Moved: Honest answers please -Canadian lifestyle
Feb 11th 2008, 5:54 pm
#16
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Re: Moved: Honest answers please -Canadian lifestyle
My honest answer is that when in the UK, people kind of get stuck in the rut of "oh isn`t this a crappy place" and don`t do stuff (and there is loads of stuff to do around any village, town or city in the UK.
However when you decide to move to Canada for this `better lifestyle` its because in your mind you will try that little bit harder over here.
And when you have the beautiful scenery to marry it up with the whole Canada thing just seems to offer more as opposed to actually having it.
I may be making no sense at all but I believe its just down to a change of scenery which brings on a change in attitude and therefore a happier lifestyle.
Not that I would want to go back - I adore how the change has made me feel, and would recommend anyone to do it and breathe some new life back into your world!
However when you decide to move to Canada for this `better lifestyle` its because in your mind you will try that little bit harder over here.
And when you have the beautiful scenery to marry it up with the whole Canada thing just seems to offer more as opposed to actually having it.
I may be making no sense at all but I believe its just down to a change of scenery which brings on a change in attitude and therefore a happier lifestyle.
Not that I would want to go back - I adore how the change has made me feel, and would recommend anyone to do it and breathe some new life back into your world!
Feb 11th 2008, 6:53 pm
#17
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Re: Moved: Honest answers please -Canadian lifestyle
Yes, I think perhaps there is an element of "making a clean break of it", and being able to start afresh in a new location.
Thats part of it, and emigrating certainly forced me to be a lot more outgoing... but part of it is the reshaped finances that often go along with the change making it easier to do certain things too, and its probably safe to say there would not be a skating rink in my back yard if I still lived in the UK too.
Looking at it in reverse, when I visit the UK Im struck by how gloomy everyone seems to be, and how overcrowded it seems in many places.
Thats part of it, and emigrating certainly forced me to be a lot more outgoing... but part of it is the reshaped finances that often go along with the change making it easier to do certain things too, and its probably safe to say there would not be a skating rink in my back yard if I still lived in the UK too.
Looking at it in reverse, when I visit the UK Im struck by how gloomy everyone seems to be, and how overcrowded it seems in many places.
Feb 11th 2008, 7:14 pm
#18
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Re: Moved: Honest answers please -Canadian lifestyle
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Feb 11th 2008, 7:36 pm
#19
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Re: Moved: Honest answers please -Canadian lifestyle
Im not for a minute saying that everyone is gloomy, and as you know, there are aspects of the UK that you just cant replace in Canada, pubs, family, historical sites, the greenness, ...but for me, looking at the whole picture, after ten years here, Canada is where I choose to remain.
Feb 11th 2008, 7:53 pm
#20
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Re: Moved: Honest answers please -Canadian lifestyle
Good Luck.
Im not for a minute saying that everyone is gloomy, and as you know, there are aspects of the UK that you just cant replace in Canada, pubs, family, historical sites, the greenness, ...but for me, looking at the whole picture, after ten years here, Canada is where I choose to remain.
Im not for a minute saying that everyone is gloomy, and as you know, there are aspects of the UK that you just cant replace in Canada, pubs, family, historical sites, the greenness, ...but for me, looking at the whole picture, after ten years here, Canada is where I choose to remain.
I don't hate living here I guess I just don't love it either but I'm still glad I've had the experience
Feb 11th 2008, 10:34 pm
#21
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Re: Moved: Honest answers please -Canadian lifestyle
Certainly there are lifestyles that can be followed in many cities without the need for driving - although shopping is easier by car than bus or backpack.
But many people mention the out of town things. Skiing for example. One needs to get there.
ATVs seem to be popular.
We have a lovely beach that's a 20 minute drive away. There's a bus that goes there - almost. By the time one adds up four bus fares from home to bus station and then the other bus, the cost is virtually the same as a taxi. That's $40 each way.
$80 is a bit expensive for an afternoon at a beach that's only 20 minutes away.
But many people mention the out of town things. Skiing for example. One needs to get there.
ATVs seem to be popular.
We have a lovely beach that's a 20 minute drive away. There's a bus that goes there - almost. By the time one adds up four bus fares from home to bus station and then the other bus, the cost is virtually the same as a taxi. That's $40 each way.
$80 is a bit expensive for an afternoon at a beach that's only 20 minutes away.
When I lived in London I didnt have a car, if I wanted to visit somewhere like Burnham Beeches then I had to find a friend with a car, or hire one for the weekend. Which I did when I visited people as cheaper than the train.
I dont see that things are that different for cars etc
My MIL lives 45 minutes from a beach, no public transport to there.
Feb 11th 2008, 10:40 pm
#22
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Re: Moved: Honest answers please -Canadian lifestyle
I couldnt have managed without a car in the UK, no public transport to where I worked, two buses and a 2 hour ride to my mothers. Shopping was ok, but you can only buy as much as you can carry so even if the shops are close then you still need to visit often
When I lived in London I didnt have a car, if I wanted to visit somewhere like Burnham Beeches then I had to find a friend with a car, or hire one for the weekend. Which I did when I visited people as cheaper than the train.
I dont see that things are that different for cars etc
My MIL lives 45 minutes from a beach, no public transport to there.
When I lived in London I didnt have a car, if I wanted to visit somewhere like Burnham Beeches then I had to find a friend with a car, or hire one for the weekend. Which I did when I visited people as cheaper than the train.
I dont see that things are that different for cars etc
My MIL lives 45 minutes from a beach, no public transport to there.
Once you get the suburbs then you need a car for everyone in the household, that's one reason why I can't fathom raising children in a place like Mississauaga, inevitably they'll drink and they have to drive, it's a recipe for disaster.
Feb 11th 2008, 10:41 pm
#23
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Re: Moved: Honest answers please -Canadian lifestyle
More wide open space. Less (almost no) crime. Far less stress. No Fighting traffic. A house where I cant smell my neighbours farts and can afford the mortgage on one salary so my wife can stay home while the kids are still small.
Thats pretty much it for me.
The main differences I think come down to the lower population densities...all the good stuff springs from that I think. Whether that applies if you choose to live in a major city is perhaps questionable, but it works for me here.
Driving is important because with the lower population density everything you might want to do is spread out a lot more, and being north america, public transport is pretty much an afterthought and largely restricted to the major cities. Besides, who wants to wait for a bus when its -30°C with the windchill like today anyway? Driving makes everything a lot easier to do.
Frankly the "canadian lifestyle" doesnt really exist, its whatever you want it to be, although you can safely rule out sunbathing in February I guess unless you are going to jet off to somewhere a lot warmer. The two key enabling factor in the "lifestyle" thing are to improve your work / life balance, and to reduce your housing costs relative to your income...if you can do that then there is more money left for other things, and although money wont buy you happyness, it can certainly reduce your unhappyness! The work life balance though is something we all have to work at, and too many canadians work too long hours if you ask me. Both things should be possible with a move to canada, especially if you bring significant equity from your UK house sale, or choose your new part of canada carefully.
Thats pretty much it for me.
The main differences I think come down to the lower population densities...all the good stuff springs from that I think. Whether that applies if you choose to live in a major city is perhaps questionable, but it works for me here.
Driving is important because with the lower population density everything you might want to do is spread out a lot more, and being north america, public transport is pretty much an afterthought and largely restricted to the major cities. Besides, who wants to wait for a bus when its -30°C with the windchill like today anyway? Driving makes everything a lot easier to do.
Frankly the "canadian lifestyle" doesnt really exist, its whatever you want it to be, although you can safely rule out sunbathing in February I guess unless you are going to jet off to somewhere a lot warmer. The two key enabling factor in the "lifestyle" thing are to improve your work / life balance, and to reduce your housing costs relative to your income...if you can do that then there is more money left for other things, and although money wont buy you happyness, it can certainly reduce your unhappyness! The work life balance though is something we all have to work at, and too many canadians work too long hours if you ask me. Both things should be possible with a move to canada, especially if you bring significant equity from your UK house sale, or choose your new part of canada carefully.
I'm not sure that the prevalence of crime affects lifestyle for most people. Lifestyle to me is what you do in your leisure, what the culture is at work, social norms, invites to peoples homes, the bbq thing etc.
I can see that your lifestyle is good from what you say. I can see that my friend who moved here 20 years ago as a single mum has given her daughter a better life, but I cant see any difference to our lives. We tell ourselves that this time next year will be different, better jobs, new house, more settled. I hope so.
Feb 11th 2008, 10:43 pm
#24
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Re: Moved: Honest answers please -Canadian lifestyle
I know lots of people in Toronto who don't drive, it's no big deal at all. Then there are lots of people who can drive but who don't own a car (usually because the insurance is too much) they rent or belong to zipcar or similar.
Once you get the suburbs then you need a car for everyone in the household, that's one reason why I can't fathom raising children in a place like Mississauaga, inevitably they'll drink and they have to drive, it's a recipe for disaster.
Once you get the suburbs then you need a car for everyone in the household, that's one reason why I can't fathom raising children in a place like Mississauaga, inevitably they'll drink and they have to drive, it's a recipe for disaster.
Feb 12th 2008, 2:39 am
#25
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Joined: Oct 2006
Location: Winnipeg, Manitoba
Posts: 72
Re: Moved: Honest answers please -Canadian lifestyle
I think it boils down to the need to be very specific about why you want to move - we wanted a bigger house and more sport/outdoor stuff for the kids to do. We do have that, but I work much longer hours for less money, deductions seem higher (tax, etc) but then thats because I am paying for medical insurance. Prescription costs can be huge otherwise!
General cost of living (including utilities) seem higher than UK, while housing and gasoline are cheaper
Susan
General cost of living (including utilities) seem higher than UK, while housing and gasoline are cheaper
Susan
Feb 12th 2008, 3:53 am
#26
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Location: Calgary
Posts: 16
Re: Honest answers please -Canadian lifestyle
Hello & welcome! 
This is best asked in the Lifestyle Forum of this site plus you can search it for specific things that are important to you.
Also read the Wiki if you haven't already as there are many articles written by BE Canada people to help you. Particularly as you need to have an idea of who you would emigrate as there are different ways, each with different timescales.
http://britishexpats.com/wiki/Catego...dian_Lifestyle
http://britishexpats.com/wiki/Catego...an_Immigration
This is best asked in the Lifestyle Forum of this site plus you can search it for specific things that are important to you.
Also read the Wiki if you haven't already as there are many articles written by BE Canada people to help you. Particularly as you need to have an idea of who you would emigrate as there are different ways, each with different timescales.
http://britishexpats.com/wiki/Catego...dian_Lifestyle
http://britishexpats.com/wiki/Catego...an_Immigration
Feb 12th 2008, 4:48 am
#27
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Joined: Apr 2005
Location: Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
Posts: 4,104
Re: Moved: Honest answers please -Canadian lifestyle
I moved out here because my girlfriend is Canadian, but as far as I'm concerned:
Pluses:
1. Can afford a nice house rather than a rat-hole in chav-town. And we'll probably have paid off the mortgage in five years.
2. No chavs setting cars on fire down the road from where I work.
3. Huge country with a lot of open space and variation in landscape (though you don't see much other than flat, flat and flat in Saskatchewan!)
4. Less oppressive government, at least for the moment.
5. Most things are cheaper, so even after a 25% pay cut we're better off. Until I got bored and found a job we were living on my girlfriend's salary alone, which is about 50% of what I made in the UK; admittedly that only covered basic mortage/living expenses and not one-off expenses like car maintenance etc.
6. I've been using buses to get to and from work and they're far better than the ones I had to use occasionally in the UK.
Minuses:
1. It's a bit cold at times.
2. Long distance from family; my father died after I moved over, but it was sudden (though not entirely unexpected after a stroke last year) and even if I'd been in the UK it's unlikely I could have got there in time. And I'd spent two weeks with my parents before moving over while sorting through my stuff and dealing with shipping, etc, so I'd have felt worse if I was still there and hadn't done that!
Pluses:
1. Can afford a nice house rather than a rat-hole in chav-town. And we'll probably have paid off the mortgage in five years.
2. No chavs setting cars on fire down the road from where I work.
3. Huge country with a lot of open space and variation in landscape (though you don't see much other than flat, flat and flat in Saskatchewan!)
4. Less oppressive government, at least for the moment.
5. Most things are cheaper, so even after a 25% pay cut we're better off. Until I got bored and found a job we were living on my girlfriend's salary alone, which is about 50% of what I made in the UK; admittedly that only covered basic mortage/living expenses and not one-off expenses like car maintenance etc.
6. I've been using buses to get to and from work and they're far better than the ones I had to use occasionally in the UK.
Minuses:
1. It's a bit cold at times
.2. Long distance from family; my father died after I moved over, but it was sudden (though not entirely unexpected after a stroke last year) and even if I'd been in the UK it's unlikely I could have got there in time. And I'd spent two weeks with my parents before moving over while sorting through my stuff and dealing with shipping, etc, so I'd have felt worse if I was still there and hadn't done that!
Feb 12th 2008, 12:53 pm
#28
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Joined: Sep 2003
Location: Upstate South Carolina
Posts: 30,768
Re: Moved: Honest answers please -Canadian lifestyle
For us its more stress, money hassles, health, job security.
I'm not sure that the prevalence of crime affects lifestyle for most people. Lifestyle to me is what you do in your leisure, what the culture is at work, social norms, invites to peoples homes, the bbq thing etc.
I can see that your lifestyle is good from what you say. I can see that my friend who moved here 20 years ago as a single mum has given her daughter a better life, but I cant see any difference to our lives. We tell ourselves that this time next year will be different, better jobs, new house, more settled. I hope so.
I'm not sure that the prevalence of crime affects lifestyle for most people. Lifestyle to me is what you do in your leisure, what the culture is at work, social norms, invites to peoples homes, the bbq thing etc.
I can see that your lifestyle is good from what you say. I can see that my friend who moved here 20 years ago as a single mum has given her daughter a better life, but I cant see any difference to our lives. We tell ourselves that this time next year will be different, better jobs, new house, more settled. I hope so.
Didnt have kids in the UK, so cant really comment on those differnces, but no complaints about stuff for the kids to do here, but, living in a rural area a certain amount of driving them too and fro is obviously to be expected, even if its just 5 mins into the local village which provides an amazing number if of things for them to do considering the population is only a couple of thousand.
Last edited by iaink; Feb 12th 2008 at 12:55 pm.
Feb 12th 2008, 1:18 pm
#29
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Location: Toronto
Posts: 86
Re: Moved: Honest answers please -Canadian lifestyle
While watching BBC tv news last night I was amazed to see an item about how often UK firefighters are ATTACKED by mobs of youths, throwing rocks and cutting the fire hoses. Video of masked kids throwing rocks and firemen being hurt while trying to fight fires. The BBC news report stated that the Firefighters Union has reported that in one year, 2005, over 1500 incidents of this type occurred in Britain. That works out to about 3 attacks , each day of the year.
I was amazed that this happens so much in Britain . I have NEVER heard of such a thing happening in Canada, EVER. Here the fire fighters are our heros , and are rated as the MOST trusted members of our Canadian society.
The tone of the BBC news item was that UK firefighters are afraid to go out to fire calls, because of the danger of being injured by gangs of kids. If that happened here, in Canada, and it dosen't, the fire hoses would be turned on the attackers, for sure. Dripping wet and knocked on their backsides, they would be easy to identify and arrest, I think.
Is this an example of " British lifestyle " ?
Jim B. Toronto.
I was amazed that this happens so much in Britain . I have NEVER heard of such a thing happening in Canada, EVER. Here the fire fighters are our heros , and are rated as the MOST trusted members of our Canadian society.
The tone of the BBC news item was that UK firefighters are afraid to go out to fire calls, because of the danger of being injured by gangs of kids. If that happened here, in Canada, and it dosen't, the fire hoses would be turned on the attackers, for sure. Dripping wet and knocked on their backsides, they would be easy to identify and arrest, I think.
Is this an example of " British lifestyle " ?
Jim B. Toronto.
Feb 12th 2008, 1:42 pm
#30
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Location: Ex-Canada: now rural West Sussex.
Posts: 1,013
Re: Moved: Honest answers please -Canadian lifestyle
While watching BBC tv news last night I was amazed to see an item about how often UK firefighters are ATTACKED by mobs of youths, throwing rocks and cutting the fire hoses. Video of masked kids throwing rocks and firemen being hurt while trying to fight fires. The BBC news report stated that the Firefighters Union has reported that in one year, 2005, over 1500 incidents of this type occurred in Britain. That works out to about 3 attacks , each day of the year.
I was amazed that this happens so much in Britain . I have NEVER heard of such a thing happening in Canada, EVER. Here the fire fighters are our heros , and are rated as the MOST trusted members of our Canadian society.
The tone of the BBC news item was that UK firefighters are afraid to go out to fire calls, because of the danger of being injured by gangs of kids. If that happened here, in Canada, and it dosen't, the fire hoses would be turned on the attackers, for sure. Dripping wet and knocked on their backsides, they would be easy to identify and arrest, I think.
Is this an example of " British lifestyle " ?
Jim B. Toronto.
I was amazed that this happens so much in Britain . I have NEVER heard of such a thing happening in Canada, EVER. Here the fire fighters are our heros , and are rated as the MOST trusted members of our Canadian society.
The tone of the BBC news item was that UK firefighters are afraid to go out to fire calls, because of the danger of being injured by gangs of kids. If that happened here, in Canada, and it dosen't, the fire hoses would be turned on the attackers, for sure. Dripping wet and knocked on their backsides, they would be easy to identify and arrest, I think.
Is this an example of " British lifestyle " ?
Jim B. Toronto.