WELCOME HOME: 7 Places to Settle Down in Atlantic Canada
Many big-city Canadians are looking to escape high housing prices and crowded commutes to find a better place to call home as recent reports of population decline in places like Montreal and Toronto have shown. Atlantic Canada has many ideal landing spots for people looking for that fresh start, and they’re not just the obvious urban centres in the region.
While the East Coast’s largest cities get plenty of attention from tourists and continue to grow and drive the region’s economy, there are plenty of smaller places closer to larger centres that offer the relaxed pace so many Canadians crave. These places offer many of the city amenities people just can’t seem to live without, and you can bet there is a Kent store close by to help welcome you home.
Truro, NS
No matter where you choose to settle in Nova Scotia, you’re never more than 65 km from any coastline and the affordable setting of Truro offers rural vibes with city amenities at your fingertips. Known as the “Hub of Nova Scotia”, the Town of Truro is home to over 12,000 residents and is centrally located 40 minutes from the Halifax Stanfield International Airport and one hour from Halifax.
For outdoor enthusiasts, the trails at Truro’s Railyard Mountain Bike Park attract visitors throughout the year, while the Cobequid Trail network leads you further into beautiful central Colchester County along a former railway. Victoria Park is considered one of Truro’s hidden gems, a 3,000-acre urban forest located in the centre of the town.
New sporting facilities, community centres and schools have recently been built and its active downtown boasts a mix of over 150 retailers. Truro’s low residential vacancy rate and robust real estate sales also point toward future growth.
Summerside, PEI
Summerside may be Prince Edward Island’s second-largest city but look closer and you’ll discover innovation and services that rival other larger centres. The city has recently taken advantage of a wave of new investment, all helping to improve the local growth potential.
Summerside provides safe neighbourhoods, excellent schools, accessible healthcare services, vibrant cultural attractions and exceptional water views from almost all points of the community. Best of all, it’s always a short commute to work.
It also puts most of PEI and southeastern New Brunswick within an hour’s drive, offering plenty of close-by beaches along with hiking and biking trails suitable for everyone. Summerside’s Green’s Shore Park gives access to a sandy beach area, with 600 meters of shoreline, perfect for kayaking, windsurfing or just relaxing. During the winter, it turns into a home for skating, hockey, and cross-country skiing.
Edmundston, NB
Compared to other Canadian provinces, New Brunswick has a relatively low cost of housing and Edmundston’s real estate prices are roughly 30-to-40 per cent lower than the provincial average. The logging and paper industry has long played a major role in Edmundston’s economic development, with the average household income slightly over $60,000.
Edmundston is also one of the safest communities in Atlantic Canada, with a crime rate 10 per cent lower than the Canadian average according to Statistics Canada. The city also has a regional hospital and is the site of one of the Université de Moncton’s trio of campuses in the province, with its Edmundston Campus offering studies in forestry, business administration, education, kinesiology, nursing and social sciences among others.
A city that shines through all four seasons, Edmundston can be a winter lover’s paradise with snowmobiling and cross-country ski trails a fixture for residents. Edmundston is also a quiet summer haven, nestled in the northeastern section of the Appalachian Mountains at the junction of the Saint John and Madawaska Rivers and at the doorstep of Quebec and Maine. It is also home to The New Brunswick Botanical Garden, featuring 12 thematic gardens spread out over 20 acres of land along the Madawaska.
Bridgewater, NS
Nova Scotia is among the most affordable places to live in Canada. According to the Canadian Real Estate Association, in November 2021, the average price of a Nova Scotia home was $368,476 compared to the national average of $720,854. Some of the most affordable areas to move or build are located in the province’s south shore towns and villages.
The town of Bridgewater, with its population just under 10,000 offers an average real estate price of $191,612, (71 per cent lower than the Canadian average) and has several community amenities for a town its size, from shopping to restaurants, parks and museums, a hospital and public library and several sporting facilities.
Picturesque communities of Lunenburg, Mahone Bay are close by, and the community is only about an hour drive from Halifax.
Dieppe, NB
Perennially one of the region’s fastest-growing cities, Dieppe contrasts a well-developed urban feel with a pleasant niche of natural assets, including parks, green spaces and more than 55 kilometres of trails and bicycle paths linking several of its neighbourhoods.
With a dynamic business community and an economy founded on respect for the environment, Dieppe also benefits from the presence of a highly qualified, bilingual labour force where more than three-quarters of residents are able to speak both official languages. It is also one of the youngest average aged communities in Atlantic Canada, with roughly 50 per cent of its population aged 35 and under.
Dieppe’s is also home to the Greater Moncton Roméo LeBlanc International Airport giving its residents easy access to virtually anywhere. There are also quality hospitals, French and English-language elementary and high schools, a community college campus, the Université de Moncton and Crandall University, all located just minutes away.
Corner Brook, NL
Corner Brook is a garden city on the western shores of Newfoundland, at the mouth of the Bay of Islands. With a spectacular combination of ocean and mountain scenery and friendly people, the city has earned a reputation of being welcoming and inclusive.
It is also known for its outdoor facilities, such as Marble Mountain Ski Resort and is surrounded by some of the most beautiful wilderness in the world with Gros Morne National Park only one hour away.
The city itself is the perfect size for easy and affordable living, no matter what type of home you’re looking for or the price range you have in mind, be it condos and apartments to starter homes or large executive homes.
Memorial University’s Grenfell Campus in Corner Brook has also grown from a feeder school for Memorial’s St. John’s Campus to a fully functional institution offering several undergraduate and graduate degree programs. As a regional hub for business in western Newfoundland, Corner Brook offers ample shopping and dining and a deep-water port accessed by cruise ships during the summer and fall.
Shediac, NB
Situated along New Brunswick’s eastern shore on the Northumberland Strait, Shediac is a beach and cottage haven and remains one of New Brunswick’s fastest-growing towns due to its reputation of being a safe, inexpensive and well-managed community.
If lobster is your dream dish, Shediac is the “Lobster Capital of the World,” and its giant lobster statue is one of Canada’s best-known landmarks. Shediac is also the welcome mat to some of the warmest saltwater north of Virginia — and many Canadians are aware – as the once sleepy seasonal cottage community is now on several relocation radars.
Shediac’s small-town feel has been an attraction for retirees and young families alike, offering plenty of recreational activities and festivals and is a short drive to Greater Moncton, Nova Scotia and the Confederation Bridge to Prince Edward Island.
As Proud Atlantic Canadians we want to say “Welcome Home” to all new arrivals.
— KENT, Your Atlantic Canadian Home Improvement Store
February 1, 2022 @ 7:18 am
Beautiful,
February 1, 2022 @ 11:17 pm
I agree with the selection of the 3 NB communities but would have liked to also see a community that was not primarily French.