First Cape Breton Christmas for families that traded West Coast for job, free land

Two West Coast families thattook up a Cape Breton shop's offer of a job and a plot of free land are celebrating thefirst Christmas in their small adopted community.

Sonja Andersen and Kerry Walkins, both from B.C.,were hiredat Farmer's Daughter Country Market in Whycocomagh after a help wanted ad on Facebookdrew thousands of applications from around the world.

Andersen, asingle mother,moved to the community of 800 from Vancouver with her 11-year-old daughter.

She plans tobringher family's traditional Danish dishes, likered cabbage, candied potatoes and rice pudding, to multiple dinners for the holidays.

I feel safe. I feel secure. We feel welcome.- Sonja Andersen

"We were alonein the big city," said Andersen."But we're not alone here."

Andersen said her daughter was bullied in Vancouver, but now is"the happiest she's ever been in her entire life" with her new friends, a new school and now new Christmas traditions.

"I feel safe. I feel secure. We feel welcome," said Andersen.

'We have dreams to grow our life here'

Thefamily-ownedgeneral store and bakery a communityfixture for about 25 yearsoffered prospective employeesabout ahectareoflandto balance out the low wages and attracthard-to-find staff tocentral Cape Breton.

The deal with Farmer's Daughter stipulates that if the new employees arestill working at the market in five years, the land becomes theirs.

Walkins, her husband and two children are settling inand say they're already making plans to build an off-the-grid house in the ruralcommunity.

"We have dreams to grow our life here. We're not just coming to kind of stick around a little while and go," she said."We want to be permanent fixtures in the community here inWhycocomagh."

Walkins said she'sreceived invitations from new friends for holiday get-togethers and will be spending a dinner with Andersen a stranger turned co-worker.

"Keep it simple, keep it slow, just enjoy our time together, which is what it's all about," said Walkins.

"We didn't want to rush around anymore."

Small-town life not for everyone

Market co-owner Sandee MacLean said one of thenew hires, a woman in her 40s, recently quit the market.

"It was shocking that the third person quit, but at the same time, when we reflect on it, I'm not terribly surprised," said MacLean,who runs the store with her sister, HeatherCoulombe.

"This is a really hard job."

MacLeansaid the woman struggled with the busy, physical workand did not integrate well into the community.

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Another new staff member, a chef and baker from Alberta, is expected to jointhe team in April, and MacLean expects to hire another four after that.

Princesses and people who are not used to hard work, please do not apply.- Sandee MacLean

"It's going to be exciting to see who comes," MacLean said.

"Princesses and people who are not used to hard work, please do not apply."

She said the market will be expanding to offer craft beer, wings and pizza to winter sport enthusiasts visiting Whycocomagh.

The staff will also be featured in a documentary series proposed by a New York production company about the town, the new employees and sustainable living, she said.

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