Hi folks, I thought i would first introduce myself on here and get to know some people!
I am moving to Saskatchewan in August of this year...not long really!! nerves starting to kick in i think! I am moving with my son Connor and my wife who is Canadian so i am lucky in that sence that i have someone who is already familiar with Canada and has family and friends there too...
I flew to Canada last August for the first time and i absolutely loved it! we traveled around Saskatchewan/Alberta and it was amazing.
My wife is a teacher, me too! so we are both hoping that we will be able to find work??...We have one son Connor who is 8 and rather excited about the move, but he says he will miss his Nanny and grandad in England
( my parents ) I have to say i am with him on that, the thought of leaving my family and friends leaves me feeling sad and somewhat empty...But on the other hand i can hardly control the excitment!!
So there it is really in a nut shell, it would be lovely to speak to anyone on here really and hear there positive and negatives experiances and it turn make friends!! Gareth....

Hi
We're still in the UK but also hoping to move over in August. To Nova Scotia so a long way from you!!!

Welcome to BE though!!!

You are both teachers? I suggest you read the wiki on Teaching in Canada. Securing employment for you both, quickly, is likely to be a problem.

http://britishexpats.com/wiki/Teaching_in_Canada

Hi DandNhill Thanks for the welcome, and all the best for your move in August! Where abouts in the UK are you?
Hey Alantic Xpat, Yes we are both teachers here in the uk, My wife was teaching in Saskatoon 8 years ago before she came to the uk, I to have my reservations about securing a job quite quick. We have been in touch with various school districts/divisions about going on there sub-lists, Thank you for the info and we will have a read up on the wiki...

On this forum this is politically incorrect to state, but for a teacher your English skills are woeful, to say the least.

Hello Auld Yin and thank you for your comment.

It is an incredibly sad state of affairs when all you have to comment on is a person’s grammar on a social forum such as this. Your comment has no reflection on my professional ability as a teacher. This forum is to discuss all aspects of moving/thinking to move to Canada and offer friendly advice not to nit pick at peoples comments.

Your comment was politically incorrect and pointless,
So I suggest in the future you don’t read any further comments of mine so I don’t have to be bored with your rudeness.

All the best for the future....

Hi Gareth, and a warm welcome to the forum! How exciting about your move in August! We too are planning on moving in the summer - hopefully June time - to Calgary. I am sponsoring my Bristish husband. Have you sent off all your forms yet? It's quite a process isn't it!

This forum is fabulous and has been so helpful to us in planning our move. Unfortunately, you will come across a few nasty people though (as you've discovered already), but you just need to ignore them. Most people on here are really nice and I'm sure you'll get loads of help!

I wish you all the best in planning your big move and hope you enjoy the forums!

Hi Gareth, that's great news! August is only around the corner too are you heading back to Saskatoon or somewhere else? My wife's from there and we're planning our move from London in 2012. You know there's talk of an Air Canada direct flight from LHR to Saskatoon, not sure when but hopefully soon. Will make it a little easier for family & friends to visit too.

We got back from spending Xmas in Saskatoon with my in laws. Changed a lot in the last 5 years, lots of development. Best of luck with the job hunting and planning!

K

Hi, and thanks for the warm welcome.. August cant come soon enough we are all very excited! I visited Calgary in August last year and stayed with friends, such a lovely place!

The forms have been a nightmare; we decided to use Immigration experts as my wife in the past has had unpleasant dealings with obtaining work visa's. We used a company called Global Visa's...Thought it would take the pressure off...but there is so much involved.

Have you sent all your forms off?? How did you get on with it all??
The forum is great and meeting people such as yourself is very pleasant, it is however sadly true that there are some unpleasant ones! As I have found out but never mind.
All the best with your move Keep us posted...

Hi, August will be here before we know it!! Starting to go quick now..
We are going to be living in a small town called Outlook on highway 45 which is about 40 minutes from Saskatoon.
Is your wife from Saskatoon itself??
So in 2012 are you planning to go back to Saskatoon?? Will you be going down the family sponsorship route?

I did hear some talk about a direct flight, which would make things so much easier and hopefully cheaper! Especially when you not a great flyer
(Like me)

We was in Saskatoon August last year, it was my first time in Canada but my wife said the same as you, every time she goes back home they have developed even more!!
All the best with your plans and you never know we just may well meet in Saskatoon...

Gareth

Hi Gareth, don't worry about people picking on you for one reason or another. There are a few on here who do this and you get used to them and develop a thick skin!!!

Hey mate, some people just have nothing better to do than be nasty!! never mind, developing a thicker skin for the future lol

Hi,
So, you're off to small town Saskatchewan?! My wife has an aunt & uncle in Hanley, which is 'just down the road', well along Hwy 15 and on to 11 for a bit. Yes, my mrs was born & raised in Saskatoon, went to uni there, then we got married there, then she moved over to London. She always said she wanted to head back home when it got close to the having kids stage, so 2012 it will be. Probably head back for the autumn so I guess we'll start the application in spring 2012. We plan on going down the family class spousal route, probably the easiest/quickest for us.

Do you know if the mozzies get bad in Outlook in the summer with the river being so close? The provincial bird of Saskatchewan is definitely the mosquito. A few summers ago, got absolutely mauled when I went up to Jackfish Lake, got 52 bites in a weekend!!! Obviously needed more DEET, those mozzies could certainly smell the blood of this Englishman. Back in S'toon in the summer so I'll be sure to lather up in bug spray

How far down the application route are you know? Hope the rest of it is smooth!

Cheers

Hey mate, yes we are off to the sleepy little town of Outlook Saskatchewan, my in-laws live there now but my wife was originally from Coddett SK, but Hanley is not far from Outlook! My wife and i met on holiday and married the following year in Grandora just west of Saskatoon.
She wanted to try and live in the UK but i always knew there would be a time when she wanted to go home! and we both decided that we would go August this year...

The mozzies were not to bad in Outlook last summer, still got bit but thats the English blood for ya!! we went down to Regina beach for a couple of days and like you i was attacked by the mozzies, I have never seen so many and at one point i think i was being dive bombed by the swine's they did not stop biting me!! The provincial bird of Saskatchewan is definitely the mosquito, good luck for the summer and spray that deet like a mad man!!

In regards the the application it is going slow!! we started in August last year and only just got our documents sent to Canada for the lawyer to sign off!!
We decided to use an immigration consultant and let them deal with it for us, but to be honest its no quicker and just the same hassle. So i reckon we are about a third into the process and hope to have it all sorted by April!! fingers crossed....... So when you guys go back what part of SK will u settle in?? We may well be neighbours!!!

Cheers Gareth

Hi Gareth and family welcome to BE

I found this site so helful and 99% of people pleasant but as you know the odd 1 or 2 like to put their pennies worth in and that seem to go quiet as youve since noticed !

anyway with that said, we (me, hubby, 2 dogs and 2 tortoises) flew over june2009 and its gone so quickly, i was the principle applicant we initially came on work permits, im a nurse and hubby a drywaller we live in abbotsford , BC.
we thought we had all the time in the world to get everything ready and that last week or so was so stressful. my hubby has kids in the UK and although my family is small my hubbys isnt, we miss them all very much. it helped in that my mum visited 6weeks after we moved here, the kids have been once.

facebook and skype soon became our friends and i also have a blog, so family and friends can see our journey and what were upto. this xmas was the toughest, i get really miserable but it passes.

all i can say is, stay strong, your giving your child a wonderful opportunity here, im amazed at the opportunities they have here, be as organised as you can be and if your parents can get out to visit when you get over it will help.

best wishes with the move, it will be here before you know it

kae