options are endless and the quality of chefs and locally grown produces is outstanding. www.moving 2novascotia.com 3 | Page Transportation: HRM is very easy to get around, once you know your way. The urban core of HRM is well served by Metro Transit, which operates a good bus service as well as the pedestrian only harbour ferries connecting downtown Halifax to two locations in Dartmouth. Two suspension bridges link the municipality urban core. Halifax Stanfield International Airport is the main airport located 35km (22 miles) outside of downtown Halifax and provides scheduled flights to domestic and international locations. Roots: Halifax has been a place to call home for many generations. Many transient careers that move into Nova Scotia never leave. The people are friendly; there is a quality of lifestyle and a sense of well-being. Starting a family, building on your career, or retirement living, there are more and more people setting roots in Nova Scotia as opposed to moving on. Quality of life is easy to find in Halifax! www.moving 2novascotia.com 4 | Page Useful Municipal and Provincial Information: www.Halifax.ca HRM official website is where you will find information on city programs, garbage and recycling information, city council, bylaws, dog registration, parking, metro transit and much more. If you have children or fancy learning a new hobby, the Recreation program is a fantastic resource! www.novascotia.ca Government website providing a ton of information for residents as well as business and tourism resources (including information on Nova Scotia Health Card MSI) www.novascotia.ca/snsmr/access Access Nova Scotia is the central link to driver information, vehicle permits, government programs, business registration, tons of other services and information. www.ednet.ns.ca The Department of Education site provides information on schools (Primary -12) throughout the whole province. The Education site also has information on child care provisions, school calendars, school board contacts, continuing education, student services and other programs. www.moving 2novascotia.com 5 | Page www.hrsb.ns.ca The Halifax Regional School Board is the largest school board in Atlantic Canada with 49,000 students in 139 schools. Information such as school finder, home address look up (a great resource to find out which family of schools/catchment area you will be in), as well as school bus information (Stock Transportation) and the EXCEL program (before and after school child care provision) is within easy reach on the website. www.Halifaxpubliclibraries The Halifax Public Libraries consist of 14 branches in Halifax, Nova Scotia. The site has a searchable catalogue, online book club and resources as well as program listing and branch information. The library offers a great resource for infants, toddlers and pre-schoolers with organised sessions in many of the local libraries. www.hiia.ca Halifax Stanfield International Airport website covers everything you need to know including car rental, bus service, customs, safety and security, flight information and accommodation as well as travel resources. www.moving 2novascotia.com 6 | Page Schools Nova Scotia has just over 450 state schools, offering free education from Primary to Grade 12. The school year runs from September to the end of June. Children begin public school at 5 years old in grade primary. Children must be 5 years old by December 31 of the school year to be eligible. For a list of English Schools in HRM, contact the Halifax Regional Municipality School Board at 464-2000 www.hrsb.ns.ca. You can click on Home Address Lookup to find out which schools your children will attend based on the address where you will be living. You can also find a list of schools offering EXCEL Before and After School Child Care Program. For a list of schools offering early French immersion program (from Grade primary) and late French Immersion programs (from Grade 7), visit www.ednet.ns.ca and click on Directory of Public Schools, then search for immersion and your area. You can also find more information on the Halifax Regional Municipality School Board website listed above. There are four Francophone schools in Halifax and Dartmouth: Conseil scolaire francophone acadien: Francophone School Board www.csap.ednet.ns.ca Ecole Bois-Joli (Dartmouth) Primary to Grade 6 http://bois-joli.ednet.ns.ca Ecole Beaubasin (Bedford) Primary to Grade 8 http://beaubassin.ednet.ns.ca Ecole Secondaire du Sommet (Bedford) Grade 6 to 11 http://sommet.ednet.ns.ca Ecole du Carrefour (Dartmouth) Grade 7 to 12 http://carrefour.ednet.ns.ca www.moving 2novascotia.com 7 | Page Private Schools: There are excellent private schools throughout HRM and other areas of the province. For more information contact the individual schools directly. Armbrae Academy http://armbrae.ns.ca Bedford Elementary Academy http://www.beacademy.ca Birch Hills Academy http://www.birchhillsacademy.com/ Bridgeway Academy Association (Day school for children 8-19 with learning disabilities) www.bridgeway-academy.com Churchill Academy http://www.churchillacademy.ca/ Creative Kids http://www.creativekids.info/ Halifax Christian Academy http://www.halifaxchristianacademy.ca Halifax Grammar School http://www.hgs.ns.ca Halifax Independent Elementary School http://www.halifaxindependentschool.ns.ca Kings Edgehill, Windsor Nova Scotia http://www.kes.ns.ca/home Kings View Academy http://www.kingsviewacademy.com/ Newbridge Academy http://www.newbridgeacademy.ca/ Sacred Heart School of Halifax http://www.sacredheartschool.ns.ca Sandy Lake Academy http://www.sandylakeacademy.ca/ Shambala School http://www.shambhalaschool.org/ www.moving 2novascotia.com 8 | Page Universities Nova Scotia boasts no less than 11 degree granting universities, the highest concentration of universities in Canada. From undergraduate degrees in virtually any topic, to graduate degrees in medicine, dentistry, business, engineering, education, fine arts and more, you will certainly find it all here. A note about fees – tuition fees although still costly, are much less for permanent residents or citizens. If you are coming over on a work permit and wish to study, you will be classed as an International student and charged at a higher rate. Acadia University (Wolfville) Atlantic School of Theology (Halifax) Cape Breton University (Sydney) Dalhousie University (Halifax) L'Université Sainte-Anne (Pointe-de-l'Église) – French speaking Mount Saint Vincent University (Halifax) NSCAD University (Nova Scotia College of Art and Design) (Halifax) St. Francis Xavier University (Antigonish) Saint Mary's University (Halifax) University of King's College (Halifax) NSCC – Nova Scotia Community College is a province-wide training and education system housed at thirteen campuses. Practical, hands-on programs provide students with competencies and skills that meet and exceed international standards. www.moving 2novascotia.com 9 | Page School Bus Information: Depending on where you choose to live, children may be transported to school by the yellow school bus. In general, the school bus is available for children who live more than 2.4km from the Elementary school and 3.4km from the High School.