Today, the new cupboards for the kitchen were delivered. We unloaded them from a van into the garage. It took twenty minutes or so. After that we had to hold our hands over the stove for another twenty minutes to get them warm enough to be able to untie our boots. People considering Canada as a destination should consider what a pain in the arse it is to have to change all one's clothes just to take the rubbish out.

All sounds a bit familiar. I scored this morning. It's garbage day. I managed to persuade Souvette to grab the garbage can as she was passing through the garage to get to her car and drag it the bottom of the driveway. I didn't fancy it. I could chuck a loonie out the garage door and it would slide all the way to the street.

It's not like her to be so willing. The fact that I randomly paid off our mortgage a couple of days ago may have been a factor........

Here is something else wannabees might like to consider.

We have two convection heaters in our basement. We intend to replace them and add a third. We'll buy them and our son will install them when he comes down in a couple of weeks.

The question comes down to the wiring. I think I roughly know where the wiring is for the existing two but I don't know about the potential third.

I can see this weekend involving a pry bar and a drywall saw. Which means that I also know what subsequent weekends will involve.

I can probably get the baseboards back on OK, if I'm careful about removing them.

If I cut a hole in the drywall, I'm screwed. That will mean closing it up again and re-mudding. And we don't still have the paint. I cut even a 12-inch hole and we're looking at a 600 square foot paint job.

The first piece of advice is that Canada is too large and diverse from one region to the next to be discussed at a general level, so you need to narrow down where in Canada you would like to move to.

Not sure how to go about narrowing down where to move in Canada? The best thing to do, in my opinion, given that you have done little research, is to make a cup of tea, sit down and do some research on the different provinces of Canada (and if seeking a real pioneer-style life in the arctic, the territories). Give yourself months to do this research. Dig deep. Teach yourself about each province's economy, major cities, climate, geography, and local culture - how the locals truly live, what the locals value in society, how the locals interact with one another. It is often quite different than life in the UK. Note that provinces themselves are quite vast, with varying climates and geographies and different cultures and industries and economies within. So where you position yourself in one province can have quite the impact on your experience of Canada.

You may also wish to research how far it will take you to travel and how much money it would cost to do the types of activities you imagine yourself doing in Canada. For example, although most people in the UK imagine Canada as a mountainous wilderness, there are only a few areas in Canada with mountains. Most Canadian cities are located thousands of miles away from mountains.

It may also help you to imagine Canada's provinces as separate countries rather than "regions". Most Canadian provinces are larger than Europe's largest countries! And because of the vast size of the country and the low population density, it is not cheap or easy or fast to "hop around" and explore the entirety of Canada. The reality is that most Canadians live their day-to-day lives in their own home province and rarely venture beyond that one province, so where you end up in Canada will matter very much. There are no cheap airlines like Ryanair. Distances are continental and trains are too limiting in Canada and take too long (and unlike the UK and Europe, are mostly designated for moving cargo).

Once you have determined a province that seems to fit the lifestyle you are seeking, you can then dig deeper into meaningful conversations here and you will begin to have more meaningul comparisons between where you are in the UK and where you intend to move in Canada.

Otherwise, your current questions are too vague. To twist it around, how would you respond to a Canadian if they asked you this?


"We are considering moving to Europe, however we feel that it is quite a risk as we are pretty well established in Canada. We live in lovely countryside, and have good jobs.

However, we are considering moving as we would like the best for our children, and us, and wonder if we might be happier in Europe. So question time....

Lifestyle
Is it more outdoorsy than in Canada., i.e. More sun, light etc.
I've heard the seasons are much more apparent in Europe? Is this true. It feels like here we live in the dark, or grey, most of the time. I feel like we spend sooooo much time indoors, which is a shame. Is Europe more outdoorsy?

Jobs.
How likely would my husband and I be to find jobs in our respective fields? My husband also has a degree in engineering and I have a degree in music, plus my pgce for teaching.

Cost of living
Our houses affordable? I.e. Would we be able to afford a decent three bed in a good location on salaries for the above jobs?
Is cost of living relative to Canada?

Education
What is the quality of education like in Europe? I feel as though I am lucky teaching at an independent school as state schools over here seem to have no money and very limited resources, plus huge class sizes. How do state schools compare over in Europe? In particular primary schools? I am aware there are French speaking parts of Europe, I love the idea of my children being exposed to this!

What I said the process for applying for visa etc.

Overall, could I have opinions please on life in Europe vs Canada?

It is a really tough decision for us, but we are feeling very disillusioned with the way things are going over here, I know the grass isn't always greener, but I do think it's worth exploring.

We e never visited Europe, it have heard it's so beautiful and my husband is aware of some of his police colleagues who have moved over there.

I'm also aware that due to our age of 40 this would probably be our last chance to move, so we need to make sure we consider all options. It's a mammoth excision especially with 2 little ones to consider!"

The comparison is unfair. Europe is diverse, people in different countries speak different languages, they eat different foods, the shops and what they sell are different. Canada isn't diverse except in terms of geographical features. Culturally, any part of Canada outside Quebec, and some within, could pass for a suburb of Cincinnati.

Perhaps China then

Canada vs China Geography Stats Compared

Don't you work in IT? Can't you piss off somewhere warm for a few months and work from home?

I heard southern Spain is nice in the Winter.

I believe China has cultural diversity, India certainly does. Canada, you either like what it offers or you don't, it's not culturally different if you move within the country, though what one can afford might differ enormously.

Seems interesting, thanks for the tip.

You're welcome.

My parents are retired and live in that neck of the woods, rather than fork out for a hotel whenever they come back to the UK, they use this website and do a house swap. https://www.homeexchange.com/en/how-it-works/
They go to a nice house in the UK, and the other people go to their place in Spain.

You could offer your Canadian house for prospective new Canadian immigrants in return for their house over Winter. That way you are avoiding the cold and they get to experience a Canadian winter first hand.

It's a win win.