Danny B

My response below.

Shakyuk

I'd have thought being in Yukon would have given you more power to negotiate your package? Are they not desperate for people up there?

raindropsandroses

Yes, I would have thought so too, my husband was offered a job in Yukon and it pretty much came with the moon on a stick. That said we already had PR and he had several other competing job offers, which put us (me ) in a better position to negotiate.

I think living in Yukon would be fantastic, we spent a lot of time living in very remote areas in the Arctic prior to moving to Canada and I loved it, I miss the cold where we are now. A few things I would say...

The cold, you get used to it quite quickly, but I found living in the Arctic made visiting hot places more difficult to adjust to.

Get proper cold weather gear, thrift stores are excellent if you don't want to spend a lot, I've got some fantastic stuff from there, my winter coat was $5 and looks brand new, likewise my brand new with the tags (originally priced at $260) snow boots were only $8.

Dogs in the cold... Fluffpup adores the cold and loved the Arctic so can't help much in that front I'm afraid, plus he's as hairy as a Sasquatch and would happily lie out in the snow for hours at a time.
Elizabeth Arden's Eight Hour Cream is excellent for rubbing into the pads of dogs paws to help stop cracking and soreness in the cold, or so I was told by a sled team manager when I questioned his stash of it.

Food, again I haven't lived in the Arctic/ a remote place in Canada but where we were learning what to buy, what's cheap and shopping sensibly helped keep costs down. I usually ask colleagues/neighbours what their weekly shopping list looks like to get a idea - make like a local and all that. We used to be able to get dried bacon cheaply, apparently a bit grim as it is but cooked in a slow cooker all day with a cassoulet transformed it. Being inventive with for and ingredients goes a long way.

If I think of anything else I'll post again

carcajou

For what it's worth, there is also a very large Filipino population in Alaska - I believe they are the largest Asian ethnic group there.

Howefamily

I have absolutely no advice but want to say that I am excited for you. Please keep us up to date with how it all goes...


Oh I do have some advice - pick your home wisely. Heating options come with wildly varying bills. Ours is heated by mainly wood and yet our power bill is still high enough for the other stuff ($335 a month but we are also paying off a heat pump on it). I would hate to see it if we were on baseboard heat.


Good luck!!!!

scilly

A niece and her family have lived in Whitehorse for almost 10 years, and love it ........ they even go winter camping! They also seem to have a very active social life that revolves more around getting together in homes with friends

Do buy your winter gear over here ......... nothing you buy in England will come close to what you need in the north.

I also have a distant relative in another province who is a nurse in a very specialised area ...... she seems to be able to get all the holidays she wants, when she wants by witching shifts with other staff members. For example, NY means little to her, so she can usually find someone who wants that off but doesn't mind working Christmas Day.


Schools in the Yukon operate on a slightly different schedule that elsewhere in Canada ...... the school year ends in mid-June and the new school year starts before the end of August for most schools, with a very short Christmas break. Thus, you might find it possible to switch holiday schedules / days off with a parent who needs time off during that period but is willing to let you have time off outside those times.

mikey8954

Thanks to everyone for their replies!
I'm actually going to be living in Dawson City and will likely be there for at least a couple of years. I'm going to be starting work at the end of November and flying straight in from Orlando where I will have spent the last week of my vacation getting some sunshine before heading into the depths of a northern winter. I'm going to hit the outlet malls in Orlando and anything I can't get that is rated for the cold weather I will have to try to find in Vancouver or Whitehorse on my way to Dawson. I'll leave Orlando on the Saturday and start work on the Monday so I will have a day to do some additional shopping and will give an extra list to my husband and Dog (Obviously the dog won't be doing the shopping) for when they join me a week later.
I'm not sure what my housing will be like unfortunately, I get subsidised housing as part of my employment package. Hopefully, the heating system is decent!
There are some really great perks and they are desperate for nurses so there are some good incentives, just sadly annual leave allowance isn't one of them, but I am getting well paid so I can't really grumble. The tips around swapping shifts etc to make sure I get decent chunks of time off is a good one. Also as we don't have kids, we have no desire to be off during school holidays and Christmas/NY so that might give me a little wriggle room with my colleagues.
The next challenge is to get our stubborn Labrador used to wearing the warm snow boots!

carcajou

Whitehorse is a place where some people fit right in, buy houses and settle long-term.

Dawson is a place where "cabin fever" can strike. Stock up on movies, books, and board games. The town's name and history far outstrip its current size and amenities.

I'm not saying you won't enjoy it, but just know it's a world apart from Whitehorse.

Also - try to find blackout curtains before you go (for the summer).

mikey8954

Already got plenty of entertainment lined up and a good internet connection as I do get bored very easily. Blackout curtains are a good tip, thanks.

Bleepedy Bloops

Consider applying for a firearms license as well...lotsa big fast running critters with claws and big teeth and the whatnot.

Also these:

scilly

You won't find much winter gear in Orlando!!!

and what you do find will NOT be suitable for Dawson City.

Better plan on spending 2 days in Vancouver, and getting the best that you can for as cheap as you can ........... Whitehorse will be more expensive 'soc it will have been shipped in from Vancouver or Edmonton.