# Victoria??



## emma329 (May 21, 2012)

Am hearing bad things about Victoria having unfriendly people,it's over priced and wages r low.Does this sum Victoria up?Such a shame if it is as it looks like a lovely place x


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## G-Mo (Aug 17, 2011)

Victoria has some of the friendliest people I have ever met. It's very English. However, it is expensive (I wouldn't say over-priced, it's an island, which always increases costs). The labour market on the island is limited and with the time/expense of the ferry or other Victoria/Vancouver transport commuting is not really an option.


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## emma329 (May 21, 2012)

90% on forums say differently but it makes u wonder whether they've jus had a bad day lol.It puts u off when nearly everyone's saying the same or do they say it to keep the English out.Mmm not sure.


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## fletcher m (May 9, 2012)

emma329 said:


> 90% on forums say differently but it makes u wonder whether they've jus had a bad day lol.It puts u off when nearly everyone's saying the same or do they say it to keep the English out.Mmm not sure.


What I have noticed about Victoria (and Vancouver Island) is the house prices are dropping and much of the work there is in the Govt sectors (public funded). Breaking into that sector might be problematic unless you are a nurse or have another specific skill they need. Teachers, Govt offices, Uni, fire, police, they are likely to hire Canadians with Can Exp and quals over PR. There are Brits and Canadians that frequent this site that live on VI and in Victoria, they will I am sure, be along with a Point of View.


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## emma329 (May 21, 2012)

Would you say Alberta is more suitable for construction work?xx think we will concentrate on there x


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## scuba ken (Jul 23, 2012)

Emma, construction In Alberta is at boom level, especially in Fort McMurray in Northern Alberta, check out the level of work in 1 city.
There are currently 40 thousand people working inn the area, that's bigger than anywhere else on the planet.


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## emma329 (May 21, 2012)

Thanks scuba Ken,very interesting xx


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## scuba ken (Jul 23, 2012)

Emma, Fort McMurray isn't everyone dream, it's a crappy city that's only there for one thing.
Making money, it's a dream place where u can make money in a short period, only thing is most people get used to earning the pop star wages and spend every penny they make, but thats fort Mac for you.

Get in, earn the money keep to your plan and get the he'll out.

In 5 years it's perfectly possibly to save 500,000$ and buy a house anywhere in Canada and live well forever, it's also possible to over 3 motorcycles, a corvette, 2 jetski's, a boat, at least 1 big 4x4 and a 5th wheel trailer and live in a rented house that would make anyone jealous, the only thing is, when oil drops and it will . . . . . . . . . You walk away with nothing. 

Spin the wheel and take your risk.


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## emma329 (May 21, 2012)

Thanks scuba ken xx My husband is a carpenter so for a 9-5 job in Alberta do u think this will give a reasonable salary anyway.
As much as money is fab I wouldn't wanna put my husband thru a rubbish job that he's not gonna enjoy jus for the money xx


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## scuba ken (Jul 23, 2012)

emma329 said:


> Thanks scuba ken xx My husband is a carpenter so for a 9-5 job in Alberta do u think this will give a reasonable salary anyway.
> As much as money is fab I wouldn't wanna put my husband thru a rubbish job that he's not gonna enjoy jus for the money xx


I dont know anyone who works 9-5 ?

I know Carpenters here who earn 190-200 k, and they all think they have amazing jobs


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## emma329 (May 21, 2012)

Do the carpenters you know work away at Fort McMurray?Here in England they mainly work 9-5pm unless they choose to work away and may do a couple of hrs more each day but earn a few hundred more a week.


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## G-Mo (Aug 17, 2011)

scuba ken said:


> I dont know anyone who works 9-5 ?
> 
> I know Carpenters here who earn 190-200 k, and they all think they have amazing jobs


While there may be carpenters who make $190-200k in Fort McMurray, it's way above the average, which is about $56-70k.


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## mikejb (Mar 12, 2012)

emma329 said:


> Do the carpenters you know work away at Fort McMurray?Here in England they mainly work 9-5pm unless they choose to work away and may do a couple of hrs more each day but earn a few hundred more a week.


Tradesmen working at F.McMurry are one of two types. 

They either live and work there pretty much year round OR they live away from the area and work say, 10 days at a time before taking maybe four days off. However, this could be they work a minth at a time and take a week off. There is no hard and fast rule. On top of that their days are likely at least a 12 hour day so yes, the money can be good but of course the hours are going to be long with what may be a strain on the family as a whole. I'm afraid this is where money/family have to trade off


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## scuba ken (Jul 23, 2012)

100% right it's not for everyone, hence have a "plan" and still to it.
Most work 12 hour days and work 20 days in and have 8 days off, when I was communing to and from the UK I would work 42 days on 16 days off, for my 16 days off I would live like a king.

It's a choice and a trade off, if you want the money, do the time.


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## emma329 (May 21, 2012)

Do you know what kind of work carpenters will be expected to do there?Do they have a website we could look at?My husband is interested in gaining a bit more information on Fort McMurray.Are your flights to there paid for or will that come out of your wage


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## scuba ken (Jul 23, 2012)

The flights and benefits are paid by the companies, the package gained depends on what you negotiate, as for companies who employ carpenters ? 99% of the carpenters working here are union, they operate from a call out system. Do your homework on unions and the call out system, it will dictate where and what you do.
Are his qualifications transferable to Canada ?


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## emma329 (May 21, 2012)

I think so.Hes got city and guilds in joinery and carpentry which we've been told is acceptable.Will defo do our homework on that.Thanks


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## scuba ken (Jul 23, 2012)

They will do a conversion, he might need to work under a red seal journey man for a period of time and do his conversion.


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## gringotim (Jan 5, 2011)

emma329 said:


> Am hearing bad things about Victoria having unfriendly people,it's over priced and wages r low.Does this sum Victoria up?Such a shame if it is as it looks like a lovely place x


Victoria is no more unfriendly than any other city in Canada, its certainly not as expensive to live in the Victoria area as it is to live in fort mcMurray, which may have high wages, but also the high cost of living that goes with it, plus in Victoria area, you don't have the frigid cold 6-8 months a year, in fact Southern Vancouver island has probably the mildest winters in all of Canada. There are alot of people who work in Ft Mac and all over Alberta, but who actually live on the south island, and come home when not working. If you like, snow, frigid long winters, and high prices, then you will love northern Alberta. Most people I know who went to Alberta to work, end up coming back within a year, its about quality of life! but to each his own,


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## emma329 (May 21, 2012)

If my husband gets a job at Fort McMurray I am wondering if it would be better for us to stay in a warmer and nicer 
area like Kelowna.Would this be a long flight for him and would you advise this.I am a nanny/housekeeper so would hope to find work in this field too x


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## scuba ken (Jul 23, 2012)

Costs about 800$
Takes 2 hours into Vancouver and then 35 mins into Kelowna, I lve that part of the world, salt water swimming pools and sunshine !


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## emma329 (May 21, 2012)

We originally wanted Kelowna but was told not much work for carpenters but if husband is working Fort McMurray way then it might be a possibility.I could pick him up from Vancouver but its whether u'd want to be bothered with a 2hr flight.Is Kelowna as nice as they say it is?Whats it like with health care,rent,food etc?


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## mikejb (Mar 12, 2012)

Kelowna is a nice area to live. Houseing us relatively expensive but as with most places in Canada you get a lot more for your money than you would in the UK. There is also Vernon just up the road from Kelowna, another nice area to live.


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## emma329 (May 21, 2012)

Thanks Mikejb,what's weather like in winter there?x


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## G-Mo (Aug 17, 2011)

emma329 said:


> We originally wanted Kelowna but was told not much work for carpenters but if husband is working Fort McMurray way then it might be a possibility.*I could pick him up from Vancouver *but its whether u'd want to be bothered with a 2hr flight.Is Kelowna as nice as they say it is?Whats it like with health care,rent,food etc?


It's a 9 hour round trip driving from Kelowna to Vancouver Airport.


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## emma329 (May 21, 2012)

Oh really, didn't realise that Mikejb prob meant an extra 35mins to Kelowna, I'm presuming Kelowna does hav an airport? X


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## G-Mo (Aug 17, 2011)

emma329 said:


> Oh really, didn't realise that Mikejb prob meant an extra 35mins to Kelowna, I'm presuming Kelowna does hav an airport? X


Yes, Kelowna has a very nice, recently renovated, international airport.


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## emma329 (May 21, 2012)

Oh thanks for that G-Mo.Cant wait to be there living the dream x


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## gringotim (Jan 5, 2011)

emma329 said:


> If my husband gets a job at Fort McMurray I am wondering if it would be better for us to stay in a warmer and nicer
> area like Kelowna.Would this be a long flight for him and would you advise this.I am a nanny/housekeeper so would hope to find work in this field too x


Is weather not a concern?, because no one has mentioned that Kelowna and area is cold and snowy in the winter and HOT and dry in the summer, and its not a nice HOT or dry type weather unless you like that type of heat.


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## mikejb (Mar 12, 2012)

emma329 said:


> Thanks Mikejb,what's weather like in winter there?x


Compared to where you live in the UK , you'd find the Kelowna winter a breeze and it's summers are perfect. Fruit farms are truly plentiful and depending on your outlook in life (which trust me) will change when you get to Canada, you will find Kelowna has much to offer.

On the surface of things, I think it fair to say Kelowna is a young, growing town....


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## mikejb (Mar 12, 2012)

I would have to disagree with Gringotim re the weather in Kelowna. Sure it snows in the winter but generally speaking the snow isn't so bad. As for the summers, I would have to argue the summers and summer weather are really good. Hence why the growing of fruit plays such a big part for the areas economy.

Trust me Emma, I think you said you live somewhere arounf the Preston region. Believe me, Kelowna will knock your winters and summers there into a cocked hat..... The cold on the N.W. coast of the UK can be mind numbing at times thanks to the damp which accompanies it. On the negative side, regarding Ft. Mcmurray.... the winters there can be bitterly cold, and I mean Brass monkey cold and then some and you would also have to take in the cost of living there too, much higher than in many other parts of Canada.


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## emma329 (May 21, 2012)

Would my husband have to pay for his accommodation in Fort McMurray?I thought me and the rest of our family could live maybe in Kelowna and my husband could work
In fort McMurray x thank you for your response Mikejb.Yeah we r from Leyland x


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## gringotim (Jan 5, 2011)

mikejb said:


> I would have to disagree with Gringotim re the weather in Kelowna. Sure it snows in the winter but generally speaking the snow isn't so bad. As for the summers, I would have to argue the summers and summer weather are really good. Hence why the growing of fruit plays such a big part for the areas economy.
> 
> Trust me Emma, I think you said you live somewhere arounf the Preston region. Believe me, Kelowna will knock your winters and summers there into a cocked hat..... The cold on the N.W. coast of the UK can be mind numbing at times thanks to the damp which accompanies it. On the negative side, regarding Ft. Mcmurray.... the winters there can be bitterly cold, and I mean Brass monkey cold and then some and you would also have to take in the cost of living there too, much higher than in many other parts of Canada.


I think we should just agree to disagree about the weather in Kelowna, I just think too many people on here like to sugar coat things about Canada. I have been to Kelowna and other parts of the Okanagan in the winter, if you like snow, sure its great there, and if you love very hot and very dry air in the summer, then ya, its great there in the summer as well, but me, I like little or no snow in winter, with very few days below freezing, and nice, warm sunny days in the summer with temps in the low to mid 20's without the dry, desert like air. Theres a reason there are so many vineyards on southern Vancouver Island.


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## emma329 (May 21, 2012)

Sounds like a lovely area and I'd put up with the heat for a slightly better winter xx I don't mind a bit of snow-find snow better than constant rain.We've had a rubbish summer again here in England so a good summer lasting more than a week a yr wud b fab lol x


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## mikejb (Mar 12, 2012)

gringotim said:


> I think we should just agree to disagree about the weather in Kelowna, I just think too many people on here like to sugar coat things about Canada. I have been to Kelowna and other parts of the Okanagan in the winter, if you like snow, sure its great there, and if you love very hot and very dry air in the summer, then ya, its great there in the summer as well, but me, I like little or no snow in winter, with very few days below freezing, and nice, warm sunny days in the summer with temps in the low to mid 20's without the dry, desert like air. Theres a reason there are so many vineyards on southern Vancouver Island.


Yep!

I think you are absolutely right in that we should agree to disagree. For me, the weather in and around vancouver is very much along the lines of a good many parts of the UK which itself a pretty damp climate. Don't get me wrong. I actually enjoy the West Coast and wouldn't be averse to living there but unlike you I find the cold days you have in winter, while the temperature reads say, minus five, just like in the UK it feels so much colder.

The drier climate in Kelowna, to me, doesn't feel quite as cold

Like you say, it's horses for courses, so yes there are going to be those who see things as you do, some who see it the way I do and others who will see it differently still.

Emma

Kelowna winters will seem mild compared to those in Leyland. True, there will be some days you get a little more snow than others but the Kelowna/Vernon corridor sees nothing like the kind of snow we get where I am. Nor does it see the extremes of temperatures. Though I do not know you, from reading some of your threads I reckon you would enjoy the Kelowna summers and would be none to disappointed with the winters either. It's a vibrant new, expanding town which probably falls in the medium cost of living area.

On the subject of accommodation for your hubby, who i see you are already plotting to have working away in the bitterly cold North of Alberta while you take life easy back in Kelowna...... What I am about to say is dependent on who it is he works for. I know there are firms in Kelowna who supply carpenters to the oil field industries in Ft Mac. It is then usual for these firms to pay both accommodation and flight costs for the workers they provide. Again, there is likely a trade off here with hourly rates but on the whole the pay in Ft Mac will almost certainly outweigh this trade off.

Cost of living is far more expensive than say Kelowna though I am sure your hubby will not be spending to extravagance while he is there. The only other thing he might have to consider is the kind of accommodation his firm is likely to provide for. So far as I am aware, in some cases these are almost barrack like, in other words basic living. I do know that some guys join together and rent privately but i do not know if they get any allowance for this. I am sure others on this site could be of more help in that regard.

I hope my comments have helped a little


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## scuba ken (Jul 23, 2012)

It's a 35 min flight from Vancouver, I don't drive anywhere. . . . . . . Time is money LoL
And amazing, I love the place, I got sun burnt there, I have never been sun burnt n my life ?


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## emma329 (May 21, 2012)

Thanks Mikejb-very indepth info and very knowledgeable.I'd rather my hobby worked locally but we he is thinking the more we both work in the next few years maybe we'll have money to retire earlier x


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## scuba ken (Jul 23, 2012)

LOA is almost extinct now in FMM (living out allowance) most of the camps have room now.
The camps are getting better and better by the minute, the negative press is borne from the workers who no longer hold their employers to 3k a month LOA and spend most of the time drinking and partying in FMM.

For the additional money, I believe the trade off is worth it.

Like for like, else where in the world I make 60-70k GBP whilst here I am pulling 80-85 k GBP, this is the same "uplift" in wages for most work groups, there is plenty of money and work to go round.


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## emma329 (May 21, 2012)

Are working in construction normally-through businesses-not union work? We will look into union work closer to us emigrating but certainly looking forward to a new way of life with new faces x thanks for everyone's advice and info x


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