well its 8 months today since we ( hubby, 2 dogs and 2 tortoises) boarded that said plane from manchester to vancouver and what a ride its been!

despite all the support we received from this site prior to flying over and the stress of it all nothing could have prepared us for those initial few weeks. now that the 'honeymoon period' is over our new lives here are truly opposite to what they were in the UK and i mean in a more positive way

there isnt a day goes by where we dont smile at how lucky we are to be here

it was a struggle at first with just me working and despite hubby's 130 job applications and no response...after 4 months he finally got himself a job..but he enjoyed our 1st canadian summer in the garden...i was so jealous

we sent our permanent residency application (via PNP Route) to buffalo on jan 30th and so its that aweful waiting again! were just hoping it will be worth it, we rented until june 2010, the bank wont offer us a mortgage until we are perm residents because we dont have a huge down payment so we have to wait for that to which is even more frustrating and in some ways maybe its not a bad thing we dont want to tempt fate in getting a place then not getting PR

we have achieved so much in the last 8 months its amazing and i still pinch myself that were here...one of the hardest things was getting hrough christmas away from family and friends we are planning a short trip back to the UK next year as we have family visiting this year

well i just thought i would update you all as i dont think ive posted on here since we arrived

thanks again to all who supported us and gave their advice and opinions prior to our move

kae

Good luck with your PR application, thankfully they are getting faster

It sounds like it is going well for you, congratulations

Good luck with your PR application

congratulations on your 8 months, we have been here just over a year and our PR application was sent to Buffalo in January so be interesting to see if we hear at same time.

Congrats. Lets hope that we smile like you when we move to Vancouver in July 2010. Best of luck

Congrats on your 8 month anniversary and a belated welcome to the Valley. Good Luck with the PR App! Were about to celebrate our 2nd yr in the Wack at the end of the month and have no regrets. All I need now is a great job and a few home gliches sorted and i'll be in Wack Heaven.

Great to see such a positive response from someone who has been there a relatively short amount of time. Well done.

Congratulations, what a lovely story to hear. I hope you don't mind me asking but we are coming to Canada in April with a dog and a tortoise and I notice from your post that you took tortoises. I have been looking through the threads but can't find the answers.
Would you mind telling me what you did to get your tortoises over, was it just a CITE certificate that you otained or did you have to do anything else.
Your experience would be greatly appreciated, thank goodness for sites like this!

We are very excited about our move and are looking forward to a new chapter, glad to hear your story and good luck with PR.

Thanks again

HI M75,

the whole tortoise thing was a bit of a nightmare i have to say but with perseverance you will be able to manage it!

are you using any company to ship over your pets would be my 1st question?

you need your CITES permits, you need an import permit which has to be applied to canada for then you need the vet checks, if said tortoise's plastron is over 10cm it has to be micro chipped too, you maybe better to PM me with your questions im happy to share my e-mail address if you like, it took a good five months to get everything co-ordinated. if you search my signature name on here you will find my posting about dog and tortoise shipping but i a happy to help you if i can.

Hi Alison33 in Chilliwack, were approx 30mins up the highway from you in Abbotsford, absolutely loving it here

and Polly yeah i will be keeping an eye on your timeframe to see if you hear anything im excited but really nervous too

to everyone else thanks for your well wishes

Congratulations on making it to 8 months

Good luck with your PR application

Hi

Sorry for replying so late, things are so hectic! Thank you very much for your help with the tortoise, I have found your other posts and got the information that I needed. All paperwork sent now and have booked an agent to help get the tortoise and dog over to Canada. This site is so great with some really helpful people like yourself. We are coming to Canada in 6 weeks and are so excited, if not a little stressed. I will keep you informed of our tortoise situation!!!
Thanks again for taking the time to answer me.

x

Hi M75,

I am so happy that you got everything sorted out and that the pets will be accompanying you

We know its very stressful, just hang on in there it will be so worth it!!!

i am happy to be able to help, good look in your journey over here, look forward to knowing how it went.

kae

hi kae and hubby. glad your enjoying it still. im still in saskatoon all on my own. its been 49 weeks now, and i still love it. the wife and son are coming out in june to give it there seal of approvment, and the ntake it from there.
are you not misssing a good meat pie and a pint of bitter, or is it just a wigan thing all the best. steve.

Hi Westwoo

good to hear you made it okay and seem to besettled, you'll feel more so when rest of the family ge here and theyre settled to it must have seemed ages you all being apart

as for said pie n beer your the typical wiganer!!! lol

im missing said good curry, rice , naan bread and poppadums with mango chuckney...its just not the same here andthe price of strongbow is a bloody joke!!!!!!

noticed that the wanderers gotthrashed 4-0 by Man U the other week nowt changes.

hang in there your family will soon be here and you'll all belovin it, lovin it, lovin it

were just waiting on our PR got the pack sent back, missing info for the kids and cheque was wrong, not enuf

so sent back and they got it last weds, its correct now

le us know how things go once family arrive, im sure they will love it

kae