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Annapolis Valley, Nova Scotia
Reviewer: Tim Smith | See all reviews by Tim Smith
Section: Hippie Havens | Category: Place | Area: Canada | Topic: Hippiedom
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I've travelled high and low across Canada to find 'paradise', and the Annapolis Valley in Nova Scotia has loads of organic farms and many back-to-land hippies probably due to the cheap older heritage homes for sale in the region. They're practically giving these homes away. Bear River in 'the Valley' as they say is known as a funky arts and environmental hang-out. The Annapolis Valley has stunning scenery, and the mildest weather in Eastern Canada. Forget about the Eastern shore of Nova Scotia - really conservative. The West Coast along the Bay of Fundy is more liberal and the vegetation more lush with green forested hills and farmland (and in some places along the Fundy shore, you'll even find turquoise tinted waters).
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Visitor Comments about Annapolis Valley, Nova Scotia
Posted by Tom on 2008-03-07 03:59:22
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Comment: Hi Sue,
We just bought 15 acres lakefront on top of a hill at about 300 ft ASL. Heavily wooded, for $25K. 15 minutes from Digby (hospital, WalMart etc). I know there are 2 lakefront lots left. If you want details you can E-mail me at Thomas.Baldwin@pwc.ca and I can send you the cotact.
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Posted by on 2008-02-03 04:33:06
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Comment: Hi Sue frm NH
I''ve lived in the Annapolis Valley all my life. This is a great place to live and there are definately areas with treed acreage, 24 hour hospitals, vets, no pollution, etc. The Valley itself is nestled in between our North and South mountains where people have had success growing many different crops, such as grapes, hemp, apples, etc. Send me an email at cmeister@eastlink.ca and I can give you more info and answer any other questions you may have.
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Posted by sue from nh usa on 2008-01-21 14:30:57
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Comment: hello, reading this is all very helpful to me as we need to get out of usa due to all the horrible politics. we would like to move to canada but have a few concerns. we do not want to be near any pollution of any kind, including commercial farms etc, need to be near a 24 hour hospital and also vet for our 3 dogs, want to be in progressive community being i am a musician and partner is artist. looking to be in the mountains/hills on high ground. looking for treed acres and if possible century home or replica.
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Posted by Tom on 2008-01-20 20:55:43
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Comment: Hi there,
Just stumbled across this page and thought that someone might have a bit of guidance for me.
My wife and I are mid 40s and have just purchased 15 acres of woodland in Digby County, outside of the reaches of town. Access is by private road, and no electricity or phone lines close. We originally from NS but careers have brought us to Montreal.
The idea is that eventually, over the next 10-15 yrs we will be buiding our off the grid, solar - wind self-sustainable retirement home.
We will be starting by spending our vacations camping on the property and clearing the dead wood for use in building and then expanding.
My question is where can I find out how far I before I need a building permit. Can I , for example, build a "pioneer camp" structure with no utilities up to 200 square feet without a permit. Can I drag a mobile home onto the property to use as a > building etc. I can not seem to find any guidance on this anywhere.
Any help would be appreciated.
Thanks
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Posted by JULIAN on 2007-04-28 07:44:19
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Comment: Thanks for posting the information Trevor. My partner and I are heading out to the maritimes this july to investigate land and homes. You mentioned St Andrews in NB. What do you know about St. stephens in NB? Anything at all?
thak you
Julian
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Posted by rainysaturday on 2007-03-31 03:27:32
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Comment: Hi:
I was really happy to read this review and all the comments that followed. My partner and I are anticipating a trip to NS in Sept 07 to check out the area for a possible move. We are political prisoners of the extreme right here in the States. It is very very sad.
My questions is this. I am a veterinarian, and she is a kick-ass craftsman, and I am wondering if there is a shortage or plethora of vets in the NS province. Have any of you ever found yourselves wishing, "Man I wish I didn''t have to drive an hour to see my vet." or "Man, I wish my vet wore jeans and birkies instead of this stiff white coat that freaks my dog out." If so, please let me know.
Also, we''re looking for some places to stay while touring. Any good hostels, b and b''s or homeswap info would be much appreciated. Thanks and grreeeaaat forum!
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Posted by Trevor on 2007-03-11 19:25:48
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Comment: Hi Rachael,
It is easy to build a sustainable home anywhere in rural Atlantic Canada - the building codes are minimal on the outskirts of towns. That said, there are plenty of old farm houses around with acreage - why not fix up an older home? - it is a lot cheaper to buy a century farmhouse, and fix it up than build a new one from scratch. Please see www.mls.ca In fact, on average, it costs about twice to three times as much to build new than to buy an existing home of similiar size. If you search carefully, you can find a home with acreage in a decent location for under $50,000. You might also want to consider extending your search into the two other neighbouring Maritime Provinces: New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island. In my experience, the following areas are liberal (with a notable left-wing presence): St. Andrews to St. John, Hampton, Sussex (Sussex to a lesser extent, but worth a visit - great health food store and beautiful area), Shediac, and Moncton, New Brunswick. With a strong French influence (although everyone speaks English as well), Shediac and Moncton have consistently voted liberal. Shediac is officially the most left-wing town in the Maritimes with the majority voting for the socialist NDP and liberal parties. Other than the towns I mention, the rest of New Brunswick is more conservative. Prince Edward Island is definitely worth a visit - it has absolutely stunning beaches, and gorgeous old farmsteads going for next to nothing. It has long attracted a newcomer. You should see the review about PEI on this site under hippy havens. It''s very accurate. PEI has better funded and more accessible services than rural Nova Scotia with shorter travel distances (the Island is quite compact with everything nearby). You''ll be hard pressed to find any extreme or aggressive conservativism in the Canadian Maritimes (you''d have to go out West to Alberta to find a conservativism comparable to southern FL) - even the conservatives in Canada try to make themselves appear liberal, as most Canadians dislike hard conservative politics. For example, in a recent poll, it was revealed that over 80% of Canadians accept some sort of same-sex union with social benefits for gays/lesbians like the rest of Canadians. Any dispute is centred around the word marriage, and even then, a majority accept gay and lesbian marriage. It is a very progressive country (a giant Berkeley in many respects). As to the Annapolis Valley, I wouldn''t bother with any towns other than the hamlets bordering Annapolis Royal (summer town) and Wolfville (year-round town). Neighbouring Bear River is also interesting, but not as lively as Annapolis Royal in the summer. Nearby Digby is another thought, but a tad more mainstream than artsy Annapolis Royal. There are tons of Americans throughout the Maritimes. As to the climate, it depends on what you plan to grow. Prince Edward Island, of course, is a very well-known agricultural region famous for its potatoes, blueberries, strawberries, diary, cattle, and grains (in addition to Barley and Alfalfa, a large soy bean market is developing on the Island). PEI is the only province to have regulated a mimimum of a three year crop rotation for sustainability purposes. Many farmers do a four year rotation. Pesticides have also been strictly regulated due to public outcries with most farmers on the Eastern side of the Island using at least IPM strategies. There is a PEI Organic Producers Association. The Annapolis Valley is well-known for its fruit trees, and particularly, it''s apples. I am not sure about the farming regulations in the region - you might contact the Ministry of Agriculture in Nova Scotia... The southern part of New Brunswick which I describe above is very well-known for its dairy farms. In terms of plant zones, the coastal areas of the Maritimes range from a 5b to a 6b (with various microclimates that in certain instances, i.e. a sheltered harbour, can result in a 7a). The growing season, at the moment, ranges from May to October (but, climate change noticeably extended the season this past year, and will likely redefine the growing season in the future). If you want more info on plant zones, google "Atlas of Canada" + "plant zones". If you do plan to tour the Maritimes which is very pleasant anytime between June and October, I would suggest that you map out and visit the following places which are not all that far from one another (I list them in no particular order to visit other than geographic proximity):
- St. Andrews by the Sea is located right on the border of Maine, and so you might want to start by visiting...
- St. Andrew''s, St. John, Hampton, Sussex, Moncton (very liberal), Shediac (a very liberal summer town), New Brunswick;
- A new bridge connects New Brunswick to PEI...
- Central and northeastern Prince Edward Island near the city of Charlottetown (a liberal voting city) - the northeast shore beaches around Greenwich are gorgeous (on www.mls.ca see Charlottetown, Anne''s Land, Bays & Dunes, & Hills & Harbours);
- A ferry connects Woods Islands, PEI (Hills & Harbours) to Nova Scotia...
- Cape Breton Island near Baddeck (a liberal voting area) and Louisburg, Nova Scotia (moderately liberal or very liberal if you compare it to southern Florida), as well as Wolfville, and Annapolis Royal (a summer town - very liberal);
- A ferry connects Digby or Yarmouth (near Annapolis Royal) to Maine...
All of these areas have liberal voters, and have back-to-the-landers (especially in comparison to Florida which makes eastern Canada seem incredibly liberal). I would not waste your time looking at other towns or areas in the Maritimes - as a leftist, hippy and green, I can say you would be wasting your time. My partner and I did a thorough tour of the Maritimes in search of property, wild spaces, and alternative people. A few other placves... Tatamagouche, Nova Scotia is quite alternative, but its people struggle to get by (but interestingly, it has a LETSystem). Woodstock, New Brunswick is a small, pretty loyalist town with gorgeous old-world character homes and architecture - very New Englandy - but it''s not very friendly (worth a brief day visit though, if you are near the friendlier city of Fredericton which like Woodstock has a mix of liberals and small ''c'' conservatives). Halifax, Nova Scotia is extremely liberal, and almost always votes for the NDP - next to Moncton, it is the most left-wing city in the Maritimes. It had a large anti-Bush protest when Bush came to Canada. It is also the largest city in the region. Bye the way, if you want relatively temperate weather, then all the above towns are fine (with the exception of Woodstock, Fredericton, and Moncton which have slightly more continental climates as a consequence of being more inland). And, as to safety, most people leave their doors unlocked in the Maritimes (probably because of the ''one for all and all for one'' collective philosophy that permeates Atlantic Canada) - the crime rate is lowest in Eastern Canada and rises as you move Westward with British Columbia and the Yukon having the highest rates in the country (with also, in my opinion, the greatest individualism, and visible divisions between the rich and the poor).
For peace in nature,
Trevor
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Posted by Mark on 2007-02-25 04:10:55
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Comment: Just moved to Wolfville from Toronto, one of the best moves I have ever made... but have to agree, there are not many good paying jobs for younger people such as myself.
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Posted by Sarahsan on 2007-02-24 17:09:09
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Comment: My husban and i met on the north montain (Ralf camp ground).
and we went traveling together .now we have two daughter and we whant to move back to the valley.We found a place in Shelburne .
We are moving in may.
My mother inlaw says it is a bad idea because ther is no job in N.S
someone tell me that is crap .I now it is not land of opertunaty but come on there must be some thing out there for us right.
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Posted by sarahsan on 2007-02-24 16:57:22
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Comment: hi if you are kooking to bild green ,stawbale houses are the best
low cost bilding and renewable resorses straw. that is the way to go
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Posted by Rachael on 2007-02-03 17:49:22
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Comment: Thanks for this great info! I am looking at the Annapolis Valley, Greenwood, Wolfville area to buy acerage. I have an organic farm in SoFL and we are looking for a northern spot. How easy is it to build a sustainable home (small) on your property? In FL the building codes are strict and building of any kindincluding green building is really exspensive. Any info on building alternative dwellings or relocating in the area would be much appreicated. Also, can anyone who is native to the area give me a good idea of the weather/growing season info?
Much thanks
rachael
princessrae29@yahoo.com
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Posted by Sharona on 2006-12-21 17:32:11
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Comment: I am from the Annapolis Valley, and although the area often elects a Conservative MP, the people are very open minded and fair. It seems to me that most people in the Valley are judged by their deeds not by their "category." Now there is not a lot of diversity, and the language is not always PC, but people are generally very welcoming and kind.
The current MP for Kings-Hants is openly gay, and he is well liked and the people defend him by citing the good things he has done, and what he wants to do.
To be sure, in my view, there are three observable major cultural groups in the Valley. There are the old families who came from either the Acadians, the Scottish, the Planters, the Loyalists, or other smaller periods of immigration. A lot of these old families went back and forth to New England over the years and there are a lot of cultural similaries with the hard working, Protestant Yankees. Many of the people in the Valley can trace their families back to the mid 1700''s. Most of these people are Protestants, and many of these are Baptist or United Baptist.
Then there are the folks who came due to the Greenwood Airforce Base. This is a melting pot of people from all over Canada. It seems that the only French speaking non-Acadian people in the Valley come via the base. The base also helps a bit with religious diversity as a good portion of some of the Catholic churches in the middle of the Valley come from the base.
Then there are the "back to the landers," draft dodgers and hippies who came to the Valley from the States during the 60''s and 70''s, mostly for cheap land and relative freedom from government. This group found many kindred spirits amoung the left leaning academics at Acadia University (a truly marvelous school) and the farmers/fishermen/woodsmen who make their living from the land and share similar values.
There have been some other groups that have come in over the years which really add to the richness of the Valley, for example, Dutch farmers, some British farmers, and a few Maroons and a few people that came via the underground railway. Some have stayed, and some have moved on to other areas.
There are great natural food shops, small organic farms, and farmers markets all through the valley. The other great thing are the stands at the farms and by folk''s driveways with produce from their gardens, orchards, blueberry & raspberry bushes and maple trees. Often the price is marked and a box is left to take your money on the "honour" system. My Mom had such a box for years and she was never ripped off. Keep your eyes open for signs for fresh eggs - sooooo much better than from a store. Just from the top of my head, there is a great farmer''s market in Annapolis Royal on the weekends, you have to try Hennigar''s right outside of Wolfville, Scotian Gold for everything apple, and there are good natural food shops in Wolfville and Greenwood.
There is a good, but small, music scene. If you ever hear of a meeting of the "Fundy Folk" be sure to go!
The Annapolis Valley is a great place, the only sad thing is that there are not many good paying jobs for the younger people. The vast majority of my friends that went to university, from the Valley, now live outside of Nova Scotia (Calgary, Fort McMurray, Montreal, Vancouver, Toronto, Ottawa, various US cities). The ones who stayed went into the family business or largely got low paying jobs.
Good luck!
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Posted by Kelly on 2006-04-11 11:54:37
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Comment: It''s my first visit to your website. After just a quick browse, I''m really impressed!
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Posted by John on 2005-12-21 05:59:01
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Comment: Re. Vegan: Yes, many vegans - try Bear River or better yet artsy Annapolis Royal, NS where there is a great health food store.
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Posted by Mary on 2005-10-23 01:58:47
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Comment: Bev, Best to travel around the Annapolis Valley and see for yourself - the whole region is starting to draw attention from the alternative community in Canada. It''s a dreamy, peaceful place. See www.mls.ca
Mary
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Posted by Alastair on 2005-08-23 22:32:59
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Comment: I feel the vibe man, I live here. Wolfville is one of the hippist towns in the reigon, great arts culture, very open-minded people
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Posted by Bev on 2005-08-04 22:54:35
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Comment: What about little towns in the interior of Annapolis County? What''s the funky/organic/liberal quotient there? There are inexpensive properties around places like Springfield and I''m wondering if we''d fit in.
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Posted by rivera on 2005-07-19 02:30:47
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Comment: i lived in the valley for 11 years.(best place ever) but i recently moved to ontario (work) every minute i''m here i''m missing the sea and the farm lands. n.s your always in my heart. i know on day i''ll be comming back. :)
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Posted by Michelle on 2005-03-02 01:50:32
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Comment: Nova Scotia is amazing... I live in the valley and it is so pretty. If you ever have the chance to visit, do it!!!!
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