ELLIS, Scott Wayne - 1996

The Influence of Rural Amenities on Retirement Migration in Mahone Bay, Lunenburg County, Nova Scotia

This study makes use of data collected through a survey-questionnaire to identify retirement in-migrants in Mahone Bay, Nova Scotia, and to analyze what influence particular rural amenities may have had in their decision to reside in this area. Statistics Canada census data on Mahone Bay, Lunenburg County, Nova Scotia, and Canada, are also analyzed in order to identify other retirement associated characteristics in Mahone Bay not identified in the questionnaire data, and to place Mahone Bay in a wider context.

The questionnaire data are divided up into two groups: local (including native residents and intraprovincial migrants), and away (including interprovincial and external migrants). Both are qualitatively and statistically analyzed. Each of the rural amenities and services rated on the questionnaire are statistically analyzed using the Chi-Square test, to determine which, if either, of the two groups' responses differ significantly from one another.

It was found that Mahone Bay was a desirable retirement community based on its rural amenities and services, and that interprovincial and external migrants were more likely to have a higher socioeconomic background than those from within the province.

With a rapidly aging population and a lack of published research on the spatial structure of retired migrants, further study will be required in analyzing this migration trend.