Danny B

OK, so what's the catch with PEI?
Our intention for the past 6 months has been to settle in BC, Kamloops to be exact, we even spent a week there in Feb checking the place out and it seems to be ideal.

Recently my Wife has been looking over my shoulder whilst I use the PC at night and discovered www.mls.ca! she did a quick search over the weekend on houses in PEI and to be honest we were both shocked at what value for money you get when it comes to houses.
It seems we could get a much bigger house with lots land for about $100k less than we can in Kamloops.

Maybe it's just me, but when you see cheap beautiful houses you immediately think that there is either no work in the area or the house is miles away from anywhere.
Can anyone who lives on (or near) Charlottetown please tell me what life is like? I know this is a very ambiguous question, but in general what are the Schools like, crime rate, weather, employment (I work in IT but fancy a change) and most importantly do you feel isolated living on the island?
I know there is a bridge connecting you to NB but I can't help but think when my Son turns into a moany teenager he will feel claustrophobic.

I tried the search button and have read as much as I can but would appreciate any first hand experience.

Thanks

claire bob and matt

Very, very funny accents on PEI!
C

steve666

What, like people from Devon

steve666

I toyed with that place too, could have bought 12 acres of land with nice large house, beautiful countryside.
Words to describe how we would have felt if we decided on it after looking into it further.

Isolated
Bored
Cold (it's even worse that Ottawa)
Damp
No work, except the outdoor stuff
Chance of being drowned by the Atlantic come global warming proper
BUT
Houses are cheap and lovely scenary and weather in the summer - August to August.
Come on you PEI people shoot me down!!! I dare you...

Ottawa, have you looked at Ottawa house prices?? Especially east of the capital. Come on Danny we were made to be together.

Danny B

I thought as much, no houses are that cheap without good reason. The cold, damp, having a crappy job (to a certain extent anyway) I could deal with, but not having neighbours for miles and the feeling of being cut off I could not do.
And if they did not have broadband my Son would flip.

I'll go and have a look at Ottawa now..in my lunch hour of course

printer

Now Steve has Ottawa in his sights he is desparate to get some English speaking neighbours to follow him over.

Atlantic Xpat

PEI is very much like South Devon in Character. In the summer it's warm and flooded with tourists so there is a real 'seasonal' quality about the place. Big industry outside tourism is potatoes and Anne of Green Gables. Plus some call centres. Having visited, it didn't strike me as particularly isolated but then I live in Newfoundland. It's not going to offer a family the big city lights but might well offer a less complicated lifestyle. I'm sure they have broadband there too.

In the winter the place pretty much shuts down I imagine. It's also cold (but not overly so) and gets a lot of snow (although not so much this year I believe.) It will be very different from living in Ottowa or Kamloops but not neccessarily in a bad way.

If you want value for money for land then it's worth a visit. Mind you so is the Rock where housing is still relatively cheap. St. John's and area offers most of what you need from civilisation. Jobs can be a challenge but not an insurmountable one.

AX

dbd33

I don't think broadband should be a consideration unless you need to use Telnet; most internet stuff works fine with a satellite.

Danny B

Thanks very much AX, I think we would need to spend a few weeks there this winter to fully appreciate what you have just told me. Everything seems so "lovely" when you are in the UK and excitedly looking at places on the internet, it's not until you actually go there that you realise what they are really like.

steve666

At one time we were taking Newfoundland seriously to settle, just as we did the rest of the country...Ottawa was the choice in the end for us, we all differ in what we want, otherwise EVERYONE would be living in BC.
Vive la difference!!

steve666

TOO RIGHT!!!

claire bob and matt

Akctuallly! I have an Ally Pally accent

steve666

Well ACTUALLY I'm from Plymouth! Born and bred. I was conceived at the base of the lighthouse on Plymouth Ho! apparently...

Atlantic Xpat

'Ello moi lover!' That's what the cleaning lady in the halls of residence said to me when I was a student at Plymouth Poly back in the late 80's. I thought it was a little forward at the time, given I was a spotty yoof and she was a lady of middle years. Then I found out that it was a common form of greeting so was reassured.

The other thing was the strange unearthly cries of 'EEErralllllwww' that echo'ed around the city centre in the afternoons. Took me a while to translate the Evening Herald vendors cries into English!

Danny B

PMSL