Jingsamichty

I moved to Calgary in September 2007, exactly 10 years ago. For me, it was a move totally out of the blue... Canada was not anywhere I had ever given so much as a moment's thought about living. And yet, I ended up spending just over 7 years in Alberta, leaving in October 2014. We could, in that time, have gone for PR or citizenship but we knew it wasn't for us even though we really made the most of our time in Calgary.

2007 seemed to be a bit of a bumper year for immigrants to Canada, especially Alberta. For those of you who came around that time...any regrets, on not, 10 years in?

Almost Canadian

We arrived in January of 2007.

Eldest works as a chef. Middle child moved into residence at U of C yesterday and youngest will start grade 10 on Wednesday.

No regrets at this time. No way to know how we would be doing had we remained in Derbyshire but we have no intention of relocating at this time.

Jingsamichty

Glad to hear you're happy, AC. Do you think you will stay in Canada for the rest of your life? Also, having moved out to the rural life, can you see that as a viable option for the '50+ years'?

Almost Canadian

Wife and I were discussing this yesterday. The one that started at uni is her bestest buddy and she has been hit hard by her leaving.

I like the acreage life, but I am at work during the week. My wife is the one that looks after all of the animals. Daughter had sold her horses in light of uni but, just as she did so, youngest daughter got back into horses and wants to start competing again. As a result, oldest daughter bought herself another horse. While we have lots of animals it is worth staying put. When we no longer have animals, it makes less sense to stay here.

Of course, if the kids remain in and around Calgary, I can't see us going too far. Wife loves the lack of congestion in High River and the fact that Calgary is only 15 minutes up the road.

The acreage is a shit load of work but wife would not wish to move back to the city. If clearing the snow each winter gets too much, I could see that we would buy something somewhere, but I honestly don't know where.

We moved all of our pensions to here and we have been putting loads into our RRSPs, as we don't want to be working forever. I know that, if we didn't live in Canada when we start making withdrawals from them, we will pay lots of tax so, to a large extent, that is a major consideration. I could see us moving to BC to avoid the snow, or becoming snowbirds once we retire.

Lots will depend upon what our kids do.

We are not unhappy here but it is not perfect for us. Our youngest kids were just 7 and about to turn 4 when we arrived so, essentially, they are Canadian. They have visited our family in the UK without us and, while they thought it was great, they couldn't believe how violent, aggressive and nasty everybody appeared to be. So, in that sense, they are Canadian and I think that they would be eaten alive were they to attend uni there (eldest one looked into that).

We are fortunate in that we have sufficient funds to be able to do what we wish to do so frequent trips to Europe are not beyond us should that take our fancy. We have enjoyed taking roads trip all over the US and, at this time, I have no real reason to travel all over Europe as I did that when I was younger.

I am not one that needs to look at old buildings or go to the West End every month. We enjoy the rural life here at the moment, we buy/trade our meat from our neighbours for our eggs and our kids take part in the local parades (riding their horses). It works for us.

Looking back upon your time in Calgary, did you enjoy the experience or did you regret coming? I recall that you were concerned about your children's schooling when you were here. Did they find it easy to reintegrate?

ann m

Hello, we're May 2007!

All good here. First four years were tough to settle, then it all just seemed to come together. Reckoning on another 6 years till early retirement, then who knows?!

Have just been back to UK for 3 weeks in the summer. It was jarring in the first week, then a bit same ol' after that. Don't love it or hate it, but do find it fast, aggressive and claustrophobic in many ways. And I do like a dose of the West End 😉. And the gluten-free aisle in Tescos was a sheer delight for my daughter!

We aim to travel more for a few years once retired, and can foresee doing house-swaps, or house sitting, maybe a couple of months in the uk or more far flung places a year, but not full retirement really. But never say never. We've seen lots of Europe but some places would pull us back for more visits.

Don't regret moving here but like AC says, it's not perfect. Things have generally gone OK, but schooling has not been fun with our two. Whether any of these issues would have manifested themselves in the UK, we'll never know. However, I think they are both pretty Canadian now in many respects, but also stuck a bit mid-Atlantic on other things - they do miss the extended family but are able to keep in touch well. Who knows where they might end up.

We too brought our pensions over and are also now lucky enough to be contributing into decent DB pensions here so should have the best of both worlds at retirement. Some regular income and some RRSP's to splash out occasionally.

I'm not particularly up for shovelling snow into my late 60's and 70's but all things being equal you pay someone to do it for you, or you move to BC 😉. Just had the most lovely summer here. Too good and too dry really.

Happy living here for the next 10 years, then we'll re-assess. Just finally reno'd the kitchen so I have to make good use of that before thinking of the next move!

Jingsamichty

I don't regret it at all. Perhaps I wouldn't have chosen to spend 7 years here, but it was for good reason so no regrets at all. We really enjoyed much of it, and made the most of the rest. Same as we'd have done anywhere.

Schooling was a major factor for us, we weren't impressed with the Canadian school culture. The kids reintegrated without any problems at all, though remember they were well used to changes. They are now in GSCEs & A Levels at the moment, and I think the more rigid UK structure suits them better. Certainly, as you alluded to above, I think they're much mentally tougher than if we'd stayed in Canada.

Booze, sex and drugs and rock'n'roll are inescapable, same as Canada. You won't be able to stop experimentation, it's a case of being honest and frank about their choices. Music and culture is a key thing in their lives at the moment and I am quite certain that the UK is much better on that front - there are festivals every weekend in the summer.

As far as my wife and I are concerned, we don't really know what we'll end up doing once the kids have flown the nest. Can't see us staying in a rural village forever, lovely though it is - probably look to reclaim a "West End" sort of life - bars, restaurants, cinemas, theatres all within walking distance etc. If we could combine that with longer-term Euro travel I think we'd be pretty happy.

Shard

Interesting posts. What's not perfect AC? Weather or something more?

Tangram

I arrived April 2007.

I'm still deciding.

Almost Canadian

Interestingly enough, at this time, the weather is just about perfect. I don't mind the cold, or the snow in fact, for my mountaineering pursuits, I am just about in the perfect place. I was never able to climb frozen waterfalls in Scotland without the fear that the ice would melt before I reached the top. Not an issue here!

I don't think anywhere would be perfect. I have never been a big city lights type of person and living somewhere like London or New York would be the worst thing I could think of.

There are lots of things that grate, just as there were in England. I don't let it get under my skin as I didn't before.

We have lots of good friends here, none of which are British. We don't avoid them, but we don't seek them out either. We simply take anybody we meet as they come and, if we click: great; if we don't: that's fine too. While accepting that many Canadians are less than exciting, the ones we are close friends with are not and will happily debate a range of issues.

Our kids are very happy here so, from that perspective, it has been a great move. I simply don't subscribe to the whole: Britain is great, Canada is shite debate one sees on this board every day. For some, I am sure it holds true, but is doesn't for us.

My wife and I both lived miles away from our families when we lived in England, so we have never had the issues that some on this board do with not being able to see them every other day. In fact, as we pay for them to fly to see us, we probably see them more now than we did when we lived in England.

The politics here drives me nuts as does the general mediocrity of everything. When watching political shows, I often scream at the TV when a journalist asks a politician a question and the politician side steps it. We need a Paxman or a Humphries over here!

I have never been one for "fancy" restaurants nor have I been one to need a bar full of people to be able to enjoy a sporting event, whatever that is. My wife makes most of our food from scratch and she is an ace cook.

I guess you could say we live a simple life. I go to work, go home and tinker about on our acreage which, for me, is all I need to do to recharge my batteries every day. We ski, climb, hike and paddle all over.

Shard

If your only substantive complaint is no Paxo, your situation sounds reasonably perfect to me!

I tried watching a segment of The National on You Tube, panel discussion on technology, couldn't last more than a few seconds with such ill informed panelists and dull questions from the moderator.

Zoe Bell

we were August 2007, best decision we ever made. am very happy here

Danny B

July 2007 for me.

We now have reverse home sickness, as in whenever we leave Canada for vacation, we can't wait to get back home.

Paul_Shepherd

Interesting you say that...I arrived 2009 (Ontario though not Alberta) as some know on this forum I lost my job 3 months ago, and have being trying to obtain employment ever since. A few of my friends and family in the UK have said, well what now then....return to the UK? Granted I think I would obtain employment in my trained field easier over there than here, but to me the question is could I live there again? ...reverse culture shock and as you say reverse homesickness.

They really don't understand what it took for me to adapt to living in Canada, I 100% bought into it. Although I will always be British and sound British, my mindset is not....it has become Canadian now, its something I worked hard to do and have done so sucessfully.

To undo this maybe harder to do than what it was to adapt to Canadian life in the first place as I dont have the drive to do so. I think its a move that I would very much resent.

Tangram

Sounds eerily like you lost 'yourself' having worked "hard to do" lol

And anyway, you're 2009, get out of this thread newbie

Paul_Shepherd

No its what I really wanted to do, so I tried hard to make it work, and it did.

Im also Ontario as well as 2009, so Id better leave now before I get stale bread rolls and rotten fruit thrown at me!