# A New Life In canada Any advice would be most helpful!!!!



## Jen086 (Feb 24, 2011)

HI all i'm new to this forum....myself ,my parnter and our daughter 3yrs are starting the process regarding our visa to canada. This will take the guts of a year which we are okay with..However we do not know which part of canada to move to i've been searching the internet now for the past few weeks trying to gather information with regards to jobs, housing, weather, schools, taxes, cost of living, lifestyle etc etc.......
I'm qualifed in the travel and tourism sector and also more recently in the education sector Special needs assistant 0-16 years and in behaviour management....My partner has a trade in the construction industry, 13 years experience, he is also a health and safety officer and has a degree in building construction..
Any help will be most helpful


Thanks Jen


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## gringotim (Jan 5, 2011)

*many questions, many answers*



Jen086 said:


> HI all i'm new to this forum....myself ,my parnter and our daughter 3yrs are starting the process regarding our visa to canada. This will take the guts of a year which we are okay with..However we do not know which part of canada to move to i've been searching the internet now for the past few weeks trying to gather information with regards to jobs, housing, weather, schools, taxes, cost of living, lifestyle etc etc.......
> I'm qualifed in the travel and tourism sector and also more recently in the education sector Special needs assistant 0-16 years and in behaviour management....My partner has a trade in the construction industry, 13 years experience, he is also a health and safety officer and has a degree in building construction..
> Any help will be most helpful
> 
> ...


As far as weather goes, the best overall weather, hands down is southewestern BC (Vancouver, Lower mainland area, or southern Vancouver Island (Victoria area) While we just had a freak snow fall yesterday, it will be gone in a day or two and the temps will once again be anywhere from 5-6 celcius to the low teens, which is normal for our winters, compare that to anywhere else in Canada. While we do get a bit more rain than some places, we don't go months and months of freezing temps and snow blizzards. Gardens usually have some flowers blooming right thru winter. There area alot of palms around that survive the winters, so you know it doesn't get that cold, and if it does it only last a few days. Summers are even better, not to hot, 20's - low 30's celcius average. Like anywhere, if there are plenty of jobs the cost of housing is higher, In BC, the HST tax is 12%, in Ontario its 13%,. Whether the cost of living is high depends on your perspective,, We make good money, but find the cost of living high, so much so that when we retire we are moving to Mexico, but there are lots of people who still drive gas gussling vehicles, shop at expensive stores, eat a expensive restaurants etc, and then complain that everything cost so much. Cant speak to the lifestyle topic because everyones lifestyle is different.....


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## Jen086 (Feb 24, 2011)

Thanks for replying.....i don't mind the winter too much i lived in chicago for 5 years so i know how bad winters can get,,,,i know everywhere has there pros and cons it's just such a difficult situation,,at the moment i pay for my health care so i don't mind if i still have to pay when i arrive in canada,,i'm not looking for a free ride, a comfortable life with a job,,,
Thanks again 
Jen


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## kyokushin723 (Jun 18, 2010)

the big 3 vancouver,calgary and toronto


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## gringotim (Jan 5, 2011)

*Brrrrrr!*



Jen086 said:


> Thanks for replying.....i don't mind the winter too much i lived in chicago for 5 years so i know how bad winters can get,,,,i know everywhere has there pros and cons it's just such a difficult situation,,at the moment i pay for my health care so i don't mind if i still have to pay when i arrive in canada,,i'm not looking for a free ride, a comfortable life with a job,,,
> Thanks again
> Jen


Everyday we watch tv stations not just from Chicago, but also Boston, Detroit, and New York, so know what winter weather is like in that area, and if you don't mind that kind of winter, and it doesn't bother you, then it doesn't really matter where in Canada you move. So I guess once you get your visas its just a matter of going to wherever you can get work. Good luck


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## tempranova (Jan 7, 2010)

do you like doing outdoor things with your kids? I think BC is a pretty good choice overall, check out the Okanagan - very sunny and warm in summer, not very rainy like the Lower Mainland. Of course, every place will have its pros and cons, and it also depends on whether you'd like to move to a city or somewhere a little less populated.

I'm also not sure if you're wanting exposure to the French part of Canada - if so, you won't find much in BC. I've lived in BC, New Brunswick, and Montreal, and of the three I'd say BC was the best for work, NB was the best for kind people, and Montreal was the best for fun. Of course all of these exist in ample doses everywhere in Canada! 

I say, look around at scenery, whether you want English/French or a mix, and of course jobs will be best found in cities or outside of the Maritimes (though it's a great place to live). Good luck! No matter where you go, with effort you'll make a great life.


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## m field (Jan 27, 2010)

We have just applied for P.R. through the skilled worker route and was very similar to you a year ago, we were between Toronto and Vancouver area's. I researched on the net and some one mentioned the Okanagan region - Kelowna in particular. As soon as we looked into it it just felt right for us one of the main reasons was the climate and that there are a few ski- resorts really close by and a huge lake with beaches. We went out for a quick holiday and really liked what we saw the Okanagan region is simply stunning. So at the moment that is were we would like to be but if my hubby can not find work then we may have to reconsider. We have also been looking at Vancouver island and wish that we visited when we were there. But i'm just hoping everything will fall into place when my hubby starts applying for jobs and hopefully gets one. He's a gas/plumbing engineer with a lot of experience so fingers crossed. WE have 3 children under 10 and we just hope they will have a better lifestyle than in the U.K. - and us !!!
Good luck
Maria


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## Jen086 (Feb 24, 2011)

Thanks guys for all the advice...it's just such a hard decision to make about where the best place is to live like i said i'm trying to take everything into consideration Maria how are your kids finding the move my daughter will be 4 when we move so hopefully she'll adjust well but finding jobs are our main concern and i suppose we'll just take it from there. 
I feel that if we want it bad enough we'll make it happen finger's crossed,,,
Anyone with any advice i would love to hear 

Thanks Jen


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## MarylandNed (May 11, 2010)

kyokushin723 said:


> the big 3 vancouver,calgary and toronto


You got 2 out of 3 correct. Most immigrants settle in Toronto, Vancouver or Montreal.


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## grumpygirl (Feb 28, 2011)

From the perspective of an outsider that lives very close to Canada, I can tell you that Alberta currently has the healthiest economy of all the provinces. I believe this will be especially true should the economy get worse for Canada. I know quite a few Americans that keep a close handle on the North American economic situation and they were all happy to hear I was moving to Alberta for this reason. Something to keep in mind, at any rate.


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## Jennianne (Feb 8, 2010)

Hi we are living outside edmonton my hubby is in construction we are here on twp! Been told alberta is the place to be major work on the horizion in construction up in fort mcmurray which will be 5 years work with 10,000 jobs at least!!!! Always loads of jobs in the papers here too!


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## grumpygirl (Feb 28, 2011)

Jennianne, this is the impression I get also. I would caution you and your family to be as careful as you can financially. Alberta has not been as hard hit by this recession as a lot of places in the US and Canada and Canada is definitely in _far_ better financial condition that the US right now, but construction is always one of the first economic sectors that sees slowing when a recession starts to build up steam. Construction here in the US is absolutely devastated with little sign of recovery. If I were your husband, I would take as much work as I could and save as much as possible. The biggest mistake Americans in construction made before the housing & commercial real estate bubbles popped in the US was to assume that the boom times would last indefinitely and so never put any of that fabulous pay away for the inevitable bust. 

I've never seen so many skilled trades tools for sale in pawn shops since the 1980s in Michigan when the auto industry went down the toilet. It's bad down here.


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## Jennianne (Feb 8, 2010)

Hi that is exactly why we r in canada now as construction was so badly hit in uk too glad we chose alberta as seems the most stable and the less place hit by recession! Just wish it wasnt so damn cold though -47 forecast in windchill for morning!!!!





grumpygirl said:


> Jennianne, this is the impression I get also. I would caution you and your family to be as careful as you can financially. Alberta has not been as hard hit by this recession as a lot of places in the US and Canada and Canada is definitely in _far_ better financial condition that the US right now, but construction is always one of the first economic sectors that sees slowing when a recession starts to build up steam. Construction here in the US is absolutely devastated with little sign of recovery. If I were your husband, I would take as much work as I could and save as much as possible. The biggest mistake Americans in construction made before the housing & commercial real estate bubbles popped in the US was to assume that the boom times would last indefinitely and so never put any of that fabulous pay away for the inevitable bust.
> 
> I've never seen so many skilled trades tools for sale in pawn shops since the 1980s in Michigan when the auto industry went down the toilet. It's bad down here.


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## RGS (Jan 24, 2011)

East to West Canada

Atlantic Provinces (Nova Scotia, PEI, New Brunswick, Newfoundland) - Beautiful country side and landscapes. Reminds me of costal countries in the UK. Primary economics based on Fishing, off-shore oil and tourism. The Maritimes have somewhat of a depressed economy since restrictions were put on fishing limits. Off-shore oil does well for the economy there. Winters can moderate between huge dumps of snow or snow storms, to periods of warm weather. Summers are very pleasant.

Quebec - Primarily French speaking. Economy based on manufacturing and tourism. Montreal and Quebec City are big tourist draws. Can have cold winters with a lot of snow. Summers are pleasant.

Ontario - Has Canada's largest city (Toronto) and Canada's captial city (Ottawa). Economy is based on manufacturing and some mining. Toronto is a big tourist draw. Northern Ontario has beautiful lakes and cottage country. Winters can moderate between dumps of snow or snow storms, to periods of warm weather. Generally there is a lot of high humidity in Toronto year round, fed off the great lakes. Summers can be hot, with high humidity.

Manitoba - Economy is based on manufacturing and some farming. Generally has a well balanced, stable ecomony. Has some beautiful lakes. Can have very cold, long winters with a lot of snow. Can have very hot/dry summers.

Saskatchewan - Economy is primarily based on farming, with some resource mining in potash and uranium, as well as some oil. Generally has a well balanced, stable ecomony. Can have very cold, long winters with a lot of snow. Can have very hot/dry summers.

Alberta - Primarily driven by Oil and Natural Gas. Economy is very much dictated by how well oil/natural gas is doing in the world marketplace... therefore Alberta has periods of boom and bust times in the economy. When oil is doing well and the province is in a "boom" period, Alberta is generally the best off and wealthist of all the Canadian provinces. But when oil prices drop and the province slides into the "bust" period, the opposite happens where several other provinces Canada can easily out-perform Alberta's ecomony. Winters can be long and sometimes cold, but extreme temperature moderations called "Chinooks" or "Albertra Clippers" can raise a winter temperature from -30 to +10 in a matter of 24 hours. Alberta also has various Rockie Mountain national parks. Great for skiing. 

British Columbia - Probably the most moderate of Canadian climates. Rarily does the temperature get below 0. They may get occasional snowfall a couple times in winter, but it doesn't stay long. British Columbia (Vancouver and Victoria) are huge tourist draws. Vancouver generally gets a lot of rain but is a beautiful coastal/mountain city. A lot of British Columbia is spread through the Rockie Moutains, therefore it has great skiing areas.


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## RGS (Jan 24, 2011)

There is just announced approval for the construction of a new a Oil/Bitumen upgrader just outside of Edmonton, Alberta. The cost is around $5 billion for the construction and operation and is expected to generate 8,000 (eight thousand) constructon jobs.

As a reference, Alberta has two large cities... Calgary and Edmonton.

Calgary is generally known as the "white collar" city where a majority of oil & gas (and other) head offices are located. Calgary also has the benefit of being only an hour's drive from the Rockie mountains (and Banff National park). Makes for close skiing.

Edmonton (Alberta's Capital city), is generally known as the "blue collar" city where most of the oil & gas related work originates from including drilling rigs, oil field equipment, manufacturing and research. There are several large gas/oil/petro-chemical operations in the greater Edmonton area including Shell Canada (Scotford), Petro-Canada/Suncor, Esso Petroleum, as well as the oil sands operations in northern Alberta (Syncrude and Suncor). Rockie Mountains are generally a 3 hour drive (from Edmonton to Jasper National Park).


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## Jennianne (Feb 8, 2010)

Thats fab news for us as my hubby is in contstruction here in edmonton!! hopefully the company he is working for will get some of the contracts!




RGS said:


> There is just announced approval for the construction of a new a Oil/Bitumen upgrader just outside of Edmonton, Alberta. The cost is around $5 billion for the construction and operation and is expected to generate 8,000 (eight thousand) constructon jobs.
> 
> As a reference, Alberta has two large cities... Calgary and Edmonton.
> 
> ...


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## Jen086 (Feb 24, 2011)

RGS said:


> There is just announced approval for the construction of a new a Oil/Bitumen upgrader just outside of Edmonton, Alberta. The cost is around $5 billion for the construction and operation and is expected to generate 8,000 (eight thousand) constructon jobs.
> 
> As a reference, Alberta has two large cities... Calgary and Edmonton.
> 
> ...



Thanks alot for the information it's all just soooo confusing such an overload of information really!!!!!!!!. As well as having a career in the education sector i also have a career in the tourism sector so i've a few options AHHHH!!!!!!! I will get there though 

Thanks everybody for their opinions and advice please keep it coming :clap2:


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## Jen086 (Feb 24, 2011)

HI All
Well i think we've narrowed down our search to Toronto, now we just have to decide what part of Toronto as it covers such a vast area so any help with regards to what areas would be brillant.

Thanks Jen


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## goldentyre (Mar 5, 2011)

*kelowna bc*



Jen086 said:


> Thanks for replying.....i don't mind the winter too much i lived in chicago for 5 years so i know how bad winters can get,,,,i know everywhere has there pros and cons it's just such a difficult situation,,at the moment i pay for my health care so i don't mind if i still have to pay when i arrive in canada,,i'm not looking for a free ride, a comfortable life with a job,,,
> Thanks again
> Jen


Hi Jen,
we have lived in kelowna area for the last two years and love it! the locals call this area, gods own country, it has the best climate in Canada i believe try looking for the okanagan area on google it truly is a lovely place to live. good luck.


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## denisevines (Oct 3, 2008)

*where to?*

Vancouver island and Vancouver are closest in climate to the UK. Calgary, Toronto and Vancouver attract the most immigrants each year. Calgary and Toronto are much harser winters. We looked at them all and eventually went for the BC interior. Cost of living is lower that the big 3 , climate is a little colder than Vancouver but with very little rainfall and very hot summers. Housing is cheaper, lifestyle is very outdoor focussed but jobs are harder to find. Construction should be good , but not sure about the rest of the areas.


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## JDR (Sep 25, 2010)

*tradesmen moving to canada*

Just wanted to make a quick comment regarding trades people coming to Canada, in the electrical trade, qualifications from the UK are not recognised in BC or Alberta (not sure about elsewhere)
You have to apply to sit the inter provincial red seal exam, for me this involved proving 9000hrs work experience, providing “original” letters from employers and contact details, the red seal board do contact your references in the UK and as you can imagine this can become a long and drawn out process, check exactly what is needed as these exam’s cannot be challenged from outside BC or Alberta.
Good luck with the move, it’ll be well worthwhile,


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