OK, I have to be totally honest here
Aug 3rd 2015, 12:28 pm
#31
SUPER MODERATOR
Joined: Oct 2007
Location: In a darkened room somewhere.............
Posts: 34,035
Aug 3rd 2015, 4:16 pm
#32
BE Forum Addict
Joined: Sep 2011
Posts: 1,009
Re: OK, I have to be totally honest here
Hello Fellow British Ex-Pats in Canada. I am a new poster to the Canada Forum, although I have been following it for over a year. The reason why I am posting is that I came to Canada last October 2014 because my partner was offered a job in the University sector. We live in Cape Breton, Nova Scotia. After a very hard winter, during which my partner fractured his wrist, we have decided to return to the UK. My own concerns with Canada is that it seems to be a country firmly rested where the UK was in the 1970's. I've read a lot of posts concerned about space, quality of life etc. I am not convinced about this - there are lots of places in the UK which feel off the beaten track, but which still are connected - which is more than I feel in Canada. I have met lots of very nice people, and hope I can return their hospitality in the UK, but to be blunt, I hate it here.
Do not base your opinion of Canada on your experiences in one small part of the country.
Aug 3rd 2015, 4:20 pm
#33
BE Forum Addict
Joined: Sep 2011
Posts: 1,009
Re: OK, I have to be totally honest here
How about we expect someone to base their opinion of the country on experiences in more than one small part of it? I have lived in Canada most of my life so am obviously very familiar with life here and I would wager that I wouldn't be happy living in Cape Breton either. But if that were the case I would let my experiences in Cape Breton form the basis for my opinion about Cape Breton, not the rest of the country. Since it is the second largest country in the world there are vast differences in experiences depending on where one lives.
Saying that you do not like Canada because of your experience in Cape Breton is like saying you do not like Europe because of your experience in Guernsey.
It's probably the Scottish/Irish Heritage approximation of Norfolk! Coming from the East of Scotland, it is totally alien to me, which was surprising. We don't seem to have a choice here - my partner has handed in his notice and his NSP nomination revoked, although we are well underway with PR checks etc. TBH, If I had wanted to live in scrubby woodland, I would have chosen the West of Scotland, not here!
Apparently not.
They didn't spring it upon you that drugs were not covered unless you have extended benefits.
Last edited by colchar; Aug 3rd 2015 at 4:27 pm.
Aug 3rd 2015, 6:51 pm
#35
SUPER MODERATOR
Joined: Oct 2007
Location: In a darkened room somewhere.............
Posts: 34,035
Re: OK, I have to be totally honest here
Aug 3rd 2015, 7:44 pm
#36
BE Enthusiast
Joined: Apr 2008
Posts: 303
Re: OK, I have to be totally honest here
What use is this thread? The original poster has a negative view of Canada based on very limited experience and is already packing her bags to go back to the UK. Clearly, she will be contributing nothing useful to help anyone else come and settle here. Does anybody really care what she thinks?
P.S. I am also from the east coast of Scotland where people certainly are not brusquely cheerful unless you count "schadenfreud" as a kind of joy.
P.S. I am also from the east coast of Scotland where people certainly are not brusquely cheerful unless you count "schadenfreud" as a kind of joy.
Aug 3rd 2015, 8:26 pm
#37
Happy
Joined: Feb 2009
Location: Nova Scotia
Posts: 2,942
Re: OK, I have to be totally honest here
I am wondering if the OP is just feeling the need to vent.
Honestly to have a TWP to a university in Cape Breton Is to me rare. It's almost like finding a pig that flies.
There are not many jobs up there for the locals so I am surprised at this.
Honestly to have a TWP to a university in Cape Breton Is to me rare. It's almost like finding a pig that flies.
There are not many jobs up there for the locals so I am surprised at this.
Aug 3rd 2015, 8:39 pm
#38
Joined: Sep 2008
Posts: 12,830
Re: OK, I have to be totally honest here
Judging by the comments, I suspect not. Seems to be a whining thread and no contribution to any other content. One opinion, limited by 10 months in country and one isolated community. After 10 months we had not even begun to settle in, 2 years in, many still get homesick, but stick it out and go on to become successful.
Immigration is not for everyone. Sometimes I believe the 'old days of immigration' of once you move you're gone was easier than today of being anywhere in the world in 24 hours or so. Like marriage, to easy to give up nowadays, easier than working at it.
If anyone expects to make a decision to immigrate or not based on a public forum, they should probably stay where they are. A great place to get some answers, the tried and tested method of boots on the ground and do your own due diligence. Too much reliance on the Internet and e-mail these days'.
Immigration is not for everyone. Sometimes I believe the 'old days of immigration' of once you move you're gone was easier than today of being anywhere in the world in 24 hours or so. Like marriage, to easy to give up nowadays, easier than working at it.
If anyone expects to make a decision to immigrate or not based on a public forum, they should probably stay where they are. A great place to get some answers, the tried and tested method of boots on the ground and do your own due diligence. Too much reliance on the Internet and e-mail these days'.
Aug 3rd 2015, 8:57 pm
#40
Bon Vivant
Joined: Aug 2008
Location: Nova Scotia
Posts: 2,956
Re: OK, I have to be totally honest here
My wife is from Sydney so I do know what a depressing dump the place is. She couldn't wait to get away from there too. I have studiously avoided going there for many years now.
Aug 3rd 2015, 9:24 pm
#41
Born again atheist
Joined: Jul 2005
Location: Europe (to be specified).
Posts: 30,259
Re: OK, I have to be totally honest here
^^ Fair enough. But let's imagine a wannabe immigrant to the UK from, shall we say Nova Scotia. S/he applies for a so-called University position in perhaps Hull. Get's the "job". Feels good about New Life.
Now let's imagine that the person from NS has to stay in that "job" or ****ity ****ity off back to NS. Because we all know that Nova Scotians working at Hull "University" are depriving true born British folk of a "job".
Would it be entirely fair of other posters on here to suggest that s/he should try living in Somerset or the Shetlands before deciding s/he'd been conned?
I don't think so.
Now let's imagine that the person from NS has to stay in that "job" or ****ity ****ity off back to NS. Because we all know that Nova Scotians working at Hull "University" are depriving true born British folk of a "job".
Would it be entirely fair of other posters on here to suggest that s/he should try living in Somerset or the Shetlands before deciding s/he'd been conned?
I don't think so.
Aug 3rd 2015, 10:19 pm
#43
Forum Regular
Joined: Sep 2012
Location: Okanagan. BC
Posts: 296
Re: OK, I have to be totally honest here
Apparently it's " The University of Sheep and long Wellies"
Surely if some one has the honesty to admit not liking Canada then others should be polite enough to accept that and wish them well!!
Canada can be a hard place to adjust to, people are different and sometimes cultural differences can be hard to adjust to.
All I can say, at least you gave it a go..... Sadly it wasn't for you so I wish you the best of luck on your next moved
Surely if some one has the honesty to admit not liking Canada then others should be polite enough to accept that and wish them well!!
Canada can be a hard place to adjust to, people are different and sometimes cultural differences can be hard to adjust to.
All I can say, at least you gave it a go..... Sadly it wasn't for you so I wish you the best of luck on your next moved
Last edited by Aqua; Aug 3rd 2015 at 10:22 pm.
Aug 4th 2015, 12:53 am
#44
Assimilated Pauper
Joined: Mar 2005
Location: Ontario
Posts: 40,018
Re: OK, I have to be totally honest here
I don't see why this isn't fair. Canada's physically wide but homogenous, life in Cape Breton is going to be very similar to life in another part of Canada with a similar population density. It's different, granted, from life in a city but the OP has noted that.
