The Nova Scotia government has launched a poster campaign in Calgary that promises to help former residents deal with a mock condition called "delusional calgaria."

The campaign is a humorous attempt to convince Maritimers they're missing out on a better quality of life back home. The posters direct people to a website where they can get tips on how to cure themselves of the "ailment."

Delusional calgaria, according to the website, is "an affliction that affects four out of five Nova Scotians living away from home in Calgary."

"Symptoms include loss of balance, blurry vision and separation anxiety," the website says. "Sufferers may show signs of acceptance of high costs in Calgary, lack of awareness of new opportunities to have a better life back home in Nova Scotia, and occasional upset stomach."

The website even includes a mock intervention video featuring a guy named Jim and his concerned family and friends back home. They ask him to actually name a player on the Calgary Flames and tell Jim he can have two homes in Nova Scotia for the price of one in Calgary.

"Delusional calgaria can be beaten. If you know someone who is suffering, don't let another day pass. Start the healing process today," the video pleads. 

Opportunities abound

"We get caught up in our daily lives and don't really see the opportunities that may be available back home," Stacey Jones-Oxner, a spokeswoman with the Nova Scotia provincial government, said on Monday. "There's certainly a perception that Nova Scotia doesn't have opportunities available for growth and careers and that's certainly not the case."

David James, 27, has been in Calgary for five years. He's exactly the type of person the campaign is targeting, but James isn't convinced things are getting better at home.

"The small town that I'm from, there's not very much there at all.There's a couple of mills and plants are shutting down and hundreds of people are losing their jobs, so I wouldn't be surprised if a lot more of my friends are going to come back out here."

James says his plan is to eventually retire to Nova Scotia, but he admits his girlfriend is feeling the pull for an opportunity in Dartmouth.

Calgary mayor weighs in

Calgary Mayor Dave Bronconnier said Monday he's not insulted by the campaign.

"Calgary is a place where you can really grow a business, raise a family, have a high quality of life, lots of job opportunities, lots of growth. Sure the housing costs are a little bit higher, but look at the wages as well," he said.

"I look at these ads and say: 'You know, this is the government of Nova Scotia's attempt to say that there's something happening in Nova Scotia, too.' I'm just not sure what."