Coastal Inn Antigonish

Yan Zhang is from the other side of the globe. China’s Inner Mongolia region, to be precise. Her educational background is in chemical engineering, and for 20 years she worked in a Chinese laboratory. She vividly recalls the day, November 25th, 2001, that she and her family came to Canada, planning to build a new life in Vancouver.

But like many new immigrants, Zhang struggled to find work. She didn’t have any professional connections, no network of colleagues to help her land a great job, and she didn’t speak English very well. Others encouraged her to go back to school, suggesting that a degree from a Canadian university might be her ticket to employment.

Zhang had other ideas.
She decided to go into business in her new homeland, and set about researching her options. When Vancouver did not present any realistic opportunities, she expanded her search to other parts of the country. Zhang quickly discovered that Nova Scotia had some significant business advantages, with properties being less expensive, and operating costs much lower than those in the other places she’d researched and considered.

So, when a business opportunity in Nova Scotia presented itself, Zhang was eager to explore it. In February, 2006, she made the journey to what would become her very own business: a 35 room motel situated on a busy stretch of Nova Scotia highway. “The first time, I just remember stopping and thinking, this is my place,” she reminisces, with a twinkle in her eye. “It’s a very nice place. I love it.”
Coastal Inn Antigonish is part of Atlantic Canada’s Coastal Inns chain. Located just across from the iconic roadside steakhouse Mother Webb’s, it is an easy choice for the weary traveller, for the simplest of reasons. “Our location is very, very good,” offers Zhang. “Easy to get in, easy to get out. I think this is important for our business.”

The motel has all the makings of a comfortable place to stay, such as cable TV, phone, air conditioning, and a variety of nicely decorated, spacious, spotless rooms at great rates. It also has something a little special that is not necessarily advertised on the big lighthouse-emblazoned sign out front.

There is a certain personal touch, which Yan Zhang and the motel’s staff take great pride in providing. She says, “We try to provide the guests with what ever they need, whether it is a fridge, microwave, laundry service. We even provide a barbeque for use in the summer months. We strive to keep guests happy.”

Since many of Coastal Inn Antigonish’s guests are people travelling in the area for work or business reasons, Zhang is happy to give them the option of flexible check in and check out times. She has even been known to go well above and beyond the call of duty in her efforts to show her guests remarkable hospitality. “Sometimes people come here very late, when everywhere is closed, and they say ‘Oh, I didn’t even have supper.’ And I say, ‘Don’t worry, I’ll give you something,” she relates.

Her employees are also frequently on the receiving end of her home cooked meals, and her willingness to accommodate their needs. Zhang’s warm and welcoming attitude has won Coastal Inn Antigonish a loyal staff, as well as many repeat customers.
This echoes the treatment Zhang has received in Nova Scotia. “I enjoy the people here. Very, very, nice people. Everyone is so kind, so friendly,” she says. “If something happens, I just ask them, across the road at the gas station or Mother Webb’s, and everybody comes over and helps me. It’s very nice.”

The transition from China, to an Asian community in Vancouver, to life as a business owner in small-town Nova Scotia certainly had its share of challenges. The two biggest concerns on the minds of Zhang’s friends and family when she announced her plan to purchase Coastal Inn Antigonish were the weather, and the language barrier.

“Everybody said “No! No! It snows there!” she chuckles. But after a few months of closely comparing Nova Scotia’s temperatures to those in Vancouver, and seeing only a slight difference, she happily reported back to them, “It’s not like you are thinking. It’s very nice weather .You should come over and try it, so you can understand how it is.”

Although she quickly became comfortable with the climate, learning the language took a little longer. “First day, I could not open my mouth. I felt I could not do anything, not even pick up the phone. But after two years, I am getting better,” she says, adding, “Language is something you need to learn. You need to have conversation with local people. This is the only way you can do it.”
Everyday, Zhang made a point of practicing her English, and with some help from her staff, she gained a great deal of confidence and facility with words. Having strong, supportive relationships with her employees, and with people in the community has made running the motel a much smoother process, and she has become an inspiration for fellow immigrants and an eager advocate for the province.

“People from other places, coming from China like me, can trust that Nova Scotia is a very good place. A very good place for business,” Zhang says.

Although Nova Scotia is in many ways a world away from China, or even Vancouver, Zhang does not hesitate to encourage other new immigrants to give Nova Scotia a chance. “Here, it is the best place for doing business, no matter if it’s the motel business or any other business,” she enthusiastically offers. As different as life in Nova Scotia is from her past circumstances, her experiences at Coastal Inn Antigonish have shown Zhang that she has much in common with the people of her new home. “It’s the Chinese way, that we will always try to keep our friends for a long time.” That just happens to be the Nova Scotia way, too.