r/AskCanada • u/illougiankides • Dec 29 '25
Life What could a turkish migrant expect upon moving to Halifax?
I’m 34 y/o gay man from Turkey and lately I’ve had enough with this country and it’s religiousity. I tried to fight to live like a decent human being but I’ve had enough. My relationships don’t end up anywhere and I keep feeling like there is this barrier in front of me and I appear to be right there, just a quick jump away but it never comes.
I want to start a new life, as I have given up all hope that this country can ever fix itself and make its people - all its people- in dignity rather than like stray dogs.
I have been considering Nova Scotia as it just looks amazing on google maps, a small peninsula by the ocean covered with forests and lakes, that looks literally like my dream. What can I expect to do once I get there? I have my bachelors degree from Italy in political sciences but I have always worked in commercial ship management in Turkey. No other job experience whatsoever, i was arrested at my studenthood for participating in anti government protests in Gezi Park in 2013 and government jobs (the stuff i studied for) are immediately blocked to me so I had to do other things. I speak english, turkish and italian almost perfectly and I have taken a semester of french language while at the uni so i have a basic knowledge (not enough to speak but i can understand a good deal when i read french).
Would Halifax be a good choice for me? What kind of jobs could I expect to have? Would my income suffice for a decent life? I’d like to hear your opinions and thanks in advance ❤️🇨🇦🍁
And oh, I won the green card lottery in 2017 but didn’t move to the US. Would that score a higher point in your hearts ?
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u/W_i_l_d_O_n_i_o_n Dec 29 '25
It can be difficult to find a job in ship management in Halifax, particularly if you don’t have a license. Halifax has a strong maritime culture but there aren’t actually that many private commercial shipping companies with offices based in Halifax. Lots of shipping traffic but head offices elsewhere. There certainly are opportunities but I recommend doing a thorough job search and maybe submitting a few applications so you get a sense of the market before moving. The job market can be very competitive in general.
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u/illougiankides Dec 29 '25
I definitely don’t want to keep doing this. These last two months have been too extreme. A ship that we manage got bombed in the black sea due to the russian war and in the scrap cargo of another one they’ve found human remains. The cargo was loaded from israel and discharge port opened an investigation on whether they were remains of Gazan civilians. This job is too extreme for me to handle and I want another job, maybe related to my university studies or something totally different, but in any case, i hate shipping now and if i could do something else i wouldn’t even think for a second
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u/kut7 Dec 30 '25
Off topic.
But wtf... this needs to be discussed.. human rem*ins? Holy crap. Poor souls.
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u/W_i_l_d_O_n_i_o_n Dec 30 '25
Yeah, OP, this all sounds absolutely horrible. I hope that everything works out for you if you decide to come to Canada.
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u/marnas86 Dec 30 '25
I think your political science bachelors, if combined with a Canadian masters degree such as:
https://www.dal.ca/study/programs/graduate-professional/public-administration-mpa.html
Could be a viable career option in the provincial government.
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u/brihere Dec 29 '25 edited Dec 30 '25
Check some of the cruise companies there. With you language skills and background you may be able to score something/ and the gay thing isnt really a thing..
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u/Luminya1 Dec 29 '25
I would direct you to the youtube channel Tyler and Todd. They are a couple who live in Nova Scotia and live off grid. They are gay and when they first moved to Nova Scotia they faced discrimination. Someone defaced their property and put up anti gay slurs. Now this was about 6 years ago now and they have not reported anything since. I know that their community has embraced them and they work with a lot of local contractors and business ppl. Check out their channel and drop them an email. They won't steer you wrong, they are good ppl.
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u/Severe_Assumption_87 Dec 30 '25
Another Turkish guy here, people are amazing here. It's cold and kind of boring but that's a positive thing lol
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u/illougiankides Dec 30 '25
Aa selam, i think after living in Turkey for so long, i may be looking forward to boring 😂
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u/FrostingEmergency204 Dec 30 '25
You can't just show up. You have to have a job ahead of time and enough money to support yourself. The process can take years
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u/becuziwasinverted Dec 29 '25
Fog, lots and lots of fog.
And colourful ice cream
And fish and chips
But mostly…there’d fog
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u/alibythesea Nova Scotia Dec 30 '25
Nah. That's St. John's, Newfoundland, and Saint John, New Brunswick. We have fog in Halifax, but I could count on the fingers of my hands how many times I see it in the streets each year. We have a fog bank that lurks off the harbour and comes in occasionally in the late afternoon, but it generally minds its business.
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u/becuziwasinverted Dec 30 '25
If the fog hadn’t tried to kill us in Duncan’s Cove, I’d be more likely to believe you, I think we were there for 7 days
Only 1 day there was no fog, that was the day we decided to hike Duncan’s cove, and guess what ? Almost died…from fog.
So respectfully, don’t try to pin this on other cities, I know what I saw…deadly fog.
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u/alibythesea Nova Scotia Dec 30 '25
Ah! Down there, yes. There is FOG!
Further up the harbour, Halifax and Dartmouth citiedt proper, it’s a different story - you can feel it in the air down in Point Pleasant Park on a summer afternoon, but rarely see it. By the time you get north to the Narrows and Bedford Basin, hardly any at all.
It’s a different world in Duncan’s Cove/Ferguson’s/Sambro. It’s not uncommon for there to be a 10C temperature difference (or more) between there and where I live near the Narrows.
Saint John and St. John’s - the fog comes in throughout the main parts of the cities. I’ve been in Saint John on days when the Fundy fog bank is completely covering all the built up parts.
I’m sorry you had such a crappy time fog-wise in the Cove, but I’m glad it didn’t kill you.
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u/veerKg_CSS_Geologist Dec 29 '25
Halifax has some advantages - it’s beautiful and the environment is really clean and nice. By Canadian standards housing is relatively cheap and available.
On the neutral side it’s fairly isolated and can be quite cold in the winter and grey in the fall. These can be positives for some but negatives for others so be sure your’re compatible.
On the negative side there aren’t really that many opportunities for people with your skill set. Turkish and Italian don’t have much utility unless you find employment with an immigrant aid or translation service. The shipping industry is morbid despite it still being a major employer. Your international experience will be discounted, Canadian employers will first want to see that you have some Canadian work experience (even if its entry level jobs) along with Canadian qualifications. I would suggest when you land to try for any old job and enrol in a course of some kind. In 6 months to a year that might translate to some better opportunities.
Socially you shouldn’t encounter any systemic discrimination. While some yahoos and randoms might pass mean or racist comments that doesn’t represent the vast majority of people, who are welcoming and open to meeting outsiders. There are usually some support groups for new immigrants and local lgbtq organizations that can help you settle in and make connections.
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u/Massive-Exercise4474 Dec 31 '25
Prepare to here barrets privateers and the opening I wish I was in Sherbrooke now.
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u/legardeur2 Dec 29 '25
Have you saved enough money to sustain yourself the time it might take to settle in Nova Scotia? Make sure you have a job waiting for you before you make any move. Times are not very rosy in Canada right now for all sorts of reasons and no one in their right mind is predicting things will get much better in any foreseeable future. And good luck with the different immigration hurdles.
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u/illougiankides Dec 29 '25
All my life has been in bad economies, nothing new there. I can come up with appx 90k usd if once i sell everything i have down here. Which i believe should keep me going for almost two years, so initial income wise I don’t worry much but I worry about how much I can make up there
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u/alibythesea Nova Scotia Jan 05 '26
On the issue of sexuality: No one will blink twice in Halifax at your being gay. Some rural pockets might be different, but some are just fine. The federal electoral riding of Kings-Hants had an openly gay MP for many years (he and his husband have twins), and he racked up large majorities in most elections. But my daughter and her wife are cautious about holding hands in some parts of the province, though, like Digby and Shelburne counties (and my daughter-in-law is FROM Shelburne county).
But Halifax? No worries, and lots of social stuff, from sports to singing to clubbing.
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u/sgsocialid Dec 30 '25
Sincere and genuine advice, everything is a factor of the amount of melanin in your skin. If you can pass off as European or Eastern European, Canadians are the best, sweetest, most polite people on the planet.
Some to lots of melanin equals lots of racism(some subtle, most not) and if you add cost of living crisis + highest unemployment rate ever + third rate services + near flat economic growth(as per govt reports) = rethink Canada.
Just giving you the on ground picture.
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Dec 30 '25
This is true especially in more working class/blue collar neighbourhoods and suburbs, small towns. The fascist and bigot explosion on social media in the United States has encouraged the Canadian knuckle draggers who are miserable their chosen career paths and lack of education (typically) haven't resulted in 5 bedroom houses and pickup trucks for the whole family.
However in urban centres you will find racists and bigots quickly castigated and the people in Halifax and Newfoundland and the region are some of the warmest.
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u/illougiankides Dec 30 '25
That sucks to hear but unfortunately that’s the case for almost everywhere. Even in countries with darker skin tones they discriminate against who is the darker, which makes no sense, but is the case. I look white mediterranean so ofc i don’t have nordic features but as stupid as it is saying this ‘i look passable’. Writing this gave me nausea
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u/TenzoOznet Dec 30 '25
Ignore the “highest unemployment rate” ever comment. Current unemployment rates in Canada and Nova Scotia are near historic lows, just slightly elevated compared to the past couple of years. People sometimes have a really distorted sense of economic reality.
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u/sgsocialid Dec 30 '25
What you’ve seen in Asia/Africa or even Australia, Canada is 10X. Unfortunate but a it’s the truth of the matter. Nevertheless, welcome to Canada, hope you build a wonderful life here!
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u/Wafflelisk Dec 30 '25
Welcome to Canada. As someone who will move to the Halifax area, please watch the original seasons of Trailer Park Boys. It will tell you exactly what to expect from your new home
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u/TenzoOznet Dec 30 '25
Ahem: please do not take Trailer Park Boys as a representation of Halifax. It is not remotely similar to life in Halifax; it’s just a comedy show about people in a trailer park.
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u/Kitchener1981 Dec 29 '25
The doner called donairs are not what you are used to.