# East Coast / West Coast , personnal experiences.



## krimynal (11 Mar 2017)

Hello everyone , 

So here comes the time where I got to decide where I want to go ( posting choices ).  Honestly I am debating so hard right now between east coast and west coast , 1 day I come home and I want to go east , the next morning I come home and I want to go west.

My spouse and I are open to both , we just don't want to make a decision that we will regret. We have a child on the way right now so we need to figure it out.  We are both 28 years old , not a big fan of the big city , we rather spend time around a bonfire than to go clubbing until 3 AM , We both really like to play golf , she had cancer 6 years ago so we need good hospital not too far for her.  

I don't really care about the working experiences because that can change drastically depending on who you work with.  I am looking more at the overall feeling of both side , cost of living , outdoors activity , family center , etc. etc. etc.

I am debating between West Coast : Comox , Pat Bay ( I know they don't give you Pat Bay before you go to shearwater but I still will ask for it ) , Edmonton

Or East Coast : Greenwood , Shearwater , Gagetown

Thanks a lot !


----------



## mariomike (11 Mar 2017)

krimynal said:
			
		

> So here comes the time where I got to decide where I want to go ( posting choices ).



Best Air Force Bases?
https://army.ca/forums/threads/116537.0



			
				krimynal said:
			
		

> I am debating between West Coast : Comox , Pat Bay ( I know they don't give you Pat Bay before you go to shearwater but I still will ask for it ) , Edmonton
> Or East Coast : Greenwood , Shearwater , Gagetown



Comox Thread- Merged  
https://army.ca/forums/threads/30590.0
3 pages.

Edmonton Thread- Merged  
https://army.ca/forums/threads/31283.0
7 pages.

Nova Scotia Thread- Merged  
https://army.ca/forums/threads/30800.0
7 pages.

Shearwater
https://www.google.ca/search?q=site%3Aarmy.ca+esquilmant+halifax&sourceid=ie7&rls=com.microsoft:en-CA:IE-Address&ie=&oe=&rlz=1I7GGHP_en-GBCA592&gfe_rd=cr&ei=mjTEWPSINcyC8QeEyYGwBw&gws_rd=ssl#q=site:army.ca+shearwater&*

Gagetown
https://www.google.ca/search?q=site%3Aarmy.ca+esquilmant+halifax&sourceid=ie7&rls=com.microsoft:en-CA:IE-Address&ie=&oe=&rlz=1I7GGHP_en-GBCA592&gfe_rd=cr&ei=mjTEWPSINcyC8QeEyYGwBw&gws_rd=ssl#q=site:army.ca+gagetown&*

You can search for discussions about the bases you are interested in.

etc...



			
				krimynal said:
			
		

> she had cancer 6 years ago so we need good hospital not too far for her.



Cancer treatment centres in Canada
https://www.google.ca/?gfe_rd=cr&ei=ATvEWN6cNqyC8QeBx4HwCA&gws_rd=ssl#cr=countryCA&tbs=ctr:countryCA&q=cancer+treatment+centres+in+canada&*


----------



## krimynal (11 Mar 2017)

yeah I was trying to get more like personal experience from someone that has been to both side of the country , just to get like personal feelings , a lot of people that I spoke to told me that Greenwood was amazing , but they never been out west , and a lot of people told me that Comox was the best place in all CAF but they've never really been east ..


----------



## mariomike (11 Mar 2017)

You can also read Navy discussions such as these,

ESQUIMALT VS HALIFAX??  
http://army.ca/forums/threads/70387.0

Halifax or Victoria? Who's Been to both?
https://army.ca/forums/threads/96482.0
2 pages.

etc...

Various East Coast versus West Coast discussions in the Navy forum.


----------



## krimynal (11 Mar 2017)

thanks I'll look them up


----------



## mariomike (11 Mar 2017)

krimynal said:
			
		

> thanks I'll look them up



You are welcome. Good luck.


----------



## Eye In The Sky (11 Mar 2017)

I've never been West but will offer my  :2c: on East coast.

Shearwater - close enough to Halifax/Dartmouth to have access to more choices for things to do and see, but as a Tech you should never actually be posted to the Halifax side and have to travel across the bridge and deal with parking.  Has the added bonus of $631/month PLD (after taxes, figure about $180/pay in the bank);  don't base a budget or mortgage including PLD though (actually, most banks etc know about that and won't include it for mortgage approvals, etc).  The Halifax PLDA/geo boundaries are fairly big, but if you're at 12 Wing you'll likely want to reside on *that* side of the area.  Housing closer to the Wing can be alittle more expensive but prices aren't that much worse, if at all, farther out in places like Elmsdale.  Eastern Passage is fairly popular, or it was not long ago as is Cole Harbour, for service folks.  Eastern Passage is about a 5-10 minute drive from work.  The PMQs are really close (walking distance) and were getting facelifts when I was there.  Heating costs in them were high (not the best insulation) and basement problems weren't uncommon either.

Greenwood - is 1.5ish hour drive from Halifax and is about 30 minutes past the "heart" of the Valley (Kentville, New Minas, Wolfville) where most of the shopping, movie theatre, etc are found.  The valley is nice if you like "rural" living.  PMQs are quite a bit cheaper than Shearwater but Greenwood has no PLD either.  There may be a tighter/closer military community because people live around the base and there isn't that much to offer like the Halifax area has.  Nice area for raising kids, lots of spring/summer/fall things in the valley but they are more of the rural type offerings;  Harvest Festival in the hall, Apple Blossom Festival in the spring.  Antique tractor pulls, the annual Kingston Steer BBQ, that kind of stuff.  It's fairly busy tempo there with operational LRP and SAR Sqns on the go.  There is a fairly big geographical area to pick where you want to live, but the market is primarily based on military families posted in/out.  I find people either really like or dislike Greenwood.  If you like a slower pace area, etc Greenwood is decent IMO.  

Gagetown - call it a half hour drive from Fredericton.  I haven't been there in a while, but know a few people who did time at 403 and never heard any of them complain at all.  Its an army base as opposed to a Wing, I spent a lot of time there earlier in my days, but I actually liked Gagetown and still felt at home when we went there for an Ex a few years ago.  Most people who are accustomed to AF life aren't a fan of Gagetown when they go there on TD etc.  No wifi in the shacks, stuff like that.   ;D  I don't know much about housing and PMQs there, so I'll leave that to someone who has good info.  I am not sure if 403 receives LDA or not.

If you ended up MH or LRP, there is the bonus of your type courses being on the east coast, so you wouldn't be away from home again right from the get go.  That's important to some folks.  MH you have the opportunity to sail and make a little extra money, LRP you should almost certainly deploy on an Op or on TDs.  Also, if you were in either Shearwater there is a chance you could get picked up later on as an instructor at 406 Sqn or 404 Sqn if you were LRP, which might give you a chance to remain in the geo location longer; never a given but always possible.

Whatever the outcome, hope you enjoy your next phase of training and AF life.


----------



## mariomike (11 Mar 2017)

Eye In The Sky said:
			
		

> Gagetown -  I don't know much about housing and PMQs there, so I'll leave that to someone who has good info.



If the OP wishes to search "Gagetown PMQ" there is good info in the Gagetown and "Military Housing, CFHA, and the cost of renting a PMQ (and annual increases)" discussions.

This one may, or may not, be of interest,



			
				dapaterson said:
			
		

> As requested, the original letter that promted the reply above, from a resident of the PMQ patch in Gagetown.
> 
> With the PMQs at CFB Gagetown being in the news a lot lately, I would like to share my experiences, as I have lived in military housing for 18 years. I also grew up in them.
> 
> ...


----------



## SeaKingTacco (11 Mar 2017)

krimynal said:
			
		

> Hello everyone ,
> 
> So here comes the time where I got to decide where I want to go ( posting choices ).  Honestly I am debating so hard right now between east coast and west coast , 1 day I come home and I want to go east , the next morning I come home and I want to go west.
> 
> ...



It is not true that 443 Sqn does not take technicians straight from Borden.

Right now, there is no point in them getting new technicians, as there are no more Sea King type courses and the focus is on Cyclone training out east. That will likely change in about a year.


----------



## krimynal (12 Mar 2017)

oh that might be why , because they told us that you needed to be Level A in order to be posted to Pat Bay.


----------

