advice on emigrating to thunderbay, ontario
Jul 9th 2011 | 9:17 pm
#1
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advice on emigrating to thunderbay, ontario
Hi, I do hope this is the right place to post as never used these forums before so please excuse me if totally inappropriate! My husband has been offered a job in Thunderbay Canada, he is facing redundancy in the UK. We have 3 girls, 12, 10 and 4. I have heard that Thunderbay is quite isolated and that there is not much to do or poor prospects for children. however I have only gleaned this from the internet and various random postings and would really like to talk to someone who has moved there or visited. The package they are offering my husband is very good, a large salary increase, relocation package etc etc but money isn't everything. Advice would be wholly appreciated or advice on where to post. Many thanks. Belle x
Jul 10th 2011 | 2:14 am
#2
Joined: Jul 2007
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Re: advice on emigrating to thunderbay, ontario
No personal experience of Thunder Bay here, the closest I've been to there is Sault St. Marie. Check out a google map of the area, note the abundance of national forests and lakes. If you have trouble finding much information about Thunder Bay, I would check out what people have to say about conditions in Northern Minnesota. Or perhaps North Dakota.
If that doesn't put you off, I would be asking your husband's company to fork out for a "sightseeing trip" for you all.
If that doesn't put you off, I would be asking your husband's company to fork out for a "sightseeing trip" for you all.
Jul 10th 2011 | 2:31 am
#3
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From: the GTA
Re: advice on emigrating to thunderbay, ontario
There's no doubt TB is somewhat isolated. It's located at the head of Lake Superior and close to stunning wilderness. There was a poster on here recently who had located there and sounded quite entranced with the experience, so different strokes for different folks. It has an airport with regular flights to Toronto and a good highway in and out, so not totally isolated. It has a university and a fair-sized population. It has all the major facilities one would expect of a comparable city. The only real things, IMO, you must think about is long, cold winters and that you cannot nip into Toronto or the like, for the day. I would expect housing would be inexpensive compared to a major city and surrounds.
Jul 10th 2011 | 3:48 am
#4
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From: Fredericton, New Brunswick CA
Re: advice on emigrating to thunderbay, ontario
Jul 10th 2011 | 3:59 am
#5
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Re: advice on emigrating to thunderbay, ontario
Thanks for all your replies, it is such a huge decision but possibly is the chance of a lifetime, my husbands company has offered to fly us out there but am concerned that he will get carried away and I won't like it! Also worried about the kids settling especially my 12 year old. Then again, who dares wins as Delboy says!
Jul 10th 2011 | 4:17 am
#6
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 2,139
Re: advice on emigrating to thunderbay, ontario
Thanks for all your replies, it is such a huge decision but possibly is the chance of a lifetime, my husbands company has offered to fly us out there but am concerned that he will get carried away and I won't like it! Also worried about the kids settling especially my 12 year old. Then again, who dares wins as Delboy says!
Jul 10th 2011 | 4:26 am
#7
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Re: advice on emigrating to thunderbay, ontario
Thanks, think we will. I am always banging on about getting out of the UK as very disolusioned with it but when it comes down to it its very scary. If we didn't have the kids would jump ship tommorow.
Jul 10th 2011 | 4:29 am
#8
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Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 40,070
From: Ontario
Re: advice on emigrating to thunderbay, ontario
I've been to Thunder Bay. Just once and just for the day. I couldn't believe how much snow there was. The taxi drove in a groove between walls of snow way above our heads.
Jul 10th 2011 | 4:34 am
#9
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Re: advice on emigrating to thunderbay, ontario
OMG! Well I had heard that the winters were long and hard but suppose if they are set up for it it is manageable. Hopefully the summers are the other extreme ?
Jul 10th 2011 | 4:46 am
#10
Joined: Aug 2005
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Re: advice on emigrating to thunderbay, ontario
Jul 10th 2011 | 5:38 am
#11
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From: Vancouver, BC (originally from Huddersfield, W. Yorkshire)
Jul 10th 2011 | 1:41 pm
#13
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From: hybrid territory
Re: advice on emigrating to thunderbay, ontario
OH passed through Thunder Bay several times, usually in the winter:
Temperatures were cold (-40C) and lake effect snow meant sometimes there were huge dumps. That said it wasn't always wall to wall snow.
The rental vehicle supplied was often a PT Cruiser, possibly equipped with snow tires. It was incapable of keeping up with the trucks on the highway in bad weather conditions so journey progress was slowed in case of moose on the road.
There is a Smart car franchise in Thunder Bay. They were very reasonably priced compared to Vancouver. On one occasion a set of snow tires was being thrown in as a special offer.
Thunder Bay was a throbbing metropolis compared to the "nearby" communities. It was where the locals headed to party. Not sure what the kids did though.
The natural beauty of the area around was amazing.
From my perspective, air service in and out of Thunder Bay seemed good. I don't recall ever being phoned with the dread news of a late arriva and airport pickup because of a missed flight due to issues at Thunder Bay airport, unlike some other trips that unexpectedly involved convoluted routes due to missed departures (Houston-LA-Denver-Salt Lake City-Vancouver springs to mind).
The rental vehicle supplied was often a PT Cruiser, possibly equipped with snow tires. It was incapable of keeping up with the trucks on the highway in bad weather conditions so journey progress was slowed in case of moose on the road.
There is a Smart car franchise in Thunder Bay. They were very reasonably priced compared to Vancouver. On one occasion a set of snow tires was being thrown in as a special offer.
Thunder Bay was a throbbing metropolis compared to the "nearby" communities. It was where the locals headed to party. Not sure what the kids did though.
The natural beauty of the area around was amazing.
Jul 10th 2011 | 3:05 pm
#14
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From: Maryland (via Belfast, Manchester, Toronto and London)
Re: advice on emigrating to thunderbay, ontario
It's #20 on the list of best places to live in Canada:
http://list.moneysense.ca/rankings/b...2=1&d1=a&sc1=0
However:
Days below 0C: 203.30
http://list.moneysense.ca/rankings/b...2=1&d1=a&sc1=0
However:
Days below 0C: 203.30
Last edited by MarylandNed; Jul 10th 2011 at 3:08 pm.
Jul 16th 2011 | 3:35 am
#15
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From: Ottawa
Re: advice on emigrating to thunderbay, ontario
I lived for a couple of years in a very small community 6.5 hours NW of T Bay, which was one of the closest cities (Winnipeg being the other). T Bay has all the same big box stores you'll find in any other Canadian city, etc etc. It has a small-town feel to it (but was a great metropolis compared with where I lived at the time!) and is easy to get around.
The air is clean and if you're an outdoorsy kind of family, you'll have ball! Winter is long, but I actually preferred it to winter in Southern Ontario - the temperatures drop very low, but, as the air is dry, the snow is very light and cold tends to be skin-deep. I particularly liked the winter sunshine up there, which doesn't seem to appear much down here in Ottawa
The air is clean and if you're an outdoorsy kind of family, you'll have ball! Winter is long, but I actually preferred it to winter in Southern Ontario - the temperatures drop very low, but, as the air is dry, the snow is very light and cold tends to be skin-deep. I particularly liked the winter sunshine up there, which doesn't seem to appear much down here in Ottawa
