Why one woman is driving across Canada to convince you to move to Lunenburg, N.S.

Driving through downtown Ottawa, you may have seen an old 1976 camper trailer parked along the street. 

If you were to look inside, you'd see objects and decor reflecting life on Canada's Ocean Playground — Lunenburg, N.S., to be exact. 

Tina Hennigar has been living in the trailer since the end of July, trekking across the country to try to convince people the life they've always wanted is in Nova Scotia. 

"It was actually at a food festival when I saw all these food trucks roll in from other communities and I thought, that's what we need to do," she said Wednesday.

"We need to go out and talk to fellow Canadians about our community and, if they're thinking of relocating, why they should consider Lunenburg County."

She paints an idyllic picture of the Atlantic Ocean, quiet commutes and plentiful parking (it isn't as easy to find a place to stop her camper in downtown Ottawa).

Spreading East Coast culture

The county hired Hennigar as its population growth co-ordinator last September. Her mission is to counter the declining number of residents in a region where the main demographic is retired couples.

"Folks are moving in … later in life," Hennigar said. "What we need is younger families."

Her trailer is stocked with information about Lunenburg real estate, jobs and housing, so she's always prepared to make the pitch.  

She has already persuaded several people to set their course for eastern Canada, she said.

"We certainly expect that in the next few years we're going to see people move."

The contents of the trailer have also helped to dispel some misconceptions about the region — especially about the snow, she said.

"There's a lot of people around the country who aren't familiar with the East Coast."

The Lunenburg trailer tour will wrap up in Ottawa Thursday and will head back to Nova Scotia.