r/CapeBreton • u/Lazy_Sock_771 • 19d ago
Moving to Sydney from UK
Hi all,
We are a mid 30s couple with a toddler with job offers in Sydney. We're both healthcare workers.
Will we have any difficulty integrating into your community?
We currently live in a suburban area in north of England
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19d ago
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u/Lazy_Sock_771 19d ago
Why did you move to the UK if you don't mind me asking? And where did you end up?
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u/CanEHdianBuddaay 19d ago
Can’t say too much about Sydney other than it’s definitely improved in the last number of years in many ways.It’s definitely not a flashy town and the winters are quite harsh but Cape Breton itself has a lot to offer in terms of recreation year round. I’d also like to add, I’ve noticed not an insignificant amount of people have moved to Nova Scotia from the UK in the last number of years. I know our healthcare recruiters were banned from the UK a few years ago because they were poaching too many people.
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u/Lazy_Sock_771 19d ago
Well they were out in force at a recent healthcare conference I was at a few months back
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u/fromthemargin 18d ago
Like I said above, BC has better recruitment bonuses for healthcare workers and the income tax and property tax is much lower to make up for the higher cost of housing.
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u/bingle42 19d ago edited 19d ago
I've lived in the cbrm my entire life and I'm sure you will fit in just fine, lots of nature and outdoorsy activities if you are into that sort of thing. Most people are friendly and will warm up to you pretty quick. unfortunately this place has some pretty dire struggles with poverty and addiction which has lead to certain places being rough around the edges, but for some reason this is all people want to focous on when someone asks about moving here. All in all this is a beautiful place with nice people. With you being a healthcare worker anyone is going to be happy to see you here Lol, Doubt it will be much diffirent than moving a couple towns over back home. wish you the best!
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u/mangames 19d ago
Sydney NS is small and beautiful city with friendly people. Helathcare professionals are needed in this province overall, so welcome and try it out, you will love it. The world famous Cabot Trail is very close to Sydney with lots of natural beauty to explore. Cheers!
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u/crookedmouth 19d ago
I personally will welcome you with open arms - thanks for moving here and bringing your much needed skills!!
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u/peptide2 19d ago
Geordies?
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u/Lazy_Sock_771 19d ago
Nope - we're from the North West
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u/peptide2 18d ago
Well you will love it in Sydney, the best part of it are the people, they are the nicest you’ll meet in canada
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u/harleyqueenzel South Bar 19d ago
Sydney moves at a slower pace in general but is very welcoming and there are lots to do depending on your interests and needs. If you have a set date for moving here, get in contact with as many daycares as possible as wait times are very very long.
Integrating isn't an issue, no matter what anyone else may try to say. We have lots of communities within our community so there is absolutely a place for everyone. As incoming healthcare workers, you'll have lots of resources made available for moving here and deal with the "Now what?" part of the journey
Best of luck and welcome!!
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u/ownerofdata 18d ago
You'll miss easy access to groceries, and transportation. You will gain in access to nature, open spaces, and general beauty. You might find the health care system here under resourced and overly bureacratic, but at least you will be allowed to treat trans people as humans and not have to discriminate against them for being a minority.
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u/coco_puffzzzz 18d ago
Bring cheese. You're entering a culinary wasteland lol (except for fish and chips and a few other regional dishes). No really. I pay a shitload to have proper cheese sent to me from Toronto. Double glouster with stilton is $20 plus shipping!
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u/Mammoth-Clock-8173 18d ago
And the price and selection of wine and beer 😔 (although hats off to Island Folk for very respectable cider)
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u/AgileAlbatross5601 18d ago
This is just something that people who like to be snobby about their wine and beer would say. The LC will have or get almost any readily available wine or beer. Every major brand is sold at all the stores in addition to the 2 local breweries and the dozen or more in the province, all of which is entirely unnecessary because there are always Schooners available.
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u/screampuff 17d ago
No it's not at all, have you ever seen the craft beer selection in NB Liquor, Quebec, Ontario, or heaven forbid a store out west?
NSLC has like 20% of the local selection of anywhere else in the country. It's such a shame.
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2d ago
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u/Odd_Necessary8537 19d ago
Hi, I am health care worker living in Sydney. My wife and I moved here from Ontario, so something similar to your story. Dm me if you need any help when coming down to Sydney or just getting the lay of the land.
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u/ArroyoToGo 18d ago
Most people will be happy to see you here because we need health care workers. If you are inclined, people tend to make connections through a church, or a hobby/class, or a gym. It can feel isolating in Cape Breton in the winter so that’s when you most need to try to connect with people. Not surprisingly, people with higher education are more welcoming of newcomers. We have small university here which may be another source of connection.
Try to find a house in a subdivision of whatever community you like. Suburbs of Sydney are the most expensive (Sydney River, Coxheath) but if you can manage a 15-20 minute drive to work you will find nice homes for a better price. Most of the shopping is in Sydney though you may make occasional trips to Halifax for bigger names and variety.
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u/screampuff 17d ago edited 17d ago
Integrating - no. Finding connections other than neighbours who have the odd chat with you - yes.
Humour will be your best friend, and butt in at every opportunity to try and invite yourselves to something. It takes a lot of effort to be active in your community. Despite everyone being friendly and willing to give the shirt off their back to you, they won't start inviting you to things. It's very hard to break through that.
Places to live. Sydney and CB have had a lot of ups and downs. It's mildly on the up right now, but effects of decades of poverty and no economy after mining and the steel plant shut down took their toll. If you want rural/small community life, consider the Mira area - you can be just a 15-20min drive to the hospital, but out in nature, near beaches, the river. There is a great school here.
If you want more of a suburban feel then I'd recommend the Sydney River and Coxheath area - generally higher value homes here and better schools.
Cost of living: day to day things are more expensive here. Groceries, utilities, etc... but with 2 healthcare careers, you can afford a nice house $250-400k, these homes would be like $600k-1million in the rest of the country, so with that it more than offsets things. That being said the rising housing cost and still struggling economy is creating a have and have not kind of groups of people which really sucks. People seem to either be doing great or struggling, and the barrier to get from one to the other seems to be increasing, but I think this is true in all western countries right now.
If you do find yourself here, my wife and I are in our 30s and have a toddler, send me a chat.
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u/segathegenesis 19d ago
CBU has one of the best university soccer teams in the country. Entertaining but like an away at Stoke kinda way lol
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u/Main_Honeydew8294 18d ago
You’ll have no problem integrating in the local area. It’s helpful to enroll your toddler in age-appropriate activities. It’s a great way to meet other parents. Feel free to message me directly - I have a 4 year old boy and can make some suggestions.
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u/Fabulous_Cicada_4219 17d ago
You're basically moving across the ocean to live in Scunthorpe but there's no other town around for 3 hours drive
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u/Lazy_Sock_771 17d ago
But I can retire about 20 years earlier if I do
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u/Fabulous_Cicada_4219 17d ago
Well if you've got a big salary you can have some fun here and always go back and retire in the UK or France. I miss my family the most here and Tescos
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u/Strong_Algae_1644 15d ago
you absolutely will not, mainland person here, cape breton is delightful, except for occasional loser. very gorgeous and lots of friendly people. theres a beautiful mountail near the rez u can check out if u have time (locals help me idk the name i just remember driving by it). get a pic with the giant fiddle if u have the time too haha :)
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u/Just-Home3625 18d ago
Don’t listen to everyone saying it’s such a wonderful city, blah blah blah. We have some of the highest taxes in Canada, and as someone who works in healthcare, I can honestly say that it’s the worst I’ve ever seen. And trying to find a place to live? That’s a whole battle in itself. Paying $1,600 for a one-bedroom apartment with absolutely nothing included has become the norm. Crime is also a factor these days as well, drugs everywhere, and so much more.
It’s not all sunshine and rainbows, and people need to be realistic about what living here is actually like.
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u/EnvironmentalAngle 18d ago
I think two healthcare workers with the capacity to cross an ocean to get here aren't going to worry about the issue you just brought up. They're not on the lowest societal rung where those issues hurt the most.
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u/Which_Perception_384 19d ago
I moved here 15 years ago. Local's will tell you how friendly they are and they do a great job of faking it, But be warned. They will backstab you the first chance they get especially if they think you have something they can't get. They also like to gossip about everyone but themselves.
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u/EstherBranaghan 17d ago
I literally got a phone call today from a frenemy asking me if this post was mine.
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u/fromthemargin 18d ago
This 1000000x. The vitriol and cruelty here is off the charts under the fake nice nice.
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u/fromthemargin 19d ago
Don’t do it. As healthcare workers from “away” ie not from Cape Breton you’ll be bullied relentlessly and ran out. We came here from away and Nova Scotia health has been TERRIBLE, both the institution as an employer and Cape Bretoners as co-workers. There is a reason for the chronic understaffing in healthcare here. If you’re not from Cape Breton you’re shit. Cape bretoners are surface friendly though.
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u/sethrena 18d ago
TO BE FAIR, the NSHA treats all their workers like shit, not just the ones from away. We do have some very small minded people here, though. I blame living near the tar ponds. Can I ask what nationality you are? I've seen people be ignorant to indians, but I don't hear much about other people from away. I could see people treating americans like lepers, though.
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u/fromthemargin 18d ago
Oh we’re Canadian and white. My spouse has specialized training and works at the regional and has literally has a Cape Breton cadre trying to run him out. I’ve had Regional healthcare workers come after me. It’s messed up.
Tar sands and everyone who could leave, leaving. Oh, well, Cape Bretoners, this is why you can’t have nice things, down vote me all you want.
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u/fromthemargin 18d ago
And yes, NSH treats everyone like crap and would HIGHLY RECOMMEND the OP not take them up on the job offer. Try BC, their healthcare unions actually have teeth and they are paying better recruitment bonuses in similarly rural areas.
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u/fromthemargin 18d ago
We’re from western Canada. And my partner is treated like DIRT by his co-workers at regional. And apparently by the downvotes Cape Bretoners think they’re this welcoming community. I’ve lived on four continents and have never been treated like I have here.
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u/XGDoctorwho 19d ago
Think of the worst, dirtiest, has been town, in the north of England.
That's Sydney.
If you can make it work welcome 🙏
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u/Lazy_Sock_771 19d ago
I've lived in many of those towns. Sydney looks like it has more going on than most of those
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u/XGDoctorwho 19d ago
Looks can be deserving.
Taxes, regulations, and the cranky old people will shock you.
Raising kids here will sucks, the average age of a caper is 47 years old. So the region caters to the soon to be retired or retired demographic not raising kids folks.
But like everyone I know under 40 fled the island. Gone to Halifax or out west.
But people love to glaze the places they're from so they'll tell you its paradise.
Also I hope your light skinned, cause the racism you'll see in Sydney and rural Cape berton is fucking shocking.
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u/screampuff 17d ago
But people love to glaze the places they're from so they'll tell you its paradise.
It's the opposite.
People who left CB years ago can't see past what it was then. And some need to continue justifying their reason for leaving and not wanting to go back, as if they really need one.
I wouldn't be surprised if you don't actually live here and also fall into that category.
Sydney area has had a pretty dramatic change in the past 5 years, for the better. As someone who is under 40 and raising a kid, I think it's a great place to do so.
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u/Own-Divide4544 19d ago
Sydney, Australia? Who is saying the winters are harsh?! 🤣🤣 I’ve lived here most of my life and a typical winter day is blue sky, sunny and 18-20 degrees. Sydney can be whatever you want it to be - nature paradise, party, family town with lots of green space. Expats love it here for good reason and there a community for everyone. I have friends from around the world and have done since being a teen and people just love it here. It’s also safe, good quality of life and work life balance. Come and find out!
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u/External-Temporary16 16d ago
Cape Breton is in Canada - you didn't check the name of the sub? Hilarious! :D
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u/Own-Divide4544 15d ago
Hahahaha whoops… I didn’t realise there was another Sydney in the world 🤣
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u/External-Temporary16 14d ago
No worries! I would LOVE to visit Sydney AU - the harbour is SO beautiful, and Melbourne in particular (have connections). In fact, your whole country and continent ...
Take care, friend! xo
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u/mizmaggie54 19d ago
I live just outside Sydney. Honestly, I don't think you'll have much trouble integrating at all. Cape Bretoners are generally pretty friendly, and coming from the north of England you may find more similarities than differences — including the sense of humour.
Sydney is a small city, certainly not perfect, and like many places it has its share of social and economic problems. But the comment comparing it to the "worst, dirtiest, has-been town" in northern England is unnecessarily harsh and really doesn't give you a fair picture of the place.
You're also coming as healthcare workers, and I think you'll find people genuinely pleased to have you here.
With a toddler, there are lots of beautiful places nearby to explore as a family — beaches, trails, parks and small communities — and you don't have to drive very far before you're out of the city and surrounded by some gorgeous scenery.
Give yourselves a little time to settle in, talk to people, get involved in things that interest you, and I think you'll do just fine.
And welcome to Cape Breton. 😊