taylor2kay

Hi Everyone,

Tis the season to be jolly as one week today I will be boarding that plane to go and start my new life in Vancouver

We have finally managed to find somewhere to rent and even though my partner has a job I haven't had much luck, hopefully it will be easier when I arrive.

Whats the immigration questions like to obtain the work visa?

Whats a good website to look at to see what food I can bring into Vancouver?

Are there any fellow gym bunnies out there that can confirm which is the best gym is to join in Vancouver, as I live at Virgin Active in the UK and finding a brill gym is top of my list

What free things can we do in Vancouver to make it xmas for us?
Money is going to be real tight until I get a job and my partner starts earning his wages.

Thanks

Former Lancastrian

This is the link for to see what foods are permitted, or prohibited

http://www.inspection.gc.ca/english/imp/airse.shtml

Link for working in Canada if eligible

http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/index.asp

As for the rest no idea.

TheThornes

Sorry, no help on the Vancouver related questions but just wanted to wish you all the best and good luck!!

Howefamily

yes, good luck from me too

cheeky_monkey

tis one week until i go home for chrimbo

el_richo

Not sure about Gyms since i use mine in my building for free and go elsewhere for cardio (PM me if you want some details - note they're not too cheap though.)

As for free stuff to make you feel christmassy? I'm not sure that exists in Vancouver. The Christmas market is $5 entry and it's not too cheap to buy food and drink. It's tiny so is a short visit. Then there's a Bright Light thing in Stanley park but you have to pay to get in there too ($10 each i think it was for a train ride plus a donation).

There's also something similar at the Van Dusen gardens and Capilano expensive bridge but again you have to pay a chunk of cash to get in.

I think there's also something at QE park but that's also not free.

The Santa parade was last weekend so that's done. Unless there's another planned that i don't know of.

You could also go for a sleigh ride on Grouse Mountain but you'd have to get there and pay too.

The cheapest thing to do would be stare at the snow-capped mountains while strolling along the seawall. They also have a Lantern Festival for the solstice but i think that's just a march type thing.

If you can afford it, head up to ski/snowboard/snowtube wearing a father christmas hat. That should make you feel festive.

JonboyE

Yes, most Christmas things are fundraisers of one sort or another so there is usually, as a minimum, a donation. The Stanley Park lights are good. Admission is by donation (though you have to buy tickets if you want to ride the train). If things are tight I guess it is OK to make a small donation.

If you walk the seawalls in the evening you can often see and hear the carol ships as they pass.

The shopping malls are free and will be all decked out in Christmas garb. Me? I'd rather push red hot pins under my fingernails, but some people enjoy window shopping.

Go Christmas light spotting. Almost every house has some Christmas lights up. Some a lot. Some completely over the top.

Boy d

without a membership you can pay the drop in rate or buy a monthly pass at the numerous community centres. If yoo want an actual membership at a decent gym, steve nash fitness world is reasonable. About 40 bucks a month will give you access to about 10 gyms dotted around the area.

__TJ__

usefull thread because im flying in on 21st. dh landed two days ago in Van and said they kept asking him for his HRSDC and he didnt know what it was and didnt have one - this is because we have BC PNP so dont need it, but the officer was asking and asking, untill a colleague came up and pointed out the PNP letter was all he needed, he panicked a bit! bless him. other than that if you have everything in order he said it took half an hour, even with all that and he was in, i now have a copy of his lovely TWP to get me and the kids in when we fly in 11 days.

ive only been in van in october but driving round to get a feel for the areas we liked, we say every house decorated for halloween, and over here its a favourite passtime on the way home from grannies to go thru the small village adjacent to hers and see all the christmas lights, some are tastefully beautiful, some are outright griswald family christmas but the kids love ooh ing and ahh ing, and i bet there are some doozies in Van to see.

to get christmassy, get involved. see if there is a shelter or a church running a soup kitchen on christmas eve or something, im sure they would be glad of the help ( or a donation if direct approach is not your thing) best way to remind yourself that money isnt really as tight as you think it is ( and its blimmin tight here!) is to spend time with people who have very very little at all.
stockings, do you and your partner still do xmas stockings? my kids are 11 and 9 and 1 and the older two know its me ( thanks to some little git at school ) but i still have stockings planned and their (really small sized) presents ready to take in my luggage. xmas pud from home, always helps.

oh and i checked on the site above, devils own job of finding christmas pud but settled on dried fruit and nuts for human consumption - which is allowed thanks for the link, i was told all food was banned so im off to check if i can take jars of my fave chicken spice and gravy

i wonder if you can get atkins daybreak bars in canada, im guessing so...

TheKellys5

Best of luck with the move

DandNHill

Read somewhere recently that you can't take gravy. Was checking for a friend who is obsessed with the stuff - literally!!!!

__TJ__

Poo. What any gravy? Probably because it's got meat juices in it. Sigh. Will have to learn how to make my own then. I love gravy! It's basically a food group in my house!

el_richo

Why don't you just buy it in Vancouver

__TJ__

D'oh! You can? I've searched walmart online and can't see it. As long as you can get it there, I can cope lol.

el_richo

Yep. Save on Foods, Superstore, and Whole Foods do it for sure.