Manitoba Info
 

My family and I have been recommended by the Manitoba Immigration to visit for an Exploritory Visit and interview which we are planning to do in August.

I was wondering if there is anybody out there with first hand knowledge of Manitoba (good or bad). Job situation, housing, education, life in general.

At the end of the day we will come out and see for ourselves but it is good to have other peoples opinion's.

Any info would be greatfully recieved.

Cheers

George....

Re: Manitoba Info
 

My family have been here since 1998.

I'm in Real Estate and my wife and kids run "The Brit Cafe" The #1 British Restaurant in Canada:).

What did you want to know?

Re: Manitoba Info
 

A little background may be of help.

My main background is in the food production industry ( a lot of what I know could just as easily be transferred to the feed production industry in Manitoba ). My wife has substancial experience in administration, mainly credit control. We have an 11 year old daughter.

Has the feed/food production industry suffered out there from the global down turn? Is there any particular area of Manitoba that is stronger in the feed/food production industry than others? This may give us a better idea of where to concentrate our Exploritory Visit.

Housing, what are the cost's involved when buying property? How long do you need to be in permanent employment before you can get a mortgage?
I expect that when we get round to it we may only need a top up mortgage
of between Cad $50,000 to $80,000.

In your buisness and your families you probably come across a lot of expats. What are the sort of mistakes that people make when they get out there?

Anything else that you can think of would be great.

Cheers

George...

Re: Manitoba Info
 

I know nothing about food production in MB, but these people do:


http://www.gov.mb.ca/ctt/profiles/foodproc/index.html


Generally MB has not been as badly effected by the recession as other parts of Canada. Historically it has not had the big boom and then the following bust, but rather smaller up and down swings.

The costs involved in buying a house are in the region of 2 -3% of the purchase price, the costs of selling a house are about 5-7% of the selling prices.

If you have a healthy deposit (more than 20%) you can often get a mortgage fairly quickly. But my advice is to rent first, that way you get to know what the area's of the City are like, and also you get time to consider your move and if its right for you. Buying a home and them having to sell it again quickly is very costly, like 10% of its value, so you don't want to do that.

The biggest mistake people seem to make is:-

1) Thinking Canada is like the UK, its not, its just as foreign as any other foreign Country, but they do speak a type of English.

2) Not doing enough research before they come over.

3) Missing family and those little things you never expected to miss.

Re: Manitoba Info
 

That's great thanks. Just the sort of info we need.

We will make a point of looking at both the rental and buying market when we get over for our visit.

Re: Manitoba Info
 

I have lived in Manitoba for 35yrs so feel qualified to tell you how it can be living here as well as some of my own experience

I lived in Cities and villages. I also tried BC and Alberta for a short while .. I worked in the City of Winnipeg and commuted 20 minutes to a small village just outside Winnipeg ..I found this ideal situation for me. got tired of the City life after some years

Rural life is cheaper in Mb too.. low crime, lovely scenery and house prices lower ,property taxes are much lower than he city.

you will likely have more property to roam around in and play in. My three bed home only cost $719 per annum in property taxes...Had I lived in Wpg it would be more like $1230.

So you have to shop around and do a lot of comparing

Its easy to find a rental when you first arrive and this is def the best way to begin finding your way around the districts.

My advice is only buy the basics at first beecause soon you will be moving it and it may not suit a more final choice of residence

Once you have got a decent roof you can start looking around. normally you must pay a damage deposit of two weeks rent and you get that back at the end if you dont wreck the joint

You dont have to wait a long time to get the phone and tv connected like GB

If you are going into Wpg theres a few areas to avoid...parts of the North End and Central areas can be a bit dodgy..s drive thru will give you some notion

You each also need a vehicle in Mb ..for grocery shopping and getting around

You may wish to move your apartment nearer your job once you find out about your winter commute

Getting involved with some winter activity def helps get through the long cold winters...which I found can be isolating ...great if you are not coming to Canada alone..I skiied every week with friends and loved the snow..I enjoyed the storms and being marooned in the house and not having to go to work..this year I only had two paid snow days but last year it was ten...caught up on a lot of movies!

I, unlike the OP I am not a realtor and you are not neccessarily obliged to purchase a house through this avenue paying commission prices to realtors either to buy or sell...

Take a look at "COMFREE" (Commission Free) a website I strongly urge you to look here before you come to Canada where you can shop for houses, compare prices

buy and sell them without any of the 6-7% commission charges. You can see right away the inside of the home with pics and the property taxes are listed here. You will not find property taxes listed on the government site
called MLS.ca.you will note this and want to know why they do not list them for fair comparison

This is a lot of money to be made in commission charges hence the Mb Real Estate Board wanting a hefty chunk. Govt of Canada wants to regulate everything that makes money. ..if you like throwing your money this would be a good move for you....

What real estate companies do is nothing you can't do for yourself if you have a head on your shoulders.If you can put a sign on your lawn,,do simple math and tell a buyer about your home and your bills every year ...you are doing the same thing as a realtor and saving yourself $10grand

I have sold homes through a realtor and basically found they stick a sign on the lawn ..that is the end of communication till your house has been on market for awhile and then you will be told we can try reducing the price ...but wait ...shouldnt we be having an open house or something?

you may be pressured into reducing the cost until it sells at bargain price...

A realtor will never pick up the phone to ask how your doing

Nor will your home be listed in their magazine on a weekly basis.. your realtor will not want to pay to advertize your home any more than twice a month

this is my experience.

I started staging and selling my own homes...it is not difficult to tidy up and show it..
I upgraded my home on the buy and sell sites every Friday


There is also "KIJIJI" a buy and sell site...I use KIJIJI Winnipeg which covers most of Manitoba. there is a section on buying and selling homes. It works just like gumtree etc,.

If you buy a house through these avenues...it is extremely simple...get an "Offer to Purchase" form from one of the Comfree lawyers offered in the brochure or on site, fill it in between you and the seller, take it back to the lawyer and the lawyer does the rest for $500 or thereabouts...

I sold my house (on of many) and had a troublefree experience with two potential buyers with very good offers. I got my full asking price ..I saved $12,600 this last time which I now will spend in UK upon my return April 5th

You can also purchase a home in the very same manner. Make an appt with the homeowner to view their home. Your seller will be able to arrange everything as they are already in the know.and have training via Comfree with feature sheets on the home and all the costs of home.

I do wish you all the very best in your move to Manitoba...I have no regrets overall but getting old and going back

Job situation ..working here in Canada is all about profit not as social as GB..no employer really wants to know your personal ins and outs and sometimes "telling all" can def work against you to an employer although they may seem very friendly. Friends are different to this although the sincerity you will not find same as in UK.

Be prepared for the same questioning on a weekly basis.."How long have you been here" " You still have your accent?" after a few years you will get used to it

Best places to look around for your jobs are Winnipeg Free Press Classifieds, Monsterjobs, Winnipegjobshop.ca or the govt site HRSDC job bank
although the govt seems to be distancing itself from job seekers faster than you can say "got any decent paying jobs going"


Education...I worked in a school ....Rural school life for your child is way better than inside the big city..its more home- like and the teachers really care about each individual child and their getting home each day, what they have to eat and the milk program.

In each of our classrooms is a comfy couch and chair, microwave. The shop is open at lunch where staff provide a food item which can be put in the microwave. Every few weeks is a "Hot-Dog day"..chili on a bun day etc...kids are bussed to swimming, seasonal activities and playing other teams..bus takes them home each evening

Kids see wildlife walking around the river where I live and dont try to do anything to the animals. (turkeys, deer etc)

Once a week is reading round the fireplace in the school for every grade
reading and borrowing library books is encouraged in school..our kids had all the usual activities and were pleasant bright children...

Our school has a hockey arena next to the school where they could free skate on a Saturday Night with parents..There was a nice modern diner which served Sunday breakfasts at 9am.

When you come to Canada you will note that the Canadian government controls, takes a share of and regulates...
all gambling and casinos, all agricultural growth including genetic modification Monsanto, seeds and chemicals,

All Liquor and Wine sales and the manufacture thereof..plus bars.pubs and the licensing of same. A licensee is allowed patrons by the square foot..was 13sq ft in my day (used to run one)

Govt of Canada has recently begun mfg its own beer
"Select" and "Select Light" albeit in Ontario only. slightly undercutting the locals
originally to avoid Cdns slipping across border into Main and buying there...losing a lot you see in beer sales.

All tobacco and cigarette sales.

Employers must pay to the Canadian government a hefty sum for doing business
In return the Canadian government warrants it will indemnify the employer from any worker claims against them..to mask this racket the scheme is called "Workers Compensation"..

As schemes start to become a money loser the Canadian government will start to sell them off or part them out ..subcontract them or whatever...as is happening with the job bank.

Constantly are they seeking to make profit with little direct to the citizens they supposedly serve or represent

Be very aware of govt "savings" and "funds" schemes ...claims they are "guaranteed" etc have left may Manitobans with empty savings and pension funds...You may research "Manitoba Crocus Funds" if you would like to see what happened there.

On a frequent basis you will be offered a pittance "carrot" in order to declare what you own and then later you will be taxed on the whole...its a win win for someone and its not gonna be you

Here in Manitoba we have Manitoba Public Insurance which insures your vehicle for you..
You have no choice in insurance companies ..this is a monopoly only

You will be encouraged to engage in another scheme called "the immobilizer"

This gadjet is designed to prevent a thief from disengaging your vehicle and driving off with it. However, five friends had their vehicles jacked up and dragged away and stolen.. MPIC would not pay my friends out saying that they had the immobilzer on and the theft should not have happened. They are now out the moeny and the car..just a little thing to watch out for and ask many questions re this when purchasing your next vehicle...

Most newer vehicles here are computerized and have panels in them which can only be "done" in the shop.
If you like paying high mechanic prices then this is the sort of car for you..

If you enjoy the older way of motoring with an older vehicle you can work on yourself then as long as you keep your motor in good nick you can save yourself a mint by avoiding these pitfalls in manitoba..

Driving an older model on Manitoba roads may sometimes mean you may be stopped for a "check"...you are obviously paying the least in insurance due to the age of the vehicle and MPIC likes to charge high prices. So this will not do. They will give you a place to go to to have your vehicle looked over. This is despite not having done anything wrong on the Hwy.

Re: Manitoba Info
 

Thanks for all this. Very comprehensive.
I have checked out your recommended web sites.
I am impressed by the Comfree site. Never heard of that one before.
With all the info that we have so far we will probably be spending quite a chunck of our Explorotory visit out towards Brandon, certainly more than we initially planned. At the end of the day we are not really city people.
Again thanks and good luck with your move.
Regards

George...

Re: Manitoba Info
 

I am reading for a while along now..but maybe it is time to give my 5 cents as well :).
I live as well in Manitoba..about 3 hrs from Winnipeg..towards the Saskatchewan Border (close to Riding Mountain National Park).

I saw you said food/feed industry. If you feel like it, check out Glanbia, we have very close by Pizzeys Nutritionals, which is owned by Glanbia. They are producing flax products.

Of course, one never know if they are looking for ppl when you are visiting in August, but I might be able to get you a tour/interview. If you are coming via exploratory visit/ PNP, with a job offer, it shouldn't take more than 4 months to get a WP, if that is what you are aiming for. If you want to wait for PR, it will be bit tougher to get a job offer in August.

You said you are not a city person, do you mean by that Brandon seems to big or too small? :)

cheers

Re: Manitoba Info
 

Try this for small town SW Manitoba, http://www.livinginmanitoba.ca/.
Also new food processing plant for hemp seed (all right you lot, not a joke, nothing to do with BC's largest agricultural export) is being built in Waskada, they will need staff, as it's also in the oil patch. http://www.farmgenesis.com/

Re: Manitoba Info
 

Thanks Manitobain, thats great.
A tour of Pizzey's and a chat with there HR dept (not necessarily an interview) would be fantastic.
We live on the outskirts of Stamford Bridge, about 15 minutes from York. Brandon seems about the right size to us. Certainly somewhere the size of Winnipeg would be a bit big for us. We love the peace of the countryside.
If it's okay I will keep you up to date with our dates of visit etc.

Regards

George...

Re: Manitoba Info
 

Hi GC44
Oh no, two Tykes in SW Manitoba would be too much for the locals, I'm originally from Tadcaster. Moving to Manitoba from rural Yorkshire is not a problem, as long as you are ok with breaking family ties; getting through immigration is a different matter, and we all have stories to tell. Living here, dead easy, great friendly people, and in this area no crime, no houses have locks, and cars left with keys in, really good schools. Getting used to distances takes some getting used to, Waskada is 1.5 hours from Brandon, but always 1.5 hours, no traffic. We do most of our shopping in the States, much cheaper, although the border is getting tighter. Please get in touch with the http://www.livinginmanitoba.ca/ web site, its run by expats and they know the problems, because you need to know the pit falls, meet people and talk. Try to speak to the lady running the Deloraine office, she's from Northern Ireland, very helpful. Work is plentiful, housing cheap, weather after a year you don't notice it. Let us know when your coming over and we could organise something.

Re: Manitoba Info
 

Hello George,
great, keep in touch, feel free to PM me as well.

If Brandon is the right size, we might be a bit too rural :) ..but then.. Brandon is a good hours drive away from us. Anyway, that is what the exploratory visit is all about..finding the right spot for you :).

feel free to check out www.town.rossburn.mb.ca ..which is the closest Town to Pizzey's and the community we live in.

or check out www.parklandimmigration.ca which leads you to our region in general.

Cheers
Ilse

Re: Manitoba Info
 

Thanks Caveo.

The more we look at this prospect, the more we are drawn to Brandon and the south-west area. Just watched a film of Deloraine on the website you mentioned and it looked pretty good from here.
When we get some solid dates for our visit we will drop you a line if that is okay?
Until then if you can think of anything further that may be in use, then please pass it on.
Did you go to Taddy Grammar? If so when?

Cheers George...

Re: Manitoba Info
 

Hi George,
Sorry but wasn't at Tad Grammar, but many pals were, but caused chaos at Tad YFC, and went Askham Bryan Ag college late 70's.
Have a good look arround when you come over, and we and plenty of others would be delighted to show you our areas.
North of Brandon, plenty going on, very pretty area, big UK expat area (some areas in Manitoba are Dutch, French or German, very important you fit in) skiing, fishing etc.
Down here against the US border, very good job opportunities due to oil drilling, food processing etc, and no crime' very friendly people. Deloraine, years ago was populated by Belgiums, funny names, great people, but like Tykes with their pockets sown up! Thought I'd be all right for beer and chocalate, I bet they have it somewhere but they haven't shared it with me.
For more serious immigration questions contact them on the website I gave you, because there is probably a chance of being fast tracked if you qualify.

Re: Manitoba Info
 

Did you look for information on Animal Nutrition
http://www.anac-anac.ca/home.html

http://www.eastmanfeeds.com/

random rural farming info link

http://www.mmpp.com/masc.nsf/index.html