Life is all about choices. Obviously there are a few things you have to give up in order to live out in the fresh air and wide open spaces. Things like live theatre and music and regular workouts at the fitness centre are gone, right? Wrong. Wrong, that is, if the District of Guysborough is your choice.

The District is uncommon, if not unique, in that it is a sparsely populated, rural area that still offers exceptional resident amenities, in health, education, cultural experiences and healthy living opportunities.

The District is well-served by health professionals, and well-equipped hospitals in Guysborough (shiretown) and Canso, with family physicians working from both. There is a larger, regional hospital nearby in Antigonish. Schools are located in the Shiretown of Guysborough and at Hazel Hill and Canso.

Health and fitness are taken seriously around here. There are well-equipped fitness centres in the shiretown, in Hazel Hill, Isaac’s Harbour, New Harbour and in Whitehead. Schools and other public buildings are available for recreational activities. The Municipal Recreation Department operates a full slate of activities for all ages.

The District is home to one of the most acclaimed travelling theatre groups in the country, Mulgrave Road Theatre, which operates out of a wonderful small playhouse in the town of Guysborough. In its thirty year history, Mulgrave Road has originated dozens of plays, developed actors and writers that have gone on to national and international fame. The Chedabucto Place Performance Centre in the Shiretown of Guysborough attracts top musical performances and other acts that bypass much larger centres. If intellectual pursuits are your interest, Saint Francis Xavier University is nearby – about a 40-minute drive from the centre of the District.

The economic future of the District is up to us all, but there are striking opportunities on the near horizon. The most promising is development of a leading edge port terminal and logistics park on the Strait of Canso at Melford. Energy-related growth based on gas, which comes ashore in the District at Goldboro, or on wind power and possibly hydro developments offer real potential. Resource-based opportunities abound in forestry, the fishery and aquaculture, gold mining and tourism.

You do give up a few things to live in the District of Guysborough. But when you really miss traffic jams and stressed-out people, the city’s only a few hours away.