Hello everyone,

My OH and I have been considering emigrating to Canada from Manchester for 2009 or 2010. I've been offered a surgical job at a Calgary hospital though I'm not certain about moving yet.

For those who enjoy living in Canada, and have explored much of it, I have a few questions:

1. Is it cold in Canada? How often does it snow? Does it snow everywhere or just in certain areas?
2. What typical cultural activities do Canadians engage in?
3. Is it true that Canadians are obsessed trying to compare themselves to or compete with their southern neighbours in every aspect?
4. What warm areas do Canadians flock to when they want to escape the coldness?

Thanks

From one manc to another

I hope that this helps you. Please do not think that you cannot survive a winter out here as as I have said the cold is totally different - personally I would compare -10 in the uK to about -20 here.


2007-08 winter we had 3 really cold days at -42ish. Yes it was bloody cold but you only go out if you need to - stay in the house if it is warm you are good to go ! The snow stretched from early November to late February then all cleared up and we got another dump mid April

So far this winter we had no bad weather or snow till mid December and we have had a huge dump of snow but for the last week we have had a lovely balmy 10 above then yesterday we went below again and got another dump of snow. Who knows what the rest of the winter is going to bring us but from what the locals here have said is that this has been the worst snow fall for about 10 years.

Gaynor

Obviously, these answers only apply to the Canadians I know! Can't speak for the rest of them I'm afraid!

I'm sure some-one from Calgary will be along soon to answer some of your questions.......and their answers will probably be completely different to mine!

First: is this a serious post?

If so, welcome to British Expats and suggest you check out the BE wiki pages (click on the link in the blue bar below the Title) for answers to many of your questions, but to give you a starter for ten:

1. Calgary has very individual weather....today there is a high of -22 or so ... two days ago it was +15 degrees C.

The big rise in temps is caused by the Chinook Wind ("Snow-Eater") .. read the wiki.

2. Cultural activities? Anything you want really. (Ice) Hockey is huge here of course, but in Calgary there are music and arts as well as all the outdoor pursuits you might want .... skiing/hiking/hunting/whatever. We are only an hour's drive from the Canadian Rockies, and the scenerey is spectacular.

3. Not that I've noticed.

4. Mexico or Hawaii (depending on your budget!)

What sort of surgical post? I've been working with a guy who has just returned to UK to take up an orthosurgeons consultant position in the UK. He was here for a year and found it really expensive to what he was expecting. He loved it anyway, but his wife was stuck at home, homesick, with small kiddies and didn't enjoy the experience nearly as much. I am a PT at Foothills Medical Centre btw ....

Thanks for all your replies, everyone.

Another question I have to ask is: Why is it that many major Canadian cities (such as Vancouver, Toronto, Ottawa, Windsor, Regina, Winnipeg and Quebec) are located so closely to the US border? Is the northern region too cold /uninhabitable or is it mainly due to economic reasons?

erm yes. mostly. http://www.weatheroffice.gc.ca/canada_e.html

are you sure these are serious questions???

What I find most interesting is the influence of the Jet Stream http://www.weatheroffice.gc.ca/jet_stream/index_e.html
Anything north of the jet-stream is COLD and south of it is relatively mild.... but it moves around a heck of a lot, looping north or south day by day .....

First part - no idea

Second part - rule of thumb is the further north to the Arctic the colder it is. We are just over 2 hours south of Calgary and temps here can range from -30 plus wind chill to 35 above in the summer

Yes, my questions are serious. I just happen to be the type of person who, over the past few years, has been getting more and more annoyed with the cold weather and rain that I experience every year.

Considering the economic downturn here in Blighty I'm thinking that a move to Canada may also be the best decision for my 8-month-old son.

I would suspect they are closer to the border for economic reasons as much as anything, as far as i'm aware Canada is a major exporter to the US, lumber etc. If i'm wrong someone please correct me!!!

lankymancky

I would not consider moving to Canada if you do not like the cold or rain in the UK. I spent 9 winters there and 8 summers and much prefer the UK climate. As you can see in previous posts the temperature can swing 70-80C between winter and summer. An expat told me he was amazed to see 60C change in temperature within three months.

My wife and I really realised there was not much differences living in Canada than the UK on a numbers of issues that the daily Mail readers post on this forum. Canada also suffering job losses like the UK and if you have not a job to go to I would stay in the UK until both economies stabilize again. Canada has lost more jobs than the UK and doing simple maths they are having close to double the job losses that the UK are experiencing. I still in regular contact with friends in Canada and they are worried about a recession in Canada as well.

I experience a turn down in 1999 in the Alberta job market due to the drop in the oil price which affected many companies. Being an immigrant it was hard to get a decent paying job until I relocated to Ontario. I think the couple of years living in Alberta cost me more than I earned there.

We decided that there would be more opportunities in growing up in the UK than in Canada for our 2 sons. If you search some of my previous posts you find more detail.

I would consider moving aback to Alberta for work if they build a CANDU reactor there as I have both PWR and CANDU experience. The only difference if I work overseas again I would not give up my house in the UK.

Hudd

is the economic downturn affecting surgical jobs?

Calgary is lovely, but don't go to the zoo in May without your snow gear, whether the sun is shining or not... <bitter experience>
less rain, more snow, but good winter gear so not really an issue - they don't close the schools unless it's below -40.

foothills? surgery there saved my husband's life

sooooo close to the mountains you can spit on them, so pick an outdoor activity and go. (don't go in the other direction lol - apols to prairie dwellers)

we went to jamaica, but not sure we were typical...

Windsor......"major city"????????????????????????????

Lankymanky,

Everyone has answered your queries but, does your UK education satisfy the licencing requirements in Alberta?

It's as cold as Europe and snows in different degrees much the same as Europe.


Canadians much like europeans engage in cultural activities of their heirtage.

Much like the Europeans have the keeping up with Jones syndrome you'll find it very much the same -- some do and some don't

Canadians who leave head for the same sort of areas that Europeans do - Warmer ones. Just like Europeans head towards the equater regions of the continent so do north Americans from Canada. so you will find Canadians in southern usa or mexico or the caribbean or other places.

hopefully being a European you find all the refences to weather patterns, cultural activities and holidaying habits on the eruopean scale helpful in your decision to move.

Personally I would try to be a bit more local in your questioning. As why the cities are where they are much the same reason as why the cities are where they are in Europe because that's where the trade routes where.
Could be more informative to find out why the Borders where placed where they are? Who agreed to the funny little bits that stick out of place.
Also the maps are really showing the true poltical boundaries as First Nations lands cross the map borders. So is every Canadian city truly less than a 100 miles from the border.


Lanky cna you tellme why every city in the UK is less 120 miles from the sea?

Don't do it!
You'll regret it!
You'll regret it!