# New job, New start, New life



## Monstermash (Sep 2, 2012)

Hi all,

I was lucky enough to be invited to a job interview with a well known HGV company a few weeks ago and have recently received an offer of employment. The job offer is in Saskatoon and it looks like il be moving over within 6 months or so, all paperwork/visa's have been done, just need to add my name and once ive tied up the loose ends here in the UK il be on my way.

I'm married with 3 wonderful kids, we are living in Southampton in a 2 bedroom mid terrace, so you can imagine its a bit tight for space. I'm hoping this move to Canada will be a good move for all of us, a fresh start if you like, a bigger house, better life, safer etc. ive never moved this far away from the UK, i use to live in Germany growing up, but this is all very scary and there is alot to learn.

Id be grateful if people took the time to reply and help me out a bit, this is all very new and not sure where to start, i dont know where the best places to live are, the schools etc. I'm going to be researching as much as i can.

thanks for taking the time to read
Ben


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## PastyPete (Oct 13, 2013)

Hi Moster Mash 

We are in the same situation also in Hampshire.

I am devising a large project plan.

When do you plan to move and i need to look on the map where Saskatoon is ....

Out ETA in Canada as a family is June and I will doing the commute for 6 months....

This Form is Brilliant.

Lets share info as we go

PP


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## kim0825 (Sep 21, 2013)

Out of all the places in Saskatchewan to live, Saskatoon is by far the best. I'm not from there but have been to Saskatoon a few times, sorry I can't help you with the best neighborhoods or schools. Saskatoon is a very pretty city with lots of beautiful parks and trees. I live in Calgary (one province over in Alberta) and if I had to move to Saskatchewan at any point in my life it would definitely be to Saskatoon. Sorry I can't help you more but thought a little reassurance about the city itself would help. Good luck!!!!


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## Monstermash (Sep 2, 2012)

That's very nice to hear, I've seen pictures on the web and it looks fab , not 1 for living in the city so hoping to find something on the out skirts.


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## grahamUK (Nov 17, 2013)

Just returned from Halifax Nova Scotia after 14 months, great place/people but it's far more expensive for food/drink/TV/telephone/internet/taxes etc than UK. To many government monopoly's/lack of competition is the problem so they can charge pretty much what they like then it's plus tax !! Live there again NO, Canada is 50 years behind the UK/EU/USA in many respects and needs to move forward into the 21st Century but you only learn this if you live there. Canadians just seem to accept the situation but will add things need to change !!


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## luvcanada (Nov 10, 2011)

Please tell me where Canada is 50 years behind. I would love to hear your perspective.


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## WestCoastCanadianGirl (Mar 17, 2012)

luvcanada said:


> Please tell me where Canada is 50 years behind. I would love to hear your perspective.


Agreed.... I lived in Canada for 40 years and have been in the UK for 14 months and have yet to see any major difference between the two places.

Sure, there _are_ differences between the two countries - in some ways I think that the "Canadian way" of doing things is better than the UK (I question some standards of practice that I've seen in UK supermarkets in regards to food safety; we're a lot less strict about driver licensing and a lot more strict about where you can buy alcohol outside of an off license; longer Sunday trading hours), and in others the "UK way" has my homeland beat six ways to Sunday (V.A.T. inclusive pricing; cheap as chips mobile phone tariffs; fantabulous rail network, even if my Yorkshire born/raised Husband says that it's not always great), but as far as the ease of transitioning from one place to the other, it's been virtually seamless. In fact, if I'm not paying attention, sometimes I can convince myself that I'm back home in Canada.

It's not a secret that Canadians pay amongst the worlds highest cell phone tariffs... the government knows this, the mobile phone companies know this and the average Canadian consumer knows this. Until more competition is in place (the CRTC is slowly letting it in), it'll be the norm and until that day, it'll continue to be annoying as hell (I pay £15/mo in the UK for what would cost me >CAD $65 + tax in Canada)

In regards to the taxation, yes it's completely mad, but each province sets its own provincial tax rate that is charged in addition to the federal tax. You just happened to find yourself in a province where the provincial rate is higher than the rest of the country and both the provincial and federal taxes are lumped together... whilst the federal tax cannot be avoided (and even then, a 5% GST is a lot easier on the pocketbook than 20% VAT) in some provinces (Alberta) there is no provincial sales tax.

I'm not here to slag the UK - I have come to it here (as much as I love Canada) and hope to become a citizen before too long (late 2015) - but I'm sure that a lot of expats here can find as many niggles with the UK as you apparently have with Canada.


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## grahamUK (Nov 17, 2013)

luvcanada said:


> Please tell me where Canada is 50 years behind. I would love to hear your perspective.


Farm Supply Management schemes, the consumer pays the price of them. Provencial Liquor Corporation monopolies, they have no place in a free market economy. Public transport, non exsistant outside of Halifax. Hope that helps, there are more


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## WestCoastCanadianGirl (Mar 17, 2012)

The transport and liquor issues you have are going to happen anywhere in Canada outside of the big city, just as there are better services/prices/competition in London than there are in say Huddersfield/Wakefield (yes, I've been to all three places).

If you were in Toronto or Montreal or even Vancouver, you would find more competition and better service... i.e. there are plenty of off licenses in addition to the government run liquor stores in those urban areas.

Again, it just happened that you landed up in a part of the country that happens to be more expensive with less services.


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## Monstermash (Sep 2, 2012)

So in regards to the tax, how does work? Are prices set before taxes and then it is added when u get to the check out?


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## Monstermash (Sep 2, 2012)

Are we talking about Saskatoon or Nova Scotia???


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## WestCoastCanadianGirl (Mar 17, 2012)

Monster... yes.

Annoyingly, _un_like the UK, shelf prices don't generally include sales tax, unless otherwise specified (some take away shops will indicate whether or not the GST is included in the price)... one major exception is petrol prices... the price per litre at the pump is the price you pay for the 'cheap' petrol (the premium blends of petrol are more expensive).

Petrol prices in Canada, whilst extortonate in many parts of Canada, are cheaper than in the UK, thanks to the favourable exchange rate. CAD 1.35$/litre for petrol in Vancouver works out to 80p/litre in £ Sterling.


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## grahamUK (Nov 17, 2013)

Monstermash said:


> So in regards to the tax, how does work? Are prices set before taxes and then it is added when u get to the check out?


Yes in most cases but it can vary in bars, you'll also get hit with HST on a second hand car bought privately or from a dealer


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## grahamUK (Nov 17, 2013)

WestCoastCanadianGirl said:


> The transport and liquor issues you have are going to happen anywhere in Canada outside of the big city, just as there are better services/prices/competition in London than there are in say Huddersfield/Wakefield (yes, I've been to all three places).
> 
> If you were in Toronto or Montreal or even Vancouver, you would find more competition and better service... i.e. there are plenty of off licenses in addition to the government run liquor stores in those urban areas.
> Again, it just happened that you landed up in a part of the country that happens to be more expensive with less services.


Yorkshire prices will still be far cheaper than London  Canadian off licenses are still all supplied by the liquor corporations so they can't be undercut  Farm Supply Management, most Canadians don't even understand how it works and how dearly they pay for it, I worked in UK farming so I do and it was dumped by the rest of the world 35 years ago Milk at 2 bucks a litre is as dear as UK gas and how much tax does that include ?? Milk there's none !! Do you know a Quota License costs around $28000 for ONE dairy cow in Canada and then you have to buy the cow !!!! You the consumer pay the price !!! Halifax is expensive and on the surface there's not a lot of difference with the UK, underneath there is and the more you look the more you find :whoo:
Yes there are more than a few niggles with the UK but a pint of beer is a pint, Canada, who knows just how much is in the glass


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## JGK (Dec 12, 2009)

I'm just in the process of leaving Saskatoon (unfortunately). Have you checked out 

LivingSaskatoon, it may provide a lot of the info you want.


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## JasminePorter (Nov 20, 2013)

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Homeowners:

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We’re looking for energetic, enthusiastic people. We would like to follow you and your family as you make the big leap to Canada. Tell us where you’re from, why you’re leaving and why you want to come to Canada. What are you most excited about? What are you most nervous about? Where will you settle?


Please let me know if interested and for more details.
thanks and good luck!


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## luvcanada (Nov 10, 2011)

grahamUK said:


> Farm Supply Management schemes, the consumer pays the price of them. Provencial Liquor Corporation monopolies, they have no place in a free market economy. Public transport, non exsistant outside of Halifax. Hope that helps, there are more


Yes Farm Supply Management means the consumer pays more. However, the UK subsidizes its farmers with over 3 billion pounds a year. Surely this money comes from the tax payers, i.e. the consumers. Regarding Free Market economies, there is no such thing because all governments regulate business to some extent. Having said this, I don't necessarily agree with the provincially regulated liquor stores but this is a minor itch when considering all things in one's life.


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