CalgaryBlade

We've been here a year, but had been planning a move here on and off for 10 years. My wife is Canadian (Ontario) born and bred but didn't want to return there.

So, we waited until we could afford to move without the need for well paid jobs and made a lifestyle choice in moving to Calgary.

There have been minor niggles, and I miss my occasional days out to footy and the pub.

In general though it has been great, as a family we are much happier and we seem to have fitted in very well to the neighbourhood.

The kids are having a blast, it took a while for them to become completely settled but they are fine now.

Right now, there is no way we would return to the UK.

Happydayz

Thanks for your ( and almost everyones answers) this is what I was asking the question for...I was not as suggested earlier trying to be negative...but instead I had hoped to bring little positive, as so many seem to be trying to put people off moving to Canada without saying that for all Canada's faults they are still going to stay..which I hope will help many people looking at this particular part of the site, after all most of us looking in ,we have already made our minds up to head over there ,and the kind of answer above is just what we need to know its not perfect but your happy calling it home for now...Anyway thanks for the above Tom masters all the best Happydayz

stepnek

We're not moving back at least not yet. I've been sorely tempted though because of homesickness and the dreaded culture shock. But just recently things have begun to change and this is feeling more like home in a way that I didn't think it could so I'm pleased that a rash decision wasn't taken 6 months ago. Fortunately I'm married to a Canadian and along with her family that's been a big help. Unfortunately my two eldest daughters (aged 19 and 20) are or are in the process of moving back to England because Canada isn't for them so that's causing me some heart ache but we'll wait to see how it all pans out.

It is important that the so called negative posts appear on this forum because living in Canada is far from living in paradise. It has a number of it's own problems and I consider that being aware of that prepared me somewhat when we moved here just under a year ago. Of course nothing can actually replace the experience of living here and finding out for yourself but there has to be room for every ones opinion on this forum. Then we make up our own minds.

Tom Masters

Aw shucks! Thanks Eddie. We are doing great. My dad is visiting us for a month which is really good as the kids were just starting to get fed up with all their free time :scared:

Wouldn't like to even contemplate reverse culture shock right now. On the rare days that we get wet dreary weather here, it reminds me of home and Canada doesn't seem so bad after all

Take care,

Chris

flashman

Expecting any county to be perfect is naive to say the least. It's matter of assessing your life's goals in terms of income, lifestyle etc. and then chosing the country that will give you the best chance to meet them.

If you can only find the negatives of any place that you will fall into the trap of consistent nitpicking and miss the opportunities and resulting positives.

seacreature

Indeed.
Our biggest regret is leaving Nova Scotia in the first place!

That said, we are still planning to return to England as I have been offered a job in Manchester.
Wonderful NS may be, but you can't live off fresh air and beautiful scenery.

Cowtown

The first two years are the worst

There's a strong element of "don't do as I do" here - but as everyone's experience is different, it's sometimes a worthless sentiment.

In the end, most new immigrants grit thier teeth and keep thier heads down, then life gets better after a while and they succeed - you just have to have the same courage to make changes now you're here as you had when you first got here.

In some ways I think the people who have it tougher initially are probably more successful long term if they tough it out - it sharpens you up for your new life in Canada - think of it as resistance training for the psyche.

Gezza

Hi HappyDays,

I am the one you are looking for. Moved to Calgary and Later Vancouver 5 years ago and returned to U.K. last year.Still here.
Basically I know a little about the British qualms in Canada, I Think.
I enjoyed Canada for the same reasons as all to begin with but later found
that I and my wife could no longer tolerate the way the public are taken for granted there.I must have 100 reasons but will list a few examples:
For small salary jobs they require training courses which cost the citizens mega $'s e.g. to be a nanny,work in a local library or to be a nurse. These course contents and the level is low by British standards.And they give you nothing because for most jobs CV's from unknown apllicants are not considered. In a local bank you will see local people getting jobs through friends while you won't even get an interview.
I remeber choosing a bed in a high street bedshop and having to pay for it all up front (in Clagary) and then having an entirly different bed deliverd and be told with a smile that "the manager sold my bed to someone else and here is an even better bed". Then in Vancouver I sent my childern to a Catholic school where they asked $250 per child, made my buy for $75 uniforms of terrible quality which unlike in U.K. you can not get anywhere else. Banks in Canada made me pay for cheques which no shop wanted.If they wanted to hike up charges on current accounts they just did without any prior notice,... for me to find out later. Banks staff knew nothing about mortgages their own banks were offering. When I started to get quotes from so called "mortgage consultants" the ones I did not select shouted abuse at me over the phone. I bought a house in Vancouver about $450k by todays value, where it rains for 6 months each year (house only 12 years old). This had a roof tiled with wood. Threatened with leaks every winter, and the basement flooded practically each rain season. The same was for other properties in our street. Over there it is considered normal(!). As is annual fixing of busted roof drainage.
Whatever gets introduced to the compromise of the citizens in Canada
just gets foisted onto people without any consultation or resistance.
I remember thinking this is not a country it is a very large luxury refugee camp. Having sold my house in U.K. buying the above "house"
and subsequntly returing to U.K. had cost my family very dearly.It was a very bad decission on my part. I also missed proper British restaurants i.e. Indian where there is a chef who cooks your meal and not a part time student defrosting a ready meal in a microwave. Matter-of-factliness and mediocrity everywhere. Oh yes, and there is the Driving test. They do not have a proper Highway Code book and if you find one it has 1/4 of the roadsigns you see missing in it.And if you point out to them that many rules are not properly explained there they will say its not their problem. And you are paying for the resit. I heard in Calagry no Brit passes 1st time. In the end I just could no longer take it and started having problem with cholesterol from all the agro I got myslef into just trying to get 'staff' to do their jobs properly.
Thankfully I am back to Engalnd. And many ex-Brits warned me not to come here. Well I am here and thank God I found a job after getting de-skilled for 3 years. And the ales and curries are as good as before, Chaps.
I agree that Canada is a beautiful country and it has a lot to offer for immigrants.I still miss summer weekends in Harrison Hot Springs. One thing I did like was the Police they have in Canada. Got pulled over a couple of times
for minor speedings. They were all very nice and let me off on both ocacsions.
Seriously, for people from U.K. it is a painful readjustment. Basically if you hate England it is o.k. but if you do not you will cry for it after a year or so. I do not go into this forum as much as I did when I was out there.

Thank you and best wishes,

Gezza

Posidrive

Just as well that you longer have to do the test in Calgary (Straight swap). Just as well really because from my experience we Brits would have no hope of passing. There seem to be three compulsory local driving habits, especially for those driving large trucks:

- When a car is joining the stretch of road in front of you from a slip road you must accelerate as hard as possible to prevent them from merging.
- Undertaking is the only way to pass the car in front.
- Roads sign such as "No right turn on red" are entirely optional

Steve_P

For number one that unfortunately does seem to be the norm with some aggressive Calgary drivers. Not that hard to overcome though just slow down a little and let the idiot have his/her way.

Not too sure I understand your point with the undertaking. I know you can only pass on the right (overtake) in the UK. But there is no such rule here you can pass either side. If someone is driving slower in the left lane there is nothing stopping you from passing on the inside or undertaking as you put it.

Once again I may be missing something here but right turns on red lights are allowed after you have come to a complete stop first. If it is not allowed at certain intersections it will be marked i.e. the lower deck of the center street bridge at the north end.

Now after saying all that did I somehow miss the humour in your post?

liftman

I am still in the UK after an abortive attempt to emigrate.

Many of the older hands will remeber the fun we had with the Nova scotian petty minded officials that ended our dream.

However, we tried and did not make it. Canada is still a very beautiful country with much to offer the right person at the right time with the right contacts.

We will remain in the Uk for the foreseeable future, apart from September 22 to October 6th when we will return to beautiful NS for a family holiday.

Just because you go/leave/return/go again will not make you a failure. That which does not kill us makes us stronger.

Tiaribbon

Well I have been in Ontario for 9 months now and every day I love it even more. There is no way I would ever return to the UK.........EVER!! This is very much my home here; loads of friends, fantastic community, beautiful farm in beautiful countryside, wonderful weather (even in the winter) and I just love Canada. I can see her downfalls and I can see that she may not be for everyone - but she sure is perfect for me!

Life can be tough for some immigrants in the job market and some people are susceptible to Culture Shock and this may be why a lot of people return to where they came from. Culture Shock is a very strange thing - I suffered it 20 years ago when I moved to the States and I was prepared for it, although I doubted I would get it this time, but I have had no Culture Shock at all in settling in Canada. From the moment I moved here permanently, I felt like I had finally returned home! This is my home, no question about it.

AnnetteM

[QUOTE=Gezza]Hi HappyDays,

"I bought a house in Vancouver about $450k by todays value, where it rains for 6 months each year (house only 12 years old). This had a roof tiled with wood. Threatened with leaks every winter, and the basement flooded practically each rain season. The same was for other properties in our street. Over there it is considered normal(!). As is annual fixing of busted roof drainage."

Well, Gezza, I am assuming most of your response was tongue-in-cheek, but this bit about Vancouver I will take issue with because you are giving a totally false impression. I've lived her 30 years, can't say it rains six months of the year, but even if it does it sure beats shovelling snow! And it's always way better weather than back in the UK, anyway Busted roof drainage? Flooded basements? Sorry, that's not normal, you obviously bought a lemon there. Maybe you should have had your property inspected, seeing as you paid so much money for it. And if you were serious in your comments, then it's just as well you did go back, I think. Some people just can't make it here.

Posidrive

Is this humour? This behaviour is going to send me to the funny farm. I find driving in Calgary to be like a war zone. Perhaps I should just go out and buy a bigger truck to intimidate everybody. Noone should ever be rude about London drivers (who are notoriously aggressive) until they have been here.

As for point one, this doesn't always work. The problem is that each idiot seems to be followed by his close friends and relatives who seem to come from the same gene pool with regard to their driving ability.

You may very well be right about point 2, but regardless of whether or not it is allowed it is just plain inconsiderate and dangerous driving. The slower drivers such as myself that you have refered to have often just moved over to prevent the sudden forced exit via the inside lane that road designers here are so fond of, when some pillock will still be determined to overtake you on the inside a couple of metres before the exit. I'm getting really pissed off with the amount of wear that I'm having to put on my brake pads.

And as for point 3, it is specifically the junctions where a sign forbids right turn on red that I was refering to. Its not just the odd driver, I must have seen at least half a dozen do it today and they were all driving pickups. I'm just assuming that they are red necks who can't read.

Cowtown

Not true - I passed the road test first time with no faults - if you can park an automatic, you can pass the test.

The written test is hardly a challenge either.