General Updates and News

[ILoveHalifax]

Originally Posted by Drybrain

I just had a long Twitter conversation with a guy convinced that Halifax is a pit of economic ruin and a terrible place to be a job seeker. he was not convinced by my arguments to the contrary, even when I pointed out that the unemployment and labour-market participation rate was better than any of the country's biggest cities, median incomes are higher, etc.

There seems to be a deep thread of incorrigible pessimism that some people simply refuse to shake, imagining that if they moved to TO/Van they'd be rolling in job offers and money. Facts and perception are often deeply out of sync.

Anyway, I hope you're right, but McNeil has made a big fuss about being the premier who understands rural Nova Scotia, etc.--which is important, but let's hope he understands how important it is to foster the Maritimes' most important urban centre as well.

I don't believe it has to be one or the other.
If McNeil understands rural NS hopefully he will work hard to make things work in rural NS.
He can also understand more than one thing and I hope he has a great understanding of our city.
If we all work together we could compliment each other.

[Drybrain]

Originally Posted by ILoveHalifax

I don't believe it has to be one or the other.
If McNeil understands rural NS hopefully he will work hard to make things work in rural NS.
He can also understand more than one thing and I hope he has a great understanding of our city.
If we all work together we could compliment each other.

I don't think it has to be one or the other either--ideally both regions thrive and complement one another. I'm just worried that politicians find it easier to pander by pitting region against region, instead of working for everyone.

Too early to make a judgement on McNeil though. Optimism.

[counterfactual]

Originally Posted by Drybrain

I don't think it has to be one or the other either--ideally both regions thrive and complement one another. I'm just worried that politicians find it easier to pander by pitting region against region, instead of working for everyone.

Too early to make a judgement on McNeil though. Optimism.

I think the difference, is that unlike the NDP, the Liberals have considerable strength outside HRM.

Why that makes a difference, is that Dexter/NDP were so desperate to develop a base outside HRM, that they IMHO, threw Halifax under the bus to pander to voters outside the city.

The Liberals, on the other hand, will want to cement their gains in Halifax. That means, more attention to Halifax issues.

[IanWatson]

Originally Posted by Drybrain

There seems to be a deep thread of incorrigible pessimism that some people simply refuse to shake, imagining that if they moved to TO/Van they'd be rolling in job offers and money. Facts and perception are often deeply out of sync.

I wonder if this perception has anything to do with the fact that Halifax has a very high proportion of university students. I have zero data to back this hypothesis up, but could it be that Halifax does have a shortage in jobs available to people with a post-secondary degree and no experience? Any city can only absorb so many entry-level workers per year no matter what the field of study. Since we have so many universities in relation to population, perhaps we're just creating too many new graduates for this region to support; some of them will have to move away to get a few years of experience. I don't have any opinion on whether this is a good or a bad thing, but maybe it's an explanation for the pessimism despite an overall good job climate here.

[Drybrain]

Originally Posted by IanWatson

I wonder if this perception has anything to do with the fact that Halifax has a very high proportion of university students. I have zero data to back this hypothesis up, but could it be that Halifax does have a shortage in jobs available to people with a post-secondary degree and no experience? Any city can only absorb so many entry-level workers per year no matter what the field of study. Since we have so many universities in relation to population, perhaps we're just creating too many new graduates for this region to support; some of them will have to move away to get a few years of experience. I don't have any opinion on whether this is a good or a bad thing, but maybe it's an explanation for the pessimism despite an overall good job climate here.

Maybe, that's interesting. But I think it's more culturally ingrained than that (I say this as a non-native Bluenoser, so maybe I have no place in making character judgements...) It's a province with a long history of goin' down the road, so I think there's almost a disbelief that it may not be necessary.

I wonder how many university students in Halifax are local? I always figured most were from out of province or out of country, in which case it makes sense that most would treat Hali as a college town and go back home after graduation. We don't need to retain all of those--just a strong fraction.

[Jonovision]

The Dalhousie Student Union redesign has been released.

It won't let me link the renderings. But its all on the gazettes page. http://dalgazette.com/featured/sub-to-receive-10-million-renovation/

[ns_kid]

Originally Posted by Drybrain

There seems to be a deep thread of incorrigible pessimism that some people simply refuse to shake, imagining that if they moved to TO/Van they'd be rolling in job offers and money. Facts and perception are often deeply out of sync.

Yours is a thought-provoking post, and speaks to a continuing aggravation of mine. Many have accepted the myth that the region is an economic basket case, that there are no jobs, and that the city is unsafe. The reality is far different. Halifax persistently has one of the lowest unemployment rates of any eastern Canadian city, one of the best-educated workforces and one of the lowest crime rates. Of course it doesn't help when we have self-serving politicans who publicly proclaim that our economy is on a par with that of bankrupt Greece. Or by journalists, like the intrepid Mr. Bousquet, who insist that we uppity Nova Scotians should know our place and happily accept our lot as cooperative fishmongers. These notions feed a culture of defeat (yes, I'm appropriating King Steve's unfortunate turn-of-phrase) that we need to be much more aggressive in countering.

[Drybrain]

Originally Posted by ns_kid

Yours is a thought-provoking post, and speaks to a continuing aggravation of mine. Many have accepted the myth that the region is an economic basket case, that there are no jobs, and that the city is unsafe. The reality is far different. Halifax persistently has one of the lowest unemployment rates of any eastern Canadian city, one of the best-educated workforces and one of the lowest crime rates. Of course it doesn't help when we have self-serving politicans who publicly proclaim that our economy is on a par with that of bankrupt Greece. Or by journalists, like the intrepid Mr. Bousquet, who insist that we uppity Nova Scotians should know our place and happily accept our lot as cooperative fishmongers. These notions feed a culture of defeat (yes, I'm appropriating King Steve's unfortunate turn-of-phrase) that we need to be much more aggressive in countering.

Ding ding ding ding. This.

Some people seem to refuse any suggestion that things are not in an irreversible downward spiral, which makes me wonder how they even get through the day. Good employment figures in HRM? Useless government jobs. Annual crime decreases? All the young criminal-age people are moving away. Etc.

There's a vocal strain of folks who will simply not brook any positivity, and unfortunately, that's fed by the media--like the Chronicle Herald reporting on a dozen "layoffs" at a local KFCs. There's a nervous economy-watching here that pounces on even the slightest of bad news.

[OldDartmouthMark]

Originally Posted by Drybrain

Ding ding ding ding. This.

Some people seem to refuse any suggestion that things are not in an irreversible downward spiral, which makes me wonder how they even get through the day. Good employment figures in HRM? Useless government jobs. Annual crime decreases? All the young criminal-age people are moving away. Etc.

There's a vocal strain of folks who will simply not brook any positivity, and unfortunately, that's fed by the media--like the Chronicle Herald reporting on a dozen "layoffs" at a local KFCs. There's a nervous economy-watching here that pounces on even the slightest of bad news.

This is a classic case of the vocal few appearing to speak for the masses. I've lived here all my life and can't really say I know anybody who thinks in these exaggerated negative terms.

But, you get one self-appointed expert proclaiming it on Twitter or Frank Magazine or whatever, and it appears to the unknowing that there is an overwhelming feeling of Nova Scotia being a "culture of defeat". Frankly, I don't see it, but maybe I just travel in the "wrong" circles...

[Drybrain]

Originally Posted by OldDartmouthMark

This is a classic case of the vocal few appearing to speak for the masses. I've lived here all my life and can't really say I know anybody who thinks in these exaggerated negative terms.

But, you get one self-appointed expert proclaiming it on Twitter or Frank Magazine or whatever, and it appears to the unknowing that there is an overwhelming feeling of Nova Scotia being a "culture of defeat". Frankly, I don't see it, but maybe I just travel in the "wrong" circles...

It's something I notice largely in the media as compared with other places...and expats. I know a girl in Toronto who grew up in Cole Harbour and was fond of repeating to any and all listeners that anyone with any ambition has to leave NS.

I do think it's a minority, but they sure get airtime.

[OldDartmouthMark]

Originally Posted by Drybrain

It's something I notice largely in the media as compared with other places...and expats. I know a girl in Toronto who grew up in Cole Harbour and was fond of repeating to any and all listeners that anyone with any ambition has to leave NS.

I do think it's a minority, but they sure get airtime.

It's sad, but keep in mind that each province has their negative stereotypes held by people of other provinces. I try not to put too much weight on inaccurate negative opinions portrayed by the "media" or otherwise either.

The girl you know from CH is simply showing her ignorance rather than stating "fact".

[someone123]

It's really noticeable when you go from NS to another province. A given level of prosperity tends to be described much more negatively in NS than elsewhere.

Sometimes the overly rosy outlook of other places comes off as naïve and folksy to me ("another Wal-Mart! Look out New York!"), but the NS negativity is bad too. I think a lot of people from other places have unrealistically low impressions of the province because of this, for example. People not used to the negativity think they're getting normal feedback but that the place is just awful.

[Antigonish]

Originally Posted by someone123

It's really noticeable when you go from NS to another province. A given level of prosperity tends to be described much more negatively in NS than elsewhere.

Sometimes the overly rosy outlook of other places comes off as naïve and folksy to me ("another Wal-Mart! Look out New York!"), but the NS negativity is bad too. I think a lot of people from other places have unrealistically low impressions of the province because of this, for example. People not used to the negativity think they're getting normal feedback but that the place is just awful.

I hear it a lot out here in Alberta. Despite how pessimistic I may come across as, sometimes I try and set the record straight and let people know there are opportunities in Nova Scotia. It's simply a matter of how hard will you work and how patient will you be to finally get something?

I'll admit I took the easy way out and moved to where the money was. Don't regret it though.

[Drybrain]

I might add that the aforementioned girl from Cole Harbour left an okay job in Halifax to skip from precarious gig to gig in Toronto, eventually landing a crappy full-time job she was subsequently laid off from. So: perception counts for a lot, even in the fact of reality.

[Hali87]

Originally Posted by IanWatson

I have zero data to back this hypothesis up, but could it be that Halifax does have a shortage in jobs available to people with a post-secondary degree and no experience?

I think this is a big part of it. Employers here seem to be looking for experience, though I'm not sure how common that is elsewhere. I would guess that it's quite competitive for entry-level jobs given the high number of graduates being churned out each year. There are lots of students from Ontario, but I think the majority of university/NSCC students are from NS, though I could be wrong.

[OldDartmouthMark]

Originally Posted by someone123

It's really noticeable when you go from NS to another province. A given level of prosperity tends to be described much more negatively in NS than elsewhere.

Sometimes the overly rosy outlook of other places comes off as naïve and folksy to me ("another Wal-Mart! Look out New York!"), but the NS negativity is bad too. I think a lot of people from other places have unrealistically low impressions of the province because of this, for example. People not used to the negativity think they're getting normal feedback but that the place is just awful.

I guess when I travel to other parts of the country the only people I talk to from NS are those with whom I'm traveling. I work with people from all over the world, so tend not to feel so centralized I suppose.

The people that I associate with who are from here tend to be fairly positive, strong-willed and resilient people, and those with whom I have contact with on a daily basis seem pretty upbeat and positive as well (i.e. retail staff, restaurant staff, delivery people, truck drivers, law enforcement officers, farmers, winemakers, etc. basically everybody with a few exceptions). I also often hear from tourists how impressed they are with the friendliness, courtesy and kindness that they are met with when they visit here... again, belying the negative impression of bluenosers that is being focused on here.

Perhaps if I were to visit the oil fields I might have a different impression? Not sure, but is that what I'm picking up here?

Ah well... regardless on how it's perceived, there is a lot of prosperity here and I find it a completely enjoyable place in which to live. I've been offered jobs in other parts of the world but remain here by choice.

I have noticed that many people from western provinces appear to have a negative view of Martimers, so perhaps that of which you speak is the origin of this negativity. Not sure, but I don't put much value in it regardless.

[OldDartmouthMark]

Originally Posted by Hali87

I think this is a big part of it. Employers here seem to be looking for experience, though I'm not sure how common that is elsewhere. I would guess that it's quite competitive for entry-level jobs given the high number of graduates being churned out each year. There are lots of students from Ontario, but I think the majority of university/NSCC students are from NS, though I could be wrong.

That is my impression as well. There are great universities all over the country, so I don't think there is a great need for students to travel to NS to attend university when they have good choices closer to home.

I believe there are quite a few students from other countries attending NS universities, but have no stats to back it up.

Regarding the situation of unemployed graduates, there was a show aired on the CBC recently which covered this phenomenon, but they were focusing a lot on students from the west. I believe this is country-wide, though, in that companies don't want to invest in training entry-level employees only to have their investment move off to another company once this experience is attained. This has to end somewhere, though, as obviously it will become an extremely dysfunctional system if graduates are not able to gain actual workplace experience... it's easy to see where it will end.

[someone123]

Dalhousie used to be, and may still be, over 50% out of province students. In the Vancouver area, even undergrad admissions at the major universities is fairly competitive and some people like to go away to study so it is easy to understand where the demand comes from.

The question of where to live is very personal and subjective. Some people may not have good prospects in NS but others do. Some people value living in NS highly and others don't. The fact is that there will always be somewhere better to make a dollar, and there will always be young people who want to get out and see more of the world.

[OldDartmouthMark]

Originally Posted by someone123

Dalhousie used to be, and may still be, over 50% out of province students. In the Vancouver area, even undergrad admissions at the major universities is fairly competitive and some people like to go away to study so it is easy to understand where the demand comes from.

How far back does that go? When I went there over 20 years ago, most everybody I knew (in the engineering program at least) were from somewhere in NS. The others were from out of country, but very few from another Canadian province. Of course, that is only my own experience. Perhaps the arts drew more out of province students.

I'm surprised that with the increased cost of university today that there would be so many students who could afford to attend university out of province, unless they are from well-to-do families. Again, just my 2 cents, but no stats to back it up. Where did you source your information?

[ScovaNotian]

56% of first year students are either from out of province or international ( http://www.dal.ca/news/2013/10/31/18-500-and-counting.html ). Science has a much larger share of out of province students than Engineering.