Good to be Alberta bound?

By drawing from Statistics Canada and qualitative research data, this paper shows that population decline in the Strait Region of Nova Scotia has implications for out-migrants and the remaining aging population. For out-migrants, their departure from the Strait Region often results in upward mobility and increased income opportunities; however, for a significant minority of them, the process is associated with declining income opportunities. While rural and small town youth perceive out-migration to be necessary, those who remain in the Strait Region reflect on the negative consequences of out-migration on the vitality of aging communities. The paper concludes with a discussion of the challenges of trying to promote return migration and immigration as strategies for reversing population decline.