Gunnie

Hi I have just found this forum and it looks great - I shall have a good delve into the threads to night to read up. I probably should have done this before posting but keen to ask my question.

I may have an opportunity to work in Canada in Vancouver, which when first looking into this looked great. On investigation, I understand it is pricey, but I will have to resolve package, where I want to live etc. Some forums say it isn't friendly, hard to make new friends, clicky, and just not a great place to live anymore. Is it very difficult?

Also are there any safe areas away from Vancouver, suitable for a family but not too far that I cannot commute to Coquitlam?

Kind Regards and thank you in advance for any advice you may be able to provide.

Ailsa

Engineer_abroad

Vancouver is only 'unsafe' in that most major North American Cities are 'unsafe'. There are some areas to avoid at night but these are relatively few.

It is pricey and becoming worse (house prices went up 30% from last year) but this is becoming a hot button issue so we will see what happens. That being said as I lived near London before moving here I don't see a huge a price difference.

The whole friendly a clicky thing is a bit of a misnomer, people are general friendly and polite but keep themselves to themselves (a lot like us Brits). As a new arrival in a city people may often feel excluded when in fact they are experiencing culture shock or expecting something that is out of the norm. However, make an effort to work with your local community and I have found some amazingly friendly people.

Gunnie

Thank you Engineer abroad, that is very helpful. Forums are hard as people I think just like to have a moan, which is fine, but it is trying to wade through and look at the useful advice. Kind Regards
Ailsa

beckiwoo

This!

It's no joke about the housing issue here. I've accepted that I will moving out of metro vancouver to somewhere like Langley or Abbotsford because I don't want to rent anymore but it is a massive topic here.

Vancouver has some great things going for it such as the beaches, hikes, mountains in the winter and craft beer (my personal favourite lol) but even good rentals are hard to find and landlords can push the price up.

beckiwoo

The dating scene for single people is very bad though. Lots of articles on this from both genders.

I definately found it easier in the UK then here.

JonboyE

Real estate is pricey. Especially to buy. Vancouver to the rest of Canada is comparable to Central London to the rest of the UK.

I have seen Brits complain about this (on here - not in real life) but I don't understand it. It is certainly not my experience.

People will mostly be polite and friendly to you. This is the general level of social interaction. Just because someone is friendly to you doesn't necessarily mean they want to make friends with you. It is important to understand this to avoid disappointment.

Some Brits seem to have a very high opinion of themselves and expect Vancouverites to change to suit them. That isn't going to happen.

Mostly, I think people underestimate how long it takes to replicate friendships that developed over many years in the UK. How long have you known the people you call friends in the UK?

Many friendships start with shared experiences. Emigrating will change you as a person. Most born and bred Canadians will not have this experience. At first, you may have very little in common. Other immigrants can be a happier hunting ground though I don't think it is healthy to cling to other Brits.*

You can't expect to make friends like you had in the UK in a few months. You can help things along by making the effort to meet as many new people as you can as soon as you can. That said, you will make new friends. Usually when you are not looking for them.

Almost everywhere is safe as long as you are not intending to take over the drugs trade. Coquitlam is quite commutable to Coquitlam.

*As an aside, I don't think it is a great idea to obsess about getting UK TV when you first arrive. You are going to need topics for small talk. Local sport and TV are ideal. Yes, most of the TV is crap but, if you are honest, most of the TV in the UK is crap too. Here it is just crap that you are not used to.

Engineer_abroad

I found programs like 22 minutes and the Mercer report to be very good at helping to learn more about the current political situation as well as Canadiana in a light hearted way. Anything that satirizes is always going to give you the underlying issues without too much spin. I use UK TV services for the rugby.

One thing you will notice with the Vancouver rental market is that the contracts are written more favorably for the renter here when compared to the UK. landlords can only increase rent by 5% a year (although it does mean people get kicked out so that rent can be increased) and there are no large upfront fees like in the UK (1 months rent and 1/2 month security deposits, and you pay nothing till you get the keys). but as others have said it can be dog eat dog out there to find good landlords and properties.

R I C H

Not quite true:

From: Rent Increases - Province of British Columbia


"Landlords can only increase the rent once a year by an amount permitted by law or an additional amount approved in advance by an arbitrator – they need to use the right form and give the tenant three full months’ notice of the rent increase.

The maximum allowable rent increase changes each year. The limits for residential tenancies and manufactured home park tenancies are different.

For residential tenancies, the standard allowable rent increase for 2016 is 2.9%
For manufactured home park tenancies, the standard allowable rent increase for 2016 is 2.9% plus a proportional amount for the change in local government levies and regulated utility fees"

Gunnie

Thank you to everyone for your advice, it is very helpful and makes sense. Ill let you know what transpires........

Tootlepootle

I live in Coquitlam, so if you want local info just ask