I reading some of the discussion points about moving to Canada it seems that some of the concerns are about relocation in general rather than being specific to Canada.

Even if you relocate in the UK you are probably going to find different accents, customs, lifestyles, costs and weather. Friends and relatives may not be as handy and are only contacted by phone with occasional visits.

Any relocation requires techniques for dealing with these changes. There are ways of finding new friends and fitting in such as joining local organizations etc. In Canada, many jobs require frequent relocation and it’s not unusual for families to move every few years. In my 30 years in Canada, I’ve lived in Montreal, Toronto and now small town Eastern Ontario while I never moved at all when I lived in the UK. My wife and I have friends who have also relocated throughout North America and we keep in touch by phone and email with occasional visits.

So maybe a strategy would be to determine how you would handle a move in the UK and then apply it to Canada.

Absolutely, I moved oop North (from Bedford to Sheffield) when I was 13 and it was awful! I had to learn to speak the speak or risk getting bullied and although I was in a family of 7 down South, when my parents moved 150 miles North all my sisters stayed put so I had no-one to share my concerns with. Also, my parents decided to move back down South after retiring and ended up using all their life savings to pay for a mobile home as that was all they could afford in Southern prices after selling their house in Sheffield, so just the task of moving 150 miles can cause absolute grief! I also agree that moving to ANY country can cause problems - it's just the luck of the draw if you move somewhere and it agrees with you. Some may find it doesn't work at first but manage to make it work with some perseverance and some people find they've gained more happiness from where they started and go back to their roots, and some people live the dream they sought in the first place. We're all different and each one of us has to make our own way in life and who knows to which way it may turn. I love it though - maybe I'm just a freak!