# We are coming to Canada!!!



## Farmboy1892LFC (Aug 30, 2016)

Good Afternoon Folks,

Last night my Family and I had that all important discussion which was very emotional and we have unanimously decided to make the move to Canada!!

I thought it would be good if I took a minute to introduce ourselves and hopefully get to know you here on the forum.
We are a family of 5. Husband and Wife and three wonderful kids aged 7,8 and 10.

We plan to make the move to Ontario in January if everything goes to plan. We have a million questions to ask and dont know where to begin hence the reason we have joined the forum.

Its nice to meet you all (in an online sense) LOL and we look forward to sharing our experiences with you online.

Kind Regards

Farmboy


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## Auld Yin (Mar 10, 2009)

Welcome to expat forum.com, good to meet your family. 

Ask away with your questions and members here will be happy to offer assistance to you. In the event you haven't started your research yet you should read in detail the following G of C website. 

Citizenship and Immigration Canada


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## Farmboy1892LFC (Aug 30, 2016)

Many thanks Auld Yin.

We look forward to support and a bit of craic/banter from the people here on the Forum.

Regards

Farmboy


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## colchar (Oct 25, 2011)

Do you have visas yet?

And what part of Ontario are you considering?


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## Farmboy1892LFC (Aug 30, 2016)

Hi Colchar,

Nice to make acquaintance with you on the forum. 
We plan to move to South Western Ontario (Lambton County). 
I have taken my IELTS and got a pretty decent 7.5. I also have had my Education credentials assessed by WES which was quite an onerous process. I am going down the Express Entry route under federal skilled worker and missed the points tally however I have been through the interview process with an employer and have been offered a position. I am now waiting on my LMIA reference number so that I can progress in line with the next round of invitations. 
There are so many boxes to check and processes to go through but I think we are getting there. 
I would appreciate it if you could advise along the way. 
Many thanks 

Farm boy


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## Farmboy1892LFC (Aug 30, 2016)

Good Evening Folks,

Perhaps I could begin by asking some questions which will help us prepare for our move. I am sure you have heard them all before but please bare with us as we are very green and alien to the whole process.
I have a mixture of questions here that have been fired at me by wife and kids to ask so here goes!!!!

Random Question 1. My Wife is afraid of driving on the opposite of the road and wants to know if she will have to retake her driving test in order to drive in Ontario. In fact I think it would do us both good to take a few lessons to bring us up to scratch.

2. What are the main super markets/food stores in Ontario?

3. My son and I are very big football fans (apologies Soccer) as I manage the U10's team he currently plays for. Is there a youth soccer set up in Ontario?

4. Can we watch the British Premier League on tv in Canada??

5. At what stage in the Express Entry process do I need to get police checks and medicals complete completed?

6. Why does nearly every house we view online have a basement which is turned into a massive tv lounge/snooker hall and Gym etc? People must spend a lot of time in the basement

Like I said completely random questions but just fired out there to give us a better understanding so that we can have a smoother transition.

Many Thanks

Farmboy & Family


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## WestCoastCanadianGirl (Mar 17, 2012)

3) Yes, there are youth football leagues in Canada... my two younger brothers and I played briefly as a children in Vancouver in the early 1980s (I was a terrible player and lasted one season) and my oldest nephew (6 years old) got his first introduction to the sport last year in Toronto.

4) I am happy to report that the Barclay's Premier League has a following and is very much available to be seen on the telly in Canada, _*including*_ a selection of the "only-available-in-the-UK-on-Radio-5-Live/Talk-Sport-and-not-on-Sky/BY Sport" 3pm kick off matches (my Yorkshire born/raised football mad husband was _very_ pleased to discover this the first time he came to Canada)... I think that the matches are shown on either TSN or SportsNet (it's been 3 years since we were last in Canada).



FWIW, I don't know if you are a fan/follow it in the UK, but cricket is starting to develop a following in Canada. I know that it's popular in the South Asian community (the Canadian term for what the Brits call "Asian" people) as I saw some blokes playing on a field in Vancouver the last time we were there... it's not so very big (popular) that it gets much airtime on Canadian telly so you may only be able to tune on to 5 Live Sports Extra once you get here if you want your fix of Aggers/Blowers/Boykes/Tuffers & Vaughn and the TMS commentary.

Incidentally, do you not think that Nasser Hussein looks like Vladimir Putin, or at least bears a very striking resemblance to same?


6) Canadian houses are quite different in some ways from those in the UK... not every home has the basement fitted out with a gym/pool table (my Dad had installed a wet bar in our house when I was a child and he also had a workshop down there and the laundry room was located down there as well) some have a spare bedroom/granny flat type set up down there (sometimes referred to as a "basement suite" if there's a separate entrance and a lockable door that separates it from the rest of the house and turns it into a bedsit type situation for paying tenants to live) or a rec room where kids can go and play with their toys/games consoles, and many families do kit out the basement with a large t.v. to watch movies (either on the satellite or DVD) or sports (ice hockey is a very. big. thing. in Canada and many children your son's age [and even younger] will follow the NHL in much the same way you and your son follow English football)... but yes, Canadians can and often do spend a lot of time in the basement of the house.


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## Farmboy1892LFC (Aug 30, 2016)

Good morning West C C G

Many thanks for your detailed reply. We as a family now know just how beneficial joining the forum will be for us. Knowing that the premiership
Will be available and even Alan Green commentaries on R 5 Live is worth its own weight in gold!!
We will also want to get involved in indigenous sports in our new country in order to become part of the culture which I feel is important so it looks like we could be spending a bit of time sprawling about on the ice (I am horrendously bad at ice skating). 

Are you in Canada?
How long have you been there? 
What was your transitional journey like? I am sure it wasn't without it's bumps!!

Thank you in the meantime. I look forward to many conversations with you along our way!!

Kind Regards

Farm boy & Family


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## WestCoastCanadianGirl (Mar 17, 2012)

I was born/raised in Vancouver and ended up in London 4 years ago to marry my British husband... we now live in West London. 

The transition from Canada to the UK was fairly easy... I've found that London and Vancouver are similar in many respects (including the often ****e weather), so it's been pretty easy.

That said, there were things that took me some time to wrap my head around, like trying to remember to use British terms for things like courgette/zucchini, flat/apartment, gas/petrol etc; the fact that kids are welcome to come 'round the pub with their parents [forbidden in Canada until age 18/19]; the whole drinking culture in the UK in general (my husband drinks copious amounts of ale at the weekend)... it's been an adventure trying to figure things out for myself (I only knew one person in London other than my husband when I first arrived, so I had no reference when I was alone and husband was at work)... I'd be lying if I said I _haven't_ enjoyed the experience so far.


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## Auld Yin (Mar 10, 2009)

If you find a house with what's known as a finished basement you'll find the kids will love it, as will Mum and Dad. It gives you all the space to get away from each other when necessary. Many basements are not finished and when you find "your" home you may need to finish the basement yourself or, if you don't have those skills, hire someone to do it. If you buy a new build you can probably have the builder finish the basement (at a price, of course). 
Continued Good Luck


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## Farmboy1892LFC (Aug 30, 2016)

Finished basement it is Auld Yin !!! We have three kids that can turn a perfectly tidy room into chaos in a flash #tazmaniandevilstyle. Obviously we won't be able to be over particular as we will have to rent. I am not so sure it would be a good idea to jump onto the property ladder straight away until we all settle in. I am told that renting is a good way to build our credit rating as it won't be transferable from the U.K to Canada. 
I have been given a list already from my wife and kids on how close it needs to be to school, shops, cinema and most important of all a good Soccer set up according to my 9 year old Goal Keeper!!
The pressure is always on DAD :sweat_smile:


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## colchar (Oct 25, 2011)

Farmboy1892LFC said:


> Random Question 1. My Wife is afraid of driving on the opposite of the road and wants to know if she will have to retake her driving test in order to drive in Ontario. In fact I think it would do us both good to take a few lessons to bring us up to scratch.


Taking some lessons is a good idea especially as you will be facing winter driving conditions. That being said, lessons are not necessary as you can exchange your UK licenses for Ontario licenses.




> 2. What are the main super markets/food stores in Ontario?


Depends where you are. In smaller towns there is less choice, In larger towns there is more choice. And some chains have a bigger presence in some areas than they do in others.

But here is a short list (in no particular order):

Sobey's
Freshco
No Frills
Food Basics
Metro
Fortinos (known as Zehr's in southwestern Ontario)
Walmart also has a big food section





> 3. My son and I are very big football fans (apologies Soccer) as I manage the U10's team he currently plays for. Is there a youth soccer set up in Ontario?


Yes. Those are organized locally so check in whichever area you will be living in.





> 4. Can we watch the British Premier League on tv in Canada??


Yes but I have no idea how extensive the coverage is as I cannot stand soccer so never, ever watch it.




> 6. Why does nearly every house we view online have a basement which is turned into a massive tv lounge/snooker hall and Gym etc? People must spend a lot of time in the basement


Because Canadian houses have basements and, if you aren't using that space for storage, you might as well do something with it. I have TV, computers, guitars, and amplifiers set up in mine so as to keep the noise down in the rest of the house.


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## colchar (Oct 25, 2011)

WestCoastCanadianGirl said:


> 4) I am happy to report that the Barclay's Premier League has a following and is very much available to be seen on the telly in Canada, _*including*_ a selection of the "only-available-in-the-UK-on-Radio-5-Live/Talk-Sport-and-not-on-Sky/BY Sport" 3pm kick off matches (my Yorkshire born/raised football mad husband was _very_ pleased to discover this the first time he came to Canada)... I think that the matches are shown on either TSN or SportsNet (it's been 3 years since we were last in Canada).



I forgot to mention above, but you can also watch British TV online for free. I was flipping through British channels not ten minutes ago.





> 6) Canadian houses are quite different in some ways from those in the UK... not every home has the basement fitted out with a gym/pool table (my Dad had installed a wet bar in our house when I was a child and he also had a workshop down there and the laundry room was located down there as well) some have a spare bedroom/granny flat type set up down there (sometimes referred to as a "basement suite" if there's a separate entrance and a lockable door that separates it from the rest of the house and turns it into a bedsit type situation for paying tenants to live) or a rec room where kids can go and play with their toys/games consoles, and many families do kit out the basement with a large t.v. to watch movies (either on the satellite or DVD) or sports (ice hockey is a very. big. thing. in Canada and many children your son's age [and even younger] will follow the NHL in much the same way you and your son follow English football)... but yes, Canadians can and often do spend a lot of time in the basement of the house.




Hockey. Not ice hockey, just hockey. 

You keep calling it ice hockey and we're going to have to reevaluate your citizenship at our next meeting


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## Farmboy1892LFC (Aug 30, 2016)

*Hockey etiquette etc*

Good Evening Colchar,

Your interest in #soccer equals mine for --- Hockey but I am prepared to brush up on my etiquette to get me by!!

Many thanks for your response to my families endless questions you and the other forum members have been excellent.

Knowing that Brit TV shows are available online has chuffed my wife no end!! one cant do without a good dose of depression in the form of Eastenders

Will i pass your citizenship test now??

Regards

Farmboy


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## WestCoastCanadianGirl (Mar 17, 2012)

Farmboy... I think that Colchar was referring to me (I'm lately a dual Canuck/Brit).

He forgets that in the UK "Hockey" refers to what Canadians call field hockey whilst _proper_ hockey (as played in the winter, on a sheet of ice) is referred to (in the UK, at least) as _ice hockey_.

I made the distinction for the avoidance of doubt.


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## Farmboy1892LFC (Aug 30, 2016)

WestCoastCanadianGirl said:


> Farmboy... I think that Colchar was referring to me (I'm lately a dual Canuck/Brit).
> 
> He forgets that in the UK "Hockey" refers to what Canadians call field hockey whilst _proper_ hockey (as played in the winter, on a sheet of ice) is referred to (in the UK, at least) as _ice hockey_.
> 
> I made the distinction for the avoidance of doubt.


Ah this whole thing is as clear as mud!!
Think I will stick to 22 guys running around after perfectly good ball on some nice green grass plastic or freshly mown suits me.


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## colchar (Oct 25, 2011)

Farmboy1892LFC said:


> Good Evening Colchar,
> 
> Your interest in #soccer equals mine for --- Hockey but I am prepared to brush up on my etiquette to get me by!!
> 
> ...



_Eastenders_ is on here in Ontario but it is at least a year behind. I used to watch it and knew exactly how far behind it was but I have gone off it so haven't watched it in a while. But it is on later tonight (an omnibus edition on Thursday and Friday nights that covers the entire week) so I might record it for viewing later.

But as I said, you can watch live British TV online for free (just make sure you have unlimited data on your internet plan so that you can watch/download as much as you desire). I could post the links to the live British TV online but am not sure about forum rules in that regard.


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## colchar (Oct 25, 2011)

WestCoastCanadianGirl said:


> Farmboy... I think that Colchar was referring to me (I'm lately a dual Canuck/Brit).
> 
> He forgets that in the UK "Hockey" refers to what Canadians call field hockey whilst _proper_ hockey (as played in the winter, on a sheet of ice) is referred to (in the UK, at least) as _ice hockey_.
> 
> I made the distinction for the avoidance of doubt.



Yeah I was referring to you. I know it is ice hockey there but cannot stand that name. And as a Canuck you should know that it is hockey. As I said, we might have to discuss your citizenship at our next meeting. Right now, you're on thin ice!!!


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## colchar (Oct 25, 2011)

Farmboy1892LFC said:


> Ah this whole thing is as clear as mud!!
> Think I will stick to 22 guys running around after perfectly good ball on some nice green grass plastic or freshly mown suits me.


Nope, you're gonna have to get into hockey. You can still follow soccer, but hockey is _everywhere_ here. It is like a religion. Friends will talk about it, coworkers will talk about it, you will see it in bars, in newspapers, on TV all the time. Best get used to it.

Oh, and you will learn to cheer for the Toronto Maple Leafs or you are dead to me (like that matters, but you get my drift).


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