Summer-Caitlin

Well my husband and I were all set to go to North Vancouver in June next year, but we did some more researching and I looked into a few more courses and we fell upon Nelson in BC.
I have found a course I would like to apply for (Social Work) and my husband and I are trying to find out as much as possible about Nelson.
I have searched the internet and can't seem to find out too much about it.
I used to live in Sydney, but stayed in the suburban areas and loved it there. My husband is much more of a suburban guy too and well the costs of renting and living in general in Vancouver is slightly offputting, especially as I will be a full time student.
I have already applied to Capilano University in North Van for a Paralegal course but I am also very interested in the course at Selkirk College.
I just wondered if anyone had any opinions on this area?

Thanks everyone

MB-Realtor

I drove through it 10 years ago, its pretty.

Its where Roxanne was filmed.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0093886/


Thats it for me, sorry for lack of depth.

MB-Realtor

It seems its been used for other movies:-

http://www.imdb.com/List?endings=on&...mbia,%20Canada

Summer-Caitlin

Thanks for that. I knew about Roxanne and other movies, I just wondered if anyone had any other opinions on it. I know it's small, population almost 10,000. I am just concerend I guess that it may be too small for my husband to get any work or that it may have some downsides that I am unaware of...

Surrey Expat

The Kootenays are a beautiful area, Nelson is a pretty town. It is a stark contrast to Vancouver, nothing like Sydney nor suburban. The nearest major suburban centre in Canada is Calgary, about an 8 hour drive, a very nice drive too, if you don't have to do it too often. Kelowna is about a 5 hour drive. Spokane in the US is only about a 3½ hour drive away.

Other towns nearby of some size are Cranbrook and Castlegar, but not major centres. If this lifestyle suits, it is a very pretty place to live. Good skiing nearby too.

BC is a vast province, eight times the size of Britain, with lots of wilderness between cities. Towns and cities vary considerably and distances between can be great outside the lower mainland.

The is no substitute for coming and checking it out for yourself. Drive around and see how it feels, it's a big move. The two places you are looking at are poles apart in terms of accessibility and lifestyle.

Summer-Caitlin

Thanks for your response. I am concerned that there maybe isn't much there, but what I meant by suburban was more, non city I guess.

I guess fictional places like Dawsons Creek (yeah the TV show) etc. Very similar to the places that I grew up in. Would Nelson fall into this category? I hate to compare real places to fictional ones but it's the closest thing I can think of!

I would love to come on a recce, but as we are in the process of decorating the house to put it on the market in the New Year, we just can't afford to, so I am painstakingly researching as much as possible.

The course I hope to take is in Castlegar but we would prefer to reside in Nelson.

Surrey Expat

Never seen the TV show, but Dawson Creek is a real place, again quite different.
http://www.avafx.com/?tag=GOOG-Site&...FR4vagodoQoQQw

A town of 10,000 is not big. Can't say if you would like it or not. Until you've been there you won't know. If you like small pretty towns, that are a long way from major centres then it might work. Also depends what work you want, if you are not fussy then there could well be jobs around, if you want a specific career, I would do a lot more research and talk to potential employers.

Like I said, it's a big move sight unseen. If you get there and it does not work, would you be able to easily up sticks and go somewhere else?

mandymoochops

Went to Nelson earlier this year to stay for a weekend so here is my take on the place.

God its pretty - bars and the high street were buzzing, seems a lot more like a UK small town than here in Alberta say. They have a small mall, Walmart etc and the general feel about the place is modern hippy town.

Lots of teenagers walking around with the john lennon glasses on and bandanas and sandals, also lots of the older guys walking around like that too. General dress code for women seems to be long flowy tie die skirt in shades of green brown or orange.

There also is an abundant smell pretty much everywhere of funny cigarettes (if you catch my drift) lots of hydroponic shops and a shop that sells things specifically made from hemp!!!!!

We went on Victoria day weekend so the town was very busy but it will have everything you need there. We wouldn't want to live there - I don't know why it just all seemed a bit too surreal. The ferry trip to Nelson is cool though, there is another way around and that is over a mountain (wouldn't fancy that drive in Winter). Spoke to a local kid in a sports shop who was from England and he said there wasn't much for kids to do there unless they were into water sports / sports of some kind.

Houses are just beautiful though quite pricey (some nice ones on the lakefront though way outta our price range!!!)

All in all a very beautiful place heres a link to some pics we took when we were there http://s172.photobucket.com/albums/w...pics/?start=40 hope this helps

Summer-Caitlin

Thanks again for responding.

I am hoping to study Social Work at Selkirk (assuming going to Nelson is what we end up settling on) if I studied this here, we could easily pick up sticks and move to North Van or anywhere else for that matter.

It certainly does make me think we should go on a recce, but with only 10 months left and no money spare, it seems impossible. We intend to arrive 2-3 months before my course commences in September. To be honest I was hoping to do my recce then, may seem silly, but I have already been accepted at Capilano in North Van and I could always apply to Selkirk and then see which place we prefer when we arrive. I don't know if this is doable??

I also knew about Dawson Creek being a real place, but the show is set in the states (filmed in Wilmington, North Carolina) the setting is very similar to the places I stayed in Australia. I definitely love small, pretty towns. I also lived in Malta a while back so I am used to living outwith the city.

I have been looking into job prospects for Social Work in the Kootenays and there is certainly work, but as I said we could move if we had to...

dbd33

Have you corresponded with dingbat?

mandymoochops

The link was the batch of pics that brother in law and his wife took - if you look down the left hand side there is another batch that me and Ben took - cunningly entitled Mand and Ben Nelson pics!!!!!

Summer-Caitlin

No, does this person work within Social Work?

dbd33

She does. In BC.

dbd33

Here a couple of threads on which she responds to people considering social work in tiny stoner towns:

http://britishexpats.com/forum/showthread.php?t=496538

http://britishexpats.com/forum/showthread.php?t=490048

Rich_007

^^ he has Nelson pretty much nailed.

Hippies
Huppies
Radicals
Draft dodgers
Dropouts
Career scroungers
Best quality organic weed
Organic underground farming
Cash society
Shambala music un-festival
Few career prospects
Few jobs

The mountain biking, hiking, and skiing is rad tho.

R.