pow06

christmasoompa

Congrats! Gosh, that was quick, was that since you were asking about Oz a couple of days ago? Or has this been in the pipeline for a while? Has the company applied for the LMIA yet or are they still to do so?

If you've not discovered it already, then have a good look at the Wiki which has tons of info in, and you can also search the forum for threads on Vernon until those in the area wake up and see your thread. How old are your kids?

P.S. Just another thought - as your husband is older, you might want to look in to options for PR in case you decide you want to stay permanently. I would recommend you do that before you go so that you know you can stay if you wish to.

Phaedru5

You lucky devils! Vernon is great! We moved here (Vernon) earlier this year and we LOVE it. My wife is from Kelowna so we know the Okanagan well it is absolutely the biggest playground for all things outdoorsy, if you like that kind of thing, but Vernon is so much nicer (in my opinion) than Kelowna, much more of a small town feel (approx 40k people as oppose 160k+ in K-town). Downtown honestly while quaint is rather overrun with homeless so the areas away from downtown tend to be the best. East Hill is the classic supposedly better area (the hill up to the Easy of the highway, tree lined streets and lots of older 'historic' houses (by Canadian standards). Also home to some of the best schools Silverstar Elementary and Hillview. VSS (Vernon Secondary) is supposed to be the best secondary so aim for its catchment area and you cant go far wrong. Up beyond East Hill is BX which is more ranchland so you can get a larger plot with still easy access to town. The foothills of Silverstar are nice but you have to drive 15mins each way into and out of town which if you have kids will be a pain. My favourite area which was a hidden gem is Middleton Mountain, just south of town and Highway 6 - you're nearer the lake (Kal Beach on Kalamalka lake is far far nicer than Kin Beach on Okanagan Lake), there are a few grocery, drug mart, liquor etc stores at the base so everything is basically within 5-10 minutes, and the town is so compact that actually walmart, home depot, canadian tire etc all the larger stuff that you dont need as often is still only 10-15mins drive to the North of town. Also nearer to Kal Park which quite frankly is stunning, for hiking, dog walking, mountain biking, cliff jumping, lake swimming, wildlife watching, etc. I could go on and on, I have never loved where I live so much as here. Coldstream is more south again than Middleton, outside City Limits and very nice but further from town, Middleton strikes a perfect compromise.
OK yes some people will tell you theres crime etc but the Okanagan is rife with gangs and drug crime but if you're not involved you dont see it. One of my best friends here is a special forces RCMP officer who actually deals with this stuff and even he says Vernon is safe, he loves it and is very happy here, and he has a 9yr old and 12yr old.
Any specific questions feel free to PM me.

Phaedru5

I realised I didnt actually answer many of your questions;

Practicalities - 5hrs drive from Vancouver, 6hrs from Calgary, Kelowna is your nearest large city which has everything you'd ever need (including Costco) and is about 45mins drive. Vernon has all the major stores (except Costco), plentiful pubs, beaches, green space, etc. Kelowna airport is what we tend to use rather than driving to Vancouver, Westjet fly to Gatwick via Calgary or various other cities (Toronto, Edmonton etc). The Okanagan isnt cheap, there is plenty of rental property but it moves fast. We bought a house and used a lady called Caroline ONeil with Royal Lepage, would highly recommend her and happy to put you in touch - if she doesnt do rentals she will know somebody who does. I actually have basement suite that we rent on airbnb that I would consider doing a longer term couple of months in the off-season if you're interested.

TV/internet services - Shaw or Telus. We use Telus its about $150 per month, internet is good, dont watch much TV but its similar to Sky I guess.

Utilities : BC Hydro (electricity) is cheap, water is pretty expensive - doesnt help that Im trying to keep my lawn green in these scorching summer temperatures! Gas I think is more expensive so most people have electric cookers etc - we're going to convert to gas as I hate cooking on electric.

Furniture - We brought some of our stuff from the UK but our tiny british house items didnt make a dent on our 2500 sq ft home here. We furnished our 1000 sq ft basement suite on I think less than $300 - tons of yard sales, community sales, facebook market place, etc, freebies - the great thing with a seasonal town is lots of people come for just summer or just winter so are always selling stuff off before they move.

Oh and I forgot to mention Silverstar ski resort (if you like skiing?) - 20-25 mins drive from Vernon, also a mountain biking/hiking mecca in the summer. Big White, Sunpeaks, Harper Mountain, Revelstoke and others are also all within about 90mins drive.

scrubbedexpat091

Pretty much the same anywhere these days, Vancouver and suburbs have gang problems as well but for the most part unless involved in criminal activity, it won't directly affect you, although there are always the exceptions such as the man who was killed a few weeks/month ago or so due to apparent mistaken identity. Same for homeless, really can't find a city or town anywhere in North America that has no homelessness issue, some city's just have more visible larger populations then others do.

Vernon is on our short list of possible places to relocate to, but we still need to visit, and of course see how the rental market it for apartments, since house is not in our ball park.

Phaedru5

Exactly, well said.

If you visit by all means let me know, happy to show you around or at least give some good pointers of where to go. And if you need a place to stay when visiting search for 'Valleyview Retreat Middleton' on airbnb

scilly

Has no-one told you that you are not supposed to do that???

You let your grass go, water it once a week from ca 4 am to ca 9 am if absolutely necessary. It will green up within a day of rain.

Phaedru5

Not here in the Okanagan! My mother in laws completely died last summer, and our neighbours are quick to tell us when we're going too yellow. Something about keeping up the appearance of the neighborhood......
I am considerate to keep within our allocated local times and days which for me is I think off the top of my head Wednesday, Friday and Sunday. Believe me if you see some of the lawns around us people are sure using a lot more water than I!

dbd33

Between that atmosphere and the convenient access to WalMart you're really selling Vernon!

scrubbedexpat091

Times and what type of restrictions vary by community, the times in Vernon are not the same as in Vancouver, and currently appears they can water 3 times per week.

Water Restrictions | Regional District of North Okanagan


That said best in arid and semi arid regions not to have grass and use water wise landscaping that requires little water.

scilly

Oh, how I agree with you!!!

The southern US was pushing this type of landscaping 20 years ago.

Some regions are seemingly very snobby ........... even Shaughnessy $10 million homes are letting their grass go green!

dbd33

Is the Okanagan generally considered snobby? We have examples on this thread and previously there were posters who made a big deal of their pool and their premium pontoon boat (!) Is it the part of Canada for people who are very concerned about the amount of stuff they have compared to the neighbours?

R I C H

Tamasin1

I know nothing about Vernon but we are in Kamloops which is quite close by if you want to ask any questions?

scrubbedexpat091

My dads yard is all desert landscaping. Cactus, desert trees and such.

Most in the San Diego region have let their grass go. Really only the wealthier areas that have green grass. Water is too expensive there to waste on grass for a lot of people.

Some citys will outright ban grass watering as well.