Go Back  British Expats > Living & Moving Abroad > Canada
Reload this Page >

How do you decide to move to Canada?

How do you decide to move to Canada?

Old Nov 1st 2017, 4:50 pm
  #31  
Resident Maple Leaf Lush
 
sharkus's Avatar
 
Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 1,743
sharkus has a reputation beyond reputesharkus has a reputation beyond reputesharkus has a reputation beyond reputesharkus has a reputation beyond reputesharkus has a reputation beyond reputesharkus has a reputation beyond reputesharkus has a reputation beyond reputesharkus has a reputation beyond reputesharkus has a reputation beyond reputesharkus has a reputation beyond reputesharkus has a reputation beyond repute
Default Re: How do you decide to move to Canada?

How did I decide? The company I worked for opened an office in Canada, and I was asked if I would like to relocate and head up the team there. I wasn't alone in being asked, and the majority of us decided to go for it. We had a nice safety net in that we could return to the UK and resume our jobs there if we didn't like it there / here.

It's not every day you get a chance like that, so I went for it. That was in 2003, and I'm still here.
sharkus is offline  
Old Nov 1st 2017, 8:00 pm
  #32  
BE Forum Addict
 
Paul_Shepherd's Avatar
 
Joined: Feb 2008
Posts: 2,113
Paul_Shepherd has a reputation beyond reputePaul_Shepherd has a reputation beyond reputePaul_Shepherd has a reputation beyond reputePaul_Shepherd has a reputation beyond reputePaul_Shepherd has a reputation beyond reputePaul_Shepherd has a reputation beyond reputePaul_Shepherd has a reputation beyond reputePaul_Shepherd has a reputation beyond reputePaul_Shepherd has a reputation beyond reputePaul_Shepherd has a reputation beyond reputePaul_Shepherd has a reputation beyond repute
Default Re: How do you decide to move to Canada?

Originally Posted by Stinkypup
I can't speak for AX but I think it was the crassness of the post which warranted his reasonable response- nothing outside of London in the UK or outside Toronto ( bar the Rockies to keep the lad happy on his snowboard) - talk about blinkered. Maybe he was just trolling...

Hmm....from what I can pick up from James, I sense he was throwing out a bit of reactionary bait there!
Paul_Shepherd is offline  
Old Nov 1st 2017, 9:18 pm
  #33  
Every day's a school day
 
Joined: Jan 2005
Location: Was Calgary back in Edmonton again !!
Posts: 2,667
cheeky_monkey has a reputation beyond reputecheeky_monkey has a reputation beyond reputecheeky_monkey has a reputation beyond reputecheeky_monkey has a reputation beyond reputecheeky_monkey has a reputation beyond reputecheeky_monkey has a reputation beyond reputecheeky_monkey has a reputation beyond reputecheeky_monkey has a reputation beyond reputecheeky_monkey has a reputation beyond reputecheeky_monkey has a reputation beyond reputecheeky_monkey has a reputation beyond repute
Default Re: How do you decide to move to Canada?

When i was growing up when i asked where in the world you emigrate to i always said Canada not sure why but there...in 1999 i turned down a job offer and visa to live in New York because my children were under 2 and it came out of the blue and as a family we hadn't ever thought about living abroad..move onto 2004 bored at work one day..so i took a test on being eligible to live in Canada just because i had nothing to do..i found i had enough points and would qualify...and as they say the rest is history....
cheeky_monkey is offline  
Old Nov 1st 2017, 9:42 pm
  #34  
BE Forum Addict
 
Paul_Shepherd's Avatar
 
Joined: Feb 2008
Posts: 2,113
Paul_Shepherd has a reputation beyond reputePaul_Shepherd has a reputation beyond reputePaul_Shepherd has a reputation beyond reputePaul_Shepherd has a reputation beyond reputePaul_Shepherd has a reputation beyond reputePaul_Shepherd has a reputation beyond reputePaul_Shepherd has a reputation beyond reputePaul_Shepherd has a reputation beyond reputePaul_Shepherd has a reputation beyond reputePaul_Shepherd has a reputation beyond reputePaul_Shepherd has a reputation beyond repute
Default Re: How do you decide to move to Canada?

Originally Posted by cheeky_monkey
When i was growing up when i asked where in the world you emigrate to i always said Canada not sure why but there...in 1999 i turned down a job offer and visa to live in New York because my children were under 2 and it came out of the blue and as a family we hadn't ever thought about living abroad..move onto 2004 bored at work one day..so i took a test on being eligible to live in Canada just because i had nothing to do..i found i had enough points and would qualify...and as they say the rest is history....

When I used to hear of people emigrating I used to think....I cant believe they have done that...giving up everything and everyone they have ever known and starting a new life in another country! I could never do that! and now here I am over 8 years in Canada. Surprising what events that occur in your life can make you do.
Paul_Shepherd is offline  
Old Nov 2nd 2017, 5:13 am
  #35  
BE Enthusiast
 
Joined: Sep 2016
Location: Calgary, AB
Posts: 327
suzeandmatt has a reputation beyond reputesuzeandmatt has a reputation beyond reputesuzeandmatt has a reputation beyond reputesuzeandmatt has a reputation beyond reputesuzeandmatt has a reputation beyond reputesuzeandmatt has a reputation beyond reputesuzeandmatt has a reputation beyond reputesuzeandmatt has a reputation beyond reputesuzeandmatt has a reputation beyond reputesuzeandmatt has a reputation beyond reputesuzeandmatt has a reputation beyond repute
Default Re: How do you decide to move to Canada?

Interesting reading all the different reasons that brought people here.
For me, Canada was always somewhere I liked the idea of as a kid, and I always knew I wouldn’t permanently settle in the UK. But, we hadn’t actively looked at emigrating by that point to be honest.
But thanks to my husbands PhD in climate change which he completed last year, he found the ideal post doctorate research position here in Calgary and we happily hopped on a plane and came over!!! Fortunately- it’s exactly what I hoped it would be...and we don’t plan on leaving any time soon! :-)
suzeandmatt is offline  
Old Nov 6th 2017, 6:34 pm
  #36  
Dichotomus tinker
 
not2old's Avatar
 
Joined: Aug 2013
Location: Ontario, Canada
Posts: 6,660
not2old has a reputation beyond reputenot2old has a reputation beyond reputenot2old has a reputation beyond reputenot2old has a reputation beyond reputenot2old has a reputation beyond reputenot2old has a reputation beyond reputenot2old has a reputation beyond reputenot2old has a reputation beyond reputenot2old has a reputation beyond reputenot2old has a reputation beyond reputenot2old has a reputation beyond repute
Default Re: How do you decide to move to Canada?

Originally Posted by amycakes

My husband and I are considering re-locating to Toronto.

My husband has a close friend in Toronto who has said he can get him a job (it’s not LIMA eligible). We visited his workplace in September, and really liked it there.

I suppose I am reaching out to understand your decisions for moving to Canada (mainly Toronto), outside of the reason of moving to be with a spouse.

We are really struggling to make the decision and I really appreciate any comments sharing anything that motivated you to move, and whether making sacrifices such as leaving family, was worth it in the end. I think I have a case of 'grass is greener' and I feel more inclined to move than my husband at this stage!
Ignoring the home sickness & any adjustment to Canadian life you appear to have answered your own question below, 'hitting the nail on the head' that fits many that have come to Canada or that emigrate to OZ, NZ, SA or USA.

There is very limited work for him in this country and the pay is low compared to the good salary and excellent working conditions on offer in Toronto.

We would purely be moving for this reason, with the hope that a better salary could get us a better quality of life.

If we didn’t make the move, my husband’s career would suffer dramatically. However, neither of us are too keen on living in a big city as we both live in the countryside at the moment, but there is a possibility of re-location to other bases in a few years’ time (Ottawa or Thunder Bay).
If its something that you have your mind set on, then give it a go, should it not pan out after you have become Canadian citizens ... next option is?
not2old is offline  
Old Nov 7th 2017, 8:34 pm
  #37  
BE Forum Addict
 
Joined: Sep 2010
Location: Maryland (via Belfast, Manchester, Toronto and London)
Posts: 4,802
MarylandNed has a reputation beyond reputeMarylandNed has a reputation beyond reputeMarylandNed has a reputation beyond reputeMarylandNed has a reputation beyond reputeMarylandNed has a reputation beyond reputeMarylandNed has a reputation beyond reputeMarylandNed has a reputation beyond reputeMarylandNed has a reputation beyond reputeMarylandNed has a reputation beyond reputeMarylandNed has a reputation beyond reputeMarylandNed has a reputation beyond repute
Default Re: How do you decide to move to Canada?

Out of the blue, my wife (a nurse) came home from work at a Manchester hospital and told me she had gone to a recruitment fair at lunchtime and had been offered a job at Toronto General. She had only gone along to accompany a friend who was interested. The recruiter offered both of them jobs on the spot - the friend backed out and my wife said "OK". We did have a very strong travel bug at that time. We had visited the US and Canada the year before and liked what we saw. So we thought - what the hell, let's do it! Life is short and there are no rehearsals. We weren't actually married at that time and had no kids so it seemed like now or never.

Worth it in the end? I don't think there ever is an end for an expat. Bouts of homesickness come and go in response to what's going on in your own life and also in the lives of family and friends "back home" e.g. weddings, births, birthdays, illnesses, funerals, aging parents, etc. We have missed a lot of events back home and also still miss many aspects of life there. We thought we got things "out of our system" by moving back to the UK after 7 years in Canada. We lasted 2 years in the UK before moving to the US where we've been for almost 20 years.

One good thing about our travels is that our kids have acquired 4 citizenships through various means and that will prove very useful - in fact, it already has.
MarylandNed is offline  
Old Nov 9th 2017, 9:18 am
  #38  
Forum Regular
 
Joined: Apr 2017
Posts: 79
Verdant has a reputation beyond reputeVerdant has a reputation beyond reputeVerdant has a reputation beyond reputeVerdant has a reputation beyond reputeVerdant has a reputation beyond reputeVerdant has a reputation beyond reputeVerdant has a reputation beyond reputeVerdant has a reputation beyond reputeVerdant has a reputation beyond reputeVerdant has a reputation beyond reputeVerdant has a reputation beyond repute
Default Re: How do you decide to move to Canada?

I think a degree of trepidation is both normal and sensible -too many people fall into the grass is greener mentality and it really isn't. It's just different with different difficulties and pressures than those in the UK. We're moving because we wanted the adventure - the bad bits as well as the good. We love hiking, camping and kayaking and so the move will enable us to do more of that sort of stuff. Financially, we might be a little better off - but any financial gain is easily eroded by the increased cost of living. The gain for us is the freedom to explore a vast country.

I would stress that you both need to be behind the move as it's not an easy process and if one person is more committed than the other it could easily become a source of tension.

We moved to Somerset (after having lived in a city during and after Uni) and personally, I would find it difficult to move back to a city! It wasn't until we were out looking at the places where the jobs were being offered before we really understood what we wanted out of our move. Any decision will involve compromises, but you need to ensure that those compromises aren't things which are important to being happy.
Verdant is offline  
Old Nov 10th 2017, 6:31 pm
  #39  
Forum Regular
 
Mattc24's Avatar
 
Joined: Nov 2014
Location: Nanaimo, BC
Posts: 69
Mattc24 is an unknown quantity at this point
Default Re: How do you decide to move to Canada?

Originally Posted by ecokid
I think a degree of trepidation is both normal and sensible -too many people fall into the grass is greener mentality and it really isn't. It's just different with different difficulties and pressures than those in the UK. We're moving because we wanted the adventure - the bad bits as well as the good. We love hiking, camping and kayaking and so the move will enable us to do more of that sort of stuff. Financially, we might be a little better off - but any financial gain is easily eroded by the increased cost of living. The gain for us is the freedom to explore a vast country.

I would stress that you both need to be behind the move as it's not an easy process and if one person is more committed than the other it could easily become a source of tension.

We moved to Somerset (after having lived in a city during and after Uni) and personally, I would find it difficult to move back to a city! It wasn't until we were out looking at the places where the jobs were being offered before we really understood what we wanted out of our move. Any decision will involve compromises, but you need to ensure that those compromises aren't things which are important to being happy.
Best of luck with your move to Vancouver Island. That’s our destination also! It’s an amazing part of the world!
Mattc24 is offline  
Old Nov 10th 2017, 9:40 pm
  #40  
BE Forum Addict
 
Joined: Feb 2013
Location: BC, Canada
Posts: 3,873
scilly has a reputation beyond reputescilly has a reputation beyond reputescilly has a reputation beyond reputescilly has a reputation beyond reputescilly has a reputation beyond reputescilly has a reputation beyond reputescilly has a reputation beyond reputescilly has a reputation beyond reputescilly has a reputation beyond reputescilly has a reputation beyond reputescilly has a reputation beyond repute
Default Re: How do you decide to move to Canada?

OH was offered a job out of the blue in Vancouver, we came for 2 years ........ that was 49 years ago.

We found "our place" ............. jobs we both loved, a nice house that was just affordable for us then (way way out of our price range now!), great friends, activities that we enjoyed, etc etc

We didn't think twice about OH accepting the position.

The crunch for us came after going back to the UK in 1973 for a 6 week holiday ........... in those days you still had to go via Toronto both ways, and the planes still had stairs down to the tarmac. As we descended the stairway one of us turned to the other and said "Isn't it good to be back home!"

We then burst out laughing, because we still had a long way to travel, but it was Canada!


Neither of us has ever been homesick, nor longed to be go back to the UK regularly ......... every 6 or so years was plenty, there were (and are) so many other places to visit!

We never missed our families ........... and tbh, I was glad to be away from my m-i-l for the last 10 years of her life, and OH was also glad to be away from her!

If you think now that you hate it ........... don't come

If you think you are ready for an exciting time .................. come and be happy!
scilly is offline  
Old Nov 15th 2017, 12:34 pm
  #41  
Slob
 
Joined: Sep 2009
Location: Ottineau
Posts: 6,342
Souvy has a reputation beyond reputeSouvy has a reputation beyond reputeSouvy has a reputation beyond reputeSouvy has a reputation beyond reputeSouvy has a reputation beyond reputeSouvy has a reputation beyond reputeSouvy has a reputation beyond reputeSouvy has a reputation beyond reputeSouvy has a reputation beyond reputeSouvy has a reputation beyond reputeSouvy has a reputation beyond repute
Default Re: How do you decide to move to Canada?

For me, it was simply romance.

I was working as a local at the Canadian High Commission. There, I met a French Canadian woman, a soldier on a four-year posting to London. Things progressed and we were basically living together by Xmas 1998, although I still had my own place.

One Sunday morning in January 2000 she pointed out that she had to go back to Canada in the summer. There was no way she could stay in the UK, even if she left the army. What were we to do?

I made the decision on the spot. Flogged my flat, liquidated my assets, got a bank account set up (helpful knowing the manager of Scotiabank's London branch) and set a record for getting a PR visa (not surprising, given where I worked).

August 12th I was on a flight to Toronto, with no return portion on my ticket.

It seems to be a habit in my biological family. One niece lived in NZ for years but is now back in the UK with her Kiwi husband. Her brother lives in Berlin with his German wife. Another niece lives in Melbourne and her sister has just gone there on a working visa (the smart money says she won't be going back). I've got five grand nieces/nephews, all dual nationals.
Souvy is offline  
Old Nov 21st 2017, 10:02 pm
  #42  
Forum Regular
 
Joined: Aug 2016
Location: Vancouver, Canada
Posts: 183
MelVan has a reputation beyond reputeMelVan has a reputation beyond reputeMelVan has a reputation beyond reputeMelVan has a reputation beyond reputeMelVan has a reputation beyond reputeMelVan has a reputation beyond reputeMelVan has a reputation beyond reputeMelVan has a reputation beyond reputeMelVan has a reputation beyond reputeMelVan has a reputation beyond reputeMelVan has a reputation beyond repute
Default Re: How do you decide to move to Canada?

I married a Canadian living in Australia (who'd emigrated to Australia (via Paris and London)). We're back in Canada for the family Christmas every couple of years, and for the last ten years my major client has been a Canadian company, so I was in Canada regularly for work. We decided we'd reached the end of our (long and successful) careers in Australia, and it was time for a change. Vancouver (where my spouse was born and where he still has family) beckoned. So we're moving there.

Yes, we know Vancouver is expensive. We've done our research thoroughly, and we're in the fortunate financial position of being able to afford it.
MelVan is offline  
Old Nov 21st 2017, 10:26 pm
  #43  
.
 
Oink's Avatar
 
Joined: Sep 2008
Posts: 20,185
Oink has a reputation beyond reputeOink has a reputation beyond reputeOink has a reputation beyond reputeOink has a reputation beyond reputeOink has a reputation beyond reputeOink has a reputation beyond reputeOink has a reputation beyond reputeOink has a reputation beyond reputeOink has a reputation beyond reputeOink has a reputation beyond reputeOink has a reputation beyond repute
Default Re: How do you decide to move to Canada?

Originally Posted by MelVan
I married a Canadian living in Australia (who'd emigrated to Australia (via Paris and London)). We're back in Canada for the family Christmas every couple of years, and for the last ten years my major client has been a Canadian company, so I was in Canada regularly for work. We decided we'd reached the end of our (long and successful) careers in Australia, and it was time for a change. Vancouver (where my spouse was born and where he still has family) beckoned. So we're moving there.

Yes, we know Vancouver is expensive. We've done our research thoroughly, and we're in the fortunate financial position of being able to afford it.
Financially is the easy part, it’s the bland mediocrity and insularity that grinds your soul. The cultural highlight of Vancouverites is Wing Wednesdays.
Oink is offline  
Old Nov 23rd 2017, 7:05 am
  #44  
BE Enthusiast
 
Joined: Mar 2012
Location: Calgary
Posts: 962
Shakyuk has a reputation beyond reputeShakyuk has a reputation beyond reputeShakyuk has a reputation beyond reputeShakyuk has a reputation beyond reputeShakyuk has a reputation beyond reputeShakyuk has a reputation beyond reputeShakyuk has a reputation beyond reputeShakyuk has a reputation beyond reputeShakyuk has a reputation beyond reputeShakyuk has a reputation beyond reputeShakyuk has a reputation beyond repute
Default Re: How do you decide to move to Canada?

Originally Posted by Oink
Financially is the easy part, it’s the bland mediocrity and insularity that grinds your soul. The cultural highlight of Vancouverites is Wing Wednesdays.

How good are the wings on a scale of 1-10 with 10 being a taste sensation?
Shakyuk is offline  
Old Nov 23rd 2017, 8:06 am
  #45  
.
 
Oink's Avatar
 
Joined: Sep 2008
Posts: 20,185
Oink has a reputation beyond reputeOink has a reputation beyond reputeOink has a reputation beyond reputeOink has a reputation beyond reputeOink has a reputation beyond reputeOink has a reputation beyond reputeOink has a reputation beyond reputeOink has a reputation beyond reputeOink has a reputation beyond reputeOink has a reputation beyond reputeOink has a reputation beyond repute
Default Re: How do you decide to move to Canada?

Originally Posted by Shakyuk
How good are the wings on a scale of 1-10 with 10 being a taste sensation?
If they don't saturate them with sauce they're not too bad. I'd give that last batch a 6.5 maybe a 6.75 but they did repeat a bit.
Oink is offline  

Contact Us - Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement - Terms of Service -

Copyright © 2024 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. All rights reserved. Use of this site indicates your consent to the Terms of Use.