For Canadians relocating to Bermuda, the perks may seem obvious: better weather, strong career prospects and a daily life framed by turquoise waters and natural beauty.
But according to Isabelle Ramsay-Brackstone, Bermuda’s honorary consul of Canada, it’s very much a two-way relationship.
Today, roughly 10,000 Canadians call our island home — a connection rooted in more than four centuries of shared history between Bermuda, Halifax, the Turks and Caicos Islands and the United Kingdom.
“Bermuda was always a transit hub between Canada and the Caribbean,” Ms Ramsay-Brackstone explained, pointing to the island’s long-standing maritime connections.
“The [cargo] line that used to feed Bermuda for the longest time came from Halifax. Only in 1981 did it move to Port Elizabeth in New Jersey.”
That a significant number of Bermudian students pursue higher education in Canada, and that the two countries share His Majesty King Charles III as their head of state, has strengthened the ties.
Cultural ties
Ms Ramsay-Brackstone believes it’s these deep-rooted connections and familial connections that continue to draw Canadians to the island.
“Because their parents went to school in Canada, because their family is in Canada; the ties are much more than academic — a lot of Bermudians have property in Canada; their father went to study in Canada and brought back a Canadian wife. There’s a lot of that in Bermuda. I have a ton of ‘Canadian babies’ who were born in Bermuda because of that.”
Her late husband, Kirby Brackstone, was a banker in Montreal, where they met.
“He came to Canada, found a nice French-Canadian bride and brought her back,” she said.
Still, she acknowledges that Bermuda isn’t the right fit for everyone.
“Bermuda does not cater to all talents. If you are an astrophysicist, you’re not going to be happy in Bermuda. But if you are a mathematician, yes; if you like to build trains, maybe not.
“What brought me to Bermuda when I started building a family is the lifestyle that it offered: it’s safe, the weather is certainly a huge factor and there’s a gentle way of life in Bermuda that you don’t find anywhere in the world. And when you can offer that to a young family, it’s the most wonderful thing on the planet.”
Common traits
Beyond all that, there is a deeper connection.
Ms Ramsay-Brackstone explained: “Bermudians and Canadians are peaceful, kind, generous people. Canadians and Bermudians are extremely welcoming. Canadians accept a lot of people from around the world, so does Bermuda, and we embrace how they enhance the fabric of our community.
“You see it on our restaurant menus, in our choice of music and garments. I think Canadians add a lot of diversity to our cultural fibre.
“Canadians go around the world, not necessarily fighting wars, but ensuring that processes happen in peace. And Bermudians are like that too.”
The Canadian presence in Bermuda is perhaps most obvious during Canada Day celebrations in July, hosted by the Association of Canadians in Bermuda at Warwick Long Bay, but smaller signs of that influence show up year-round.
“It’s putting gravy on French fries, singing [songs by] Celine Dion and Barenaked Ladies and Bryan Adams and celebrating our wonderful wealth of cultural icons,” said Ms Ramsay-Brackstone, whose company, Lili Bermuda Perfumery, creates and manufactures fragrances.
“Certainly, in my business, I still have quite a few suppliers in Canada. Canadians do very good quality things. The exchange rate for many years has been extremely advantageous from a business point of view.”
That influence is easy to spot, she added.
“You go around the shelves at your supermarket or at your drug store, there’s a lot of things that are made in Canada.”
