Ross MacLeod was born and raised in Cape Breton and went on to enjoy a career with the Federal government for thirty years. The last twenty were spent in Ottawa where he met Hilma Finley, a native of the Nation's Capital. Hilma has a background in software engineering product management and independent computer contracting. Ross took an early retirement in May of 1997 and Hilma closed out her freelance contracts. In June, they made the move to Cape Breton and chose to settle in Sydney. Within two weeks Ross and Hilma bought their new home set back on a gentle hill overlooking the harbour. It all appears to have happened very quickly but both knew what they were looking for and had spent the previous two years seriously planning for the move.

"Actually, we started talking about moving seven years ago," Ross remembers. At work, Ross and his colleagues often turned to the topic of retirement. " I wanted to come home to Cape Breton," Ross says, "and Hilma and I began to think about the possibility together."

The nature on the Island was a particular draw for Ross. He enjoys fishing, hunting and long solitary hikes in the woods. Boating on the Mira River, one of Nova Scotia' s largest, is also a favourite activity and it is only 15 minutes away. It was also the tranquility and peace of mind that Cape Breton offered after so many years in a fast-paced city.

People are also high on both Ross and Hilma's list of the attributes the Island offers. "The people at Retirement Cape Breton have been very good," Ross says, "every time you call they go out of their way to be of help." When they planted their garden at the front of their property, passing neighbours stopped for a chat and to introduce themselves.

Hilma enjoys company and the "just drop by" custom of friends that the location of her urban house allows. She also looks forward to returning to her love of painting and engaging in activities with others who have chosen to settle in Cape Breton. "I have no regrets about moving here," Hilma says, "I've made some great friends and there's so much to do."

Hilma and Ross also like to travel and Cape Breton allows for easy access to family remaining in Ottawa and trips south of the border.

Ross returns to the many discussions he had with his colleagues on the job in Ottawa. "I used to tell them that Cape Breton was Canada's best kept secret. And you know what, it's true."

If you were to ask Violet Mohr why she came back to live in Cape Breton after being away for thirty-one years, she'll say with a grin: "Once a Cape Bretoner, always a Cape Bretoner!" That about sums up how she feels about her home.

Violet met her husband Mickey (Earl) in Halifax back in the 1950's when she had gone there to find work. Mickey, who hailed form Ontario, was in the navy. She easily enticed Mickey to move to Cape Breton where he found work in Number 12 coal mine in New Waterford.

They had always intended to stay in Cape Breton and raise their family, but it didn't quite work out that way. A downturn in the coal industry at the time was causing mines to close and Mickey was worried that his future may not be too secure. So without much enthusiasm, they packed up and moved to Lindsay, Ontario, where most of Mickey's family still lived. Both Mickey and Violet found work at Union Carbide and stayed there until they retired after almost 30 years of service.

All the time Violet was in Ontario, she dreamed of coming back to Cape Breton. She missed being close to her sisters and brother. She missed being near the ocean. And she missed the Cape Breton music. Mickey laughingly remembers, "If Cape Breton music came on the radio in Ontario, everyone in the house had to be quiet. Or else!"

Even Mickey, who was Ontario born and raised, had a hankering to come back to Cape Breton and the way of life he had once found here. So when the time came to retire, and a decision had to be made whether to stay in Ontario or move on, Cape Breton was foremost on their minds. Leaving behind their son and daughter, and grandchildren, was difficult to do, but they look at the matter practically...Ontario is only a plane ride away.

Mickey loves Cape Breton weather. He says it's never too hot or too cold. He has a workshop in the back yard, a home in view of the ocean and time to spend with his friends. One of his favourite pastimes is to watch the ships coming and going in Sydney Harbour.

As for Violet, she's just happy to be home. Her sister lives across the street. Her brother close by. She has her own garden in the yard, and can pick blueberries in the field near her house. And she gets to listen to Cape Breton music whenever she wants. They have lots of room in their new house for their children and grandchildren to visit. They both appreciate the slower pace, the quiet surroundings and the freedom to do whatever they like.

For Mickey, retiring to Cape Breton just seemed like the right thing to do. For Violet, it was coming home.

One morning, Ruth MacIsaac woke to discover that the mailbox at the end of the driveway had been knocked over. She shrugged her shoulders, thinking perhaps that it had been vandalized during the night. Around noon, there was a knock at the door. A young man stood there and explained that he had hit the mailbox by accident on his way to work at 6 a.m. He didn't want to wake anybody up that early in the morning. He extended his hand and wanted to give Ruth forty dollars to take care of the repairs. "I was really touched by the experience," Ruth recalls, "I didn't expect such consideration."

Ruth and husband, Frank had spent 38 years in Toronto. Ruth was born in Sydney and Frank in Big Pond. Both returned to Cape Breton faithfully almost every summer for vacations. "I finished work on a Friday and we were on our way to Cape Breton that same evening," Frank says, recalling the move to the Island when they retired. The MacIsaac's had purchased a bungalow overlooking the Bras d'Or Lakes at Irishvale a few years prior to retirement.

Frank is an avid skater. "I figure I've met more than 200 people and know them by name," he says, "just from skating at the various rinks in the area." He particularly enjoys the fact that the skating rinks in Cape Breton still play music to which one can skate. "In Toronto, the music was always tuned to an FM rock station. It was impossible to keep any kind of beat." Frank is also a fan of Cape Breton music and takes pride in pointing out that one of the most popular summer music festivals, The Big Pond Concert, is just down the road a way.

Ruth, on the other hand, is thrilled by the wildlife in the area. A pair of binoculars sits beneath one of the two large picture windows in the living room. "I've already learned to identify about 30 different varieties," she says. The deer also stop for apples on their property. "We've even seen a bobcat," she mentions.

The MacIsaac's have absolutely no regrets about returning to their native Cape Breton. "People are always coming to visit us here," Ruth says, "we've had so many visitors. Sometimes the guests coming, pass those who are going." Concerns that she and Frank might have a problem locating a family doctor were put to rest when a quick call to Retirement Cape Breton located one for them within two days. Ruth also likes to bake now. "I never had time for it before and it's something I enjoy." MacGee, the MacIsaac's Keeshond-breed dog, seems to agree. At the word "bake," he perks his ears.

Vince and Laura Cordero's children had moved away. One of the boys settled in Ontario and urged his parents to move there because work opportunities were plentiful. Against Laura's better judgement, they packed up and left their native Cape Breton. "The years flew by," Vince remembers, "and the children were all living elsewhere once again." Although they had friends in Ontario, through the years they also retained their network of friends and relatives in Cape Breton.

"One Friday night, we had a heart to heart talk and decided to return to the Island. The move would allow us to filter slowly into our retirement," Vince says. Like anyone considering a major move in their lives, they wanted to make sure that certain amenities and accessibility to services would be available. "What we found was that the Island offered us everything we could get in a large metropolitan centre like Toronto but without the headaches that go with big city living," Vince says. The Cordero's are also happy that they made the move before actually retiring.

They are enjoying the transition from the hectic years of raising a family and full-time careers to a retirement paced by themselves. Vince and Laura returned to Cape Breton and purchased a spacious ten year old, three bedroom house on a 200' by 600' lot of land bordering the St. Andrew's Channel in Bras d'Or. The house and property cost less than half of what a similar package would have required in Ontario. One of the first things Vince noticed upon returning to Cape Breton, with great relief, was the lack of traffic. "It could be horrendous in Ontario," he says.

Often, he would be on the road by six a.m. to beat the rush, arriving at a job site tired from the intense highway driving. With the substantial savings in travel time, Vince is able to devote those hours to leisure activities and home life. Another difference Vince noticed is the relaxed and cordial attitude of co-workers and the people he and Laura meet when shopping. "Cape Breton is a people-oriented place where everyone has the time to listen to you," Vince says. Before moving, Vince mad phone calls to Cape Breton to survey work opportunities. "It turned out that there was plenty of work available for a contractor in my field." He speaks highly of the people he employs. "I could easily leave the job for two weeks and not have any worries when I return. My 15 employees are conscientious and take pride in their work," he says. "I expect a lot of retirees will want to apply their years of work experience by creating small businesses. And when we create businesses, we create jobs," Vince says.

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