Jazzflute

A big Hi to everyone! I applied under the skilled worker route in Oct 06 and am counting down the 45 months to go... We are concentrating on NS for now, but will be visiting Windsor, Ontario in August to check that area out too. I'd love to settle in Annapolis Royal but my teenager is having none of that - because there are no American Eagle shops nearby - how shallow!! I'm really looking forward to the great wealth of knowledge from you guys in the coming months, take care all

swoops

Hi and Welcome Jazzflute,
We also applied under the skilled worker route in Sept 06..I've just come back from a Recce trip to NS...looking for a faster route Now.. http://britishexpats.com/forum/showthread.php?t=512813

destinationnovascotia

Hi Jazzflute

We are moving to NS just as soon as our house sells. I have been to Ontario also but I prefer NS.

Good luck with your plans. How old is the teenager?

Jazzflute

Hi Swoops, thanks for the welcome, how was the weather during yr recent trip? I look at the Halifax webcam most days and can see there has been snow, but obviously its not the same as being there! We wish we could get to NS quicker too!

Jazzflute

Hi Destinationnovascotia, I'd love to be in the process of moving, very best of luck with selling yr house. Looking forward to checking out Ontario, but I feel NS may be where we go eventually! My teen is 14 yrs old and loves Halifax. I've been reading some dodgy info on the internet about some of the crime levels in Halifax, which has kind of scared me a little. Despite that, I guess I have to bear in mind that there is not going to be a perfect place that is crime free! What part of NS do you plan to settle in?

deanjp32

Try reading about the crime levels in any big city in any country. They are all the same but move slightly further away from big cities and it gets better unless you live in the UK that is

Jazzflute

Yes, you are right, but nonetheless, it did shock me a little about Halifax - I guess I had my rose tinted glasses on!

destinationnovascotia

Hi,

We are going to be lining along the Easter Shore, probably around the Musquodoboit area. We want to be near Halifax, we love the ocean (the kids want to surf) and the lakes and rivers are plentiful for swimming, canoes etc. People will warn you about the fog, but we don't mind that as it is patchy and burns off as the sun comes out. It's a personal thing whether you mind or not.

There have been a few discussions about crime in Halifax on here and I doubt that you would find any city/port crime free. Nevertheless, most people who live around that area say that you can still leave your car unlocked in the city.

Personally, I have never felt less than safe in Halifax. The thing about crime is that most people, even in high crime areas, are not actually the victims of crime. It is the fear of crime that incapacitates, and generally, people don't feel fearful.

Having said that, I don't know anyone who lives right in the middle of Halifax, and there are really nice communities where people actually live.

I love Halifax as a City, but I would not want to live in any City. The good thing is that there are load of places within a short commute so you can have the benefits of living in a semi-rural, picturesque friendly community and still easily get into the city if you need to.

As far as your 14 year old is concerned. I would recommend moving as soon as you can. The longer you leave it, the harder it gets. There are many people on here who will tell you that they wished they had moved when their kids were younger. Once they are old enough to stay alone and have the ties of boyfriends/girlfriends, you encounter a whole new set of problems.

Enjoy your trip to Ontario. I will definitely go there again for a holiday. I loved Niagara Falls and there are some lovely beaches. I would really like to explore further North. We just touched on the Algonquin and that was beautiful but there was load more that I would loved to have seen.

Lynn

Jazzflute

Hi Lynn

I think I am being a little paranoid about the crime levels. I had anticipated living as near to Halifax as poss without actually living in Halifax! There are beautiful areas around as you say, we will look around Chester / Lunenburg during our visit in Aug when we will spend 2 weeks in NS before going onto Ontario. I really wish I was in the position you are in right now - I think I need to look at other routes of getting there sooner before my daughter gets any older! Julie

Jazzflute

Hi, many thanks for the welcome. The link you provided is very helpful, I just want to get there asap!!

destinationnovascotia

We were in the same situation as you. I have got a job offer now so we will be going over on a WP initially and hoping to fast-track our PR.

What sort of work do you both do? Are you likely to be able to get a job offer?

Jazzflute

Its just myself and my daughter who are going... I work as secretary for the local government near to the area I live in and have applied under the skilled worker route as a medical secretary. I would hope that my many years of experience and degree would be beneficial. Was it hard work establishing links in order to obtain yr job offer?

destinationnovascotia

When I was going over for a visit I contacted local hospital HR departments and asked if I could come for a look around whilst I was there. They were very accommodating and one of them offered me a job then and there.

I decided that I didn't want to live in that area so I applied for another when I got home (for an employer I had met on my visit), I had a telephone interview and was offered that job.

I think that they were impressed by the fact that I had bothered to go over and meet people and the fact that I had already taken my nursing exam confirmed that I was serious.

I would really recommend using your trip to meet potential employers. Don't be put off by the e-recruit systems in place. Just phone or email someone in HR and tell them that you just want to look around with a view to applying later.

Jazzflute

My word, I'm really impressed! I never considered doing that as I just assumed that I'd have to be a landed citizen before applying for jobs. I will start researching potential employers now; I often look at Career Beacon which has loads of jobs very similar to mine (in dreaded Child Protection). Given that we will be over there for 3 weeks I think I could use that time to network. You have made my day with your advice - big thanks!! The sooner we could get there the better - before the teen gets a boyfriend!

Biiiiink

Give us a shout when you get to Windsor. If you're still keen on NS I promise not to tempt your daughter with details of all the fabulous malls just a few miles across the border