It's not even that. My company gives me 25 days - 5 of which are for length of service. I didn't negotiate and I don't do any shuffling of flex or overtime.

Yes, my OH is in IT and quite senior and he negotiated 4 weeks from the start. There is no way he would accept 2 weeks

I work in a Travel Agency so holiday is flexi as I can take time off for Fam trips plus my holiday.

Any jobs going?

Hope you realise you are lucky? Goes away wondering what degree one should study for....

I admit I pinch myself every day.

I was lucky, one of my friends plays golf with my current manager. He was looking for someone to take his place when he retired and my friend told him I would be the perfect person.

Now I just have to wait around until he retires.

When I was looking for work, I saw many jobs with 3 weeks annual leave as standard, also some jobs have extra statutory days.

In my last couple of jobs everyone gets Christmas eve, christmas day, boxing day, new years eve, new years day and the day after new years off. In the UK all I got was 3 statutory days.

I get 4 weeks + 12 public holidays. That's more than I got in the UK.

To focus the discussion flying around regarding holiday, I'm content that the relevant Police Service has more than the basic 2-weeks mentioned by many. Does anyone have an insight into the architectural/design/illustration industry in Calgary and outlying areas, please?

This is my Wifes industry.

http://www.calgaryeconomicdevelopmen...esoverview.cfm paints a rather rosy picture of Calgary's creative industries.

Thoughts?

JJ.

Ps - Additionally, to go back to my very first post (and a reminder of what I'm after), I'm building a picture and researching the following areas;
Ps - thank you again for a wealth of information. I've been amazed at the discussion this thread has generated. I'm certainly much better informed compared to just 24-hours ago. Please keep it coming.

started on 2 weeks hols plus stats.

2nd year goes up to 3 weeks

5 years goes up to 4 weeks

etc.

I / We say GO FOR IT ! Todays budget would suggest that the UK is not going to be a good place to live for the next 4/5 years

JJ.

I am due to start with Edmonton Police Service in the near future and can confirm that recruiting has slowed down considerably. They are no longer accepting international applications but you can send a Resume (CV) and they will consider you to apply if and when they open it up again for international recruits. EPS have only one recruit class this year in November compared to other years where they seemed to have around 3 classes a year.

In regards to Calgary Police I think the situation is the same as that of Edmonton and they will only accept a Resume for future consideration.

To the best of my knowledge only Edmonton and Calgary have sponsored international policing applicants and all other police forces require you to be a permanent resident prior to applying.

Tim

With criminality, there is crime, though a lot less fear of crime. Most of what I have heard about has been drug related.

Where I live, we leave our doors unlocked without any issue. The main selling point for the alarm companies is fire prevention.

With the education system some things are harder than the UK and some much easier. Teachers seem much more laid back than they were in the UK. If you want to take your child out of school for a family holiday you can. You also spend a lot more money. I have to pay for lunchtime supervision, all of their exercise books, paper and other materials. You get your school list every summer and you have to buy all the things on it. Some schools also have shool uniforms which can be quite expensive.


The children have something called an agenda and teachers send back regular messages which they expect you to read and sign for. with my younger children, they send back a copy of each test they do which you have to sign and send back.

At post secondary level they have a bursary and loan system. Parents are expected to contribute to their child's education.

This just highlights the highly localised nature of education here, with many separate boards doing things differently.

Apart from the agenda I dont recognise any of this as stuff we do here...

Which is great unless you'd like some diversity in your holiday destination.


.

Hi Kamikaze, I caught your un-edited post and would be grateful if you could outline the reasons why you moved/are looking to move? I admire your chutzpah! Were those of you making the move on the same wavelength as you progressed through the decision making stage? I ask because part of me would move in a heartbeat. My Wife however is going to take a degree of convincing. It would be whole lot easier if we were both looking at a potential move from the same angle. Were you fortunate enough to enjoy this?

Thanks Tim, are you ex-TVP (background, etc)? What has prompted you to make the move and who do you take with you? Wife, children, etc.

JJ.

I'll try this one. I can only speak from living close to a very multicultural city. If you end up in the boonies where 90% of the people share three family names things might be different.

As much as anything it is down to you. We came prepared to make the effort to fit in but found we really didn't need to. In a city like Vancouver immigrants don't need to fit in because being an immigrant is a pretty normal condition.

With regard to making new friends it is obviously hit and miss at first. You can make a lot of acquaintances but inevitably some fall by the wayside, most remain acquaintances, but in time you meet people you can call friends. The shared experience of being immigrants is a great starting point.

After eleven years we are quite content with our situation. We choose not to live in a social whirl but have all the friends we need. Thinking on it, of all the people I or Mrs JonboyE call friends only one is a cradle* (he is the only one born in Canada) and only one is a Brit (been here 45 years).


* BE definition: someone born in Canada of two parents born in Canada.

I have been visiting BC for the last 10 years and my new woman (new wife) had never been to Canada, I have been trying to get the balls to make the move for what seems like a lifetime, I took my new wife out there 3 years ago for the first time and we did the Canadream motorhome deal where they give you the RV for $100 as long as you deliver it to Whitehorse in the Yukon, I extended the trip and took her over to the Island and we did the trip to Tofino and up to Campbell river ,then down to Victoria in April time when the roads are quite and the throbbing hoards are not everywhere, great weather and your eyes getting filled up around every corner showed her that there is a lot of outdoor livivng to be done in Canada, and that was her hooked, before she went to Canada she would have told you she would never have camped in her life, after 2 weeks in Canada she wanted to buy a tent we have been back 3 times ayear since and are now proud to be property owners on Vancouver Island.
It has taken 3 years to actually put day to day life on hold long enough to make this dream a reality, I just wish I had pushed the button 10 years ago when $2.10 to the £ was a reallity.