fledermaus

The NHS is paid for from taxes and not solely from NI. If you had never paid taxes, maybe too poor, or NI, then you are still eligible for health care.

The great tenet of the NHS is that it is free "at the point of service". This has been eroded over the years so that you now pay something towards specs, dental, prescriptions.

The NHS is socialised universal heathcare, Russia and Cuba are other examples of socialised healthcare. The govt employs the staff and funds the infrastructure.

Canada has publicly funded insurance based healthcare, Medicare. Healthcare is provided by private bodies, ie groups of doctors, clinics, and they are funded or reimbursed by the government. Most doctors are self employed. Money is given to the Provinces by the Federal government provided that the provinces comply with the Canada Health Act. This act lays down the minimum services that the Province can provide. They are supposed to be essential health services.

DaveLovesDee

Sensible Huskies.

driverpaul

Edmonton is not for everybody..... It is unique in that in the Winter i personally think the place is awful.... Having said that the Lower mainland does not get so cold so you cannot say Canada is a freezing, horrible place to live based on living in Edmonton.

Steve_P

I'm curious,what is it that you don't like about Edmonton?

Is it just winter or does the summer suck as well?

moondevil

But the poster was advising that UK was free, even though we pay taxes or NI for it, which ever method you wish to use, here in alberta we dont pay apart from the normal stuff that we paid for back in the uk, so i am no worse off on that score, we are more better off when it comes to taxes as we pay 5% where the uk is 15%

So if they really do think that they would be better off moving back to the uk after just spending a month here, then Goodbye, i know many anexpat who has been here a few months to way over 30+years, maybe they didnt network as well as they thought, maybe they just stop in when the snow hits, for us we go out no matter on the weather, stop complaining and get on with it or ship out.......................................

Soz but when someone doesnt give it 100% then they havent tried, not everyone will last who comes over, but amth.....COME ON :curse:

BristolUK

Although I believe parents can still decide conditions are too dangerous and keep kids home.

Ruby Murray

If there's one thing that really pigs me off is when people on here come out with smarmy comments like "why didn't they do their research when choosing to live in Canada"! Nobody can comprehend how -20 will feel by researching that on the internet or by asking someone that lives here! And even if they did their reccie trip during the winter, they'd probably look at it like it was magical and a "refreshing change to the rain of UK"! That's how I felt for my first 2 winters, but I'm into my 6th winter here now and I am so f@cked off with it! I've been house-bound for the last 3 weeks because I can't face that biting cold of -20's/-30's windchill.

I'm happy for all those on here that love the snow and cold, and also to those that have been here for years and years...but we are all different, I'm different and I'm giving an opposing point of view that yes, it can be very cold here and winters are long and no research on the internet can prepare you for it or for how you might feel in 5 years time!!

moondevil

Ruby

and well done for giving it long enough to make that decision, i think our main point is 1mth and you havent got over the holiday period yet, its hard moving here in winter as we are finding out and maybe in years to come we may have had enough....

i went through a real bad spell after 2mths of being here, but i know it is not long enough to make that decision on. Like i said earlier, give it ago and if you have friends that are willing to drive in conditions, use them and try and get out where possable, i know i help where i can and getting out even to the mall etc helps you away from those 4 walls

Good luck

Tangram

I haven't met a Canadian yet who likes the winter ( winter sports aside ). I'm kinda ok with it, beats getting bitten to death in the Summer.

Alberta_Rose

They cancel the buses because they are subject to breaking down in those temps, and they don't want the tiddlers stranded in those circs.

They don't close the schools (I believe) because there have been instances of kids turning up or being left at schools which were actually closed, and this too could cause harm. There is always somebody who doesn't get the message or turns up regardless.

If the parent decides to bring their kid to school and does so safely, or if they decide to keep them at home due to severe weather, it is up to their discretion, and then I don't believe the child is penalised for that.

Piff Poff

Oooh! Rubes it's lovely outside today though, and it's supposed to continue for the rest of the week - do you fancy getting the mutts together for a walk one afternoon? I'm off Tuesday if you fancy it (we will check the forecast though Don't fancy freezing like last time).

BristolUK

or tell you how you will cope shoveling snow several feet deep and where you put it when the snow banks are already shoulder height.

moondevil

Yeah i hope some of the long standing guys/girls can explain this

Although a nice man with bobcat moved my snow bunks at the end of the drive, they have gone, i am not asking him where he put the snow, all i know he is a nice man and i can get off my drive - (will buy him a beer when i see him in summer )

BristolUK

Into our fourth winter, we have managed with me and the kids and shovel/pushers except for last winter when we had three falls in a week - each one bigger than any other snowfall.

The first one, I managed to dig a pathway out, but that was all. The street snowplow filled it in again. I dug it out again.

I dug a bit more the next day, but the next snowfall filled and covered it all again. Eventually I couldn't face anymore and I called a company with a tractor/snowblower.

It blew/threw the snow over the banks at the front but as it progressed down the drive, most of the snow was thrown into the back yard where there was plenty of room.

I'm very happy that in all this time, in a province that gets among the highest amounts of snow, we've managed with shovels/pushers and a 'one-off' $46 payment.

Ruby Murray

Hiya Piff....yeah that's an invitation to get me motivated in getting out! Tuesday sounds great and then on Wednesday Luna-tic is having her spay surgery (and trust it to be forecast to bloody well snow on that day!! ) We'll see if they're right on that one! It's not been too bad today..lovely and sunny..so after being nagged to death from "W", I ventured out on a trip to Costco...you know despite it being -13 when we came out, it was still bitter with -19 windchills! Saying that, I was only dressed for a -13 day with sweater, pants and down body warmer and no gloves!! I hope they're right with the minus single digit temps this week though...that will be nice

I'll call you tomorrow to arrange for Tuesday
Rubes x