snoopster

We are investigating all the options we can of getting to Canada that little bit quicker.(33 months seems like a lifetime ) It seems that Manitoba might be a possible through their PNP.
Anyone on the board in Manitoba? We would probably head for Winnipeg. Any advice or info on the province, good places to live, pro's and con's etc would be much appreciated. We realise it is miles away from our beloved Rocky mountains, but hey ho.... desperate times and all that. We've never been there, it might be lovely, it might not be....that's where you might come in.

Any help or advice welcome

Grah

If you search for Winnipeg on the forum you'll find lots off general info.

There's probably 6 or 7 of us on the boards who live in Winnipeg, so ask more question aimed at your personnel circumstances.

As for "beloved Rocky mountains", they're about 16 hours away.

Depending on your job you could work in the Turtle \ Porcupine mountain area or even Brandon Manitoba if hills are your reqiurements.

Again everything depends on your personnel requirements.

Don't be put off by the -34c today windchill -45c we are at work and the kids are at school, just won't be playing out at recess today.

Dog still needs walking so ski pants padded coats and usual winter clothing are definately a must.

Good news is cleaning up with the pooper scooper is so easy when it's freeze dried in a minute.


Ps have you been to the MB Gov site

Did a quick look at your previous post and you mentioned your teachers so check out this page Teaching Opportunities

Also accidently found this site http://www.educationcanada.com/

Tableland

I know someone from Manitoba. You'll love it there if you like totally flat landscape, minus 40 all through the winter, and mud. Out of interest, what is your PNP nominated employment?

Regards

T.

Grah

Ok so there's the steroetype, yes the flood plane of the red river and the lakes is flat.
But surprisingly there are Mountains

Mountain Ranges in the Province of Manitoba


The three dominant mountain ranges in Manitoba include Duck Mountain, the Pembina Mountains, and the Porcupine Mountains. The mountains of Manitoba encompass natural beauty, tourist attractions, resorts, provincial parks, and many recreational activities!

Duck Mountain Range
The Duck Mountain Range is located in Western Manitoba and stretches along the north-south Saskatchewan border. The highest point is Baldy Mountain near Dauphin, which reaches to 2,727 feet. Duck Mountain Provincial Park is located within the range and features beautiful scenery, tranquil Madge Lake, aspen forests, beaches, campgrounds, and fishing (Contact: (306) 542-5500)

The Pembina Mountains
The Pembina Mountains are located in Southern Manitoba and extend to Assiniboine River and the North Dakota border. The highest point is 2,000 feet.

The Porcupine Mountains
The Porcupine Mountain Range is located in Western and Central Manitoba extending along the Saskatchewan border. The highest point is Hart Mountain near Swan River which rises to 2,700 feet. This area includes divers habitats ranging from prairies to glacier valleys to plateaus, and is well known for it’s dense forests.

scimdarren

Our family moved here in the summer of 05, we are very happy with our move, Winnipeg has a lot to offer.
Happy to answer any questions you might have, but the best description we have heard so far of Winnipeg is.....Not a great place to visit, but a great place to live!

Darren

Edward de Par

Yes, do.. do.. do.. consider Manitoba...we would love to have you here!. I have tried a few places around Canada but always seem to come back here You will meet plenty of people from UK, perhaps more than on this site.

snoopster

We are both primary school teachers. Manitoba is one of the only provinces that will offer PNP to us. Our chosen destination was Alberta, but they seem to make it as difficult as possible to teach there (sigh)

Can you ski in Manitoba? (this is a big thing for us!)

Almost Canadian

If your preferred destination is Alberta wouldn't the short term pain (having to accredited to teach) be worth the long term gain (living exactly where you want to live)

I will have to re-qualify on landing (solicitor) so I'm not being flippant - how long will it take you both to "jump through the hoops" in Alberta - is it insurmountable ??

snoopster

No, not insurmountable, but it is going to take some time - especially for my other half who is GTP trained. Alberta don't recognise his qualification so he'll have to re-train. I'm guessing my quals will be okay (4 year B Ed) but speaking to others who've already made the move, it takes several months just to get the okay from Alberta Learning. I can't even sub teach till then!

We are really torn between wanting to live in Alberta, but knowing that if we choose somewhere like Manitoba, that we can be in Canada quicker, and can teach virtually straight away - making the financial situation a whole lot easier.

I guess we're just going through a 'down' period right now. We were warned this would happen during our endless wait! We're just sussing out our options to try and see some brighter light at the end of a very looooooong tunnel!

Haggis de Montreal

I spent three years in Winnipeg, supporting my wife in her search for a tenured university position, and was happy to leave. Basically, it is a parochial, isolated sub-arctic railyard with a serious violent crime problem and a decaying infrastructure. Good jobs are scarce and tend to go to people - usually men - who were born there, went to school there and have never been anywhere else. Salaries are some of the lowest in Canada. It is also practically impossible to go anywhere else without flying.

On the positive side, the landscape is remarkable, it is surprisingly sunny, there are some excellent restaurants and a lively local cultural life. Winnipeg is also probably the only remaining large Canadian city where a working stiff can possibly buy a nice riverside property; we really liked the Wolseley neighbourhood.

Perhaps the most telling comments were the ones I got from Winnipeg-born friends I had in Ottawa who enthused about the place when they learned I was planning to move there; I asked them if they would move back if they could find equivalent employment and they all reponded with a resounding no!

Tom Masters

Can you apply to become a registered teacher in Alberta from the UK or do you have to wait until you have PR status? Could your other half do any distance learning from the UK while you wait? You've probably thought of these things already but thought I'd mention them just in case .

It took me ages to get my quals approved through the Ontario College of Teachers (4 year B.Ed). We have been here almost two years and I'm just about to get on the supply list for the London school board so I can see why you might want to go to Manitoba first. Are you sure you can work straight away if you go through PNP? That would be good as you could work while your other half retrains and then move to Alberta from there. I would just make sure that is definitely possible first as the beaurocracy for getting into teaching over here is a nightmare! Worth it in the end though! Hope it all goes well for you.

Chris

dingbat

[QUOTE=snoopster]
We are really torn between wanting to live in Alberta, but knowing that if we choose somewhere like Manitoba, that we can be in Canada quicker, and can teach virtually straight away - making the financial situation a whole lot easier.
QUOTE]

I have chopped your post I know...but I believe you may be misinformed if you think that you will be able to teach right away. I am sure you have had this information, but I am posting it for others who might be considering the PNP route for teaching:

http://www.gov.mb.ca/labour/immigrat...ces/pro29.html

Manitoba has its share of unemployed home grown teachers...you will only start with a letter of eligibility and then the "fight" begins to get on the school board supply list. Most school boards across Canada operate in this way, other posters like Tom Masters in Ontario have more information than I do. I am in BC where foreign teachers are basically ignored without re-training and I know a primary (elementary school) teaching couple who came to MB and could not get on the lists. They are both in BC now working retail, as MB was not to their liking. Secondary teachers have more luck, as I understand it, particularly if you offer Maths or Sciences as your major. You will also have to do extra courses despite your BEd, particularly Aboriginal history and other Canadian socials courses. Aboriginal history is important in MB as you need to understand the cultural dynamics within the classes, where the kids are mixed. Best of luck with your decisions, but if you want the Rockies and Alberta....well Manitoba just doesn't cut it for most people.

Tom Masters

[QUOTE=dingbatyou will only start with a letter of eligibility and then the "fight" begins to get on the school board supply list. Most school boards across Canada operate in this way[/QUOTE]

I noticed in the link that Dingbat provided that you will only get a 'letter of eligibility' if you are not residents of Manitoba when you apply for it. As it states, this does not give you permission to teach in Manitoba. It only gives you a number to use to apply for job postings. However, the reality is that most jobs will probably ask for proper certification. All of this will probably require application fees!

Although it took me 4 months to become registered with the Ontario College of Teachers, it has taken over a year to get onto my local supply list and I definitely had to fight all the way to get onto the list (phone calls and letters hounding the HR dept about why they should let me into their club ). I also took additional Canadian qualifications in Special Education and ESL which I am sure helped me to get as far as I have. I know it seems unbelievable given that it is so easy to become a supply teacher in the UK!

I really don't want to dampen your spirits any further as I know how it feels when you are waiting to come over and you read negative posts, but it is better to know what you are up against so that you can prepare for it ie. save a lot of money and get as much of the beaurocracy out of the way before you arrive if you can!

My personal feeling is that as it is going to be difficult whichever option you choose, you might be more motivated if you are aiming for your dream.

Chris

snoopster

Thanks for all the advice. Think that it might be best to stick out the wait and try to use it to do constructive things like investigate extra study that we might need etc.

I plan to do a TESL course in the next year or so. Neil and I have also been advised by Alberta Learning to apply for certification anyway and pay the $250 each (bl****y hell) knowing that we will be turned down anyway as not Perm Residents! That is the only way apparently that they will give us any advice as to the extra training etc we need to become certified. Nice way for them to make some money out of us eh?

We know that we won't be able to walk into jobs straight away wherever we go, so will have to do other stuff in the meantime. Looking on the bright side, maybe a career in the fast food serving industry is what I've always wanted to do and never realised - anyone want fries with that?

Tom Masters

The upside is that teachers get paid well over here (probably why there is so much competition). In Ontario (and I think Alberta is similar) a well qualified classroom teacher with 10 years experience makes about $84,000 per year and because you are both teachers, you will have 2 months off every summer together so if you hang in there, it will be worth it in the end!