Just one thing to think of when you're reading opinions on this forum, is that there are also thousands of expats that have made the move to canada and are happy getting on with there lives and do not feel the need to participate in "expat" forums. Don't get me wrong, i found this site invaluble before our move, but 2 1/2 years in, life is more wonderful than I can ever of imagined and I only ever log-in when I can't sleep!
Could it be that a large proportion of the regular users on this site are the unsettled ones, looking for answers/ reassurance themselves???

The problem with the question of "will it be awesome or will it suck?"
Is that to a large extent it will depend on the individual, their circumstances, their luck, the people they run into and their character and personality.

In short it's a crapshoot.

There are many (deluded fools I think but I could be wrong and maybe it really is wonderful for them) who say "Canada is paradise on Earth".

I'm not one of them.

Neither, on the other hand am I one of those who says Canada is all doom and gloom.

For starters, there is no such thing as a broad-brush "Canada". Sure, there are commonalities among all Canadians (love of Tim Hortons coffee for example?) the same as there are commonalities between everyone who lives in the various cities in the UK and/or Ireland. But there are also differences.

Glasgow is way more laid back and friendly than London. Dublin is way more laid back and friendly than Glasgow.

In the same way, Calgary is way more laid back and friendly than Toronto. And the east coast is way more laid back and friendly than Calgary.

There will be things you absolutely love about Canada and think to yourself "I wish they could do things this way back home". And there will be things you absolutely hate about Canada "why the hell do they do it like this when it could easily be done the way they do it back home?"

For me it's been worse than back home (when I first came to Canada in the mid 90s), better than back home (the late 90s). Much worse than back home (2003-2004). Slightly worse than back home (2005-2006). About the same as back home (2008 to present).

Consider it not as moving to Canada (i.e. a completely different country which might lead you to think of things as seen through rose-tinted-glasses) and instead as moving to a different part of the English speaking world where things might be done a bit differently.

In closing: don't expect too much of it and you won't be let down.

nope

you see that sentiment here a lot.

I think people who have been here awhile and "feel the need to participate in expat 'forums'" do so because a its nice to banter with other Brits who are in a similar situation and because they find the locals a bit dense.

I don't necessarily find the locals dense in any way (maybe because I've been assimilated) but the banter on here is nice "most" of the time.

I don't mean from a basic intelligence perspective, they're dense when it comes to quick-witted chit-chat and that they don't get our sense of humour.

Well I reckon Canucks can be trained like puppies. In my experience with a bit of cue-ing and gentle prodding they get our sense of humour just fine.

After a few tries that is...

Don't try it at work though.

Or to a group of lesbians. I found out the hard way that humour is context specific.