Come on home to Newfoundland, just don't bring any of your material possessions.

I think I found a reason why it's so hard to get people to move back to Newfoundland. It has nothing to do with a shortage of employment or the lack of services or the shitty weather. It's because people simply can't afford to do it. As if it isn't bad enough that it costs 2-3 times more to fly to and from this island, you get totally screwed trying to bring your belongings here!

A friend of mine moved to Halifax 3 years ago to finish her degree at NSCAD. At the time, she rented a U-Haul truck and drove there. It cost her about $300 to rent the vehicle, plus fuel and ferry expenses. By the time she arrived, the trip ran her less than $1000, which was far less expensive than buying all new furniture and household items. Now that she's ready to move home, she thought she'd pick up a truck in Halifax and drive back. Thought she would.

Upon checking the U-Haul website and calling their customer service department, my friend found that it would cost her over $2000 just to rent the truck. Add fuel and ferry costs and we're talking a near tripling of expense in driving the exact same route in the opposite direction. Incidentally, if she were moving to Calgary, AB, it would cost her only a couple hundred bucks more, despite the fact that she'd be driving an extra 3000 km . U-Haul's response to her disbelief? "That's the cost of providing the service to a small market".

Where's the justice here?