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My family and I made the decision to move away from the UK in the summer of 2020. We’d had 2 days of beautiful sunshine, followed by a few weeks of patchy rain. That was our ‘summer’. We wanted something different. No longer did we want to cram a summer in to a few dry days in July. We wanted to take summer at our leisure. To know that if we planned something for the weekend, you’re not having to keep an eye on the weather for fear of it being a wash-out. It’s the same for winter. If you’re gonna have a winter, let’s have the snow and all that comes with it. The snowshoeing, skiing, ice skating, sledding etc. Yes, the snow can also be a hazard but so can the ice back in Blighty.

So we knew Australia was out of the question, as we wanted the snow. The flight time and cost is also an issue if you have to pop back last minute. So Canada it was.

We did our research and decided on BC, the Okanagan more specifically. It gives you the warm, dry summers and the winter fun, without the 6 foot of snow and -30 temps. We’ve looked at the visas, what we’d have to do to register with the accrediting bodies of our professions etc. But I wonder whether our dream is dead before it’s even started. As much as the pay is handsome, the property prices are just astronomical, especially when you compare what you can get for your money in Calgary, for example. And I know prices have been historically high in BC but even over the last year property prices have increased by 30%. It’s madness!

Is there anywhere else, in any of the 4 western provinces (tied due to work issues), that gives us what we’re looking for? Are we asking too much? Warm (+22 degrees) dry summers, winter fun without the extreme cold, and property prices that don’t make your eyes water!

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You need to move for more than weather, in my opinion anyway.

What seems ideal quickly comes with issues of it’s own; here in Muskoka, Ontario, lots of snow/outdoor activities but it’s been as low -20 fir most of this week and feels like -36. The wind chill today is between -30 and -40. There is no spring in this neck of the wood; it rapidly goes from winter to summer and the that’s when the bugs come out; mosquitos and black flies which just love British skin. The mosquitos don’t usually disappear until August, and obviously still come out at dusk. There is a reason Muskoka rooms are a thing on Canadian houses.

Summer can be lovely; I get up at 5.30am to run at 6am when it’s usually just below 20 and humidity isn’t too bad. It’s lovely if you get to hang out by water all day, but even taking the dog for a walk can leave you super sticky. Some people love that though.

I love fall, but it’s usually just a few weeks and by Halloween we’ve had our first snowfall.

Houses prices are insane here. We’re about to head back to the UK, and will be marketing our house for roughly $700k more than we paid for it 4 years ago, on the advice of a couple of agents. It will probably go over that price too. We’re actually expecting to go back to the UK mortgage free with the equity from our house, and move a couple of rungs up the ladder from when we left.

The market is still expected to rise until the fall, I think before levelling off but probably not dropping.

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Calgary *might* fit your criteria, though the winters are colder, summer time you get plenty of sun, the most sun in the entire country from what I understand. You could also take a look at Vancouver island which can be cheaper than the Okanagan depending where you look.

The reason property prices are so high right now is nobody is selling due to covid, and we already had a supply shortage in BC to begin with due to numerous factors. The limited inventory plus the fact people have access to very cheap mortgages (1% interest) means we’ve seen some insane price growth.

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Do you have visas in place? I’m curious about the time line these days.What professions are you in that keep you on the west coast?

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No, we haven’t made any applications yet. I’m a tight Northerner, so I don’t want to spend a penny unless I know it’s certain. We know what visa programme we’ll apply for (BC PNP Healthcare) and what we need to do.

We’re both in healthcare. My Wife is a mental health nurse and these aren’t recognised as distinct occupations in the Eastern provinces. If we were to move there, it would be likely that my Wife would have to complete an expensive and time-consuming bridging programme.

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Yes, I was looking at Calgary. The houses we could get there (not sure of area) are so much more substantial than we could get in BC. Not sure re visa programmes though.

It’s likely we’ll not be moving for a couple of years yet, so things could change with the real estate market.

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If you're not planning on moving for a couple of years then yes, time is certainly on your side. House prices around us (Vancouver Island) have certainly gone up substantially in the last 18 months. Our property tax assessment has increased 49% on last year!!!!

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I wouldn’t bank on it going down though; just back to a more steady increase. Calgary I believe is a different housing scenario. Subject to the demands of the oil industry in Alberta. It dropped substantially a few years ago I believe. I have friends who moved from there, and sold their house just before it dropped.

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I disagree. People have their reasons and I don’t think there are right/wrong reasons. The weather in and of itself is not the reason we want to move, but the opportunity that it presents us. It’ll be good for our well-being to spend more time outdoors and with the plethora of activity on your doorstep in the Okanagan, it makes sense. There are many other reasons that we want to make the move: adventure, to experience a different culture, the right wing Tory government etc.

I know everywhere comes with its difficulties and I’m not naive to think it will be all sunshine and roses but if we don’t give it a go, it’ll be a huge regret. I just want to get it right when we do it. I do appreciate it when people share their difficulties, as it helps to keep my feet on the ground but I think I have to make my own mistakes and learn from them.

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You know if you move to Calgary, it would be the equivalent of moving to Texas? Alberta is red neck country and I think the government there is pretty conservative or right wing thinking- albeit I don’t live there. We have our own right wing government in Ontario.

The culture I would say is materialistic. It’s all about stuff so if you can afford a snow mobile in the winter, ski equipment, a boat for the summer etc then you should be golden. Canadians are up there with the highest carbon footprint and lots of debt to go with it.

Sure I get that re experiences and trying it out should definitely be considered. I just wouldn’t come thinking things are rosier here, they’re just different. Weather is different, not better or worse per se. It used to be that housing made Canada a better place to live. I think that’s gone now unless you go out East. It’s quite expensive to live here. Food is ridiculous.

Are you pretty outdoorsy where you are now?

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This might help you understand the geography of Canada. It's more complicated than east and west
https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration...s-regions.html

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Yeah, I’m aware that Alberta is like that and it does concern me. One of the reasons we decided on Canada, and BC in particular, is that it appears to be inclusive, multicultural, left-leaning but as with most places, you’ll always get your conservative populations.

In regards to outdoors, I spend a lot of time outdoors as I’m a keen gardener but I’m not as active as I’d like to be. One of the reasons we opted for the Okanagan, is that I think we’d be more inclined to do the paddle boarding, hiking, snowshoeing etc. if it’s on our doorstep. I’m hoping the move will be a lifestyle change for us as a family. I think what stops us now is that there aren’t many hiking trails on our doorstep where we are now and for the most part, the rain puts us off. And in the winter, we rarely get snow but it continues to be rainy and there isn’t a lot to do. If we’re to live within walking distance/short drive to Lake Okanagan for example, I think we’d invest in paddle boards and spend a lot of time by the lake in those dry summer months. And then in the winter, rather than hide away in Jan/Feb as we do now, there’ll be ample opportunity to do those recreational winter activities that just aren’t available to use in the UK.

Again, I’m aware that all of that sounds lovely and I know it won’t be as simple as that. There’ll be new sources of stress/irritability that we have here, like the cost of food, bureaucracy, having to shovel the snow etc. but I do think that on the whole, we’d have a better quality of life.

I just don’t know whether we’re already priced out of it. From our extensive research and speaking to others, we’d be earning approx $70,000-$90,000 a year each and it beggars belief that we’d struggle to find somewhere suitable. Which is why my original question was whether we could get the same climate as in the Okanagan, with the same activities, but without the extortionate house prices.

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Thanks for this.

I was aware of most of what was in there, thanks to a podcast I’ve been listening to, I did link to it on another thread. It follows a Canadian couple of who visit each province/territory and meet the locals, talk about the history/culture, food and activities on offer. It’s invaluable to someone that hasn’t yet visited Canada.

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Hmm, I don't live in BC but I get regular reports from my champagne socialist daughter who does live there. "You have to remember" she says "that the province is run by a bunch of red neck yahoos who suddenly got rich when the Chinese dumped their money here". I have the impression that BC has a veneer of liberalism whereas Alberta is overtly conservative but they're not, in fact, widely different politically. Alberta seems bloody awful. I've been to Calgary a couple of times without seeing the need to return and I understand Edmonton to be "like the GTA, without Toronto" which is, to say, like Milton Keynes. BC does have the weather, that makes it more attractive than Alberta but Vancouver's not a cheap place; for that kind of money you could almost live in London.

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Thats surprising. Although, forming an impression from so far away is difficult and not an exact science 😂

I’ve been taking a look at a few of the smaller towns/cities in the Okanagan, such as Salmon Arm, Fintry, Lake Country etc. and there appears to be a little more value outside of Kelowna and Vernon.

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My second-hand impression is of Vancouver. I suppose it's possible that small town BC might be more liberal but I have the impression that rural BC, like rural AB, isn't a place you'd want to go in a foreign car.

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How warm and dry do you like it? For the past few summers at least central BC gets so hot and dry that it goes up in flames. The heat dome this summer had the highest recorded temperatures with some places in the interior reaching close to 50 (without humidex). Here in Vancouver it reached 41 which was too hot for me. I know of a family that had to leave their home in the Okanagan over the summer because of the smoke. The only thing I like about the area are the wineries and cheap fruit.

The area around Merritt might be cheaper. It has a similar climate. It has a few lakes like Nicola Lake which has a beach. Nearby highway 8 was washed out though. Osoyoos is hotter and drier but also has a big Lake and might be cheaper.

You'd probably find Vancouver or Vancouver Island more to your taste then. These areas consistently return NDP, Green and LIberal MPs to the provincial and federal parliaments.

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Stay away from the BC interior, our Summers are ruined on a regular basis due to weeks of forest fire smoke blanketing the skies and dealing with falling ash. Last Summer was particularly scary as we got forcibly evacuated due to a fire close to our house.

The winters are great though, couple of weeks of severe cold then it's basically over. +3 today in Kamloops and for the first time since Christmas, I can see the concrete on my driveway.

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The Okanagan has traditionally been home to a conservative/right wing community in BC. Perhaps things are changing, but I wouldn't go there expecting an overwhelmingly progressively-minded community. Generally speaking, rural BC has been and is a fairly conservative place, as most resource extraction industry hinterlands are in the province. But the Okanagan was famous for being home to Christian conservatism that's not nearly as prevalent as elsewhere in the province, with exception, perhaps, Abbotsford. Again, perhaps things have changed. I do know that the Okanagan is a place where young families from Vancouver are moving to in droves because it's slightly more affordable, and where Albertans wealthy with oil industry money have cashed our their savings to buy second homes, boats, and all the consumerist toys.

For less right-wing leaning cultures, Nelson or the Slocan Valley are small, isolated mountain towns with quirky arts and outdoor cultures - ski bums, mountain bikers, hippie artists and musicians. The Sunshine Coast is a mix of rainforest hippie village culture, retired artists (Joni Mitchell still has a home there!), but also fairly conservative forestry workers. The Gulf Islands may be what you're seeking - Salt Spring Island, Galiano, Mayne, Saturna, Gabriola. They're environmentally-sensitive, self-sufficient types of places in the rain shadow of Vancouver Island's mountains, so they get a lot of sunshine, but then you're also dealing with infrequent ferries to get anywhere.

I don't know what to say about moving for the weather. You're in for a massive lifestyle change and the weather is merely one factor. Everything you take for granted culturally in the UK will shift and you'll have to relearn all your old habits, traditions, and ways of being and interacting in society. It's First World Problems, sure, but go in with open eyes. You're changing everything about your life. How you must rely on your car to get around in the Okanagan. The endless urban sprawl. The heat waves in the summer and wildfires. The grey skies at winter. The lack of a pub culture. The lack of banter, sarcasm, or the expectation of there being banter, sarcasm or after-work drinks. The types of food popular or affordable in supermarkets or the types of cuisine and familiar dishes in restaurants. The conversation topics, the values of what makes the local news, etc. The lack of rail, the lack of cheap travel, the distance to get anywhere different, Etc. Etc.

Everyone in Canada flees to BC for better weather and the work-life balance. The pandemic has provided an opportunity for all the young workers in the expensive cities to flee to the rural areas and work remotely, driving up property prices. Immigrants from all over the world are also flocking to Canada and many come to invest in BC property. Prices seem to be only going up and up. Come if the lifestyle is truly what you want here, but the weather should just be one small factor.

I suppose what I'm saying is, if you're adaptable, self-aware, and don't mind making changes in your lifestyle, your habits, etc. come and give it a go. If the weather's the only thing you're looking to change, come for an extended holiday.

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Some interesting infographics here as well to help with your decision ;)

https://www.macleans.ca/news/canada/...da-on-the-map/

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Holy shit that comes from a strange in-bred view of the world. Hockey vs. Church tweets? Here, at least, neither ice hockey nor Christianity excite widespread interest and I'd guess the devotees of each are less likely to be Twitter users than the general public.

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I did wonder if the Ok was like that. Given it’s known for retirees, those in their older years tend to become more conservative with age, right? I guess I’m thinking more in terms of policy. The new police and crime bill, and the nationality and borders bill in the UK has me seething. I want to somewhere where people from other cultures are welcome and the right to protest is seen as sacred, as opposed to unlawful. I don’t think I’ll ever escape suburban conservatism, unless we move to LA!

Again, regarding the weather, I disagree. There are no right/wrong reasons to move to Canada. People move for lots of different reasons: weather, lifestyle, to be closer to family, to escape persecution, for work. You listed all the things we have to adapt to but regardless of the reasons we move to Canada for, we have to adapt to those things anyway, as does everyone that moves. And I am aware of that. And to be clear, the weather in and of itself isn’t the sole reason we’re moving. We want to move for the adventure. I’ve lived within 30 mins of where I was born my entire life. Why restrict myself to that when the world is so big? We’re also fed up of the UK media, which I believe fuels a lot of the hate towards immigrants and what I think swung Brexit. We opted for Canada due to no language barrier, the proximity to the UK (Aus is just too far), the liberal government (US with their gun/abortion laws is a big no-no), job opportunities (my job doesn’t exist in Aus/US) and the weather. The weather opens up more opportunities than we have here in the UK. As I said in a previous post, the summer in the UK is sad and we wanted more. We don’t want to have a BBQ, go to the beach, take a hike, and go swimming all in one weekend, for fear of not knowing when the next break in the clouds will be. We want it to be something we can do after work, even! Then there’s the winter activities. I’m a fan of the snow. Not necessarily skiing, although I’m keen to do it more, but of a white Christmas, of the novelty of it. Now, I’m not talking about Edmonton or Winnipeg snow. Or even the snow seen in Toronto this week. But from what I’ve seen, the Okanagan gets just enough to enjoy but not enough to create real problems. Again, I’m happy to be corrected on this. It’s difficult to judge this from afar. And ok, perhaps the novelty will wear off for us but then my grandchildren get to experience it and their grandchildren. Compare that to the winters of the UK and you get the ice and sometimes the 2 inches of snow that brings everything to a standstill, coupled with NOTHING to do, and I know which I’d prefer. So the weather, in my opinion, brings a lifestyle change. Could we hike and ski in the UK? Yes but we’re much less likely to engage in it due to the weather and proximity. If it’s on our doorstep, we’re more likely to do it.

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This was really interesting, thanks!

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Everybody loves a weather thread;). Life is already challenging enough and when you're in the weather business it gets even more challenging. You might have done your research but have you actually looked at the real stats for the area you are looking at? Unless you live right next to that weather station, there are so many other things to consider. You can live in the sunniest place but if your property is on the wrong side of the valley you might never see the sun, add micro climates, wind chill, extreme heat to that list. Who knows and with climate change the snow might be more like rain in the future. Looking at the stats, winter is still winter in Kelowna and throughout the year not much sunnier than Hastings, so it's not like Girona province where you have the med and the skiing and even there you need the money and time to do these things. I have a Spanish friend who still complains that he hardly sees the sun because new buildings are blocking the light and he has to work long hours. Wherever you go, buyer be aware. When weather is the main problem at least you know you have a great life. If you want an adventure get the camping van ready and explore what you have on your doorstep.

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I think you're rather optimistic in regards to the political climate in Canada (even more so with regard to LA (Jon Voight, Clint Eastwood, Devin Nunes' Cow, the LAPD!) . Immigrants are accepted in Canada but not quite welcomed with the open arms the government would have you believe. Much of small town Canada is like Mississippi Burning on Ice.

The media is a different issue. The Toronto Star is where all those immigrants who haven't quite grasped the language work. It's unreadable, but only slightly worse than the Globe. The National Post is the paper of the frothing loons, like the Telegraph but without the wit and the football coverage. As far as I know, there's no quality source of news based in Canada though there are very good Canadian journalists such as Lise Doucette, Daniel Dale, and Emily Maitlis. One reads "papers" which have the major Canadian stories, if any, Guardian, NYT, Washington Post, Atlantic, New Yorker and so on. Local facebook groups are a good source for knowing which roads are open today and who still has a catalytic convertor attached their car.

I think people who want to hike or ski can do that wherever they live, it's a matter of budget priority. I have, for example, hiked in and around Bryce and the Grand Canyon many times. I didn't have to move to the four corners. I accept that one might find a mountain outside to be inspiring, probably not to your grandchildren though, if you live in such a place you'll be alone, they'll have moved to the city for their parents' work.

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Ok, guys. Thanks for the advice.

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You know what they say in Canada as well as the UK… there’s no such thing as bad weather, just bad clothing. Invest in a great raincoat; it’ll be a darn site cheaper than all the gear you’ll have to invest in for Canada, especially if you have kids.

Why don’t you just move to be closer to trails etc in the UK? Plan amazing trips to Europe. At least you’ll get culture there.

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Ok. Thanks.

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I think the OP should just move to Scotland. Anywhere in Scotland that's not on the west coast will have sunnier and drier weather than Lancashire, and the rest of the things they want are right here in Scotland.

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Thanks very much for taking the time to reply.

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Er, Lise Doucette works for the BBC.

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Ok. so having read the initial post (Hi to ndonald1987) and and reading everyone else's posts, it seems everyone has just painted the "its not worth it, you will probably regret it, you can find all you want staying in the UK" well that may be true.... but we are all different, we all have very different circumstances and and no one looks for same thing from life. So.... maybe the poster is willing to take the leap of faith and try it.... an adventure, as long as they plan for the worst scenario, in that it didn't work or they didn't like it and being able to live with that decision, no one really knows if it is for them until they have done it. You may take a heavy finacial hit, depending on your level of commitment, but if you are young, its possible to make that back. I always like the phrase "regret what you have done, not what you haven't" However only the poster knows what's at stake and what they are risking.

Firstly I would say to the poster, like I have said to many others, the pull from Canada has to be bigger than the push from the UK. With me thats what it was, My life in the UK wasn't going as I had hoped, but I didnt hate it, but I knew there was more of life to be had, I chose Canada, (particulary Ontario for me) because of its extremes but also annual balanced climate, I love the outdoors and wanted to see what Canada had to offer in that way. I vacationed here in the non touristy places, tried to do the same things the locals did to get a real feel of what it was I was looking for. I have been here 13 years now, and don't have one ounce of regret.

Now... personal sitiuations differ, and mine was very different to that of the poster, I was single and only had myself to worry about, financially and emotionally with adjusting to the move, and I think this does make a difference with intergrating into a new culture as you put yourself out there more, which is so important in adapting, you will never do it locked away in your own world.

Some one made a post that Canada is all about material possessions and toys... yes it can be, but if that brings you happiness then whats wrong with that? I have the toys, it took a while but I was patient on my road to get them. I love the outdoors, my toys give me the opportunity to really appreciate what I love about Canada in that way, in every season. I have the boat and spend every weekend on it in the summer, when its 30deg its the best place to be! and I have never seen such beautiful scenary, and being anchored on the lake with the the sun setting, the call of the loon, and followed by a still summers night under the stars is divine, mosquitos are a pain, but you find ways of dealing with it, just like the locals do, I learnt my lesson the first summer! Its hot and sticky, but I find I am in air conditioning (work, car, stores, restaurants, or on the boat with a lake to cool off in, so I love the summers, I like to be able to plan events and have gauranteed weather. Winter... I go snowshoeing, down hill skiing and I have a snowmobile - some of the stunningly beautiful outdoor scenes I see whilst on the trails still take my breath away, and stopping off for a break you often see deer or even a moose! My toys make all this possible. There is so much to do here if your an outdoorsy person and a lifestyle I could never dream of living in the UK.

Now, mentioning the UK... do I miss it, oh yes, every now and then, something will trigger a little bit of homesickness, its a very different lifestyle here, and you have to be prepared to remember your old lifestyle fondly but leave that behind, and embrace what Canada will offer you. I miss a lot from the UK, the social scene is very different, the very way of life, even music, you have to get used to a whole new catalogue of music and usually your personal tastes will stay that way, as no one here will ever of heard of or enjoy your taste in music like you did with friends in the UK. that in itself can be a lonely feeling that has made me homesick form time to time. Being British I have never referred to myself as European before, but after living in Canada for 13 years I do now, I can see what chasm of difference between being European and North American, however I do feel that Canada is somewhere half way between the states and the UK, as both countries influence Canada and both have strong ties, another reason why I chose Canada.

As for politics, I have my staunch views, but never let it get in the way of a friendship, I have friends on both sides of the political spectrum, we agree to disagree, as there so much more to a friendship and a place to live than that. Thats what democracy is for, we vote a PM is elected and we accept it whether its what we wanted or not, of not, vote again next time. Just stick to the golden rule when in a pub....don't discuss politics religion Id also say music.... lol it such a different musical culture here.

So there we go, thats my view on moving from the UK to Canada and a life here of almost 13 years. its not perfect, but in the big picture, its as perfect as what I can expect. I try to think now what it would be like if I moved back to the UK, there would be a lot things I would welcome, but I know I would suffer reverse culture shock, and get homesick for Canada, which is something else to consider, many expats that chose to make the move for themselves not for a job or a partner, often end up feeling divided, you have to accept you will forever have two homes, you feel at home in both the UK and Canada, and get homesick for both.

Thats my experience anyway. I'd like to wish the best of luck to the poster in their research and what ever they decide to do.

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As does Emily Maitlis. Daniel Dale is with CNN.

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Opinion popular among frothing loons.

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Yes, that's the market for their opinion pieces. The Telegraph is better written, both in the sense of using grammar and expressing an argument fully. However, if one wants the crazed rightist stance, the Spectator is better than either in that it has wit.

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Hello. I have lived in Alberta for 15 yrs now and my work takes me all over both AB and BC. My opinion is that the Okanagan would best tick all of your boxes you describe. Provided you are OK with property prices there, (which are not Vancouver crazy), I would recommend taking a look at a place called Summerland.