simlam

Hi, I hope to be coming to Canada as a PR, if I come it will be with a secured job which will pay about $75,000, I will have nothing from a house sale or any other substantial savings,I will be coming on my own. I guess the question is, is 75k a decent wage and will I be able to live a average sort of life on it (apartment, decent car, spending money etc.)

forgot to say will be moving to Edmonton.

Thanks

Si

dboy

It will spend much the same as the equivalent in pounds, so roughly like being on 40,000 pounds or so in the uk. Cost of living is more or less the same - some things the same, others more, others less. Taxes are similar.

Start up costs can be high when you have to rent a place, furnish it etc, not to mention used cars here are a lot more costly than the UK as they seem to hold their value better for some reason. New cars are cheaper (never could figure this out).

You may also need to get some sort of medical coverage for the first little while.

Use the search button to cost things out. I'm sure someone from edmonton will be along.

jericho

We're in Edmonton, on a similar salary, although I have a wife and 2 young kids. ALso had no real money to bring over.
It's a decent wage, but we struggled for a while and have only recently began to see some light. On your own, I would think you should be OK.

bsmith

Yes.

johnh009

I believe the average salary in Canada is C$45K so you should do okay.

jericho

Average salaries dont mean jack. There's a lot of people here in Edmonton that have small/no mortgages due to the massive property boom a couple of years ago. We, for one, could not afford to stay here on $45k.

johnh009

Yes, agreed, I would not be happy in Canada on 45K. I am in the engineering industry in Ontario and the downward pressure on salaries is extreme. Without incurring the wrath of the pro-Canada crowd on this forum, if you lose your job, Canada, or at least Ontario, is not the best place in the World to be.

And, on saying that, given the World-wide pressure due to the carbon emissions from the oil sands, everything could go pear-shaped in Alberta also. Maybe we can all work for the Civil Service.

JGK

The hardest part of moving over here is the loss of credit rating. You have to start from scratch again. You may struggle initially if you come over without any savings whatsoever but if you persevere,it gets better.

simlam

If I come over it will be as a experienced police officer with sponsorship from EPS, so as I said should be a secure job? Will that hold any weight re credit rating?

dboy

Not sure about credit rating. Happen you should post on the police threads. There are a couple of EPS members on here - RAE is one.

Policing is a very secure job. Not to mention, you will have some excellent opportunities to increase your pay through overtime (most is double and triple on holidays). Also top shelf benefits. I should imagine an extra 15,000 or more would be very realistic. You will be fine financially, once you get over the set up costs. Given you have a very secure job, I'd be more comfortable coming over with less cash.

(I'm a copper in the RCMP - major crime)

Good luck

BristolUK

It's a major crime you're in the RCMP?

We are policed in little ol' Moncton by the RCMP. Some of the people here liken it to the FBI giving out speeding tickets, but the clear up rates are very impressive and, no doubt, contribute to the low crime here.

Auld Yin

Interesting question. Some years ago police officers were not considered particularly good credit risks. Can't say if the same thinking applies today. Hopefully not.

Alan2005

Didn't some comity recommend that BC set up it's own provincial police force and tell the RCMP to get lost recently?

dboy

No. There has been chatter for years about a large, metro force along the lines of the Toronto Police. Frankly, it will never happen - although better integration will - we now all share the same computer system for instance and many units are made up of members of all forces, such as IHIT or the gang taskforce.

It comes down to money and many cities who contract to the FEDS for policing services, like the RCMP, as they don't have to pay for recruitment or training and only about 80 percent of operational costs - plus there is federal funding available for large scale operations such as Picton or the Surrey 6 -city forces would never, ever be able to afford these types of investigations . If there was a large LMD force, small enclaves like White rock, west van or port moody would see far less resources. RCMP has no union and gets away with things like one man cars or lower cop to pop ratios. If there was a LMD force the costs would be staggering. Surrey for instance would have to increase manpower by something like 200 members to meet national cop to pop ratios - you can bet unions would be all over this.

I actually see many benefits of an integrated force, better intelligence, more efficient use of resources etc. Criminals don't recognize boarders, neither should we. I've seem some real cocks ups about bickering who has responsibility for a file, and frankly, VPD are the worse offenders and have been resistant to integration for years . We've kept many files that should have been theirs. I don't care, i just want to nick the villains.

Kash Heed has had an hate on for the RCMP for years and would like to see either a provincial or LMD metro force. The irony is that where would all the cops for a LMD force come from? Ah yes, the RCMP. I would patch over if there was a LMD force.

It really irks me that 3 or 4 guys out of 23,000 **** up and we should what, disband the rcmp? What if a surgeon screws up an operation, should we disband all dr's and get new ones?

As you once said Alan, you want to pay the least you can for policing services, with the RCMP you are.

dboy

people don't understand the structure of the rcmp which is very unique as a police force. We have contracted police services - for front line policing, provincial mandates for anti terrorism, criminal profiling, child exploitation, major crime, protective services, bomb disposal units, drugs, customs and border integrity. We also have the same services on a national level.

Imagine the CIA, FBI, Secret service, DEA, Homeland Security and front line coppers, state troppers all rolled into one outfit - that is what the RCMP is.