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Anybody happy in Canada?

Anybody happy in Canada?

Old Feb 12th 2012, 5:43 pm
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Default Anybody happy in Canada?

I have been looking through the threads on here for many months as I am thinking about moving to Ontario (Darlington way). Two things stand out about the info here:
1) People are very honest with their replies, which is excellent when researching cost of living, etc.
2) Nobody seems really happy with their move!! I know in the last 5 years things have changed dramatically in the western world (UK included), but is anybody really satisfied with their new life? This is an honest question, as on here all you seem to read about is how expensive things are, and generally negative aspects of living there. Then again, its like review websites for holidays etc. People only tend to pass comment when they are upset.

What do you guys see as the positives for living in Canada, specifically differences with the UK? I'm particularly interested in Ontario as thats where I'm thinking of going. I've been over to Niagara Falls to visit family 5 times over the last 10 years, but as you can all agree visiting somewhere is totally different to living there.
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Old Feb 12th 2012, 5:56 pm
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Default Re: Anybody happy in Canada?

I don't wish to sound like little Miss Sunshine, but I don't really think the posts overall are terribly negative? I think as you say that many people will give a, sometimes all too, honest answer. There are a couple of regular posters who possibly sound a bit hacked off. I have also noticed that the winter months seem to always have a bigger crop of 'I've had it and am going home' posts, but on the whole I find it fairly balanced - certainly the Canniversary threads are very pro Canada....?

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Old Feb 12th 2012, 5:58 pm
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Default Re: Anybody happy in Canada?

I am Life, in general, gets in the way of absolute bliss - but you get that anywhere
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Old Feb 12th 2012, 6:04 pm
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Default Re: Anybody happy in Canada?

The geographical approach to find happiness never works for long.
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Old Feb 12th 2012, 6:10 pm
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Default Re: Anybody happy in Canada?

Out of the 30m+ people in Canada there are bound to be some.
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Old Feb 12th 2012, 6:24 pm
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Default Re: Anybody happy in Canada?

I live in an area of absolutely gorgeous beauty, I work 5 minutes from home, I have a sail boat I can sail year-round that's also 5 minutes away. There's a pub within 10 minutes walk. I never sit in traffic, I'm not in a rush for anything, I eat well and I speak to my family far more than I ever did in the UK.
Is everything perfect? Of course not, but on the whole I'd say I'm happy in Canada.
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Old Feb 12th 2012, 6:37 pm
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Default Re: Anybody happy in Canada?

I had a perfectly good life in the UK, and moving here had to provide something above and beyond. Some things are geographically related, such as hotter, drier climate, snow in the winter, mountains for skiing, lakes for boating, other are more to do with personal challenges.

The reality for me is that I don't want to live here without being able to enjoy all the opportunities that are close at hand, so the cost of living is considerably more expensive. Ski passes, owing a boat, ATV, tractor, acreage etc all come at a price. If I lived here and couldn't afford the year round recreational advantages, I may as well have stayed in the UK.

I moved here when it was advantageous economically (high house prices in UK, excellent exchange rate vs CAD$), and that's ultimately what made the move feasible in terms of aspirations and lifestyle.
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Old Feb 12th 2012, 6:47 pm
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Default Re: Anybody happy in Canada?

"I moved here when it was advantageous economically (high house prices in UK, excellent exchange rate vs CAD$), and that's ultimately what made the move feasible in terms of aspirations and lifestyle".

Thanks RICH. Thats exactly what I'm thinking. Got a good life here, but wonder if it could be better? However, after looking into it for th last couple of months it seems that, with a poor exchange rate and higher cost of living, the idea of my canadian dream will not materialise. Like you said, you can have things at a price, which is the same here. Plenty of people here have lovely cars, caravans, etc. Plenty of people don't though. In my line of work (manufacturing), think the good ol' days of large salaries are disappearing as the West declines. I used to work for Ford Motor Company, but they closed and nothing has replaced the opportunities it provided.
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Old Feb 12th 2012, 7:21 pm
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Default Re: Anybody happy in Canada?

If you study this forum closely,you'll discover there is one poster, who always speaks up for the quality of life in Canada and disagrees with posters who suggest otherwise.

Notwithstanding, that he lives in the USA and hasn't lived in Canada for 16 years
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Old Feb 12th 2012, 7:21 pm
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Default Re: Anybody happy in Canada?

I can only speak from my experience in the Vancouver area but yes, I am happy. I can't think of any significant aspect of my life that would be improved by returning to the UK.

I don't really want to make a list because that has been done to death, resurrected and done to death again more times than a dead horse has been flogged. Anyway, whatever I say about my life here will have little relevance to you. Life experience and cultural values are worlds apart 50kms from Vancouver. I can't even begin to imagine what life will be like in Ontario, let alone Quebec or Nova Scotia. And there is no reason to assume that what I think is important will even register with you.

There are very many British and Irish expats around here. IME the vast majority are content with their lives. They don't post on this site.

You have to take the posts here for what they are. I remember an analysis of Labour's election victory in 1997. One strategy they picked on, long before the election, was to portray the Tories as the party of sleeze. So, on every possible occasion a Labour Party spokesman would get in front of a microphone and say this (whatever it was) was yet another example of Tory sleeze. They knew it was the noise that counts and not the facts. It was great strategy. By the time the election came round enough people believed that the Tory party was rotten to the core to hand Labour a stunning victory.

On here we get so many comparison threads that quickly descend into mind-numbingly petty gripes. It is easy to get lost in the noise and to stop evaluating the posts. No doubt we do have some mind-numbingly petty posters. However, the much missed Judy of Calgary identified that assigning unwarranted importance to trivial things is part of the adjustment process that is common to many immigrants. You don't see many posts saying, "did I really post that crap six months ago?" I suspect quite a few people think that.

And then there are the mischievous posters who just like to stir the pot every now and again.

For a happy immigration I think it is important to remember that things are different in Canada. That is DIFFERENT to those hard of hearing at the back. Different is not synonymous with bad, or worse, or behind the times. Canada is not a failed attempt to be the UK. There are usually good reasons why things are done the way they are. With some time and effort you can find out why.

I think a happy immigrant accepts the differences as they are until they understand what goes to make up the differences. Many equate being "not what I am used to" and "not convenient for me" with "bad." This is an attitude that usually softens with time and experience. Where an immigrant is in a position to influence change this is much more persuasive coming from someone with understanding. "We did/do it better in the UK" doesn't achieve a great deal.

One thing that concerns me after seeing many of your other posts is that you are doing an awful lot of research on costs. There is nothing wrong with that, of course, but if small differences in costs are going to make or break a successful immigration you may want to pause.

Things never work out as planned. To bastardize the military saying, the best laid immigration plan is unlikely to survive the landing process. IME the reality is that everything is going to cost more than you expect. Are you the kind of family that can roll with the punches? If things don't go as expected can you say that we have put a roof over your heads and food on the table. Everything else is onwards and upwards?

If you are, then my experience from my bit of BC is that there are plenty of opportunities out there. You just need to see them and have the tenacity to make the most of them.

YMMV.

Last edited by JonboyE; Feb 12th 2012 at 7:27 pm.
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Old Feb 12th 2012, 7:28 pm
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Default Re: Anybody happy in Canada?

Originally Posted by Editha
If you study this forum closely,you'll discover there is one poster, who always speaks up for the quality of life in Canada and disagrees with posters who suggest otherwise.

Notwithstanding, that he lives in the USA and hasn't lived in Canada for 16 years
The prize for most pointless post of the year goes to ...
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Old Feb 12th 2012, 7:46 pm
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Default Re: Anybody happy in Canada?

Originally Posted by JonboyE
I can only speak from my experience in the Vancouver area but yes, I am happy....

there are plenty of opportunities out there. You just need to see them and have the tenacity to make the most of them.

YMMV.
3 House points and a Gold star for that post.
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Old Feb 12th 2012, 8:04 pm
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Default Re: Anybody happy in Canada?

Originally Posted by ann m
3 House points and a Gold star for that post.
Thank you. But, whilst the house points and star are greatly appreciated, I still have to decide which client to charge for the hour it took me to write it.

Originally Posted by R I C H
I moved here when it was advantageous economically (high house prices in UK, excellent exchange rate vs CAD$), and that's ultimately what made the move feasible in terms of aspirations and lifestyle.
For sure it used to be a softer landing in money terms than it is for current immigrants.
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Old Feb 12th 2012, 8:17 pm
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Default Re: Anybody happy in Canada?

thanks "JonboyE", u are certainly on the same wave length as myself. (A few weird posts starting on this thread already??).
My research has primarily focused on costs, as that was what I needed to get to know about. I have extended family in Ontario, but to be honest I always get one sided opinions if i ask about Canada. Everything is ALWAYS bigger and better in Canada, full stop. They always compare the worst things in the UK with the good things in Canada - its so unhelpful and childish that I have no choice to ignore it and try to find out myself. Family, eh??? Anyway, I feel that with the right job and wages providing a good income, I could enjoy life there. I like the idea of better weather, snow in winter, nice summers, the cars and houses, people, etc. However, without money it sucks no matter where you live. So I have checking out if financially it is worth our while. Thats when I discovered peoples feeling that caused me to start this thread.
thanks for your reply!!
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Old Feb 12th 2012, 8:32 pm
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Default Re: Anybody happy in Canada?

Originally Posted by marcwales
thanks "JonboyE", u are certainly on the same wave length as myself. (A few weird posts starting on this thread already??).
My research has primarily focused on costs, as that was what I needed to get to know about. I have extended family in Ontario, but to be honest I always get one sided opinions if i ask about Canada. Everything is ALWAYS bigger and better in Canada, full stop. They always compare the worst things in the UK with the good things in Canada - its so unhelpful and childish that I have no choice to ignore it and try to find out myself. Family, eh??? Anyway, I feel that with the right job and wages providing a good income, I could enjoy life there. I like the idea of better weather, snow in winter, nice summers, the cars and houses, people, etc. However, without money it sucks no matter where you live. So I have checking out if financially it is worth our while. Thats when I discovered peoples feeling that caused me to start this thread.
thanks for your reply!!

That seems to be the general consensus of opinion, although I suspect that would be the case in the UK as well.

The other things you mention are down to personal preference and open to debate.
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