Halifax, Canada Report of what it's like to live there - 05/25/18
Personal Experiences from Halifax, Canada
Background:
1. Was this post your first expatriate experience? If not, what other cities have you lived in as an expat?
No, I've also had multiple tours across North America, Europe, Asia, Africa, and the Middle East.
2. What is your home city/country? How long is the trip to post from there, with what connections? How easy/difficult is it to travel to this city/country?
Seattle, WA/USA. Halifax is about a 1 1/2 hour flight from New York or Boston. Have to connect through either of those two cities, or via Toronto of Montreal. Halifax is further away than people realize. If driving, it's a good six hours after you hit the Canadian border. Plan on nine hours of driving from Portland, ME. Keep in mind that Halifax is further east than Bermuda and one hour ahead of the U.S. East Coast.
3. How long have you lived here?
Three years.
4. What brought you to this city (e.g. diplomatic mission, business, NGO, military, teaching, retirement, etc.)?
Diplomatic mission.
Housing, Groceries & Food:
1. What is your housing like? What are typical housing sizes, locations, and commute times for expatriates?
For the U.S. Consulate, the Consul General has a nice, large dedicated house in a leafy neighborhood of the city within ten minutes of the office. All others are on LQA, so you can find whatever housing suits your needs.
2. How would you describe the availability and cost of groceries and household supplies relative to your home country?
Maybe not a wide range of specialty or ethnic foods, but if you hunt you can find even those. Chicken is surprisingly expensive.
3. What household or grocery items do you wish you had shipped to post?
None.
4. What typical restaurants, food delivery services, and/or takeout options are popular among expatriates?
All varieties and styles, including most American fast food chains. Local seafood is prevalent and good. Haven't really spotted a Mexican restaurant, but there's probably one out there. The local favorite is the donair, a gyro-type sandwich, but with a unique, local sweet sauce made with condensed milk. Personally not a big fan, but they love it and have made it the "official sandwich of Halifax."
5. Are there any unusual problems with insects or other infestations in housing?
Nothing unusual. Not a particularly buggy place.
Daily Life:
1. How do you send and receive your letters and package mail? Are local postal facilities adequate?
Pouch mail from the States, Canada post within country and from third countries. Local post is decent, but definitely not as good as USPS (less reliable, generally slower, more expensive).
2. What is the availability and cost of household help, and what types of help are typically employed by expatriates?
The Consul General is eligible for ORE staff. Others would have to find it locally, and it can be quite expensive and hard to find. Canada is very strict about authorizing residence permits for domestic employees of local diplomats. Only Consuls General, the DCM and Ambassador are authorized.
3. What kinds of gyms or other sports/workout facilities are available? Are they expensive?
All kinds and reasonable cost.
4. Are credit cards widely accepted and safe to use locally? Are ATMs common and do you recommend using them? Are they safe to use?
Widely accepted and safe to use. Most Canadians have tap or PIN credit cards, so American cards are a bit of an anomaly/annoyance to them since it requires having to get a signature, which Canadians don't do anymore.
5. What English-language religious services are available locally?
Everything.
6. How much of the local language do you need for daily living? Are local language classes/tutors available and affordable?
Native English. Some pockets of Acadian French in further flung communities around the province, as well as the native M'ikmaq, but you will never need anything but English here.
7. Would someone with physical disabilities have difficulties living in this city?
Probably a very conducive location for people with physical disabilities.
Transportation:
1. Are local buses, trams, trains or taxis safe and affordable?
Yes and yes. There is no Uber or other car share service here, but local taxis have created apps that mimic the service. I've heard gripes about the convenience of the local bus system, but plenty use it and it is safe and reliable. There is also North America's oldest continues public saltwater ferry service plying between downtown Halifax and Dartmouth across the harbor. Plan to have a car to get around rather than relying on public transportation.
2. What kind of car do you recommend bringing to post, given the terrain, availability of parts, burglary/carjacking risks, etc.? What kind of car do you advise not to bring?
Whatever you prefer. Any car from the States can be serviced in Halifax. Burglary/carjacking risk is quite low. Note that American cars brought into Canada diplomatically are considered a temporary import and can not be sold or permanently imported without extensive and expensive modifications to meet Canadian specs. Plan to export your car at the end of your tour. Black ice, snow, and other wintry conditions make a sturdy vehicle advisable. Plan on having a pair of winter tires to put on every winter. Also note that you can't register your car without proof of local insurance, and most insurers won't insure you without a Canadian credit history. A company called The Personal has a special arrangement for U.S. Mission personnel, which is a way to avoid this headache. U.S. insurers won't cover in Canada.
Phone & Internet:
1. Is high-speed home Internet access available? How long does it typically take to install it after arrival?
Easily available and reasonable charge.
2. Do you have any recommendations regarding mobile phones? Did you keep your home-country plan or use a local provider?
I used Koodo, which works fine and goes on month-to-month. Keep in mind that phone calls to the States and roaming charges while visiting the States are quite expensive. Better to have your friends/family there call you. Also very hard to be approved for long-term contracts with service providers, because they will insist on a Canadian credit history, which you won't have.
Pets:
1. Are qualified veterinarians and/or good kennel services available? Do animals need to be quarantined upon entry to the country? Are there other considerations regarding pets that are particular to this country?
No personal experience, but no doubt.
Employment & Volunteer Opportunities:
1. What types of jobs do most expatriate spouses/partners have? Locally based or telecommuting? Full-time or part-time? Can you comment on local salary scales?
Surprisingly few. No opportunities at the Consulate given its very small size. Spouses are authorized work permits for Canada, but few seem to take advantage given the fairly anemic job market.
2. What volunteer opportunities are available locally?
I would imagine plenty.
3. What is the typical dress code at work and in public places? Is formal dress ever required?
Business dress for work and work-related events, and casual any other time.
Health & Safety:
1. Are there personal security concerns to be aware of at this post? Please describe.
Normal precautions, but it's quite a safe place in general.
2. Are there any particular health concerns? What is the quality of available medical care? What medical conditions typically require medical evacuation?
No real health concerns. Medical care is very good, but medical services are overstretched, with challenges in obtaining a local doctor and very long wait times for many specialist services (think six months to a year). Mission employees are covered under the local provincial health plan. There are no private services in the province, so anyone looking to jump the queue for service wait times would have to go back to the U.S. or to another province that offers private services for pay.
3. What is the air quality like at post (good/moderate/bad)? Are there seasonal air quality issues? Does the air quality have an impact on health?
Excellent air quality; no seasonal issues.
4. What do people who suffer from environmental or food allergies need to know?
Nothing noteworthy.
5. Are there any particular mental health issues that tend to crop up at post, such as Seasonal Affective Disorder (winter blues)?
Not that I can think of. Winters here are not bad, especially compared to the rest of Canada (other than the far west coast). However, winter lasts a long time and there doesn't seem to be much of a spring. You definitely want to be like the snowbirds here and plan to take some time in the late winter or spring to get away to somewhere warm.
6. What is the overall climate: is it extremely hot or cold, wet or dry, at any time of year, for example?
Summer is beautiful and fall is glorious. Expect nice weather until mid to late November, and then the wet and cold gloom sets in. Winter doesn't really arrive until January, but can stick around until May. Warm, sunny temperatures are not reliable until mid-June. Winter comes in waves. Big snow storms that will close offices, then sunny and a bit warmer until it melts away, only to get hit with another snowstorm a week later. Lots of fog, but typically just around the harbor area that burns off by the end of the day.
Schools & Children:
1. What is the availability of international schools? What has been your general experience with them, if any?
No real international schools, but some good private and public schools up to US standards.
2. What accommodations do schools make for special-needs kids?
I would imagine this is fairly prevalent, although somewhat limited. Best to check ahead.
3. Are preschools available? Day care? Are these expensive? What has been your experience with them, if any? Do the schools provide before- and/or after-school care?
Private preschools available for about 750 USD/month. The province as of 2018 is starting public preschools as well, which is hurting many of the private ones.
4. Are local sports classes and/or activities available for kids?
All kinds.
Expat Life:
1. What is the relative size of the expatriate community? How would you describe overall morale among expatriates?
Very small. No other diplomatic representations in the city other than the U.S. (the French have a Consulate General in Moncton, New Brunswick that covers Atlantic Canada, but those are the only two diplomatic representations in the whole region). No expat business people based here to speak of, so it's just all locals. Easy to blend in with the community, so no expat culture here at all.
2. What are some typical ways to socialize, either with local people or with other expatriates? Are there groups or clubs that you can recommend?
Local chapters of whatever it is that interests you.
3. Is this a good city for single people? For couples? For families? Why or why not?
Good for everyone. This is a university town, so lots of bars/restaurants. Very family friendly and sociable.
4. Is this a good city for LGBT expatriates? Why or why not?
Very LGBT friendly place, although not much of a scene, but it does hold Canada's fourth largest Gay Pride parade every year.
5. Are there problems with ethnic, race/racial minorities or religious prejudices? Gender equality?
No more so than most places. There is a longstanding Afro-Nova Scotian community present here that claims continued instances of prejudice, but overall people get along and race relations are good. No gender equality issues of note. This is a fairly uniform population of British Isles background, along with smaller pockets of Afro-Nova Scotians, a relatively recent influx of Chinese and a noteworthy and prosperous population of Lebanese decent (mostly Christians who came during the civil war in the 70s).
6. What have been the highlights of your time in this country? Best trips or experiences?
Incredibly friendly people, a very pleasant, livable city. Big enough to have big city amenities, while small enough to avoid big city problems like crime, traffic, crowds, etc. Great access to all water activities (Nova Scotia is known as Canada's Ocean Playground). Great nature all around. Fall foliage trips up north along the Cabot Trail in Cape Breton in the fall are outstanding.
7. What are some interesting/fun things to do in the area? Can you recommend any “hidden gems"?
Visit Pier 21 (Canada's equivalent to Ellis Island), the Titanic cemetary, the Citadel fort. Peggy's Cove for a scenic lobster fishing village and climbing along the rocks next to its iconic lighthouse. Cruising on the Bluenose schooner in UNESCO heritage village Lunenburg. There are small ski hills at Martock and Wentworth around 45-90 minutes away. Free ice skating on the Oval in winter (they will rent you skates for free if you hand over your id). Watching a taping of "This Hour Has 22 Minutes" (Canada's answer to The Daily Show).
8. Is this a "shopping post"? Are there interesting handicrafts, artwork, antiques, or other items that people typically buy there?
Not really. Maybe some local arts and crafts, but nothing noteworthy.
9. What are the particular advantages of living in this city?
Great quality of life. Feels like a small town, but offers big city amenities. Haligonians (what you call people from Halifax) are very proud of their city and don't want to live anywhere else.
Words of Wisdom:
1. What do you wish you had known about this particular city/country before moving there?
Halifax is smaller than people typically perceive, perhaps because it features prominently on most world maps (but mostly because there is nothing else sizeable anywhere near it!). It's only about 450,000 for the entire metro area. It's also much more isolated than people realize. The next nearest Canadian city of any size is Quebec City, about ten hours drive away. It would take about 11 hours just to drive to Boston. It is further east than Bermuda, and only has limited (and expensive) flight connections to the US (Boston and New York, with seasonal flights to Florida), although it does have US preclearance at the airport, so you go through US immigration and customs formalities before you get on the plane, then arrive in the US as if off of a domestic flight.
2. Knowing what you know now, would you still move to this city?
Absolutely. I've loved it here.
3. If you move here, you can leave behind your:
Big city attitude.
4. But don't forget your:
Warm clothes; even in summer, night time temperatures can get a bit chilly.
5. Do you recommend any books or movies about this city/country for those who are interested in learning more?
Shattered City - a made-for-TV type movie documenting the horrific 1917 Halifax Explosion when two WW I munitions ships collided in Halifax Harbor, producing the largest man-made explosion until Hiroshima. Thousands died, and even more injured and/or blinded. The city of Boston sent up a relief train, and in gratitude the province of Nova Scotia has been providing the annual Christmas tree to the Boston Commons every year since the 70s.
6. Do you have any other comments?
Very strong personal and family connections between the citizens of Halifax and New England (what they call "the Boston States"). People cheer for Boston sports teams and feel a close affinity to Americans in general. Very welcoming place to live!
