Rugusa roses do well by the ocean. Bayberry too, daylilies, all the artemesias, thrift...

Start your hardiest ones first, like your spruces, then inshore of that, the roses. We are a little more inland than you, but close enough to hear the ocean and have seen what folks plant right on the shore. Sweet chestnut, castanea, might be OK too, as there are perhaps some on Briar Island...or they could be horse chestnut, aesculus, as I have only heard of them, not seen them. Most of the tulips and daffodills do OK with salt spray too, and phlox...
Are you up the Cape or mainland NS? PEI?

Thanks for the help, Jocelyn. I'm even farther away - Newfoundland. I've heard that lilacs and spirea may do well, and I'm hoping black eyed susans, coneflowers, shasta daisy,yarrow, too - the old hardy perennials that seem to survive year after year.

Hi Ivaq,

you may also want to try lupins.

try thrifts too.

Well, black eyed susans do great here, and even take the road salt as well as sea spray. What is your soil like? Shallow and dry, shallow and wet, or???? Somebosy else mentioned lupins.....the russel type are hardier than the gallery type, so try the russel lupins first.

Perennial sweet pea is based on the wild beach pea, so it should be OK too, and they smell devine. Vetches might be OK.

There is the old "cut and try" method....try what you like and see how it does.

Jocelyn