Do we have a hope in hell's chance?
 

Hello everybody,

Okay, I'll try to be brief. We have visa's, which we 'landed' Summer this year; we're now back in the UK until son complete GCSE's. Whilst on our trip, we had a good look around to find an area to eventually base ourselves. Unfortunately, we took a real shine to Vancouver Island. The reason I say 'unfortunately' is that my OH's current job (QA - medical devices in the past and more recently food ingredients) is what will determine where we'll end up (as is usually the case). We only had time to spend a day on the Island but loved what we saw.

OH is pretty certain that there won't be much in his line of work there and having done a bit of research myself on the net, it appears he may be right. Does anyone out there know if there are many (any) chemical companies/food manufacturers on the Island to give me half a hope that we could actually base ourselves there if he landed a job?

Thanks in advance.

Re: Do we have a hope in hell's chance?
 

Hi there,

Not sure if this will help or not, but here is a list of food manufacturers in BC - some on Vancouver Island.

http://www.companylisting.ca/BC/all/311/default.aspx

and another for Vancouver.
http://bc.allpages.com/vancouver/man...manufacturers/

You may also be able to get more info from BCFPA - http://www.bcfpa.ca/

:)

Re: Do we have a hope in hell's chance?
 

Thanks very much siouxie, will have a look at them....it seems the second link could be really very useful. This emigrating malarky's a bit stressful.....got a son who can't wait to go but keeps harping on about only moving to BC (he's into snowboarding etc). To be fair to him, he's only really been to Nova Scotia (very nice but maybe later in life) and BC. He fell in love with it! OH is just happy to go where the jobs are (makes sense). Me, I'm just happy if my boys are happy but secretly it would be nice to settle on the Island. A girl can dream....

Trying to keep my pecker up but as time ticks on, feeling the pressure of son/OH's wants and needs and hoping to balance it with some useful suggestions. I expect many of you on this forum have been/are in this situation and I know we will have good times and bad. Right now we all feel a little insecure; emigrating without a job in place is one dodgy situation to be in so we are praying that something will come up between now and June next year. Quite prepared that OH may have to go before us, seems sensible if something should come up :fingerscrossed:

Re: Do we have a hope in hell's chance?
 

Bear in mind that those links are for Vancouver, which is on the mainland. Have you tried googling QA jobs? Just make sure you are on the Canadian Google website. Below is a job found on that search with Maple Leaf Foods (Burlington Ontario)
Best of luck.

http://www.mapleleafcareers.com/Posi...ang=&Id=108677

Re: Do we have a hope in hell's chance?
 

Thanks so much for your reply, will google as mentioned. Link to job was great but this is my problem. Lots of chemist/pharma/tech type jobs are on the east side of the country but said son is so set on the west side that it's making it difficult for us. So much so that said OH is now stressing that he will not be able to make the dream of BC come true for young fella m' lad. Conversation at dinner just this week:

Son: 'so, where are we going to be in Canada then?'
OH: 'where the job is, of course'
Son: 'we don't have to go anywhere other than BC, do we?'
OH: 'we'll have to see where I can get a job'
Son: 'oh God, I really don't want to go anywhere other than BC'
OH: knowing look at me across the table
Me: knowing look back with a feeling of dread in stomach

Our son is quite aware that this is not going to be easy but his age doesn't help (15)....I'll say no more.

All I want to do is keep them both happy.....

But thanks anyway for that link......really appreciated.

Re: Do we have a hope in hell's chance?
 

You're going to have to follow the work. If your son starts university a couple of years after you emigrate, he might well end up somewhere else anyway. If you don't settle in BC, he can go to university there.

Re: Do we have a hope in hell's chance?
 

Have you looked the other side of the Rockies? Just a thought, but if youngster's main pull is snowboarding there's plenty from Calgary-side, and you can always vacation in BC if you want. (drive or fly)

Re: Do we have a hope in hell's chance?
 

DottyP
Just out of curiosity do you have everything in order in regard to moving over?
We are at this moment in time getting the ball rolling in regard to moving to BC and its quite a long winded process.
My partners a nurse and were coming on the strength of that but the whole registration and what not takes a long time.

Was just wondering how you were finding it all..especially as not yet having sorted a job out yet? Seems very hard to get a job until there and hard to get there without a job!

Andy + Liz

Re: Do we have a hope in hell's chance?
 

Hello Andy and Liz!

How are we finding it all? Well, here's the thing. We sold our house (great!), moved into rented (small but nice....), did the whole 'landing/reccie' trip (fab) and are now just....well....erm....in limbo really. Significant other is actually finding the pressure a bit daunting really as he is the one with the qualifications and good job so will be the one who needs to find the job in Canada. No pressure.....

We have hit the chicken and egg part of the move; getting a job determines where you end up but how do you know where to start without the job?! Mind boggling.....

We've decided that we have to hit ALL and EVERY company we can with resume's and if anything (:fingerscrossed:) comes of it, he'll have to take a week or two off from his current job to attend interviews etc. If he's successful (God willing) he'll have to go out before us. That said, so far anything we've sent has come back with a big, fat....nutten.

We would have liked to have moved out in June 2011 (after our son as completed his GCSE's) but I guess we'd be bonkers to even contemplate moving out without a secure job in place. Mind you, I read on this forum that others do it and do eventually find a job. I'm just fearful of the unknown (aren't we all?). We've read often that the lack of job can cause tension in relationships and obviously that's the last thing we want. After three years of visa processing, we really don't want it to go belly up now. So, after all my waffle, we just have to keep our fingers crossed that someone, somewhere will think he's worth employing and start our ball rolling.

Have you landed your visa's yet?

Re: Do we have a hope in hell's chance?
 

To be honest, my son and I hadn't as we've never been to Calgary-side but OH is willing to go anywhere! I think that wherever we end up (well, within reason) will eventually be okay with our Son, as he's pretty easy going. Mind you he was so taken with Vancouver and the Island that he's now pretty much blinkered.....hmmmm.....

Re: Do we have a hope in hell's chance?
 

That's very true.....he'll be sixteen at the beginning of 2011 and is already out more than indoors so I guess he'll go where the education/work is eventually anyway. I just want to get it right. I hate the thought that he becomes resentful of being taken away from the friends he loves here. Mind you, teens are pretty easily swayed by new mates so I'm hoping that once he meets a new crew, he'll be happy wherever. Nobody ever said this would be easy and where kids are concerned, the worry just gets bigger!

Re: Do we have a hope in hell's chance?
 

A quick search on "workopolis" turned up a few in BC, not sure if any are on the island though.

I would suggest your husband put his resume on Workopolis and Jobbank and make sure he puts down that he is a permanant resident (and therefore does not require a work permit).

Workopolis:
http://www.workopolis.com/EN/job-sea...2ccanada&lg=en

This job is in Delta BC http://www.workopolis.com/EN/job/11712202 and appears to be right up his street.

Jobbank:
http://www.jobbank.gc.ca/res-eng.asp...=50&Student=No

Hope that gives some other options anyway!

:)

Edit: Vancouver Island's website http://www.vancouverisland.com BC jobs websites: http://www.bcjobs.ca/ and http://www.bcjobs.com/ may be of use too.

Re: Do we have a hope in hell's chance?
 

Hi

We should be getting our PR visas by December and again no job offer!!!

So our plans have changed, like you said dodgy all going without a job in place. O/H will also be going alone to find and see what's out there, although don't think it will be difficult to land a job.

Again we have no idea where we're going to live but we've thought about Alberta. Close to the ski resorts, direct flights to UK and pretty much where most of the jobs are. I thought Calgary was sim to Milton Keynes but on the outskirts had a different feeling. Okotoks is quite nice but I'm looking at Red Deer. I thought Vancouver Island was ok and Vancouver was good, but I knew Alberta had more to offer. I enjoyed Manitoba, although quite flat I loved the styles of cheaper houses, lakes and the people. Although jobs there are paying less, not near to moutains and two flights back to UK (expensive for us and visitors).

It could be at least a year before we join him, so much to sort out before hand. Houses not selling, bits to pay off and save up a good deposit. Not ideal but I'de rather be safe than sorry and not have to return back home.

Good Luck

Angela

Re: Do we have a hope in hell's chance?
 

Thanks again siouxie, I really appreciate the time you have spent attaching these links. Will have a good trawl through this afternoon, maybe something will come up eh?! Have a great weekend and thanks again!
:)

Re: Do we have a hope in hell's chance?
 

Hi again Siouxie,

We've have a good look at all the links you sent us....we'd just like to say a big 'THANKS' to you for your time - seems there could be some really interesting leads. It's always good to have local knowledge so we appreciate yours!!

Thanks again! You're an angel!

:angel_smile: