To consider Canada or not
#46
Account Closed
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 0
Re: To consider Canada or not
I moved for the exact same reasons you want to, I live in Whistler and work as a backcountry guide.
Other than Vancouver I find that we're quite isolated in Whistler.
At first I did not mind the drive to the city but now it's just so frustrating to drive so far for a pair of jeans, to take a course or buy car parts when my stoopid motor needs repair.
I feel the same way. My drive to the city is 45 minutes closer then yours is, but it's still a pain when you need something and can't find locally which even in Squamish is more often then I would have thought before living here.
Needs shoes for example, it's Marks or Wal-Mart, Marks has a small selection and I can find something there 50% of the time, and the other well their shoes are so cheap wouldn't even consider them.
Upside to Whistler though, you have a movie theater...
Flights, well Canadians must have rip me off tattooed on their foreheads. It's a big country with not alot of people so competition is not the same as the UK and prices I find high.
I agree with airfare, insanely high.
Other than Vancouver I find that we're quite isolated in Whistler.
At first I did not mind the drive to the city but now it's just so frustrating to drive so far for a pair of jeans, to take a course or buy car parts when my stoopid motor needs repair.
I feel the same way. My drive to the city is 45 minutes closer then yours is, but it's still a pain when you need something and can't find locally which even in Squamish is more often then I would have thought before living here.
Needs shoes for example, it's Marks or Wal-Mart, Marks has a small selection and I can find something there 50% of the time, and the other well their shoes are so cheap wouldn't even consider them.
Upside to Whistler though, you have a movie theater...
Flights, well Canadians must have rip me off tattooed on their foreheads. It's a big country with not alot of people so competition is not the same as the UK and prices I find high.
I agree with airfare, insanely high.
Bold mine.
#47
Re: To consider Canada or not
Google it as well as map it to see many of the things that you've been looking for
Barrie Ski Resorts - Skiing and Snowboarding
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barrie
http://www.barrie.ca/Pages/default.aspx
#48
Re: To consider Canada or not
A comparison of snow fall Mont -Blanc France to Barrie Ontario
Snowfall History (Snowfall 2015) - Chamonix Mont-Blanc - OnTheSnow
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snowbelt
Skiing & Snowboarding
"Barrie, Ontario is your perfect winter wonderland for skiing and snowboarding. Barrie is situated in a natural snow belt, and is blessed with lake effect snowfalls throughout the winter months. Only 45 minutes north of Toronto, the Barrie area receives approximately 100 inches of snow per year. Combined with state-of-the-art snowmaking and grooming facilities, this makes for powder-perfect alpine and nordic conditions all winter long."
Snowfall History (Snowfall 2015) - Chamonix Mont-Blanc - OnTheSnow
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snowbelt
Skiing & Snowboarding
"Barrie, Ontario is your perfect winter wonderland for skiing and snowboarding. Barrie is situated in a natural snow belt, and is blessed with lake effect snowfalls throughout the winter months. Only 45 minutes north of Toronto, the Barrie area receives approximately 100 inches of snow per year. Combined with state-of-the-art snowmaking and grooming facilities, this makes for powder-perfect alpine and nordic conditions all winter long."
Last edited by not2old; Sep 13th 2015 at 1:58 pm.
#49
Just Joined
Thread Starter
Joined: Sep 2015
Posts: 6
Re: To consider Canada or not
tee1
Thanks,
You sound very similar in respects of priorities to us. Really good honest appraisal of the reality of life in the mountains.
In balance, non of the downsides are any worse or any greater than those living in the UK (particularly cornwall) but the positives, as we expected, certainly outweigh them anyway.
The crux will be, as it seems for you, to find a balance where there is enough time to do the things we move there for, if we still end up working 5 days a week 9-10 hrs a day, theres no point. Although i have a done the maths and we have a pretty cheap day to day lifestyle and as long as there is money for kit, we dont need to earn all that much.
We are lucky in that, i built the house we live in which is worth a lot more than it cost us to build, so if we were to move, we should be able to buy a house with no debt, a massive monthly saving against what we need to earn.
Thanks,
You sound very similar in respects of priorities to us. Really good honest appraisal of the reality of life in the mountains.
In balance, non of the downsides are any worse or any greater than those living in the UK (particularly cornwall) but the positives, as we expected, certainly outweigh them anyway.
The crux will be, as it seems for you, to find a balance where there is enough time to do the things we move there for, if we still end up working 5 days a week 9-10 hrs a day, theres no point. Although i have a done the maths and we have a pretty cheap day to day lifestyle and as long as there is money for kit, we dont need to earn all that much.
We are lucky in that, i built the house we live in which is worth a lot more than it cost us to build, so if we were to move, we should be able to buy a house with no debt, a massive monthly saving against what we need to earn.
#50
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Joined: Nov 2012
Location: bute
Posts: 9,740
Re: To consider Canada or not
"White Flight" from the South has brought thousands to Scotland.
#52
BE Forum Addict
Joined: Sep 2011
Posts: 1,009
Re: To consider Canada or not
For the majority of positions teaching at a college a degree will be required. Without a degree there is no way that one can teach at a university.
#53
BE Forum Addict
Joined: Sep 2011
Posts: 1,009
Re: To consider Canada or not
Really? My parents owned a cottage while I was growing up and we weren't rich (Mum was a housewife and Dad a plumber/pipe fitter).
#55
Re: To consider Canada or not
Passed down though? And also depending on area.... Sure you can get a small cottage... But anyhow N2O was pointing as a vacation rental and they are pretty pricey to rent. I've been contemplating buying a small rental cottage ourselves to rent out..
#56
limey party pooper
Joined: Jul 2012
Posts: 9,982
Re: To consider Canada or not
Why not look at places east of Algonquin Park. Barry's Bay and suchlike. You could head to the Laurentians for skiing and Ottawa for culture
#57
Account Closed
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 0
Re: To consider Canada or not
Times changes.
So true, spot on.
#58
Re: To consider Canada or not
Real estate in certain places in Canada is not expensive and real estate was probably much more affordable in Colchar's parents day.
#59
Re: To consider Canada or not
Having spent a fair amount of time around the Alps I would say here is better, because (a) language; (b) lower cost of living and (c) less people about.
And now everyone is going to chip and whine about how much it costs to live in Vancouver, well who says you have to live in Vancouver, you could live in eastern BC or Alberta.
However the economy is rapidly going down the tubes here because of the drop in the price of oil.
Winters are more severe here, and once again someone is going to chip in and say "not in BC" and if you think non-stop rain somehow makes the Fraser Valley preferable to the Alps, think again.
But obviously asking people who moved to Canada whether it's a good idea to move to Canada is going to get you the answer that yes it is. If you ask people who moved to France you might get a different opinion.
And now everyone is going to chip and whine about how much it costs to live in Vancouver, well who says you have to live in Vancouver, you could live in eastern BC or Alberta.
However the economy is rapidly going down the tubes here because of the drop in the price of oil.
Winters are more severe here, and once again someone is going to chip in and say "not in BC" and if you think non-stop rain somehow makes the Fraser Valley preferable to the Alps, think again.
But obviously asking people who moved to Canada whether it's a good idea to move to Canada is going to get you the answer that yes it is. If you ask people who moved to France you might get a different opinion.
#60
Account Closed
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 0
Re: To consider Canada or not
Having spent a fair amount of time around the Alps I would say here is better, because (a) language; (b) lower cost of living and (c) less people about.
And now everyone is going to chip and whine about how much it costs to live in Vancouver, well who says you have to live in Vancouver, you could live in eastern BC or Alberta.
However the economy is rapidly going down the tubes here because of the drop in the price of oil.
Winters are more severe here, and once again someone is going to chip in and say "not in BC" and if you think non-stop rain somehow makes the Fraser Valley preferable to the Alps, think again.
But obviously asking people who moved to Canada whether it's a good idea to move to Canada is going to get you the answer that yes it is. If you ask people who moved to France you might get a different opinion.
And now everyone is going to chip and whine about how much it costs to live in Vancouver, well who says you have to live in Vancouver, you could live in eastern BC or Alberta.
However the economy is rapidly going down the tubes here because of the drop in the price of oil.
Winters are more severe here, and once again someone is going to chip in and say "not in BC" and if you think non-stop rain somehow makes the Fraser Valley preferable to the Alps, think again.
But obviously asking people who moved to Canada whether it's a good idea to move to Canada is going to get you the answer that yes it is. If you ask people who moved to France you might get a different opinion.
I'd take cold and sunny Alberta over warmer but grey coastal southern BC, sunshine is the best thing in winter, days are too short to have nothing but clouds...lol