# newbie with questions???



## leigh.g. (Sep 3, 2008)

Hi,

Still thinking about emmigrating to canada at the moment. looks probable.
It will be my husband and I and our 3 children 2x 9 yr old boys and a 15 yr old girl. My daughter will be staying with grandparents until she finishes her GCSE's. need help with alot of questions

Are we better applying for work permits and then applying for permenant residency permits over there?

What's work like for Electricians? Is it good money? Could we live of this type of wage?

Would the 9 yr olds settle in to school well? Is the schools good in British Columbia and Alberta? anyone with children this age who has moved to 1 of these areas would be a great help.

Do you have a problem with wildlife? ie spiders! snakes! I haven't come across anyone mention the spiders.

Any help with these questions or any advice on other things i've missed which are important factors i should be considering would be much appreciated. Thanks.


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## Deeana (Jul 13, 2008)

leigh.g. said:


> Hi,
> 
> Still thinking about emmigrating to canada at the moment. looks probable.
> It will be my husband and I and our 3 children 2x 9 yr old boys and a 15 yr old girl. My daughter will be staying with grandparents until she finishes her GCSE's. need help with alot of questions
> ...


Snakes and spiders won't be too much of a problem, but in Alberta and parts of BC you might have to deal with bears, cougars, coyotes and wolves.

Temperatures can dip to minus 45 in the winter in Alberta, minus 70 with windchill. Winters are 9 months long. 

Tradespeople need to get Canadian equivalency for their qualifications which might involve retraining. 

You are unlikely to earn much more than in the UK but you will have better schools and health services by comparison. There is no welfare state unlike the UK.

Hope this helps.


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## leigh.g. (Sep 3, 2008)

Deeana said:


> Snakes and spiders won't be too much of a problem, but in Alberta and parts of BC you might have to deal with bears, cougars, coyotes and wolves.
> 
> Temperatures can dip to minus 45 in the winter in Alberta, minus 70 with windchill. Winters are 9 months long.
> 
> ...




how long does it take to retrain? if they already have an employer do they still pay while doing an apprenticeship to retrain. i know they have to sit an exam after 180 days. i'm worried about affording to live there while he has to retrain?

bears , cougars and stuff i can live with. its the spiders i have a phobia of. to small to notice until its to late. 

what happens in the winter. i know here the slightest bit of snow and everyone is off work. i imagine canadians handle it a bit better. what happens when it does hit minus 45 with the workforce out there.?

alot of people seem to move out there, say its not all its supposed be, but yet they stay out there. they paint such a terrible picture but yet don't move back. 

trying not to be personal but how did you feel when you decided to move out there? i'm not running from anything. I have a large family who are close so i imagine i'd have at least 1 visiting in any 1 season using me as a cheap holiday lol.
my main reasons for wanting to emigrate to canada is so the children will have a better life.(and my husband and i). at the moment here there are just no jobs and house prices are high and not worth buying at the moment. there is nothing for kids to do at all apart from the cinema which costs around £15. they literally hang around the streets in all weathers. i want something better for them. it sounds as if they will be on the go all the time in canada. with a good education to go with that and a better chance on getting a job with a career afterwards. is my beliefs right? my head is just swimming at the moment. but i don't want to go jumping in the deep end and then think omg what have i done. i'm expecting it to feel like a holiday at first, then home sickness kicking in around month 3 to 4. i understand you would have to give it 18 months to 2 years before you start feeling at home.

am i on the right path or am i gonna crash and burn?


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## Bevdeforges (Nov 16, 2007)

leigh.g. said:


> am i on the right path or am i gonna crash and burn?


It's a good question, but unfortunately it's one of those questions you won't have an answer to until you are out there.

Actually, when you first get over to your new home (wherever it is), there is a pattern of ups and downs you go through. Euphoria and excitement at first, then a "down" when the first waves of homesickness kick in. Then something happens (you make friends or find a neat new job) and you're up again, then repeat the cycle.

Realize that almost everything you've taken for granted in your life is going to change. Some folks gets discouraged by this, others find this exciting. You'll also find lots of surprising ways to cope - often via the Internet, other times through local resources you never dreamed of. But it takes some effort on your part to seek these things out (and learn how to use them). If you sit around and say "that's not how it works back home" you'll probably be unhappy and eventually move back.
Cheers,
Bev


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## leigh.g. (Sep 3, 2008)

Bevdeforges said:


> It's a good question, but unfortunately it's one of those questions you won't have an answer to until you are out there.
> 
> Actually, when you first get over to your new home (wherever it is), there is a pattern of ups and downs you go through. Euphoria and excitement at first, then a "down" when the first waves of homesickness kick in. Then something happens (you make friends or find a neat new job) and you're up again, then repeat the cycle.
> 
> ...



thanks for the advice. i think it'll just be a case of sticking to it and keeping occupied by the sounds of it. 

its the daunting task of leaving a good job to go training. i'm waiting for a pack to come through the post with more info. which brings another question to mind. What's the post like there?


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## leigh.g. (Sep 3, 2008)

another question i just came across. does canadian employees pay a christmas bonus? I know the u.k doesn't but we have more annual leave.


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