How life unfolded for this entrepreneur

The Province I Call Home

By Alicia Simms

Though she didn’t grow up in Nova Scotia, life has unfolded for Alicia Simms in the province she now calls home.

Born and raised in Newfoundland, Simms arrived in Colchester County in 2014. She says she can’t imagine her life anywhere else. Simms is the woman behind Truro Buzz, showcasing the businesses, lifestyle, and people of the community of Colchester County. She’s a talented tattoo artist with a private studio, and she’s the owner and operator of Secret Nova Scotia, a tour company revealing the hidden experiences found in rural hotspots of Nova Scotia’s North Shore.

Discover how the province has won her heart, and how she’s grown this love into a thriving business.

Nova Scotia has been home to entrepreneur Alicia Simms since 2014. says she can’t imagine her life anywhere else. #novascotia #exploring #colchestercounty

Showcasing Northern Nova Scotia

Nova Scotia has been my home for seven years now. While this isn’t where I was born, it feels more like home than anywhere else I’ve lived.

I grew up in Newfoundland so I’ve always been close to the ocean, but there’s just something about Nova Scotia that seeded in my heart and grew into a thriving business that’s all about promoting what it's like to live, work and play on the rural shores of Canada’s ocean playground.  

When I began to share with people on my social media accounts what I was doing here in northern Nova Scotia, people started to take notice. From music events to street festivals, and exploring our local restaurants, there was so much to experience in my own town and surrounding communities. I loved taking my followers along with me, so it was a natural progression to grow from showing people what was happening here online, to creating guided tours so they could experience these lesser known local gems for themselves. This is how Secret Nova Scotia Tours came to be.

I’ve always loved to travel since I was little. Visiting a new place and experiencing its scenery, culture, and of course its food is one of my greatest passions. Getting to know Nova Scotia has only fuelled that fire. Its rural areas have a culture all its own--one rich with flavours like maple and blueberries, and full of makers who harness our local ingredients to handcraft incredible one-of-a-kind products.

The breath-taking scenery dramatically flows from soft sand beaches to the rugged rocks of the coastline cliffs along a single drive. Did you know that no matter where you are in the province, you’re never more than 60 kilometres from the ocean? It’s true!

Whether you’re an adventure seeker interested in riding the rapids of the tidal bore, or you want to dine on the ocean floor, there’s something to suit every interest.

Now my love of adventuring has me touring around this beautiful province with my fiancé in an RV, creating a tourism show for Eastlink Television. It showcases all kinds of activities, like hiking mountains in Cape Breton, horseback riding in Scotsburn, and lobster fishing in Brule. I’m constantly in awe of how much this province has to offer, and how much I still have yet to discover.

It’s amazing to me how my life has unfolded in this province I call home. There’s still so much to explore, and I can’t wait to take it all in. Did you know you can find award-winning craft breweries and distilleries, world-class golf courses, and some of the best cuisine right here?  No matter what you’re looking for, you can find it in Nova Scotia, and there’s never been a better time to get out and find your very own adventure right here.

Happy adventuring!

Find Alicia on Instagram and Twitter, and discover Secret Nova Scotia on Instagram or at www.secretnovascotia.ca.

Alicia Simms is a local entrepreneur and media personality in Truro, Nova Scotia. A tattooer by trade, she runs a private studio, Rolling Sea Tattooery, in Truro. She also owns a social media marketing and promotions company called Truro Buzz focusing on what it's like to live, work, and play in Colchester County. Her tour company Secret Nova Scotia offers guided tours revealing experiences in the hot spots of rural Nova Scotia.