South Shore

South Shore

Lunenburg County

Old Town Lunenburg (UNESCO World Heritage Site)

  • Population: ~2,300 (the wider municipality is ~25,000)
  • Why people move here: Walkable grid of 18th- and 19th-century wooden houses painted every color imaginable. No franchises allowed in the historic core — it’s all independent cafés, galleries, bakeries, and pubs.
  • Real estate: Heritage homes downtown start around $450k–$650k (many need work, but the character is unmatched). Newer builds on the outskirts or in “Upper Lunenburg” are $500k–$800k.
  • Schools: Bluenose Academy (P–12, French immersion), plus private options like the Lunenburg Academy (historic building, public).
  • Groceries & daily life: Two independent grocers (Shoppers + Foodland), farmers’ market every Friday in summer, year-round Saturday indoor market.
  • Healthcare: South Shore Regional Hospital in Bridgewater (20 min away) has 24/7 ER; family doctors are taking patients again (2025 wait times ~6–18 months).
  • Vibe: Artists, boat builders, retirees from Ontario/Germany/UK, and young families who want their kids to grow up biking to the waterfront.

Fisheries Museum of the Atlantic Still a great afternoon out, but more importantly, it’s a reminder that this is a real working waterfront. You’ll see fishing boats at the wharves year-round. The commercial fishery (lobster, halibut, snow crab) is still the economic backbone — good-paying jobs if you’re willing to work hard and be on the water.

Bluenose II When she’s in port, the town feels electric. Sailing on her (public sails May–Oct) is surprisingly affordable and one of the best “I live here now” moments you’ll ever have.

Mahone Bay

  • Population: ~1,000 in town, ~6,000 in wider area
  • Famous for: The three churches reflecting in the bay — the most photographed scene in Nova Scotia.
  • Lifestyle: Boutique heaven — Amos Pewter, independent bookstore, yarn shops, multiple cafés with patios. Feels like someone designed the perfect small town.
  • Real estate: Victorian homes on the main streets $550k–$900k; waterfront or water-view can top $1.2M. More affordable 10–15 minutes out (Blockhouse, Indian Point).
  • Community: Extremely welcoming to newcomers. Tons of volunteer opportunities, choir, theater group, yacht club, pickleball courts everywhere.
  • Bonus: Fast fibre-op internet (even on some side roads) makes remote work easy.

Ovens Natural Park (privately owned, open to public)

  • Sea caves you can walk into at low tide, a tucked-away beach, and a trail along 100-ft cliffs.
  • Nearby neighborhoods (Feltzen South, Rose Bay, Kingsburg) have some of the most dramatic oceanfront lots on the shore.

Hirtle’s Beach & Gaff Point

  • 3 km of white sand, usually almost empty except in July/August.
  • The Gaff Point hike (7 km loop, moderate) is private land with a public right-of-way — one of the most beautiful coastal trails in Canada.
  • Nearby communities: Kingsburg (ultra-scenic, upscale cottages turning year-round), Rose Bay, and Riverport. Quiet, artsy, and 10–15 min from Lunenburg or Bridgewater.
  • Surfing: Yes, people surf here year-round. There’s a growing surf community and even a surf shop in Lunenburg now.

Other South Shore gems worth knowing if you’re moving here

Chester (20 min from Mahone Bay)

  • Yacht-club chic. Think Nantucket but friendlier and cheaper. Summer theater festival, great sailing, and some of the prettiest waterfront homes on the coast.

Bridgewater (25 min from Lunenburg)

  • The “big” town of the South Shore (pop. ~9,000). Michelin plant, hospital, Walmart, Costco (2026 opening confirmed), NSCC campus. If you need actual services, this is where you go.

Liverpool (Queens County side)

  • 45–60 min west. Cheaper housing ($250k–$450k gets you a lot), still on the ocean, great music scene (Hank Snow Museum, Astonished! theater), and close to Kejimkujik National Park.

Shelburne (further west, but still “South Shore”)

  • One of the best-preserved 18th-century towns in North America. Black Loyalist Heritage Centre, booming film industry (used for movies constantly), and houses you can buy for under $300k that look like movie sets.

Practical “Should I move here?” checklist for the Lunenburg/Mahone Bay area

  • Winters: Milder than the rest of Canada (average January high 0 °C), but windy and damp. Roads are plowed fast.
  • Summer: 22–28 °C, fog some mornings, perfect afternoons.
  • Internet: Bell Aliant fibre or Starlink — almost no dead zones left.
  • Jobs: Healthcare, trades, tourism, remote work, Michelin (tires), fishing, and a growing film/tech sector.
  • Groceries: Slightly more expensive than Halifax, but farmers’ markets and direct-from-boat seafood balance it out.
  • Flights: Halifax airport (YHZ) is 75–90 minutes away — direct to Toronto, Montreal, Ottawa, Boston, NYC, London, Frankfurt.
  • Ferries: Year-round high-speed CAT ferry to Bar Harbor, Maine (3.5 hrs) from Yarmouth (2 hrs west).

Bottom line: If you want ocean every day, a creative and welcoming community, house prices that haven’t gone completely insane yet, and a pace of life that lets you breathe — the South Shore is one of the best moves you can make in Canada right now. Come visit in the shoulder season (May or September) when the crowds are gone and the locals have time to chat.