by Liam Gladstone

Imagine gazing from the window of a small aircraft, soaring across a coastline brushed by the sea and dotted with thousands of beautiful, unspoiled islands. Below you, the tide is visibly broken by whitecaps at each island’s shore, and you notice how seemingly uninhabited the area feels. Few houses, little population, no excessive maritime traffic; this is Nova Scotia, Canada’s ocean playground, and yet it doesn’t appear to be the huge private island market that its geography all but demands.
On the other hand, Georgian Bay, two hours north of Toronto, Canada, is a huge market. Fly over the area and you’ll see not only islands but any number of houses, cabins and cottages of all sizes. So many, in fact, that overcrowding can potentially be an issue for those at the end of a mass exodus from the metropolis, bumper-to-bumper in cottage country- the retreat of choice, it seems, for the weary urbanite.
Considering this, why would investors spend more money on cottage real estate in a crowded area when they could just as easily experience rugged, reclusive beauty in a place like Nova Scotia?

“The private island market is a niche market,” writes Chris Krolow, CEO of Private Islands, Inc. “When you’re looking to buy your own island, there’s a very select group of people with very select interests. Those interests can vary, but people are usually looking for the same things- seclusion, investment value and a feeling of paradise.”
A common image of island real estate is that of stunning mansions lined by palm trees, beaches and sunscreen-saturated onlookers. True though it may be in some respects, the luxury real estate market in Nova Scotia is a better-kept secret. While tropical locations are often the expensive, more populated option sought first by most would-be island owners, Nova Scotia, a province of unrivalled beauty and abundance, remains below the radar.
Situated on the east coast of Canada, Nova Scotia is easily the best value on the market for buyers, with savvy purchasers often obtaining their own private island for the price of a small waterfront lot in Ontario’s Georgian Bay. For example, Connington Island, six acres of unspoiled beauty located twenty minutes from Halifax, is an excellent example of what has been missed by potential buyers preoccupied by more visible destinations. Well-elevated and adjacent to an included 3 acre peninsula, Connington is an iconic example of the rustic beauty of the Maritimes at just US $219,000. The value is matched by convenience, as the island and peninsula are a 20-minute drive from the provincial capital of Halifax, home to an international airport reachable in 5 hours from Europe, 2 hours from Toronto, and within 3 hours of many American East Coast cities.

With foreign investment on the rise from regions like Europe and the United States, as well as increased Canadian interest, Nova Scotia is in a prime location for those looking for an island destination closer to home than countries that, for social, political or economic reasons, may be geographically attractive but not necessarily conducive to long-term investment. In North America, Halifax is within five hours’ flight of any major city on the continent, be it Los Angeles, Chicago or New York City. In terms of time, however, it is even more closely connected to places like London, Glasgow or Paris than North America’s west coast. A trans-Atlantic flight from Heathrow or De Gaulle will reach Halifax International in less than five hours, at a cost comparable to what would be paid for a domestic flight coast-to-coast.

While other islands worldwide may be sought for their seclusion and removal from the amenities of civilization, the same seclusion can be realized in Nova Scotia while remaining well within the reach of small towns on the mainland. At Connnington Island, those who live at the Atlantic’s edge can still reach places like Prospect, Nova Scotia, a nearby fishing village, should the need arise. The layout of the towns, cities and islands in a province the size of Nova Scotia affords its residents the means to get away yet remain conveniently connected.
Nova Scotia’s ocean-moderated continental climate, ranging from cold, brisk Atlantic winters to warm, lush summers, reflects the seasons of the United Kingdom and parts of Northern Europe from Ireland to Norway, yet results in a majestic environment distinctly Canadian. In the Bay of Fundy and the Gulf of St. Lawrence, clusters of small islands numbering in the thousands loom meters over the water, their rocky surfaces covered by dense, coniferous forest. Even in the fall and winter, when the damp, cold air thrusts heavy fog banks against the shoreline, the beauty is hauntingly characteristic of the Atlantic coast. While not the epitome of affluence typically synonymous with island ownership, the unique appeal of these islands is incomparable.

These days, new concerns are also on investors’ minds as they consider buying up luxury real estate. With global climate change at the forefront of public concern, many are afraid that low-lying properties in the middle of large bodies of water will eventually be consumed by rising sea levels. Realistically, the high bluffs and cliffs typical of Nova Scotia’s geography will preserve newly acquired properties and developments from the threat of abnormally high tides. With temperate northern climes likely to receive a large influx of migration in the coming years, places like Nova Scotia, a province of sustainable island geography, will be increasingly more attractive to foreign investment.
Environmentally, the private island market is an excellent means to explore green technologies in housing, power and irrigation in the beautiful indigenous forests of Nova Scotia. Prefabricated homes, such as modular houses, tents and Free Spirit Spheres, dwellings that can be suspended from trees, have become popular as a low-cost, innovative way to create the perfect island atmosphere with minimal ecological impact.

Some of the myths about private island ownership have resulted in considerable political controversy in Nova Scotia, as special interest groups have denounced the purchase of private islands by foreign nationals, claiming that the people of Nova Scotia and the environment will suffer from conspicuous construction and a lack of integration by the (primarily European) vacationers. But while NDP representative Bill Estabrooks refered to the market as a “free for all” and expressed concerns of helicopter pads and other symptoms of unrestricted growth, conservative development laws already exist to prevent the excess Estabrooks fears and only allow balanced, careful island development. Considering that the area has been chosen for its natural beauty, it follows that it’s not in the buyers’ nor the province’s interest to excessively deforest, develop or obstruct waterfront, which preserves the natural environment and ecology of the area. Many island owners invite ecology groups to help maintain their homes. In nearby Maine, Robert Pawle, a retired family practitioner, was awarded for his efforts to protect and maintain that state’s coastal islands, many of which are private.

With the Boom Generation retiring in continually greater numbers, the number of these new owners is likely to swell, meaning that previously untapped markets will see a great deal more activity. “The private islands market can change quickly,” says Krolow, “but as populations rise we can predict that future investors are going to be after more solitude, the same reason people have been looking for their own islands in the first place. It’s going to be less and less important to find palm trees than it will be to stake out your claim on the world.” Nova Scotia’s beauty, affordability and abundance make it the obvious choice, one finally realized by many- an option long overdue.
Source-http://articles.privateislandsonline.com/regional/nova-scotia-the-worlds-overlooked-island-paradise/#more-188