Anyone emigrated, then emigrated again?
Oct 12th 2011, 2:09 am
#46
slanderer of the innocent
Joined: Dec 2008
Location: Vancouver, BC
Posts: 6,695
Re: Anyone emigrated, then emigrated again?
Oct 12th 2011, 2:17 am
#47
slanderer of the innocent
Joined: Dec 2008
Location: Vancouver, BC
Posts: 6,695
Re: Anyone emigrated, then emigrated again?
I think, if there is a place other than Montreal, like, say, in BC, that has bad public education, it would be very constructive to the OP to say where it is.
Oct 12th 2011, 3:18 am
#48
Sawdust making harpy
Joined: Sep 2007
Location: Alberta
Posts: 11,291
Re: Anyone emigrated, then emigrated again?
From all I can see kiwilass gave her opinion to the op and a very valid one (I don't need to keep banging on about opinions being a personal thing do I) and you come out and cal it a petty response.
Wow , what the hell brought that on?????
And the second one, her opinions don't seem to be tripe in any way shape or form, you are not "dealing" with anyone and she is't hijacking a thread by giving the op an informed view.
Do you treat everyone who disagrees with you like this?????.
Oct 12th 2011, 4:17 am
#49
half a century
Joined: Mar 2008
Location: Sarf Lundun to East Van :)
Posts: 10,222
Re: Anyone emigrated, then emigrated again?
I found nothing wrong with kiwis response yet you can't be civil and tell us where these hideous areas of BC are that you can only send you kids to private school! Please do tell, as I for sure would love to know if I am a crap parent and doing wrong by my kids!
Furthermore, as Moochops has posted, surely it's only fair for the OP, you wouldn't want to be responsible for her plans going wrong .
So stop being a grouch who doesn't like people actually having their own opinion and back up your comments .
Oct 12th 2011, 9:34 am
#50
BE Enthusiast
Joined: Jun 2011
Posts: 992
Re: Anyone emigrated, then emigrated again?
Also posting a few posts is a conversation and being helpful, not hijacking
If you want to meet jackasses go to the NZ thread of this forum, most people posting here in Canada are really nice and helpful.
Oct 12th 2011, 8:39 pm
#51
Forum Regular
Thread Starter
Joined: Oct 2011
Posts: 77
Re: Anyone emigrated, then emigrated again?
Honeybunny,
I have lived half my life in Canada & have been in Auckland for the past 21 months. I lived in Ontario & most recently, Quebec.
It seems to me you are looking for some validation on your move. Ultimately, only you (and presumably, your partner) can make that decision. Neith NZ or Canada is perfect & neither place is all it's cracked up to be, once you settle in the realities of life. I really, really hope you take a dispassionate & pragmatic view of this huge decision.
If you were to move to Canada, do you have any idea where you would move to. I can assure you that Toronto & Vancouver's - the 2 major cities most would move to, house prices, make Auckland's look like a very cheap place to buy. Don't take my word for it- check this link out.
http://www.rbc.com/economics/market/pdf/house.pdf
In Vancouver, the figures are stark. In Toronto, it is not much better. You could commute, for example, from Richmond Hill, or, Mississauga into the CBD for work- but you cannot compare the DVP, or 401 with anything Auckland may have. They are veritable parking lots.
Another thing to consider. Work. Unless you or your partner work in skills where there is a shortage, it is very, very difficult to get yourself on the job ladder at anything approaching what you & or your partner may have in NZ. In other words, it takes time to get yourself noticed & a resume from NZ will only carry you so far. In the finance industry, for example, NZ experience counts for very, very little.
Education, in my experience, you cannot comapre public schools in Canada with NZ. In Montreal, every single person on my street sent their kids to private school (CAD$15-18k per year). In Akl, my kids have flourished with the freedom they are afforded at the public schools they attend & again, NZ has a far, far better level of education. IN NZ, exercise & outside time is aprt of the day. My kids are far more motivated to be outside & using their imagination here, than in Canada.
Taxes- irrespective of what kiwilass may or may not think, I pay far less tax in NZ than in Canada. In Canada, with UIP & CPP, I was paying in excess of 40% in tax. In NZ, it is less than 30%. This is in the hand, each & every pay period. We are lucky in that our household income in Auckland is just under $200k, which is very reasonable in NZ.
The pros. Canada is a wonderful, wonderful country. It is America without the ugly side of crime & guns. From Montreal & Toronto, New York is an hours flight. Rental cars...hotels.... offer such amazing deals. In my experience, groceries (Costco) can afford you 20-30% in savings. The fruit & veges are lousy compared to NZ, but the prices are far, far better in Canada. If you work for a reputable company, there is a likelihood that you will have medical (drugs) & dental cover- a major, major plus. Dental cover in NZ is extortionate. Gas for the car is 20-30% less, per litre. Car insurance, depending on your situation, the opposite. Shopping for items such as toiletries & clothes are so much cheaper & the quality is far, far better. NZ's offerings in this respect, are pathetic. As for jobs, workopolis is a great website for jobs search. People in Canada are on the whole- good people, neighbours would really look out for you & the generosity of your average Canadian, is humbling.
In closing, if I had kids, I would not even think twice about the move. Without a guaranteed job & starting again- you cannot underestimate the pressure & stress doing this in a country you have not lived in before. The lifestyle in my experience, is many times better for kids in NZ, than in Canada. Of course, this is just my story. If you are not a great fan of the cold (you cannot compare the cold in Vancouver with Montreal) & decide to move to a place other than Vancouver/Victoria- the cold is mind numbing to the unintiated, and lasts from November through to April- half the year.
That is my 5c. I have done this move 6 times, so I think I'm qualified to make a few observations....if you make the move, all the very best. Allow time for Canada Immigration to do their thing (again, in my experience) & do not move until you have the PR papers for all members of the family.
I have lived half my life in Canada & have been in Auckland for the past 21 months. I lived in Ontario & most recently, Quebec.
It seems to me you are looking for some validation on your move. Ultimately, only you (and presumably, your partner) can make that decision. Neith NZ or Canada is perfect & neither place is all it's cracked up to be, once you settle in the realities of life. I really, really hope you take a dispassionate & pragmatic view of this huge decision.
If you were to move to Canada, do you have any idea where you would move to. I can assure you that Toronto & Vancouver's - the 2 major cities most would move to, house prices, make Auckland's look like a very cheap place to buy. Don't take my word for it- check this link out.
http://www.rbc.com/economics/market/pdf/house.pdf
In Vancouver, the figures are stark. In Toronto, it is not much better. You could commute, for example, from Richmond Hill, or, Mississauga into the CBD for work- but you cannot compare the DVP, or 401 with anything Auckland may have. They are veritable parking lots.
Another thing to consider. Work. Unless you or your partner work in skills where there is a shortage, it is very, very difficult to get yourself on the job ladder at anything approaching what you & or your partner may have in NZ. In other words, it takes time to get yourself noticed & a resume from NZ will only carry you so far. In the finance industry, for example, NZ experience counts for very, very little.
Education, in my experience, you cannot comapre public schools in Canada with NZ. In Montreal, every single person on my street sent their kids to private school (CAD$15-18k per year). In Akl, my kids have flourished with the freedom they are afforded at the public schools they attend & again, NZ has a far, far better level of education. IN NZ, exercise & outside time is aprt of the day. My kids are far more motivated to be outside & using their imagination here, than in Canada.
Taxes- irrespective of what kiwilass may or may not think, I pay far less tax in NZ than in Canada. In Canada, with UIP & CPP, I was paying in excess of 40% in tax. In NZ, it is less than 30%. This is in the hand, each & every pay period. We are lucky in that our household income in Auckland is just under $200k, which is very reasonable in NZ.
The pros. Canada is a wonderful, wonderful country. It is America without the ugly side of crime & guns. From Montreal & Toronto, New York is an hours flight. Rental cars...hotels.... offer such amazing deals. In my experience, groceries (Costco) can afford you 20-30% in savings. The fruit & veges are lousy compared to NZ, but the prices are far, far better in Canada. If you work for a reputable company, there is a likelihood that you will have medical (drugs) & dental cover- a major, major plus. Dental cover in NZ is extortionate. Gas for the car is 20-30% less, per litre. Car insurance, depending on your situation, the opposite. Shopping for items such as toiletries & clothes are so much cheaper & the quality is far, far better. NZ's offerings in this respect, are pathetic. As for jobs, workopolis is a great website for jobs search. People in Canada are on the whole- good people, neighbours would really look out for you & the generosity of your average Canadian, is humbling.
In closing, if I had kids, I would not even think twice about the move. Without a guaranteed job & starting again- you cannot underestimate the pressure & stress doing this in a country you have not lived in before. The lifestyle in my experience, is many times better for kids in NZ, than in Canada. Of course, this is just my story. If you are not a great fan of the cold (you cannot compare the cold in Vancouver with Montreal) & decide to move to a place other than Vancouver/Victoria- the cold is mind numbing to the unintiated, and lasts from November through to April- half the year.
That is my 5c. I have done this move 6 times, so I think I'm qualified to make a few observations....if you make the move, all the very best. Allow time for Canada Immigration to do their thing (again, in my experience) & do not move until you have the PR papers for all members of the family.
Our goal is to be happy and have no regrets. I woke up one day last month and suddenly I missed my my old life back home. So I thought, its time for a visit, then remembered we havnt got $20,000 so it wasnt going to happen. I cant bear this feeling of not being able to see my homeland, friends, family when I want.
I'm now half thinking maybe I just want to return home. With the recession the way it is, we could almost buy a house outright, and to be mortgage free would be fantastic. Only a fool leaves a country with a job to live in a country with no jobs. So confused right now.
Thanks for your imput. Glad its working out for you here.
Oct 12th 2011, 10:56 pm
#52
BE Forum Addict
Joined: Oct 2007
Location: British Columbia
Posts: 1,371
Re: Anyone emigrated, then emigrated again?
Agreed that the culture of education varies across the country. My OH was born and educated in Montreal. Going to a private school, according to him, is the norm. In Vancouver, public schools are the norm. Private schools are the rarity and done out of prestige or religious purposes rather than a necessity for quality education. But from my understanding, Montreal is a completely different picture.
An an aside, if you're seeking a taste of New Zealand scenery/climate/culture in Canada, BC is really the only place where you'll find it. Ontario and Quebec may as well be different countries.
An an aside, if you're seeking a taste of New Zealand scenery/climate/culture in Canada, BC is really the only place where you'll find it. Ontario and Quebec may as well be different countries.
Last edited by Lychee; Oct 12th 2011 at 11:05 pm.
Oct 12th 2011, 10:57 pm
#53
Binned by Muderators
Joined: Jul 2007
Location: White Rock BC
Posts: 11,682
Re: Anyone emigrated, then emigrated again?
For the record, what Kiwilass described is pretty much my experience as well. In 12 years here I have only met three families that send their kids to private schools. Two families are uber religious nutters. The other? Even they admit that the education is no better in the private school than the local public ones. Maybe if you lived in the DTES you might chose to, but then if you can afford to send your kids to private school you would not be living in the DTES.
Maybe things are different for the $200,000k earners.
Oct 12th 2011, 11:28 pm
#55
Forum Regular
Joined: Oct 2011
Posts: 36
Re: Anyone emigrated, then emigrated again?
To be honest, I'm not really sure what I want now. We live on a basic salary from my husband of $60,000 approx and with overtime it brings it up to around $75,000 if there is lots of overtime, but hasnt been for a while now which is why we are struggling. If we had your salary I'd love it here too.
Our goal is to be happy and have no regrets. I woke up one day last month and suddenly I missed my my old life back home. So I thought, its time for a visit, then remembered we havnt got $20,000 so it wasnt going to happen. I cant bear this feeling of not being able to see my homeland, friends, family when I want.
I'm now half thinking maybe I just want to return home. With the recession the way it is, we could almost buy a house outright, and to be mortgage free would be fantastic. Only a fool leaves a country with a job to live in a country with no jobs. So confused right now.
Thanks for your imput. Glad its working out for you here.
Our goal is to be happy and have no regrets. I woke up one day last month and suddenly I missed my my old life back home. So I thought, its time for a visit, then remembered we havnt got $20,000 so it wasnt going to happen. I cant bear this feeling of not being able to see my homeland, friends, family when I want.
I'm now half thinking maybe I just want to return home. With the recession the way it is, we could almost buy a house outright, and to be mortgage free would be fantastic. Only a fool leaves a country with a job to live in a country with no jobs. So confused right now.
Thanks for your imput. Glad its working out for you here.
Anyway, my point is that despite all this talk in this thread about schools, which are the best areas, semantics, who said what and why and all that crap, life really is what you make it and you'll only have regret if you really want to go through with something. Everyone seems to be going off-topic in this discussion and trying to promote the best areas of Canada, forgetting that you seem to be pouring your heart out and trying to get some solid advice on whether to make the move or not (and apologies to those that have in this thread)!
Alright so mistakes are made along the way, but we all make 'em and that's what we move on from. Christ, from our moves back and forth between Canada and the UK (and now Canada to Oz) we've lost thousands. At the end of the day if you are truly unhappy where you are and you have options available to you, then you should fully explore them. You'll only regret it later on and have bitter resentment. And if you move to Canada and hate it, then again that's life. Alright, so it may cost an arm and a leg to get back to where you want to be, but factor a contingency into your numbers and you'll be covered.
Oct 14th 2011, 1:16 am
#56
Happy in NB
Joined: Sep 2005
Location: Island View, New Brunswick
Posts: 2,020
Re: Anyone emigrated, then emigrated again?
No one can tell you what is best for you, all we can tell you is our experience and our advice based on our experiences.
Good luck with your decisions and I hope you find what you are seeking
Good luck with your decisions and I hope you find what you are seeking
