Life in Kelowna
 

Hi all😃 we have finally decided on which route to take to get into Canada. My other half will apply to do a course at Okahagon College in order to get a diploma which is recognised. We have looked at the costs etc and although it will be a bit tough at first it is doable. So we would be looking to move to Kelowna where the relevant campus is and was wondering if anyone was there or had any advice re schools - our daughter will be 8 when we go
Thanks everyone

Re: Life in Kelowna
 

We live in Kelowna and pretty much love living here, although it's pretty pricey. Okanagan College is in the Mission area of Kelowna, which is a nice part of town and lots of expats live here. Plenty of public and private, french and english elementary schools in Kelowna, some are good, some not so much. It will depend on where you end up living as that determines which school catchment your in.

Re: Life in Kelowna
 

Not in comparison to the Lower Mainland however (if you are talking house prices)....I would say Kelowna is 15-20% cheaper compared to Langley/Maple Ridge/Surrey. Probably compares price-wise to Abbotsford.

Re: Life in Kelowna
 

Hi

Good luck to you and your family. Myself and my husband are also on the move to Kelowna for next year. I'm applying for Oakanagan College to study for a Diploma. We are now in the process of selling our house and bumping up the Canada college fund. Will be worth it in the end.
Beckie

Re: Life in Kelowna
 

Hi, and welcome to BE.

Are you moving on a study permit or another visa? If it's a study permit then don't forget it's only temporary and to get it you may have to prove you'll return to the UK at the end of your stay in Canada, so selling your house might be a red flag to an immi officer. It'll be ok if you've got other property or ties to the UK, but just thought I'd mention it.

HTH.

Re: Life in Kelowna
 

Kelowna has it all, lakes, mountains, swimming, skiing, wineries, hiking trails, camping sites, skating rink in winter, shopping etc. It also has drugs, down and outs, beggars, crime, empty retail spaces, restaurants opening then closing etc.

In short it is a great place and i love living here BUT jobs that pay anywhere near a living wage are very hard to get and the whole city is littered with small business owners trying to make it themselves. The West Kelowna side has exploded in the 7 years we have been here and they cannot build enough retail and commercial premises BUT they also cannot fill them for longer than a few months before the tenants jump ship. Both Future Shop and Staples recently closed stores on the Westside that hadn't been around that long.
Its the old problem of high house prices and low wages as we are often seen as a major tourist destination so seasonal work is popular. Todays survey on a local website suggests we have the second highest price for milk in Western Canada.
I have no idea about schooling as ours are way past that now but it is a nice place to live and raise kids providing you can get that all important job that is secure and paid well enough

Good luck with whatever you decide, ask away if you need any more info on specifics

Re: Life in Kelowna
 

We are moving from Kelowna to Calgary at the end of the month. We have been here for more than 10 years and the local economy seems to have gone from bad to worse over that time. I live in the upper mission and many of my friends and neighbours have husbands who work in the oil sands and only get home occasionally. This is the only way they can afford to live here as local jobs are in short supply and badly paid. In fact, the person that bought our house in Kelowna works in fort St. John. The other people that seem to make it work have a government job (very hard to come by), have made money in Alberta and semi-retired here, or have rich parents.

Kelowna is a pretty place but it's not all unicorns and rainbows. Much of it depends on your career aspirations and/or existing funds. I would check out the forum section of castanet.net for some more insight. There are many posts about "brokanagan".

Re: Life in Kelowna
 

Kelowna and the Okanagan Valley is a beautiful place to live and the perfect location to raise a family. If you love the outdoor life, then it offers everything from beautiful lakes to great ski resorts. As with most places these days it's expensive to live here, but not impossible. As you get older the winters do seem to get longer, hence the reason we are now relocating to somewhere there is no snow!

Re: Life in Kelowna
 

Thanks all. Is a shame to read negative views all areas have rough parts I suppose. We are going for a change in lifestyle hopefully for our little girl who will be 8 when we go in 2016. As long as we spend more time as a family instead of the usual 9-5 and too tired to do anything after we will be happy. Any advice on the best place to live for our family would be appreciated x

Re: Life in Kelowna
 

"Best" is subjective. Describe your ideal place to live, what you think would be best (types of houses, how far you're willing to drive/walk for amenities, what types of amenities you want close by, access to public transit, etc.) and we'll try to match it to somewhere in Kelowna. :) My first thought was, if you're trying to avoid the usual 9-5 (which certainly exists in Kelowna), don't pursue a commuting lifestyle - try to move where you'll be working/studying to maximize time spent at home with the family. Also, don't worry so much about the schools. They're all fairly standard. Move to an area you want to live in, and the closest school will be good.

Re: Life in Kelowna
 

Walk?

Not a common pastime in any urban area, especially Kelowna, unless you are pushing a trolley to the nearest soup kitchen!

Re: Life in Kelowna
 

Quite untrue. There are many urban areas in BC where one can walk to amenities without being mistaken as a vagrant.

I do know that car reigns in Kelowna culture, which is partially my point of mentioning walking in the first place. If being able to walk to amenities (the nearest supermarket, community centre, beach, etc.) is a priority, it will help narrow down a location to live in Kelowna, or it could suggest that perhaps Kelowna, or any Okanagan community, simply won't suit at all. We don't know the type of lifestyle they want to live.

Re: Life in Kelowna
 

Hopefully my husband will be studying at Okanhagon college and I will work round that. As previously said our daughter will be 8 and she loves long walks, the beach and shopping but isn't too keen on water! We won't have a car to begin with (unless we ship ours?!) and as for house styles as we will rent for a year or so as long as it has 2 bedrooms and enough space we don't have an ideal as we are aware we will have to compromise to begin our life there! My husband is ex british army so we have lived in some dumps in our time but it's what you make it lol! As long as it's a safe community with the odd coffee shop....thanks again

Re: Life in Kelowna
 

I would say that your ideal destination would probably be the lower mission area. Its flat so walking/cycling is easier in the right weather. It has shopping and plenty of coffee shops as well as some nice beaches. Its close to the college and schools too. There are still some affordable homes in the area depending on what you want/need.
Many Brits seem to head straight for the Upper Mission area as it offered some great views and the Kettle Valley neighbourhood was and to some extent still is quite unique in its original design although it also comes in for some ribbing about it being rather stepford wives and full of rich Brits driving Escalades who must get their little darlings into Anne Mc Clymont school as that is the only one worth considering. The downside (in my opinion) is much farther to commute into town, few shops exist and the promise of a supermarket and more is still just a promise. Its up up up so expect walking/cycling to be more difficult and in winter it can be challenging when they don't grit the road in time. It is getting more and more homes built so expect more and more traffic (good news for the Escalade sales guy) :p
It can also be more expensive to live up there but there are sometimes some bargains although expect to be close, sometimes very close to your neighbour.
If you can make it work financially you will love it i'm sure but in reality working 9-5 and fitting in mundane stuff like shopping and chores will still likely be how it is because i'm sure that's how it is for most people.
You will need to work to earn money to live and that may mean more than just 9-5 unless you are coming with a huge pile of savings. If you can work it so you finish early enough to enjoy late afternoons at the beach in the summer (we do it regularly) and get the weekends off to enjoy some skiing, sledding, ice skating in winter then you are halfway there. :thumbup:

Re: Life in Kelowna
 

Can you go over to go to college and take partner and child with you? I thought it a bit odd like...

Plus once college is finished they will have to leave?

Re: Life in Kelowna
 

Yes, those on a study permit can take dependents, and their spouse gets an Open Work Permit for the same duration as the course (which if they get a permanent job offer, can lead to PR).

Plus they'd then potentially be eligible for a Post Graduate Work Permit, which can also lead to PR.

So it's a route used by many to gain Canadian PR, and it's a good one as long as you've got the funds required.

HTH.

Re: Life in Kelowna
 

If my other half enters on a study permit I enter on a work permit and as the course is for 2 years it gives us enough time to figure out if we can settle

Re: Life in Kelowna
 

Hi Louvb

We are doing the same thing although we have no children at the moment. Be great to keep up with your journey. Are you planning to go next year?

Re: Life in Kelowna
 

We live in kettle valley and love it, in fact that's the thing we are going to miss most about Kelowna. The school of choice is chute lake elementary as it's in the neighbourhood. I have a big circle of Canadian friends who live in kettle valley and not one of them is even remotely stepford wifey. The houses are not more close together than any other new development in kelowna, so I find that comment strange.

Re: Life in Kelowna
 

I have to say though, if you are going to be without a vehicle and studying at the college, I would definitely live in the lower mission. It's walkable, has lots of amenities, and is also on the main bus route. There are a couple of nicer condo developments in that area that you probably rent in and your kid could go to Dorothy walker or raymer elementary - both good schools. If you don't mind saying, what kind of work will you be looking for?

Re: Life in Kelowna
 

True, there are many new developments where being close to your neighbour is the in thing, Kettle Valley isn't unique in that respect. I do not understand the concept of building a huge 4000 sq ft custom home with $20,000 media rooms (yes that's how much one guys theatre room cost) and then sticking them on a standard size lot where you could literally pass the pizza to the guy next door on his deck. Privacy is not a word that springs to mind yet these homes are typically $750,000 and more.
I worked in one last week on Dilworth that was an amazing and beautifully built home. 4,500 sq ft of wall to wall luxury and quality fittings, probably in the region of $700 - 800,000 yet it didn't have a decent view of anything except the houses in front and behind. I could say the same about Ironhorse developments opposite Chute Lake school. Large 3 level homes in the high price range yet most look onto each other.

Re: Life in Kelowna
 

We live in Lower Mission and me and my kids walk and bike everywhere, it's all flat and easy to get around without a car, although there are buses too. Feel free to PM me if you do end up in this area and have any questions. If it were me, I'd want to be as close to the college as possible on the main bus routes that run along Gordon, KLO road, lakeshore road so would focus my rental search in that vicinity. As for schools, you won't be able to register without a proof of address. Casorso and Raymer Elementary are probably the closest to the college.
As others have said already, renting is expensive and jobs are hard to come by and usually not well paid. Definitely something to bear in mind in your decision making.

Re: Life in Kelowna
 

There are lots of homes in Kettle Valley that are not mega mansions. The house we have just sold for $500k does not have a media room and we are pretty private as we have a detached garage. There are also 4 townhome developments up here that start at $350,000. There are big houses but most of these are built on the hillside, have lake views and are walk-outs with huge decks rather than any yard to speak of unless its just for the pool.

Re: Life in Kelowna
 

Thanks everyone. I think we will be renting for at least a year and hoping to pay that upfront. As for my work I am currently a legal secretary but also have a background in retail. We are lucky that Darren has a veterans pension which will be about 1200 dollars a month. My question is though can we rent somewhere before we arrive or do we book a B&B or similar until we have sonewhere?
Thanks all

Re: Life in Kelowna
 

so do you have lots of savings to bring with you?

Re: Life in Kelowna
 

I would imagine it would be hard to rent somewhere before you are physically here. Landlords maybe fairly sceptical about renting to someone they haven't actually met in person or done credit checks on. Equally there are some awful rentals that wouldn't necessarily be obvious to you online. We did a short term rental for 6 weeks at Playa Del Sol (pretty close to the college), while we waited for our shipment, there are a few condo developments around that do that. Castanet.net is the best place to look at to give you and idea about rentals and potential jobs. If you haven't already you might want to look at the canadian equivalent of your qualifications. Most places would want to know what certifications you have or the equivalent, as that's often more important than actual work experience.

Re: Life in Kelowna
 

So what does that tell you? You can buy somewhere at $500k with "some" privacy or you can spend $700k and get zero privacy!!
I was trying to get my head around spending mega bucks for that kind of closeness. Like i said its not unique to Upper Mission.

The original Kettle Valley idea seemed to wane in favour of more traditional Canadian housing. The varied design selections with white picket fencing and garages at rear were something totally different that attracted people and made Kettle Valley famous so to speak. I was and still am amazed that they didn't try and design the new school to "fit in" with the homes close by. I am sure they could have designed something that blended in with the original homes that now sit looking at this modern structure.

Re: Life in Kelowna
 

We have around $150,000 CD to take with us which will give us a start

Re: Life in Kelowna
 

Well good luck to your families hope you enjoy your stay :)

Re: Life in Kelowna
 

shipping your car would be really expensive. Why not sell it and buy another?

Re: Life in Kelowna
 

That's great, you will have no problem then. When we moved to canada we stayed at a hotel for a couple of weeks while we sorted out rental accomodation. Playa del sol is a nice condo development, we have british friends who lived there for a year before they bought a house.

Best of luck with your move. We are leaving kelowna today,heading out flour we home in calgary.

Re: Life in Kelowna
 

Playa del sol sounds ideal will definitely look into it does anyone know the length of time you can rent eg could we rent and pay for 6 months in advance?

Re: Life in Kelowna
 

Think it will depend on the time of year that you rent there and the owners preference. I think lots of owners will happily rent for a longer period if it's September-May/June. We found the majority like to rent by the week during the summer as it's prime holiday accommodation due to the proximity to the beach. One week in the summer, is about the same price as a month off season.