Hi we have been here as permenant residents for 8 months now.
Firstley we came over with no jobs and only a hotel room to call home!
Brave or stupid we still havent decided but we did it and 8 months later here is where we are at.
We moved to Cobourg Ontario 1 hour from Toronto. we love it here theres a beach and we are right on the lake, there are plenty of places to shop and always something going on.
It's a small town but the people are lovely and we felt at home straight away. We have 3 boys 9,8 and 4 and they have all settled into their new school so well and have been really accepted there which is lovely. We found a house to rent after 5 weeks and my other half found some work through an agency. This wasen't ideal granted so he posted every job that was going an email this was to no avail. Then we were lucky enough to be told by a friend that Dave could have some full time although not permanant work yippee!
however after 4 months this full work has gone down to 3 days a week. This isen't going to pay the rent! I would love to go back to work too however we have 3 children and whatever wage I earned I would end up paying for childcare! My two eldest are in full time school but my youngest only goes to kindergarten for 2 days a week.

Then last week my other half got an interview for the toyota plant fab news,
he goes in two weeks. However it's in Cambridge 2 hours from here and with a trip through toronto in rush hour it might as well be 3 hours away! So we have a dilemma If he is lucky enough to get a job there we will have to move which means taking the boys out of school again and away from their new friends I really don't want to it's hard enough doing it once but theres just no work here at all. We did research Cobourg for a year before we moved it wasent just a lets stick a pin in the map job lol, but it looks like we underestimated what living in a small town would mean with the work situation.

Dave has also applied for several jobs at the oil sands in alberta on camp so he would commute work 21 days on and come home for a week. We would stay here. The money is fantastic and it would be able to set us up here well. However Canada being the place where its not what you know its who you know! he hasen't had any replies as yet. Does anyone know a way of getting in there as this would be a better solution providing of course that we can bear to be apart for that long lol.

any help would be appreiciated thanks Kirsty and Dave.

It sounds like you need to be less rigid about where you're going to live. If Dave is serious about working in Alberta why not move there? Ditto for toyota plant.

I have friends that moved England-Nova Scotia-New Brunswick-England-Ontario-back to New Brunswick and the kids are fine. I think as long as the parents are happy and positive and explain to the kids why it has to be done and what the benefits are they will be fine.

We came in 2010 and my youngest went to nursery school in a total different area but it was the nearest. She then went to full day kindergarten and it took her a while to make new friends but she's settled now. So now we bought in the country side and will be moving in May which means again for the 3rd time in 3 years to change school and friends. But we told her she'll have a pool, a climbing frame and lots of space. We can go skiing nearby and build an ice rink in the garden. She can decide how we paint or decorate the walls of her bedroom as it'll be our house etc. and from "I don't want to lose my friends" she is now saying "I can't wait to move".

Have a chat with your boys explain to them the advantage of moving and the disadvantage of losing friends but again the adventure of making new ones. The benefits of seeing their dad more etc.

Good luck!

Well you don't have to make a decision straight away do you, won't you want to see how the Toyota job works out before moving?

However there are no jobs in this area and haven't been for several years so I don't see that changing soon. However nice Cobourg is if you have no income then sooner or later you are going to have to move.

I think as long as the parents are happy and positive and explain to the kids why it has to be done and what the benefits are they will be fine.

We came in 2010 and my youngest went to nursery school in a total different area but it was the nearest. She then went to full day kindergarten and it took her a while to make new friends but she's settled now. So now we bought in the country side and will be moving in May which means again for the 3rd time in 3 years to change school and friends. But we told her she'll have a pool, a climbing frame and lots of space. We can go skiing nearby and build an ice rink in the garden. She can decide how we paint or decorate the walls of her bedroom as it'll be our house etc. and from "I don't want to lose my friends" she is now saying "I can't wait to move".

Have a chat with your boys explain to them the advantage of moving and the disadvantage of losing friends but again the adventure of making new ones. The benefits of seeing their dad more etc.

Good luck![/QUOTE]

Thankyou for that I do agree with all you say I am happy to move yearly for a new experience if was was just me and Dave its so much harder when kids are involved. I have sat with them and explained and although they dont want to move yet i'msure that they will come round to the idea. We will see if he gets the job yet and then make the decision who said moving to canada would be easy! oh yeah no-one lol

I would say see how the Toyota job turns out for a while before you make a firm decision either way. In the meantime research where you could move to that is closer to the new job and perhaps you will find an option that turns out even better than where you are now? And if he keeps looking for jobs, perhaps something will turn up that allows you to stay where you are.

I completely agree about the positive attitude with the kids though -if you make it a positive thing for them then they will deal with the idea of moving so much better. Kids are so often more adaptable than we give them credit for.

Kirsty, we haven't even moved over yet, but even I can say a commute from Cobourg to Cambridge and back every day is really not going to work. I've been on the main highways during rush hour and during road works passed Toronto and it's a frikkin nightmare.

However, there are plenty of nice areas to live around Cambridge, although you won't have the beach but then again, too much of a good thing means you might not appreciate it as much as you would if it was a weekend trip.

The kids will always be the first casualty of this sort of decision, but they are also more adaptable than adults. Bit like Goldfish, they forget stuff quickly, lol.

cheers dave lol.
I know the commute would be a nightmare thats why we are considering a move. The boys will adapt i'm sure we will see if dave gets the job and have a proper chat with them, and like you say we will appreciate the lake a lot more when we dont see it every day.

prariechicken thankyou too we will wait and see if he gets the job then we can make an informed decision.
You never know we might settle there even better and live on a street with other children! Here they are all over 60 lol but lovely too

Good advice, if he on an early shift then 401 commute is doable for the short term, if he start after 8am then maybe 407 ETR is the way to go.

I did a weeks commute to Peterborough and that was easy enuf.

Then if all is good maybe look at moving west bound

I know people who commute from Pbro to Ajax, it's tiring long term. Er and where was my Timmies invite when you were in town?

I would do the oil thing and commute the 21 on 10 off scenario. I did this for a few years, although on a smaller scale, and worked on the positives whilst I was away. Paid dividends to us but it's, IMHO, of a personal nature.

I was in the Timmies on water street, did not see any Bats?

Kirsty, we are in a similar predicament, only still in the UK awaiting on PR. We had hoped PR would be through by now so that we could move straight out there now my OH has left the army...However, he's got a job in Northampton and we're in Edinburgh and now I have to face moving my daughter out of a school and away from friends to a somewhere else for what could be less than a year, only to move again when PR finally comes through - it's either that or we cope with the separation on a weekly basis with him travelling back up to Scotland every weekend. Not idea but needs must and as long as we are together as a family, that's the main thing. I would say, think about what seems right for the whole family and go with it. Kids adapt and are more robust that we give them credit for....they're just good with the emotional blackmail

regards

Wozzie.

I was just hanging around