He and his team came to Canada because Western provided the research opportunities that was sadly going to be shut off to him in the UK because of lack of funding. If only the UK had the same outlook regarding the importance of investing in research and education. Maybe then the UK wouldn't be trailing Canada in global education rankings in reading/science/math. Canada subsidizes higher education and keeps university fees relatively low. The UK reduces funding and causes university fees to be hiked.

I see. So how do you explain the fact that Canada's education system is consistently ranked higher than the UK in the OECD global rankings ?

http://www.guardian.co.uk/news/datab...cience-reading

And I and my team (at that time, there's been a lot of turnover) came to Canada for some of the same reasons. Specifically decent research funding for me in my area (at the time) and an excellent salary, which has since more than doubled.

Unlike him though I didn't come from the UK nor from any other country where funding was lacking. My mistake (if there was one which there wasn't on a personal level) was to think that Canada would continue to be the country it was when I came here.

It's not, and I'm out of here. Thanks for all the fish.

I'm not sure I can follow that line of thought. I came here because houses were cheap and French spoken. My child moved there and I'm envious but I'm never going to have the kind of money needed to live where she does. And that, is like historical irony, because my parents were moved from there as children as part of slum clearance projects.

"I and my team"?

I think you're possibly going too far here. UWO has awesome facilities for neuroscience research (including ready access to patients as he says), but CBU is also pretty incredible. Cambridge is never going to be shut off from funding, it's the mid/low tier of UK universities that will be cut adrift after the latest REF round (and here I agree with you that Canadian universities overall are in better nick than UK ones). Here, the carrot just looks ridiculously good to resist ... Good news for Canadian academia, if more of these posts are made available!

Perhaps if they introduced standardised testing across the whole of Canada then high school diploma results may not seem as rosy or wonderful. From our experience in Ontario high schools, overinflated grade marks are quite common with constant extensions to deadlines. As my son observed, 'they can't fail'. Whereas in the UK his GCSE maths for example was two years study, examined at the end of the two years - no modules, no re-sits.

I came with 2 postdocs and a grad student who had been working for me in Germany.

The CERC positions were first introduced in 2008, there were 19 in the first round and a further 10 included in the 2011 budget. Each one is worth $10M over 7 years.

This sounds like a good idea until you note that, in typical Harper fashion, the money to fund these positions was taken out of NSERC/Tri-council operating funds, thereby sucking the system even drier.

I arrived July last year, took a job with a pay cut as you say now or never (I was 36) it was a dream of mine from being 18 ... I am now thinking of going back ... I live in PEI it is overly expensive and due to a works accident and on workers comp (80% net wage) for three months just got by paying for oil and food.

The people and place are amazing the working conditions are terrible long working weeks, two weeks paid holidays only a few of the public holidays given as I work in the private sector. When I arrived they changed my job that I was offered to something else more of a pay cut but what could I do I had uprooted my life for the dream.

Now with permanent damage to my foot and unable to take legal action ( workers comp is employer protection) I guess I have just had bad luck but I was sensible I kept my home in the uk and have had a positive response to getting a job just waiting to hear then it is two weeks notice a logisitics issue on getting my cat and 2 dogs back but nothing impossible.

Also I came here on my own .. I can return knowing I tried and will never regret not trying when I am old and grey.

Sir, I would say stay in Scotland it is beautiful. I've just moved from London to Toronto, and the housing Market is crazy, Insurance is difficult to get, schools are good but different. But in the same breath, it is easier to move when kids are young as they adapt better, but it is also harder on parents as there isn't the same kind of help that you have back at home. I would seriously look at what the cost of living will be when you arrive, and costs of cars etc...and also check out the area you would consider living in before putting in your 3rd application.

Sorry just to add I'm a returning canadian after a decade and my husband is british, he had an opportunity to come to Toronto. But everyday we keep saying how is this life any better. It has only been 2 months...so maybe early days, but I love England and miss it dearly and so do my 2 kids, 9 and 5.

I have been in a very similar situation, had nurse job lined up , positive LMO , ready to go... house wouldn't sell , then came international hire freeze...cried alot picked myself up and applied to BC instead.

Flew over to do SEC exams and found Oout they wanted more training from me (more money in my opinion but thats a different story) could not afford these courses ontop of move etc.... cried alot picked myself up and applied to Ontario. first registration declined as not Baccalaureate , sat equivalency papers... eleigability for CRNE !!! yeah... flew to Toronto last year passed CRNE and then started to "pimp" myself out for work....

Nothing forthcoming... cried alot picked myself up now finally have job offer and waiting LMO in rented property and cant wait to go.

What I mean to say with all this , is that you will have doubts and plenty of times you get cold feet, but whatever spurred you on to think of it in the first place, will always be there... the waht ifs dont go away.

I have 2 kids 6 and 8 and we have all lived with this "unsettled" feeling for years!! I grew up moving house and country my entire life .. its made me strong adventurous and brave... its a good thing and kids are soooooo resiliant they will surprise you and settle sooner than you will.

I admire your tenacity but do you think it was worth it?

Too soon to say innit... that are not living here yet. I hope its worth it in the end.