# English/Canadian couple moving to Canada with a French speaking child



## pfilby (Apr 16, 2009)

I am a British woman, who left Britain another lifetime ago; I worked in the Middle East and North Africa, until meeting my Canadian pilot husband, and settling down in France. Now I am living in France with a nine year old son, and we are fairly happy here. However.....my husband feels that he would like to return to Canada, and that he would like our son to know something of his heritage. I have no family in the UK and very little desire to live there. Our son is bi-lingual. We speak English at home, but he speaks French all day and with all his friends. I quite welcome the idea of starting again, it would be a new challenge. When we have visited my husband's mother (Calgary) we've always found everyone to be welcoming and very friendly. My son and I have enjoyed our visits to Canada. I like France, I like the French, but I will never fit in here. I've got some nice friends, but we are always seen as 'foreigners', I don't want that for my son forever. 

My husband doesn't want to live in Calgary, he was born in Victoria, and would like to go to that area. His geographical site isn't so important, because he comes and goes a lot (normally on a four week on four week off schedule). Would I like BC? Could I work in BC? I have been a stay at home mother for the last nine years, because I didn't have my child until a bit later, and really felt that if I was going to do it, I was going to give it my best shot! I did. My kid is wonderful, as bright as a button, looks like a young god in the making and is doing well at school. However, he too is always perceived as a bit odd, because he speaks English too! I have run bi-lingual kids groups and helped with English lessons at his school. 

I want to belong, I want him to feel a sense of belonging, and of being 'part' of the society in which he lives and not a cultural oddity. I feel that Canada might be able to give us that - am I bonkers? (perhaps we don't need to answer that too honestly!) 

I am 'just' a secretary - but I was a bloody good one. I have worked for the Chairmen of a number of International Companies. My shorthand and typing skills are good, and I have kept up my speeds. I would be happy to be a receptionist or a shelf filler - I just want to work in a society that accepts me, and where my son can see me engaging with the community in which we live. 

We were thinking of making this move when our son finishes primary school, in approximately a year and a half. This would give us chance to visit Canada for the next 'grandes vacances' and see what areas may be good for us, and to get our son used to this idea. 

Any advice would be greatly appreciated - maybe there have been others on here who have been in a similar situation. My husband has visited Canada fairly regularly but has somewhat lost touch on 'good/bad' areas in BC and nearly has a heart attack when he sees the price of housing! Yet he STILL thinks this is a good idea, which shows how serious we are.

Many thanks


----------



## telcoman (Feb 11, 2010)

I would recommend looking for a school that offers French immersion. The child will be able to get educated in French but will be surrounded by English speaking kids. That should ensure he does not fall behind academically but by the same token will improve his English rapidly. He will not find too many friends that speak fluent French in Victoria. BC has very few Quebecqois. You will likely be able to transfer him to an total English school after one year. On the other hand he is is very well positioned for a future Federal government job, which is why parents put kids into French immersion to start with. I would suggest that once he reaches his teens you encourage him to take Spanish at school rather than French (which would be a pushover) as that is an up & coming valuable job skill.

BTW job opportunities are probably better in Vancouver than Victoria. Although I am not a member of any minority, lingual or ethnic, I can't see it being a problem in Canada, certainly not in SW BC, which is highly multicultural.


----------



## Guest (Oct 17, 2010)

telcoman said:


> I would recommend looking for a school that offers French immersion. The child will be able to get educated in French but will be surrounded by English speaking kids. That should ensure he does not fall behind academically but by the same token will improve his English rapidly. He will not find too many friends that speak fluent French in Victoria. BC has very few Quebecqois. You will likely be able to transfer him to an total English school after one year. On the other hand he is is very well positioned for a future Federal government job, which is why parents put kids into French immersion to start with. I would suggest that once he reaches his teens you encourage him to take Spanish at school rather than French (which would be a pushover) as that is an up & coming valuable job skill.
> 
> BTW job opportunities are probably better in Vancouver than Victoria. Although I am not a member of any minority, lingual or ethnic, I can't see it being a problem in Canada, certainly not in SW BC, which is highly multicultural.



That is all good advice telcoman! I agree with what you have said


----------



## pfilby (Apr 16, 2009)

nola said:


> That is all good advice telcoman! I agree with what you have said


Thank you so much for these replies - I'm sorry to sound thick but what is 'BTW'? I've had a quick rack of my brain, but to little result


----------



## Oggy (Jan 25, 2009)

I can't provide information regarding Victoria or Vancouver Island... but I can tell you that BTW = by the way.


----------



## greeneyes (Jan 4, 2010)

I wouldn't recommend french Immersion at all - it is geared toward children who are learning French as a second language and the children that come out can speak French, but not as well as children educated in French. There is a French School council in BC and a few schools in Victoria and vancouver:

VANCOUVER — 
École Rose-des-Vents** 604- 267-9022 5445 Baillie Street V5Z 3M6 Maternelle - 6ieme annee 
École Anne-Hébert** 604- 437-4849 7051 Killarney Street V5S 2Y5 Maternelle - 6ieme annee
École secondaire Jules-Verne 604- 731-8378 5445 Baillie Street V5Z 3M6 7ieme - 12ieme 

VICTORIA — 
École Victor-Brodeur** 250- 220-6010 637 Head Street V9A 5S9 Maternelle - 12ieme annee

http://www.csf.bc.ca/doc_pdf/coin_parents/2010_2011_listeEcolesCSFsept2010.pdf


----------



## KateD6 (Mar 25, 2010)

pfilby said:


> I like France, I like the French, but I will never fit in here. I've got some nice friends, but we are always seen as 'foreigners', I don't want that for my son forever.
> 
> I want to belong, I want him to feel a sense of belonging, and of being 'part' of the society in which he lives and not a cultural oddity. I feel that Canada might be able to give us that - am I bonkers?


I don't have children, so can't really help you with your overall query but would just like to say how much these bits of your post hit home for me. I'm British and have been living (and working!) in France for seven years now but like you, I feel that I will never fit in here and am in the process of applying to move to Montreal. France is a lovely country in many ways (if you can put up with the constant strikes that is!!) but like you, I feel that I will never truly fit in and be accepted here and am pigeonholed as an "etrangere" as soon as I open my mouth. However much it might like to kid itself, France is not an open and accepting country.... it's sad. I visited Montreal last month and was bowled over as to how nice and welcoming everyone seemed compared to here.

But on your original query, I do actually have a British friend living in Vancouver who has a son about the same age as your son. She has mentioned in the past about him learning French at school and I think he might have gone to a French immersion kindergarten so I'll see if she has any information that could help out!


----------



## pfilby (Apr 16, 2009)

KateD6 thank you so much, for understanding how I feel. I feel sometimes that I've failed! I admit all, my French wasn't 'great' when I arrived here, I'd spent 20 years learning Arabic, as it was necessary for my work. But I have now done an Open University French, I've done everything I can to aim to integrate....but...it just will never work.

Even my poor kid who was born here is just not accepted. We are always in 'the wrong' somehow. Our son has been in school from tiny kindergarten, but his friends say he 'can't be French, as French people can't speak English as well! He's even had football like chants of 'France pour let francais' he's quite sanguin, as he says it happens continually. I've had enough now. 

I'm scared, because I have just had a life time of ruddy change, and when I came to France I thought that was 'it', happiness would reign, but it didn't. The more I think about it, the more I think Canada, might be able to give us a life more rounded and inclusive. Yes damnit it's important for my self worth that I work too, and that's an imposibility here. 

Yesterday my son watched a group of youths rip the tyres off a truck and set fire to them, with the police Swat team arriving with guns, right in front of his school! I live in a tiny town near Le Mans, not down town Beirut! If I could scrape up my family and bear them off to Canada right now, I would do it immediately. Thank you so much for your reply, it made me realise I'm not totally bonkers all by myself (well, I might be, but it's evidently not such an exclusive club!). 

Thank you also to the kind posters with regard to education. It gave me lots to think about, and I am at presently looking at these options actively - my poor printer was gasping for breath with all the bits I found yesterday.


----------



## shbldr (Nov 5, 2010)

Victoria is a beautiful city and I don't think you would have difficulty finding employment. However I am not sure you would find it very "welcoming" - I live in Vancouver but my Victoria friends say it is very difficult to meet people and develop friendships. Some have lived there for several years and are still considered "outsiders". Now I don't find Vancouver any better, it is also very difficult to develop friendships and all the different ethnic communities tend not to mix - at least not the adults, the children don't seem to have any problems.
Except for the weather don't you think you might be more comfortable in Montreal and/or other French speaking areas?


----------



## pfilby (Apr 16, 2009)

shbldr said:


> Victoria is a beautiful city and I don't think you would have difficulty finding employment. However I am not sure you would find it very "welcoming" - I live in Vancouver but my Victoria friends say it is very difficult to meet people and develop friendships. Some have lived there for several years and are still considered "outsiders". Now I don't find Vancouver any better, it is also very difficult to develop friendships and all the different ethnic communities tend not to mix - at least not the adults, the children don't seem to have any problems.
> Except for the weather don't you think you might be more comfortable in Montreal and/or other French speaking areas?


Thank you so much for your kind reply. Yes, we have done a lot of soul searching, and have received some very good advice. I think we have more or less determined that our future may lie in New Brunswick. It would be a new start for All the family, not just for me and my son. My husband had never lived there, or even visited, and so this may be perfect for all of us. We are hoping to make a 'tour of discovery' in May next year, so that we could look at schools and things too, prior to moving in Summer 2012. We may of course hate it and have to go back to the drawing board, but I'm keeping my fingers crossed.


----------

