Homes For Sale in Bedford

Why live in Bedford?

Bedford, Nova Scotia is a simply lovely place to call home. This safe, family-oriented community with a population of roughly 40,000 people lies just north of Halifax on the Bedford Basin, an enclosed bay north of Halifax Harbour. The Basin is one of the biggest perks of living in Bedford, as there are two waterfront parks that surround it, Dewolfe Park and Lions Park. Both offer walking paths, children’s playgrounds, picnic areas, and sports facilities. Dewolfe Park also hosts numerous community events throughout the year, like the Bedford Days summer festival and Light Up Bedford Christmas Parade, while Lions Park has two heated swimming pools and excellent views of the Bedford Basin Yacht Club. (Speaking of the Bedford Days summer festival, this event has been going on for over 30 years and features everything from a Canada Day celebration and free pancake breakfast to a dog show, children’s triathlon, movies in the park, the Rubber Duck Dash, and the Scott Manor House Tea Party.) Beyond these two parks, living in Bedford means ample opportunities to get outside. Not only are you near the Atlantic Ocean but there are hundreds of acres worth of protected parklands and conservation areas nearby. These include Papermill Lake, Sandy Lake, and Admiral Cove Lake. Whether you enjoy fishing, swimming, hiking, cross-country skiing, or ice skating, you can do it all in Bedford. Plus, given how close the community is to Halifax, you can take advantage of the many other attractions available in the capital city, such as the Halifax Citadel National Historic Site, Maritime Museum of the Atlantic, Art Gallery of Nova Scotia, Halifax Public Gardens, Canadian Museum of Immigration at Pier 21, and Point Pleasant Park. Although Halifax has great shopping as well, you won’t need to go downtown unless you want to if you’re in Bedford. That’s because this Halifax suburb has two shopping centres, Sunnyside Mall and Bedford Place Mall, as well as a box store shopping plaza called Bedford Commons, along with many other strip malls. One last reason people love Bedford is that it is a safe, tight-knit community with a welcoming and friendly population. There are plenty of local groups and programs to join, as well as a low crime rate (the lowest in the Halifax Regional Municipality, in fact).

Quality and diversity of education in Bedford

The Halifax Regional Centre for Education, which is the largest school board in Atlantic Canada, is responsible for running all public elementary and secondary schools in the Halifax Regional Municipality, and that includes Bedford. A few of the schools they run in Bedford include Bedford South Elementary School, Rocky Lake Elementary School, Rocky Lake Junior High School, and Charles P. Allen High School. Meanwhile, those wishing for their children to have a private education will have several options in the community, including Bedford Academy, Sandy Lake Academy, and Summit Academy of Active Learning. If you or your child plans to attend post-secondary school, Bedford is a great spot to live as there will be plenty of options close to home. For example, right in Halifax, which is just 20 minutes by car from Bedford, lies Dalhousie University, St. Mary’s University, Mount Saint Vincent University, NSCAD University, University of King’s College, and the Atlantic School of Theology. Acadia University, another of the top universities in the Maritimes, is also less than an hour north in Wolfville.

Most populous cities in Bedford

The main neighbourhoods in the community of Bedford are Paper Mill Lake, Oakmount, Bedford Common, Glen Moir, and Stonington Park.

Quality of infrastructure for Bedford

Bedford’s infrastructure is excellent, which is part of what makes it such a desirable place to live. As part of the Halifax Regional Municipality, public transportation in Bedford is provided by Halifax Transit. Halifax Transit operates an extensive network of buses all throughout the region. Travelling by train and coach bus is also made easy due to Bedford��s location. Twenty minutes from Bedford lies the Halifax Via Rail station, which can transport passengers to other parts of the Maritimes, as well as to Quebec, Ontario, and even Western Canada. Meanwhile, Maritime Bus also has several stops in the area, including in Halifax, and it offers regional coach bus services throughout Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, and the eastern part of Quebec. If you need to travel by air, Bedford is the perfect place to be, as the largest airport in the Maritimes, Halifax Stanfield International Airport, is 15 minutes away by car. Speaking of driving, it’s easy to travel by car into downtown Halifax or to the rest of the Maritimes thanks to the major highways nearby, like Highway 101, Highway 103, and the Bedford Bypass. Healthcare services can be accessed locally at Bedford Medical Clinic, although the Queen Elizabeth II Health Sciences Centre in Halifax is only 20 minutes by car, and it is the largest hospital on the East Coast of Canada.

Safety and security for Bedford

Halifax Regional Police are responsible for keeping Bedford residents safe. That said, the community enjoys an extremely low crime rate far below the national average. It is also less prone to certain types of natural disasters, such as hurricanes, than other parts of the province due to its inland location. In case of an emergency in Bedford, always call 9-1-1.

Bedford property market

Bedford’s housing market is on the rise, in large part due to an influx of residents in recent years. While still relatively affordable, especially when compared to other parts of Canada, the market is certainly going up. Due to this rapid growth, there are all kinds of property types available for purchase in Bedford, including condos, townhomes, bungalows, detached homes, and semi-detached homes.

Standard of living in Bedford

Bedford residents are used to a high standard of living. Why? Due to all the perks mentioned above. Not only is the cost of living far more affordable than in other parts of the country but the area also has top-notch schools, quality healthcare access, excellent public transportation options, as well as a multitude of idyllic parks, beaches, and conservation areas. In essence, Bedford offers all the charm and safety of a small town with the advantage of being less than 20 minutes from Halifax’s downtown core.

Something wonderful about Bedford

Bedford, Nova Scotia has a fascinating history that is not to be missed. Its history begins with the Indigenous peoples, specifically the Mi'kmaq First Nation, who are believed to have inhabited the area for thousands of years. Evidence of their existence can be found on petroglyphs at Bedford Petroglyphs National Historic Site. However, the Bedford that we know today did not begin being established until the mid eighteenth century - 1749, to be specific. Bedford’s origins share a history with Lower Sackville, as Fort Sackville was the first settlement created in the area that today makes up the two communities.

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Greenery & Character