# A Genuine Hello from Sunderland. UK



## xxxxxxxxxxBillyM (Jun 21, 2012)

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Hi to whoever reads this.

I am presently in England & am hoping to move to Canada in the next six months or so. I don’t know a sole in Canada and I am as yet undecided as to which part of Canada I will try. I’m not rich and I don’t have any fancy degree or trade which is in demand otherwise the move would be a lot simpler. I have a varied working background and I have run a few businesses here in the UK so I have plenty of skills and experience.

I am looking to make contacts and maybe even friends in Canada and I have found this part difficult to be honest. People seem too wary and this is understandable in some ways as this is only a website and scams etc are possible however I do sometimes wonder why some people are on here?

To keep this brief I was born in Canada but I have been raised in the North East of England where people will give anyone the time of day. You can have a conversation with a stranger at the bus stop and no matter where you are people will talk to you. Being brought up in this environment you forget not everyone is of the same mind-set but I hope some people out there are like me and will understand where I’m coming from?

If anyone out there is either looking to move to Canada from the UK on their own and you would like to make contact with me then please get in touch. I will not ignore you and we can if you wish exchange ideas etc. If you are in Canada and maybe a British Expat then please get in touch as I would love to be able to ask you questions about the area where you live concerning work etc.

With regards to myself I would and do welcome contact from anyone and will do my utmost to respond and help in any way as that’s the way we are here in the North East England. 


Billy
Sunderland. UK*


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## emma329 (May 21, 2012)

Hi Billy, I know exactly what you mean. That's what I want, to know where people are heading, where the work is and how people r enjoying Canada but people aren't as friendly as us Northerners.
Me and my husband have sent off our application to get a skilled workers visa but as u will know it is on hold till Jan. My husband is a joiner and a am a nanny. We want to obviously go where the work is but also where the nicer ares are. We here Ontario is the nicest area but not sure if there's a lot of construction.


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## G-Mo (Aug 17, 2011)

I don't know a sole either, but I know a halibut and a tilapia!


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## LHoule (Jul 10, 2012)

Im from the UK i spent 10 years up north before i went to Canada for 2 years. I spent most of it in Ottawa. Its a beautiful place and i found people to be polite and friendly. The main thing is to remember is its not the UK so to go over there expecting it to be like home won't work. My husband who is Canadian always used to tell me construction was actually a season over there.....i thought he was crazy but sure enough each year at the same time the whole.place would go construction mad lol. If you go there with an open mind you will do fine. I also spent alto of time Alberta. There is a small town called cochrane that has a nice population of brits. And has the added bonus of being a beautiful place to live.


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## emma329 (May 21, 2012)

Thank u Lhoule.Do u think we'll be ok anywhere for construction work.So hard thinking of places when don't know them.What do u think to Ontario itself?xx few places get mentioned and it confuses u.Hav u been to Saskatoon?Internet says its high crime and has a lot of gang crime at night and isn't safe xx


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## LHoule (Jul 10, 2012)

I only stayed in Ottawa when i was in Ontario. Its a huge city and everything is very spread out. Being able to drive is a huge bonus. Ottawa is also bilingual so if you know French its handy but obviously English is perfectly exceptable. I think you would be fine construction wise pretty much anywhere. I would say if.you love the city life head to Ontario but if your more into countryside and outdoors stuff head to Alberta. Also one important thing to note is both places have totally different weather. Ontario is alto more humid so extreme heat in summer and extreme cold in winter. I found the summers there very hard as you can't escape the heat even at night.


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## LHoule (Jul 10, 2012)

Just to add in the places i have been i wasn't aware of much crime happening. Obviously it down happen but it.always seems more intense when researching it.


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## emma329 (May 21, 2012)

We live in a village in the North West of England so wud u suggest a small city or in a rural location?We don't want to b too remote tho but at the same time don't want it to b like living in manchester x


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## LHoule (Jul 10, 2012)

Well i am tempted to say go for Alberta. There are.plenty of small towns outside of Calgary which is far enough away to not be in the city but close enough if you need it. And then scenery is beyond amazing and there is so much outdoor stuff to do. But you have to make the choice we may have very different ideas about what fun is lol. Also lots of construction as new towns are being built all the time. But again research it and make sure it ticks the right boxes for you.


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## mikejb (Mar 12, 2012)

Firstly Billy

A website is never going to be a substitute for actually meeting people and making friends. Sure, there are a good few people here who are trying to answer questions in the best way they know how but in real terms they are unlikely to be here to be making friends.

As for you Northerners being a friendly bunch. I couldn't agree more and those experiences I have had with you strange talking folk have all been good. Myself I hail from the big smoke whose people to my mind have been credited with a less than appealing demeanour but the truth is, that's not the case at all. For the most part, people down South are just as friendly as up north.

As for Canadians. Again this is merely talking from my own experience but for the most part they are as friendly a bunch of people as you are likely to find anywhere but just as in the UK the townies have less time for others than in the more rural areas. This I suspect is because Rural in Canada means Rural and therefore the people who live in these areas form a genuine rural community.
Out of all the provinces to live I chose BC. It's obviously a matter of choice but frankly, whatever else I have seen of Canada, nothing in my opinion beats the spectacular scenery and landscape to be found here. There will of course be those who disagree, after all it is all a matter of personal choice but for me, to wake up to the beauty of the mountains on a summers morning, still capped with snow against a magnificent blue sky...it's unbeatable.

I doubt I can be of much help in regards to any questions you may have but if you feel I can, just say. I will gladly message you my mail address.

To Emma

I know you are just now starting your journey, or at least you hope to be, and that you are in something of a dilemma of where to look etc. I did actually send you a private message but guess you have not received it or maybe don't even know you had received one.

On the topic of where to look for work, I am afraid it's simply down to the age old process. Where there's muck, there's brass or put another way, where there is industry, there are people, where there are both, there is work.

The reality is Canada is growing and will continue to do so each and every year. This growth starts from the main centres of operation, ie the cities and spreads outward from those with increasing sparsity. Whatever city/main town you choose, you will find work within the construction field. The nearer you are to the bigger cities, the more work there will be but you also have to remember, there will also be more people competing for those same jobs.

It also follows, and I point this out in view of you saying you live in a village. The closer you are to the cities the less picturesque the surroundings will be although you have to tinge that with a modicum of realism in that much of Canada has an individual kind of beauty. If you then decide to look for accommodation outside of the city suburbs, you will then have the travelling time to add.

On this point, there is something else you probably do not realise so maybe it won't hurt for me to bring it to your attention.

Many of the larger construction firms are based in the cities BUT that does not mean their work is local to them. Indeed, it is commonplace for construction workers to work many many miles away and for a number of weeks at a time. Here they will live in arranged accommodation and return home, possibly fortnightly or possibly monthly. This in itself may affect your thinking about where you might decide to choose a location to live.

SOmeone has already pointed out to you the diversity in climates. Trust me Emma, this IS something you may wish to consider more than you possibly have. Some parts of Canada have extremes of both summer and winter weather and if you haven't been here you will have to take their word and their warning. 40 degrees of humid heat can be quite overpowing. Equally, minus 40 with a wind chill of minus 60 can be... well let's say a tad chilly.

I have no wish to give raise for concern, I just feel you need to open your horizons, on where you choose to live, not just based on the work available.

To temper what I have already said about climate. You also need to understand the difference in a damp cold as opposed to a dry cold. WHat do I mean by that? Well where you live I suspect, come winter when that thermometer drops below minus 5, it starts to get very cold which of course is true, but here, where I live, minus 25/30 is the norm and is actually bearable while minus 10 is almost t-shirt weather. Conversely, 35 degrees dry heat in summer rarely knocks you flat

I hope you can see the points I have raised. I you can and you choose to look into them a little more then I am sure it will be to your benefit

Mike


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## xxxxxxxxxxBillyM (Jun 21, 2012)

Well I have to say there seems to be some suspicious people on these types of sites. They like to give an opinion but hey that’s it! Amazing! I still stick with what I said in the beginning of this thread. People are in the North of England are by far the friendlier and I would never ignore a message from anyone, but that my mentality, simple!


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