Young people flocking to Nova Scotia as population reaches 1 million milestone

The tides are changing in Nova Scotia — more young people moved to the Maritime province this year than in recent memory as the total population surpassed one million people for the first time.

During the second quarter of this year, Nova Scotia saw the second-highest population gain in the country for interprovincial migration at 4,678 people, behind only British Columbia, according to Statistics Canada.

The statistics show the three largest age groups for interprovincial migrants were 20-24, 25-29 and 30-34 between the fourth quarters of 2020 and 2021.

Those age groups made up about 41 per cent of the people who moved to the province during that time frame.

Rebekah Young, director of fiscal and provincial economics at Scotiabank, called the figures "unprecedented."

Although COVID-19 likely sped up people's plans to come to or return home to Nova Scotia, Young said it's a trend that predates the pandemic, underpinned by the strength of the province's growing economy.

"We saw people who were able to come and get jobs here," she said, adding that many have ties to the region, but others are drawn by the quality of life, and appear to be putting down roots.

"But we also saw things like work from home that enable people to come with their jobs."

The number of people who came to the province from Ontario was especially high — 9,970 people between the fourth quarter of 2020 and 2021. Many even purchased homes without ever having seen them in person.

Honeidah Windross, 37, is one of those newcomers. Windross, her husband and their three-year-old daughter recently moved to the small rural community of Centre Burlington, N.S., from Brampton, Ont.

Windross is originally from Mauritius, a small tropical island in the Indian Ocean. She said Nova Scotia reminds her of her home country, minus the snow.

"I just feel like I belong here and was meant to be here," said Windross in a recent phone interview. 

"The people are so friendly. It's not like in the city where you don't even know your neighbours. Here, you see the same people all the time, so you get friendly, and they are helpful."

She said the affordability of real estate and living near the ocean were huge draws. Her husband — who is originally from Newfoundland and Labrador — also wanted a rural lifestyle.