Neil had a telephone interview with a company based in Edmonton and also have an office in Calgary yesterday (6th May 2008).  The interview went well and Neil and myself have been invited to Calgary to take a further look.

It is the news that we have been waiting to hear.  Now we get a real chance to see how a Canadian Structural Engineering company works and what the offices look like and get a real feel of woking life in Calgary.

The branch in Calgary is near to the area that we have been looking into for houses and would not be too much of a commute for Neil.

We have to wait for HR to get back to us with details but we are glad that the next stage is open for us.

Neil and I meet when I started work at a Structural Engineering office in Blackpool back in 1999.  I was the office junior and he was an Engineer and working towards his Chartership degree.  We married in 2004 and are still growing stronger today.

Harvey was born in 2000 and we brought him in 2001.  Harvey is a very bossy Labrador and his favourite pastime is nicking socks and ripping tennis balls apart, oh and of course his walks.

I lived in Blackpool and Neil was from outside Preston before we moved to the lovely Ribble Valley, so pretty here.

I have had lots of jobs ranging from working in markets to admin.  I opened a Wedding Planning company around 2003 but unfortunately it didn’t take off due to the lack of customer interest.  I did organise a wedding fayre by myself at Blackpool Football Club which I am very proud of.  The business gave me so much confidence, it really did change me for the better.  I am now a housewife but I will get a job if we move to Canada, I think it would be the best way for me to intergrate with the community and make friends.  It would be great to work as a wedding co-ordinator in a hotel or my second love ski and become a ski instructor.

I don't know who wrote this but its good.

An elderly carpenter was ready to retire. He told his employer-contractor of his plans to leave the house building business and live a more leisurely life with his wife enjoying his extended family.

He would miss the paycheck, but he needed to retire. They could get by. The contractor was sorry to see his good worker go and asked if he could build just one more house as a personal favor. The carpenter heart was not in his work. He resorted to shoddy workmanship and used inferior materials. It was an unfortunate way to end his career.

When the carpenter finished his work and the builder came to inspect the house, the contractor handed the front-door key to the carpenter. "This is your house," he said, "my gift to you."

What a shock! What a shame! If he had only known he was building his own house, he would have done it all so differently. Now he had to live in the home he had built none too well.

So it is with us. We build our lives in a distracted way, reacting rather than acting, willing to put up less than the best. At important points we do not give the job our best effort. Then with a shock we look at the situation we have created and find that we are now living in the house we have built. If we had realized, we would have done it differently.

Think of yourself as the carpenter. Think about your house. Each day you hammer a nail, place a board, or erect a wall. Build wisely. It is the only life you will ever build. Even if you live it for only one day more, that day deserves to be lived graciously and with dignity.

Your life today is the result of your past attitudes and choices. Your life tomorrow will be the result of your attitudes and choices you make today.

We live in a location within the Ribble Valley and the house went on the market in November.

We have had about 10 viewing so far, but just like many on British Expats struggling to sell because of the credit crunch, high interest rates and the bloody BBC worrying everybody that is looking to buy.

We did have one viewer that came to look for a second time but unfortunatly did not put in an offer.  We have had no offers so far but no rush at the immediate moment in time.

I will proceed with the constant battle of cleaning the bloody house and keeping the garden looking nice

I am forever going into the estate agents just to give them a reminder and to check they haven't forgotten about us.

Just a little update on the house selling front we have had to reduce the house twice and now we are looking at a total reduction of £20,000, sickening!

Neil had his interview in London on 23rd April at Canada House.  I think the interview went o.k but could have been better as my husband isn't very good at selling himself very well.

While we were there the company that interviewed Neil introduced us to another company so he managed to have two interviews in London after that, which was good.

We have to sit back and wait now for a phone call to see if he is through to the next stage. 

We have had a company come back to us from one of the London interviews.  They have requested a telephone interview with Neil apprently this is procedure before they ask any possible candidate to go over for a face to face interview.

This interview is dated 6th May 2008 fingers crossed, I will keep you posted.

When I first started this site I received some horrible replies to topics that I thought were important to me.  It very much depressed and upset me and I did request a Mod to delete my account after about 10 mins.  I am not sure which mod it was that replied but I am very glad they didn't delete me because I have found so much useful information on this site.

I have now started to take the negative comments with a pinch of salt because emigrating is a once in a lifetime dream and we are in a good position to do it.  I don't want anyone doubting our ablility to do it and the possitive and helpful replies are so useful.

I would like to thank all the possitive comments that I have received so far from certain members on this site.  I must remember to give Karma back for your help and making me feel welcome.

Now one month on I have subscribed for a years membership and I am starting to feel very much a part of the BE community.

Hugs, kisses and a BIG thank you to you all, you should know who you are.   Anyone posting negative posts just have a think first, there is a person sat behind that other screen.

Keep up the good work.

We want to emigrate to Calgary, Alberta. 

We have taken several holidays to Banff and we are quite competant skiers.  We like the country and its friendliness and it also looks a great place to bring up a child.  

The reason for the move to Calgary in general is because all the major Structural Engineering Companies are based in the city. 

We are currently looking into the areas of Somerset/Shawnessy because of the closeness of the C Train but nothing is set in stone at the moment.

We would like a better lifestyle than the one we currently have in England and to quote my Mother in Law this country has gone to the dogs.

My mum has always been for me emigrating, even when I was a little girl she was always saying that if I ever get the chance to emigrate I was to do it.  So naturally when I told her that we were considering emigrating to Calgary, Canada she was very pleased for us.

When I first spoke to Neil regarding emigrating it was as if I had told him I was dying.  Shock was the first response I received from him.  Our situation is a lucky one because Neil's parents are building their own home and we were going to move into their house, all we had to do is sell the one we were living in.

Neil held back from telling his parents because he felt that they have done so much for us and thought I was being a little selfish.

I only started thinking properly about emigrating end of Feb 08 and and started to gather information.  I know this sounds strange but I think fate started to kick in an old work collegue/friend of Neil's got into contact that has moved to Oakotoks, Alberta and also Neil landed a job interview.

This week 9th April 2008 Neil told his parents and they were very happy for us.  In fact they are going on about taking Canadian holidays and getting their passports.  I think they were more pleased in the end than my mum was.  Neil's mum's words were "I don't blame you, this country has gone to the dogs"

So everything is great and so far so good.