British Expats
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British Expats (https://britishexpats.com/forum/)
-   Canada (https://britishexpats.com/forum/canada-56/)
-   -   The Difference? (https://britishexpats.com/forum/canada-56/difference-673311/)

JonboyE Jun 22nd 2010 4:51 am
Re: The Difference?
 
Originally Posted by iaink (Post 8649237)
Doesnt change the fact that its very expensive to go anywhere, and that anywhere with sun and sand will be a fairly long trek from the West Coast.
Less than $700 (inc tax) for a week in July in a beach front hotel in Puerto Vallarta. I don't know how this compares to a Cost del Sol type package deal which I guess is the UK equivalent.

That said, no one in their right mind would want to miss Vancouver in the summer. The same deal in February 2010 (when you might want to get away) costs $1,025.

A lot of people are buying property in Arizona and Nevada. It is dirt cheap right now. It is within 2 days driving and there are reasonably cheap flights. Then you can have all the sun you need.

ExKiwilass Jun 22nd 2010 4:53 am
Re: The Difference?
 
Agreed. I know plenty of peeps who head to Mexico, Arizona etc. for sun. Lots of packages to be had.

LA, San fran are only a couple of hours flight away or you can drive. Hawaii is only 5 hours.

Jeremy James Jun 22nd 2010 4:57 am
Re: The Difference?
 
Originally Posted by JonboyE @ 5.35pm, 22/6/10
Two weeks is the minimum an employer must offer. In some industries it is also normal for workers but it is not something that seems to be an issue for most Canadians.

It is very common to negotiate more if you are in a more senior position. This just depends whether or not the employer wants you more than you want the job.

From what I gather the terms and conditions of employment of police officers are much better than the legal minimum. I think you will find that, one way or another, you could end up with quite a bit more than two weeks.
Brilliant, thanks for that.

Originally Posted by IainK @ 5.38pm, 22/6/10
I was able to drive more or less non stop from Bedford to Fife on the motorways and back, and around the M25 to Surrey and back, and up to Sheffield with no hold ups at all
Really?! :ohmy::D

You can't have been on the M25 recently then. It's utter carnage and usually resembles a war-zone. :(

Originally Posted by MikeUK @ 5.44pm, 22/6/10
I'm an Ex-Brit married to a Canadian with two Canadian son’s, I’m a senior scientist for a major North American brewer, so you could say I have one of those good jobs every bodies dreaming of finding when they get here, and you’d be right. I’ve been here a total of about nine years, two in London ON a smaller city according to Canadians but more of a large town, and the last 7 years in the GTA some in suburban Brampton which is best described as a cultural melting pot with the visual appeal of Milton Keynes, and more recently in Cheltenham in the Caledon region which I would describe as very pleasant on the eye, if not the pocket.

One upside of my profession is that I get to travel and work in many locations around North America so you get to see many of the places warts and all. I have also had the luxury of taking a road trip around eastern Canada and driving from Toronto to Alaska, so I’ve seen quite a bit of Canada cities and the vast empty places too.
Thanks for that. Suburban Brampton sounds exquisite... :)

el_richo Jun 22nd 2010 5:03 am
Re: The Difference?
 
Originally Posted by Jeremy James (Post 8649293)
You can't have been on the M25 recently then. It's utter carnage and usually resembles a war-zone. :(
I have, and it was fine. The odd hold up but outside of key rush hour times, it's perfectly fine.

I find it no different from driving into Downtown Vancouver, other than the huge volume of traffic lights.


.

R I C H Jun 22nd 2010 5:05 am
Re: The Difference?
 
4 Attachment(s)
Originally Posted by iaink (Post 8649237)
Doesn't change the fact that its very expensive to go anywhere, and that anywhere with sun and sand will be a fairly long trek from the West Coast.
That's all available on the doorstep here :)

Pics from Vancouver Island last week......

iaink Jun 22nd 2010 5:10 am
Re: The Difference?
 
Originally Posted by Jeremy James (Post 8649293)

Really?! :ohmy::D

You can't have been on the M25 recently then. It's utter carnage and usually resembles a war-zone. :(
Reallly. From the M1 to and from Gatwick. Yes, there are roadworks, but stuff kept moving through them at 40MPH thanks to the average speed enforcement.

On the other hand when I got back to Toronto I sat for a good long while on the 401 (allegedly the busiest road on this side of the Atlantic) due to far less invasive evening road works, as I did on the way to the airport. Considering the weight of traffic, the disruption seems to be managed far more effectively in the UK than it did in the days when I lived there.

I never left the UK because I disliked it, but sometimes you have to be away a while before you can look at it with fresh eyes and see what you missed when you lived there. As I said, its hard to be objective once you decide that maybe a change of scene would do you good. I saw a lot of good stuff in the UK, certainly enough to make me think that anyone with a decent job living in a decent area should stop and think about what it is they hope to improve by uprooting family and leaving friends behind to come to Canada.

dbd33 Jun 22nd 2010 5:16 am
Re: The Difference?
 
Originally Posted by iaink (Post 8649320)
Reallly. From the M1 to and from Gatwick. Yes, there are roadworks, but stuff kept moving through them at 40MPH thanks to the average speed enforcement.

On the other hand when I got back to Toronto I sat for a good long while on the 401 (allegedly the busiest road on this side of the Atlantic) due to far less invasive evening road works, as I did on the way to the airport. Considering the weight of traffic, the disruption seems to be managed far more effectively in the UK than it did in the days when I lived there.
Note that, during the summer, the 427 is closed from 8pm until early morning. It's hard to see how the M25 can be less well managed than that.

Jeremy James Jun 22nd 2010 5:27 am
Re: The Difference?
 
Originally Posted by JonboyE @ 5.51pm, 22/6/10
A lot of people are buying property in Arizona and Nevada. It is dirt cheap right now. It is within 2 days driving and there are reasonably cheap flights. Then you can have all the sun you need.
This has got to be an advantage, surely?! :thumbsup:

Originally Posted by Kiwilass @ 5.53pm, 22/6/10
Agreed. I know plenty of peeps who head to Mexico, Arizona etc. for sun. Lots of packages to be had.

LA, San fran are only a couple of hours flight away or you can drive. Hawaii is only 5 hours.
.. as has this. :)

Originally Posted by El Richo @ 6.03pm, 22/6/10
I have, and it was fine. The odd hold up but outside of key rush hour times, it's perfectly fine.
What you're not telling me is that you're a motorcyclist and able to filter through the traffic..... ;)

Originally Posted by RICH @ 6.05pm, 22/6/10
That's all available on the doorstep here

Pics from Vancouver Island last week......
Beautiful. I'm very envious.

Originally Posted by iainK @ 6.10pm
Reallly. From the M1 to and from Gatwick. Yes, there are roadworks, but stuff kept moving through them at 40MPH thanks to the average speed enforcement.
Oh yes. I avoid it whenever possible. The M1 is brilliant ever since its expansion, the M25 though.. traffic can be so thick the sheer density of vehicles bends time! Ok, so I'm exaggerating a fraction.

Generally speaking, the M25 is one to avoid if you're a commuter. I've seen people age on that damned road. :thumbdown:

iaink Jun 22nd 2010 5:31 am
Re: The Difference?
 
Originally Posted by Jeremy James (Post 8649359)

What you're not telling me is that you're a motorcyclist and able to filter through the traffic..... ;)
If it matters to you filtering is another thing that is illegal here. You are likely to get a ticket, assuming you are lucky enough not to have some knob in an F150 open their door on you to "teach you a lesson".

Canada is not very motor cycle friendly between the climate, the laws, the bugs and the drivers:unsure:

Almost Canadian Jun 22nd 2010 5:40 am
Re: The Difference?
 
Originally Posted by dbd33 (Post 8649171)
I've not been to Regina, or any of the other cities where the aboriginal population is considered to be a problem, but, in Toronto, I step over the aboriginal people as they lay across the pavement. Just last evening I restrained my dog from licking one such person. I personally don't much care about their state, but there is an argument that, in a caring society, the descendants of the original population of the country should not be living rough on city streets.
Are all the homeless in Toronto "aboriginal"?

el_richo Jun 22nd 2010 5:41 am
Re: The Difference?
 
Originally Posted by R I C H (Post 8649310)
That's all available on the doorstep here :)

Pics from Vancouver Island last week......
The picture of the sealion is brilliant.


.

Piff Poff Jun 22nd 2010 5:42 am
Re: The Difference?
 
Originally Posted by Kiwilass (Post 8649267)
Hawaii? California?
I'm going to agree with IainK on the price of holibobs, most people here including ourselves don't want to go away when the weather is actually nice/warm. We tend to think of sunnier climes in the winter months (of which there are several). The you have to figure in school holidays so your kid(s) don't miss much, that gives you 2 weeks at Christmas and a week at Spring Break. I know I was looking at a week anywhere warm at Spring Break, I couldn't find anything suitable for less than $6K for a family of three for just one week and I'm only talking 2 or 3 stars, cheap as poss. I did find 5 nights in San Diego for $2.5k but couldn't talk OH into it as he didn't want to use his precious vacation time in case we got rellies out this summer:unsure:

So I will say again if foreign holidays are a big part of your life, think hard. We haven't had a proper vacation in 6 years now, the Doctor has told me I need to take a vacation of at least 2 weeks preferably 3, so I can recover from burnout - only probs the likelyhood of winning the lottery is slim...

dbd33 Jun 22nd 2010 5:43 am
Re: The Difference?
 
Originally Posted by Almost Canadian (Post 8649386)
Are all the homeless in Toronto "aboriginal"?
No. It's closer to the truth to say that all the aboriginal people are homeless.
However, in considering whether or not the aboriginal people are disadvantaged, the situation of people who are not aboriginal has little relevance.

iaink Jun 22nd 2010 5:44 am
Re: The Difference?
 
Originally Posted by el_richo (Post 8649390)
The picture of the sealion is brilliant.


.
Yes, one may not be able to eat scenery, but you can probably eat sealion:unsure:

Almost Canadian Jun 22nd 2010 5:44 am
Re: The Difference?
 
Originally Posted by Jeremy James (Post 8649262)
In answer to your first question, I would say relatively easily... that was until the UK went bust and the Metropolitan Police Service has decided to cease recruitment and empty the pot of all persons who'd passed the application/assessment/interview/medical phase and we're waiting for a start date. Regarding the ease of sliding in at the same point they'd left the UK/Canada, most defininetly not.
That was the point I was making. It is difficult to find jobs in most professions at the moment, both in Canada and England


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