malikrangers

Hello everyone,

We are a British family living in Germany and we like the idea of settling down in Canada. I am just a little apprehensive about the cold weather, i feel that whenever it gets cold here then there is always an abundance of viruses that seem to go round making us all sick and my husband seems to always get bronchitis after a cold. Is it the same there? would a warmer climate change the whole virus situation?
Do you think i have a good reason to be apprehensive about the move to Canada or am i simply being silly?
I really do love the natural beauty of the country and my husband simply loves the idea of settling in Canada. Any advice would be much appreciated.

BristolUK

I was amazed how I got used to the cold. The thing is, though, you dress for it.

My first visit to Canada was in December. I brought a fleece that was more than adequate for England but it was useless the very first time out waiting at a bus stop.

I borrowed a jacket (two pieces zipped into one) and it is so warm to wear. I still wear it - it belonged to my wife's ex. I just do not get cold in it.

I cycle wearing it in temperatures of minus 25. My legs don't work so well in that temperature and I can't cover as much of my face as I'd like as I wear specs, so that can get a bit sore....but I don't feel cold.

Digging snow...now THAT is a problem with the amount we've had. Many breaks are needed to avoid getting cold.

I'm pretty healthy so it's best not to judge by me. My wife and step kids though....before we moved to NB we lived in an apartment in Quebec. Any virus hitting one spread to the others - me included. Here none of us have suffered from anything liike that in over two years.

Novocastrian

Germany is a damp cold. Seriously, there are less infectious nasties here in winter when it's really cold.

Having said that, I'm sick as I type.

Willkommen.

Ontheboatout

We were concerned about our six year old as she was always picking up infections in the UK in the cold wet winters and as she was born with a chest problem was often hospitallized with pneumococcus.

We have been here three winters now, on Nova Scotia's North Shore, down to -20C at times, a lot of snow and she has had just one or two mild colds that she recovers from very quickly.

I think it is the dampness rather than the cold that weakens the immune system.

malikrangers

thankyou so much you guys,
i feel more relaxed about moving now.
if i may ask my husband is a lean six sigma black belt and has applied to mosnter.ca for jobs. Are there any other good job websites to try as i really
want to get out of Germany before our 6 year old starts school here, i would like him to start school in Canada so that it's not so traumatic for him. (making freinds then leaving them etc)

Also are preschools free? i have a four year old also and he goes to kindergarten here.

Ontheboatout

Yes Pre-school is free in Nova Scotia - they call it Pop-ups. They start school at 5.

malikrangers

thanx Ontheboatout!
england start at 5 too, germany 6 he's already missing a year, but he's real bright!! we teach him at home while he's not going to school.

which states in canada would be best to work in for a lean six sigma IT black belt working in Paharmaceuticals?

redarmy990

hi if i was you i would look on the canadian job bank website just type canadian job bank on google then away you go get searching and good luck

Alberta_Rose

I used to get about 4 colds a year in UK winters .... I was here for about 18 months before I caught my first cold, and I think I have only had one since. (Landed Calgary October 2005)

I'm sure it's the dry climate .... that and the fact that it's too cold for viruses to live here!!!!!

My hubby is much better than he was too. In the UK he had constant trouble with his sinuses.... he had three (?) surgeries for recurring nasal polyps, and his snoring was practically grounds for divorce in my opinion!

The boys tend to get colds still ... I think it's a teenage/school/college/kissing the girls thing!

malikrangers

thanx morwenna, yeh you are right about the kids catching stuff in kindergarten/school. i guess the parents cannot escape when their kids bring it home either!

anyway tell me how does Canada compare with Uk? anyone else also willing to share- will be very grateful!

iaink

I dont know that the cold makes us more susceptable to colds etc, but the dryness in the winter can cause dry itchy skin and sinus problems. Thats controled inside with humidifiers of course, but if you are spending a lot of time outside it can become annoying.

As far as absolute temperature goes, In the iinhabited bits of Ontario it really honestly doenst often feel all that cold, the sun shines mostly, and humidity and winds are usually low. Houses and clothes are built to deal with it anyway.

Lenny

Hey!

Well, Canada is a vast country as you know. With that comes varying weather patterns. Speaking for Southern Alberta (Calgary), the winter weather is a breeze compared to other parts of the country. We have lovely 'Chinooks' regularly during winter. These are warm air currents that come up over the Rockies from the Pacific.

A classic example of this is going to work during a -30 degree morning, only to find at lunchtime that's it's +5 degrees and you're overdressed! Southern Alberta is also very dry and so the 'bonechilling' cold isn't felt (unless you are being hit by the windchill. Chinooks do tend to cause some people to have headaches (not me!). So there is a downside.

In answer to your question, I don't think you are being silly as many people don't take enough into consideration when moving here. However it's not nearly as bad here as my family think it is ...it's colder in Scotland, much colder! My brother came a couple of years ago ...and was disappointed that it wasn't colder. He came overdressed! Still, on Christmas Day it was a brown Christmas ...until we looked out to the freshly fallen snow late in the afternoon. 4 seasons in one day sometimes! But generally its easily bearable. Dress sensibly. Houses are built quite airtight ...so if respitory illnessess are a concern then I'd advise a getting a good air conditioner installed. Modern houses generally have good ventillation systems built into the heating system.

Hope this helps.

malikrangers

Thankyou Lenny and iaink,

ok so i am feeling a lot better about the cold and also knowing that houses are built for them is good to know, now we need my husband to get a good job in Canada for us to leave Germany. We do not want to go back to UK- nothing there anymore and seems to look more grey everytime we visit family

we did apply for citizenship, we applied nearly two year ago i think? but applying for jobs will be the best way to get there faster as i do not want my son to start a german school in September! i want him to go to a school and stay there no moving around, no disturbances, and an english speaking one at that!

Lenny

Hi again,

I just wanted you to know that if you're interested in moving to Canada that it is a long process. You say you applied for 'citizenship' a couple of years ago. I think that it's unlikey that you'll get 'citizenship' until you have lived in Canada for 3 full years. The 'Landed Immigrant status' (Permanent Resident Visa) is what you want ...and that application process will take about 3 years to materialise (assuming you meet all the criteria) - some say it now takes 5 years. However don't despair as I did mine in 18 months (OK that was 6 years agoi, but I did prepare well and had all my facts in order) through the fasttrack method (with and 'in-demand' prefession).

Good luck with that. I agree on your perception of the UK being 'grey', I felt that too. Home is Canada now for sure!

Best wishes...

malikrangers

Hello Lenny,
i'm sorry i meant permanent residence not citizinship
anyway my husband is a lean six sigma black belt project manager in manufactering. he's been working for a pharma company for the last 8 years and wants a new start. Canada is the place he is most fond of. if you have any advice on the best way to get a job quick then please please let me know as i really want to move before september this year.
p.s maybe you know of soem good network he could get in touch with
thanks mate!