First time landing/settlement in Halifax Nova Scotia

[waiwera]

Hi, I'm looking for some advice about how to plan your first landing/settlement in Halifax NS. My family will be myself, my wife and 2 kids (5 & 6 y.o).
1. should I come to Halifax by myself then rent an apartment for 1-2 weeks while looking for better apartment/house/school for my whole family? or we all just come together and do all house-hunting together?
2. which location in Halifax is relatively family-friendly and budget-friendly (e.g. $1000 per month)? near to public school, groceries shops/market, etc.
I believe we need few weeks until all our documents are ready as a "complete" PR and start the job hunting ;D
Your precious advice and experience sharing would be highly appreciated.
cheers

 

[steaky]

You should ask your wife the first question, otherwise it might jeopardize your relationship with her. As for second question, you might want to check craiglist and compare the listings with google map for estimate proximity.

 

[waiwera]

You should ask your wife the first question, otherwise it might jeopardize your relationship with her. As for second question, you might want to check craiglist and compare the listings with google map for estimate proximity.

Really appreciate the suggestion, mate ;D

 

[rhcohen2014]

Hi, I'm looking for some advice about how to plan your first landing/settlement in Halifax NS. My family will be myself, my wife and 2 kids (5 & 6 y.o).
1. should I come to Halifax by myself then rent an apartment for 1-2 weeks while looking for better apartment/house/school for my whole family? or we all just come together and do all house-hunting together?
2. which location in Halifax is relatively family-friendly and budget-friendly (e.g. $1000 per month)? near to public school, groceries shops/market, etc.
I believe we need few weeks until all our documents are ready as a "complete" PR and start the job hunting ;D
Your precious advice and experience sharing would be highly appreciated.
cheers

I would recommend using google to find an immigrant settlement agency in NS. They will be able to help you in a variety of ways, especially when it comes to job search strategies and transitioning your kids into public school. Canada has a lot of great FREE services for immigrants, so make sure to partner with an organization that provides help to immigrants for free.

 

[SinghLovCan]

www.isisns.ca/ just go there. They will even help you find a job. Good luck.

 

[SenoritaBella]

Please do not use craigslist. There have been so many horror stories.

Try www.kijiji.ca and always meet in a public place first (e.g. Tim Hortons, Starbucks). If you have to go see the house/apartment the person is renting out, make sure you go with a friend. Never go alone. Be sure to read the lease before signing so that you know your rights and responsibilities as a tenant. You can google, "Nova Scotia Residential Tenancy Act" for more information.

If you want a cheap option just for the first few days or weeks, you can search "YCMA on spring garden road - Halifax" or "International Hosteling on Barrington Street - Halifax".

I would avoid living in areas like Gottingen Street, Spryfield for safety reasons. You can find a nice place with affordable rent in the North end area(e.g. Quinpool Road, Robie Street, Oxford Street, etc); in the West End area (e.g. fairview, Clayton ParK, Bedford). These areas are on good bus routes and you can always call 902-490-4000 at anytime and ask the call centre agents which bus you need to take to go wherever.

There are a couple of agencies that help immigrants in addition to the one Singh listed like: ADAM, YMCA(has immigrant settlement programs, especially for families), Greater Halifax Partnership(can help with job leads).

Halifax is a beautiful city, lots to see(water, beaches, etc) and ofcourse, unpredictable weather at times (lol) but people are friendly. There is a Public Garden downtown, the Halifax Harbour, Immigration museum(at Pier 21), and many more historic sites. There is also a local farmers market every saturday starting at 7am(if you like fresh produce).

Welcome to Halifax and hope you enjoy your stay.

 

[waiwera]

REALLY appreciate all your kind advices, guys ;D ;D ;D

 

[ht711]

Hi Senorita Bella, could you guide, can i find survival jobs easily in Halifax, as my friend lives at Kent Street so in the beginning i will go there and then look for sharing apartment, i am landing in Halifax. Where to go and where to look for survival jobs and how to succeed, i hope you will answer all of em..appreciate.

 

[Sambisa Valley]

Apart from halifax, is there any other place in nova Scotia that has the prospect of job and affordable housing

 

[SenoritaBella]

Hi Ht711,

Sorry, I am just seeing your comment. Hope you arrived safely and was able to find a job. As a newcomer, the first step to job-hunting is tranforming your Resume/CV to the Canadian format. There are a number of formats, and a job counsellor (e.g. at YMCA, Employment Centres, etc) can help you with this as well as with putting your skills and qualifications in a way that easily understood by Canadian employers, etc.

Some websites are:
www.jobbank.gc.ca
www.careerbeacon.ca
www.careerbuilder.com or www.careerbuilder.ca
www.wowjobs.com
www.eluta.ca

Sometimes, "cold-calling" works in getting that first 'survival job'. Cold-calling is when you go from business to business, with copies of your resume/CV, telling them you are looking for work and ask if they have any opening or will do in the future. It's an opportunity to drop off your Resume/CV, and who knows you could get a job.
Hope this helps!

Hi Senorita Bella, could you guide, can i find survival jobs easily in Halifax, as my friend lives at Kent Street so in the beginning i will go there and then look for sharing apartment, i am landing in Halifax. Where to go and where to look for survival jobs and how to succeed, i hope you will answer all of em..appreciate.

 

[SenoritaBella]

Unfortunately, I don't have that information. You could check with Service Canada (or use the "workingincanada" tool) to see if they will have info on jobs/labor market in other places in NS.

Apart from halifax, is there any other place in nova Scotia that has the prospect of job and affordable housing

 

[Sambisa Valley]

Unfortunately, I don't have that information. You could check with Service Canada (or use the "workingincanada" tool) to see if they will have info on jobs/labor market in other places in NS.

Thank you

 

[bensonams]

GOOD ONE!


Please do use craigslist. There have been so many horror stories.

Try www.kijiji.ca and always meet in a public place first (e.g. Tim Hortons, Starbucks). If you have to go see the house/apartment the person is renting out, make sure you go with a friend. Never go alone. Be sure to read the lease before signing so that you know your rights and responsibilities as a tenant. You can google, "Nova Scotia Residential Tenancy Act" for more information.

If you want a cheap option just for the first few days or weeks, you can search "YCMA on spring garden road - Halifax" or "International Hosteling on Barrington Street - Halifax".

I would avoid living in areas like Gottingen Street, Spryfield for safety reasons. You can find a nice place with affordable rent in the North end area(e.g. Quinpool Road, Robie Street, Oxford Street, etc); in the West End area (e.g. fairview, Clayton ParK, Bedford). These areas are on good bus routes and you can always call 902-490-4000 at anytime and ask the call centre agents which bus you need to take to go wherever.

There are a couple of agencies that help immigrants in addition to the one Singh listed like: ADAM, YMCA(has immigrant settlement programs, especially for families), Greater Halifax Partnership(can help with job leads).

Halifax is a beautiful city, lots to see(water, beaches, etc) and ofcourse, unpredictable weather at times (lol) but people are friendly. There is a Public Garden downtown, the Halifax Harbour, Immigration museum(at Pier 21), and many more historic sites. There is also a local farmers market every saturday starting at 7am(if you like fresh produce).

Welcome to Halifax and hope you enjoy your stay.

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[Sambisa Valley]

Clayton Park vs Dartmouth which is better

 

[Sambisa Valley]

Anyone who stays in darthmouth