snowqueen

Hi all
I'm fairly new to this site and read everything with interest. However, there seem to be a lot of you out there critical of Canada (not all it's cracked up to be?) and the GTA in particular. Seeing as we are hoping to move to the GTA (close friends in Newmarket, though I have my eye on Oakville ..) I'm beginning to worry if we're not deluded!

We are attracted to Canada for all the usual reasons - we can afford a house and lifestyle over there we could only dream of here; we love the whole outdoor life, from ski-ing to canoeing (sorry, kayaking!) and everything in between;we look forward to all the opportunities and activites our kids will have open to them; low crime/cleanliness etc etc... but is there a catch ?(apart from all those trout my husband has his eye on!) We have lived abroad before and are reconciled to the whole leaving family thing, but what else is there to worry about?!

We have been over 4-5 times, - holidays up at our friends cottage etc (we've even been in winter!) and have seen what we could hope to enjoy and like what we see! Our friends are dying for us to go over and have naturally done a great selling job, but I would really like to hear other voices (a 2nd opinion if you like) - especially if you have made the move to the GTA with kids in tow (ours are 10 and 8). After all, there is more to life than material stuff....

flashman

Seems like you've done your homework. Can't think of any surprises other than your work expectations.

tonster

We live in Burlington and I work between our offices in Markham and Hamilton so spend a lot of time on the 407 toll highway.

Short answer, we're REALLY glad we came back (we spent a year in Nova Scotia before going home for 11 months). BUT, nothing is perfect, simple as that.

We'll be able to afford A house (not just a better one!) and enjoy getting out and about (although snow is dragging a bit now). Work can be hard to come by though and many people have to retrain. I'm an environmental consultant and, despite being a Fellow of the British Geological Society and having two degrees and nearly nine years experience, am likely to have to take further exams to prove to the professional bodies that I am qualified to do my job and can, therefore, progress in the future!

A lot of people find this hard to stomach and, also find cost of living not as cheap as they expected (apart from the house). I'm from the SE of England though so even the houses in GTA seem reasonable and I've just accepted that I'll have to do the exams to be able to get on in the future.

No point whining, just play the system!

If you're thinking you'll be rich though, you won't! And jobs certainly aren't as easy to come by as in the UK (I was lucky and got one before coming over).

Overall though, Burlington seems nice area, no kids hanging on street corners, our life seems happier and we are feeling very positive about the future for the first time in a long time.

Fingers crossed it carries on that way!

Tiaribbon

Well I love it here and wouldn't wish to go back to England now. I have only been here for 3 months although stayed for longish periods before. My first full winter has been completely trouble-free. I am here just with my 8 year old as my husband had to return to the UK in December. I have met tonnes of friends and I am never lonely with all my animals.

I don't live in the GTA - this is where you will find unhappy people. All of the immigrants out here in the country seem to absolutely love it. We are only 2 hours drive from Toronto but the little town I live next to has everything you could possibly need for daily use. We have a bowling alley, cinema, theatre, ice-rink, tennis courts, swimming pool, library, supermarkets etc. Everything is on a small scale but it is there.

I LOVE IT HERE!!!!!!!!! So not everyone has it bad.

Maple Leaf

Hi *Tia* *S* great to see you!...i am loving it here too.
I have to laugh to myself tho as yesterday i was riding my bike and had to walk it up a hill and this man stops and asks if i am OK?..i was like.errr yes thankyou i am fine..and then had thoughts ....psycho killer.....LOL..of course he wasn't...he was just being kind........*VBS*~
I find the people in canada very friendly and polite..is a welcome change...tho i will say back in Oz...in the smaller country towns people are like that..but not so in a bigger place like this one. *S*.......
also i keep reading of people commenting that Canada is an expensive place to live in..??? by comparison is mucho cheaper than Oz.....petrol is way way cheaper...and wouldn't that be the same for the UK..?? my clients from the UK would tell me that it averages about $2.50 a gallon or litre...so who can figure huh?
I am slowly intergrating myself here too. Is exciting making new friends and having a new adventure to look forward to each time i leave the house. *S*

and Snowqueen.....Canada will welcome you with open arms.. .*S*

snowqueen

I am Soooo heartened to hear what you all have to say!! Thanks!!

Jobs are a bit of a sticking point though my husband is fairly senior in IT and we would intend that he would maximise his contacts and try and line a job up before we set foot on the plane! (Scary otherwise!) But until we get the PR, no-one is really interested.

Talking of expense - houses here in Dublin are comaprable to London prices - and the whole cost of living is more expensive than the UK, believe it or not, (our 'plan B' is actually to return to the UK, but society etc is too similar for it be be worth the upheaval..) We've done the maths, as they say and we reckon that not only will we be able to buy a lovely house outright, but still have money left over to invest and put aside for the kids college fees etc. Seems like a no-brainer, doesn't it? But I take your point about not being rich - we will probably end up spending it all on taxes!

We know that nowhere is perfect, and I'm careful not to try and paint Canada as some kind of promised land to family and friends, so that they know we're being realistic. By the way, Tonster, how long does it take to get downtown from Burlington, and is Oakville is nice as it sounds? What are the schools like?

Thanks for all your encouragement!

julius smith

hi, snowqueen! we have been in ontario for around half a year, but we finally decided that it wasnt for us. we, like you too, had been over here around 6 times, and we thought we'd like it. just like moving from home to home, we said! wel, the truth was different; you really have to live the life before you get to know things! we had one problem after another, and there's only so much you can take. the kids were under immense pressure to perform, for which there is no need--i mean, kids in the uk study, get degrees etc, but without all the stress they are under here. and the uni fees? we were quoted $19000 per year for 9 years for my kids speciality--compare that to around $2000 per year for 4 years in the uk!!!! make sense? this is not like the uk at all; its a completely different culture; the only thing in common is the language and even that is not fully understood here as we speak it! the pace of life (its not all trout fishing, i assure you! the only spare time i had was at the weekend, when we were so stressed out, we never had the energy to go anywhere, bar do the weekly shop). oakville? thats my speciality! oakville is a very nice town, especially nice along the main street (lakeshore blvd)--it looks a bit like a high street in the uk (apparently it has a high brit population) and its nice for a stroll in the summer. it has its upmarket areas (houses along the lakeshore blvd area are in the region of $2 to $4million); other areas you can get by with maybe $300 000 for a 3 bedroom place. but once you get off the main street, esp. down kerr street, its like a town out of roswell--no character at all. we are putting it down as a long holiday, thats all, nothing more. canada is very over-rated. i would say to you--think very carefully; the uk is not such a bad place after all, all considered!

daisymoll

You know what Julius you really haven't given it long enough and that is from someone, who returned to the Uk after a year only to find all the same irritating problems that were the reason we left in the first place. Back again and loving it, but as I have said before you have to go out and get it, it won't just come to you!!!!

I miss England too but it really is now overcrowded and overpriced and everyone is overworked!!!!

At the end of the day though, everyone will feel differently but it sounds to me like you have got yourself into such a negative state about the place that you won't be able to see anything positive if it came and bit you in the face. You see what you want to see and if you want evrything to be negative then that is the way it will be. Lighten up and you might just enjoy it. I would have given it a bit longer as we regreted our decision to leave NS so soon and it sure has cost us a lot of money all this emigrating!!!!

Alberta_Rose

You'll get all sides here of course Snowqueen;

I think people will turn to the boards for encouragement and info if they're in the process of emigrating, and again for support once they are out there maybe.

Then again, if they are feeling let down and/or homesick they may come here for solace and possibly solutions to their problems, or some may just come to say "It was all a terrible mistake..don't do it!!!"

It is as well to realise that it doesn't always work out as people expect, but having been here for a while, I have seen people change their minds when they really looked about to pack up and come "home".

.....but don't forget there must be countless ex-Brits out there who are far too busy enjoying life to be bothered with the boards at all!!

....and I suppose there may be some people who made "friends" here, and come for a chat and to help newbie migrators too! (Bless'em!)

sully123

Hey Snowqueen!

I moved to the Vancouver suburbs from the south coast of England 2 years ago with my Canadian husband and 2 kids (14 and 5) after many visits and extended stays over the course of 16 years. I have always felt a strong affinity with Canada, and still do. I love it here and I feel lucky to live in such a beautiful, clean, uncrowded country. My daughter, who was a troubled teenager when we moved here, went through severe homesickness and loneliness but has blossomed into a happy, balanced young woman and is happy to call Canada her home. My son - Canadian (and British) by birth, and of course just 5 when we came - adapted straight away. (Coming to Canada has certainly been a hugely positive family experience.) I myself have had more trouble adapting. I was surprised to find that I missed England terribly - country pubs, bustling towns, the British sense of hunour. I can actually handle living away from my family and friends - I ensure that I maintain connections with everyone I am close to - and many of them come to visit (another problem altogether...believe me, you get sick of it!!) My main problem with Canada is its beaurocracy. We have had endless problems with tax, utility suppliers and insurance companies. All I can say is be prepared for this - I was unprepared for it and it became a regular reason for me to demand a ticket home! I think I have passed that stage now, and I accept that I live here and I am happy I do. (I do still maintain that it may not be for ever though...I do not see me growing old here...although of course when you bring your kids here you more or less seal your fate!!) The one thing I will never get used to - and it may not be the same all over Canada, but certainly in BC - is the drivers. Be warned - they are terrible! Other than that, all I can say is be open... and Canada will welcome you with open arms... good luck.

Pretty Flowers

This is exactly what I wanted to post, although I would have done it much less diplomatically.

Tiaribbon

Ditto.

5 months in Canada and a month back in the UK - not really a good experience to take into account. Sorry Julius, no harm intended, but it will be interesting to see how you feel about the UK in 5 months time.

steve of 5-0

Toronto is a Global Village just like London, England.
It is like New York City with a Central Park on all of one side.

Not for us, we went for New Brunswick, same land mass as England and Wales with the population size of Milton Keynes.

Your CHOICE !!!

julius smith

awhh, come on, tiaribbon! dont say that.....!! you'll start me thinking if i have done the right thing or not, AGAIN!! :scared:

snowqueen

Can't be any worse than the drivers in Ireland - red lights mean nothing! Thanks though