Duncan_BC

I think that Vancouver Island should be a serious choice
for many people who fit the original criteria: a good place
to raise 3 children. I'll start by admitting some bias in that
I have lived on the island in Duncan for nearly 30 years. I
have raised 2 children here.
Duncan is similar to some other communities on Vancouver
Island, but has some distinct advantages. This city is
between Victoria and Nanaimo. A resident here can choose
to work locally or in one of the other nearby cities. House
prices here are $100K, (44K pounds), less than Victoria.
Commute time from here to Victoria or Nanaimo is about an
hour to 1.5. I work from home and go to Victoria a few times
a month. I used to travel for work in Seattle, Washington.
I would leave my house at 7:30am and be at my Seattle
desk at 10:00am, via float plane. Trips to Vancouver take
about the same amount of time.
Good jobs in the cities pay about $30K-60K. Consulting jobs
are $70K-120K or more. The provincial government hires
many people who live in Duncan.
The local employment scene has definitely improved lately.
Most local jobs tend to be fairly low paying at $8 - 10 per
hour. There is room for more small businesses. It is easy to
operate a business from your home or commercial leases are
relatively inexpensive.
There are quite a number of schools in Duncan, both public and
private. There are no troubles with violence, generally, but there
are pressures of drugs, etc, in some places. My children went
to the Francis Kelsey high school. That school has a self-paced
learning system with less emphasis on enrolled grade. As a result,
the students know many more students in grades 9-12. Bullying
is unknown, arts and academics are emphasised, although shop
classes are few. The other high school has the bulk of the shop
and industrial training.
Duncan's weather is quite moderate. It rarely goes below 0C or
above 25C. It can go to -10C and the low record is about -20C.
The highs are sometimes near 30C with about 33C being the
high record. We don't get high humidity with the heat so the
hot temperatures are quite liveable. We don't get very much
snow, lightning is very rare, no tornadoes nor hurricanes. We
do get some violent storms with heavy rain and high winds a
couple of times each winter.
There is a lot more that I can say about the Duncan area. If you
are interested, feel free to ask me offline.
Good luck with your move to Canada, where ever you go!
VR

Purley

Glaswegian is right. These threads asking where is the best place to emigrate in Canada are totally pointless.

Every city, town, village, hamlet - even way out in the country - all these places are the best place in Canada to emigrate, depending on:

whether you need to find a job; what job you do; whether there are job opportunities in your area; what lifestyle you have etc. etc. etc.

Will you be happy in Halifax? Of course you will be happy in Halifax if you can find a job and if you like Halifax.

Wll you be happy in Ontario? Of course you will be happy in Ontario if you can find a job and if you like Ontario.

Same goes for the rest of the Maritimes, Quebec, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, B.C. - even Iqaluit.

Some people love the winter and the cold - some people hate it.

Some people love the hot weather - some people hate it.

We should have a sticky post to this effect.

Every week someone asks the same question and its a question to which there are a billion right answers.

Mike Gas

You have talked Vancouver Island up a lot and it was are first chosen destination but we have now decided to move to South Okanagan some of the disadvantages of the island are the weather lots of rain and also its on earth quake line. But really you have to travel and spend some time at your chosen places as we are all looking for different things from are chosen destinations and its such a big country.

hawkeye

Bloody good idea. Would really help out sort out the truth from the $h!t.

swoops

Perhaps we should of posted where is the worst part of Canada to live and raise a family it may of narrowed things down a little!
Employment is a factor of course ,however you have to begin somewhere!
when you have never been to Canada asking opinions of those who have or those who live there is a great way to begin to narrow areas down, looking at a pc or reading the books is not a patch on listening to those who have seen these places for themselves, many thanks

Tiaribbon

I agree with Swoops. For us who have been on here a while, it does become a tiny bit "oh no not another one asking where to go" but we don't have to answer them if we don't want to. Brief descriptions of places are usually all that is required, and surely we can pass on the information with pleasure to those who haven't yet made it over. I don't imagine there are many on here who did not visit Canada before they received their PR and often all they are looking for is a pointer in the right direction as to where to visit, which may turn out to be where they settle. It is a lot of money for a whole family to visit Canada and if they hear something on this forum that puts them off a particular area, or spurs them on then surely we are being good world citizens by helping them out?

Glaswegian

Volunteering??

hawkeye

No I was going to nominate you

Glaswegian

I'll be moving to Iqaluit for the winter then .... bye bye.

willmore

If the experts are correct and Vancouver Island does get a 9.5 earthquake...I don't know how safe you're really going to be in Kelowna...although a heck of alot saver than on Vancouver Island.......

Tiaribbon

Not very safe, once that tidal wave hits land......... Glad we are in Ontario, well away from all those nasty moving pieces of planet!

Glaswegian

I dont think this would be helpful either. You would just get all of the same opinions in reverse. Ours would be Toronto is one of the worst places in Canada! Others completely disagree. We love Alberta but others would rate it as the worst as they hate the Chinooks. And so on.......

Mrs G

Voyager970

Swoops

Like yourself, my wife and I, and 3 kids will be starting the long process to move to Canada.
I have researched and researched for about the last 18 months on this move. We have done a lot of soul searching about the pros and cons of moving away, the differences in lifestyles etc, are we doing the right things for our kids. I have 2 daughters aged 13 and 11 and a wee boy who will be 3 next March.
Are we doing the right thing !!!!!!
Yes my wife and I think we are, like most folk who contribute on this forum there are hundreds of reasons why people want to move. We all have our own particular reasons, and I am no different.
We will hopefully be locating to Vancouver, probably near to Maple Ridge, as my wife has family in Port Coquitlam. She has been over before and is adamant that it is the right move for our family. I also looked into London, Ontario as a second choice.
The decision I think, will still be the Vancouver area. There is nothing like having family around in case the inevitable should happen, having family to support you and give you limitless amounts of advice and help.
As you have guessed there will be loads of advice from folks in here to try this area, try here, there and everywhere.
I think you have to go to a preferred location and go on a good reccie to sus the area out.
We will hopefully be coming over to BC next May for our family reccie, to sus out all of the surrounding areas, and then see we shall take it from there.

Anyway I hope my tuppence goes a short distance to answer you question.

Eddie from a rather damp, wet Glasgow.
( Now theres a suprise eh !!! Glaswegian )

Glaswegian

I remember my school days ... the smell of damp shoes & socks drying on the radiators ... doesn't make me want to go back.

I know I've said a few times that you have to go where there are jobs ... but going where you have family is important too ... mine are across in Ontario and I've wondered a few times about the sanity of coming to Alberta as a result.

willmore

Now that's really true.......and the experts say we are long overdue......maybe we should all start migrating east now......