gb_griffiths

So I’ve just been getting to grips with the frustration of the application process and the ambiguity that surrounds much of it. It’s been doing my head in a little bit today so I’m on a mini downer.

But I’m also fed up of the posts that say, “I hate it”, “Canadian dentists are expensive”, "car insurance is too much”, “driving on the H-401 is willy-bum-poo” etc etc. Not that they aren’t an important and necessary warning that emigration is not a cure-all for what ails you in your motherland. It’s just I don’t want to hear it right now.

So what I do want to hear now are things which re-energise my enthusiasm for emigrating to Canada (I don’t really need it but a little bit of positivity goes a long way).

Tell me…

• What made you decide to go
• Why do you love it in Canada
• What’s the most amazing thing of natural beauty you’ve seen in Canada (sexy Canadians count as natural beauty)

…or anything else which is generally positive about your Canadian experience.

Yours,

GB_Griffiths.

Oink

Before I came here I never realized I’d lived as a prisoner in the UK in a sort of metaphorical cave, chained up and being forced to watch shadows on a wall, these shadows were mere reflections of the real world. Landing in Canada was like climbing out of the cave and being fully immersed in the sun's rays, Being in this magnificent sunlight I began for the first time to see things and people for real. I gained a new awareness of understanding, one where I could see the truth of a better life. I never want to return to that cave again and be submerged in the darkness with all the other prisoners.

The most beautiful thing I’ve seen here is the natural joy in the face of uncorrupted youth.

Novocastrian

24 years and love it still immensely, because I have a job which demands very little and pays a silly amount. Plus, when I'm here in France in February, my love of Canada is increased because it has taught me about all the things that I want to avoid in the future.

magnumpi

When gas was 89c a litre.

haggis88

6 months so far and the only thing that annoys me immensely is how bad they are at driving

everything else is pretty decent

jeannie in a bottle

But I’m also fed up of the posts that say, “I hate it”, “Canadian dentists are expensive”, "car insurance is too much”, “driving on the H-401 is willy-bum-poo” etc etc. Not that they aren’t an important and necessary warning that emigration is not a cure-all for what ails you in your motherland. It’s just I don’t want to hear it right now.

You may not want to hear it right now, but you'll be saying it when you get here!

rivingtonpike

[QUOTE=jeannie in a bottle;10551231]But I’m also fed up of the posts that say, “I hate it”, “Canadian dentists are expensive”, "car insurance is too much”, “driving on the H-401 is willy-bum-poo” etc etc. Not that they aren’t an important and necessary warning that emigration is not a cure-all for what ails you in your motherland. It’s just I don’t want to hear it right now.



All the above are true - dentists are expensive, driving on the whole IS crap. Car insurance IS expensive. On the other hand, if I hadn't moved here I might never have had a woodshed to paint!

Novocastrian

Ha! When I emigrated it was 25c a gallon. On the other hand I earned just over 7% of my present salary, and lived fairly comfortably as a younger man with few needs except booze and tobacco.

haggis88

good point

i would never have gone snowboarding if i hadn't moved here

i would never have been to an NHL game (i've now been to 3)

i would never have bought a pickup truck

i would never have played "Iced Hockey"

i would never have tried Tim Hortons

the good stuff probably does outweigh the bad for me!

JonboyE

We don't do positivity very well on this site.

Deeny

Been here just over a year; there are some niggles of course but nothing I can't get over. Some of the things I love...

We went out with some friends last night; walking back to the subway was uneventful...no puking, urinating and/or fighting feral youths. No bouncers on the door. Ditto when we were on the subway. We FELT safe.

Walking the dog near our home in Peterborough, UK = tiptoeing around the piles of rubbish, dog poo and broken bottles. No benches left to sit and take a quiet moment; they were all ripped apart or set on fire.

Walking the dog near our home Scarborough Bluffs= beautifully maintained gardens, intact benches, sound of woodpeckers, sightings of beautiful birds, chipmunks and the odd deer. Everyone you meet smiles and says hello.

The sun shines a lot. Today there is snow on the ground and it is freezing, but the sun is shining and I want to wrap up and get out there.

The summer is hot, you can make plans for an outside event. Going to a friend's cottage where we swim in the river and sit up late into the night, drinking wine and chatting while the kids make S'mores on the BBQ.

The abundance of festivals and free concerts etc.

My kids are more independent; they take the TTC everywhere and I'm happy to let them. They were readily accepted here, made loads of friends and are both happier here.

Our new friends...we put ourselves out there and have met some truly wonderful people whom we really enjoy spending time with.

We came because we loved the Canadian way of life on our first visit. Subsequent trips reinforced the belief that we would be able to happily settle in Toronto and, luckily, we were right. We weren't fleeing the UK for a Utopian dream, we knew the realities and were prepared for downsides of immigration.
We feel very fortunate that for our family the positives far outweigh the negatives and we have had a very successful immigration experience.

Wishing you all the best with yours.

Dotty P

lovely to see someone with a positive attitude! Good on you Deeny!

Deeny

Thank you

Novocastrian

WTF's a S'more?

gb_griffiths

It's undeniably possible. And that's why I said those posts are valuable. I just wanted to hear something good right now? Do you not have a good experience to share with us? No amorous encounters with sexy mooses (or is that meeses)?