Originally Posted by dbd33

Then my suggestion is to get a dog. A Canadian dog. It'll keep you busy, give you something tangible that's local to wherever you are and cause you to meet local people when they're feeling chatty.

Originally Posted by Funky Florist

I'm already exporting an English dog. Will that be enough do you think? Or should I go the whole hog and get a husky?

Originally Posted by dbd33

Ah, the English dog will serve for introductions to other dog walkers but will it make you feel settled or remind you of happy times when it fought off marauding bands of feral teens on your behalf? Will picking up after it in Canada make you nostalgic for the days when there was so much crap on the street already you didn't need bother?

Huskies are for people who have 100 fenced acres of tundra, are you moving to Saskatchewan?

Originally Posted by singingringingtree

Hey, we are just over the water from you - Mersea Island.

Originally Posted by arniedog

hi there neighbour , ill be walking my dog tomorrow along the prom ill wave at you across the water lol. Its quite amazing you know looking on be there seems to be alot of people in n. Essex the way its looking there will be nobody left here next year ha ha. I did ask Ff where he was but didnt get reply. Dont forget when you leave dont book taxi when the tides in ha ha but i expect you have already thought of that. When are you planing to go to Canada

Originally Posted by Funky Florist

Sorry arniedog - I meant to and then got distracted! I'm between Colchester and Earls Colne, so not a million miles away! I used to live in Wivenhoe, so even closer!

Originally Posted by arniedog

hey no worries. The only reason i asked was , as i said before , that my wife was told by a work friend that there was somebody else in b/sea going to Canada soon but couldnt remember who it was or where they were going. It seems that there is a few of us Essex people leaving then when do you plan on going. We are hopefully going Sept/Oct and are heading to Toronto area as that where 2 of our kids are

Originally Posted by arniedog

hi there neighbour , ill be walking my dog tomorrow along the prom ill wave at you across the water lol. Its quite amazing you know looking on be there seems to be alot of people in n. Essex the way its looking there will be nobody left here next year ha ha. I did ask Ff where he was but didnt get reply. Dont forget when you leave dont book taxi when the tides in ha ha but i expect you have already thought of that. When are you planing to go to Canada

Originally Posted by singingringingtree

I might stroll along the beach tomorrow so I'll wave back! Yes, we live by the tides. Like FunkyFlorist, we are Vancouver-bound, but not until late 2012/early 2013. I'll keep my ears open as to who from Brightlingsea is heading over to Canada - quite a few from round here and they all seem to know each other.

Originally Posted by Funky Florist

I've been spending much too long on these forums than is probably good for me! I've been doing a lot of reading in the "going to Canada" as well as the "coming back to the UK" forums and it seems that things don't always go as expected/hoped for.

So that got me thinking. We're heading to BC at the end of June (providing the house sale doesn't fall through again) and are really looking forward to it. My question is, once jobs and a place to live is sorted, what can we do that will make us feel at home in Canada?

What are the three things that we can do which will make us feel settled?

Originally Posted by arniedog

of course they all know each other they are all related lol. I couldnt answer before because i got taken away by the men in white coats on sat morning for waving at strange people walking along mersea beach ha ha

Originally Posted by Richard Ivory

HI

Were heading for Strathmore in Calgary, have also looked at Mckenzie town. But could prove be to expensive to begin with.