OKANAGAN
May 9th 2011, 4:16 pm
#1
Just Joined
Thread Starter
Joined: Oct 2009
Location: Bournemouth UK
Posts: 15
OKANAGAN
I am hoping to move back to Canada in 2 yrs after having my residency reinstated. I am looking to move to the Okanagan region hopefully Vernon.
Would love to hear from anyone on here living in that area.
Louise
Would love to hear from anyone on here living in that area.
Louise
May 9th 2011, 4:44 pm
#2
Pea Brain
Joined: Jun 2005
Location: TBD
Posts: 6,005
Re: OKANAGAN
I'm 45 minutes north of Vernon, it's a pleasant city in a nice location. Good luck with the move.
May 9th 2011, 4:55 pm
#3
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Joined: Oct 2009
Location: Bournemouth UK
Posts: 15
Re: OKANAGAN
I see u are in kamloops. What are job prospects like as from the research I have done it looks promising. I am an occupational therapist and my husband is a builder although he might do something different like go back to being a postman.
May 9th 2011, 5:07 pm
#4
Pea Brain
Joined: Jun 2005
Location: TBD
Posts: 6,005
Re: OKANAGAN
A friend emigrated that's a carpenter, and he found work with a local building contractor - spent 2 years learning the building techniques and local building codes, which proved invaluable. He's self employed now and hasn't had any time off in the last couple of years through lack of work.
May 10th 2011, 3:35 am
#5
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Joined: Sep 2006
Location: Kelowna
Posts: 2,514
Re: OKANAGAN
I live in Kelowna and often travel to Vernon. Let me know if i can help.
Similar story here as in Kamloops. The building trade is ticking along but houses aren't moving much at present unless priced right. New builds are a bit slow but there seems to be work out there.
The problem with this area is that the wages are not as high as they should be considering price of houses, gasoline, food etc.. so everybody wants to be their own boss and start their own company. We seem to be flooded with small contracting companies, plumbers, electricians, nail experts, massage therapists, dentists, vets. I could go on but i won't. Anyway of course some manage to make it work but many end up closing or moving as they cannot afford the rent on their retail unit or they just cannot generate enough business to pay all the bills and pay a wage. There are many new empty retail units up for grabs and some have been empty for 18 months or more so the developers are hoping the businesses will come and the good times will roll again soon.
A local heating and plumbing company has just laid off some guys and he told me it's the first time he's had to do this for many years, another local one that was around for years has gone bust (allegedly)
It's not all doom and gloom though there are still jobs out there for the right candidate and businesses that will survive because they have a good business plan.
Similar story here as in Kamloops. The building trade is ticking along but houses aren't moving much at present unless priced right. New builds are a bit slow but there seems to be work out there.
The problem with this area is that the wages are not as high as they should be considering price of houses, gasoline, food etc.. so everybody wants to be their own boss and start their own company. We seem to be flooded with small contracting companies, plumbers, electricians, nail experts, massage therapists, dentists, vets. I could go on but i won't. Anyway of course some manage to make it work but many end up closing or moving as they cannot afford the rent on their retail unit or they just cannot generate enough business to pay all the bills and pay a wage. There are many new empty retail units up for grabs and some have been empty for 18 months or more so the developers are hoping the businesses will come and the good times will roll again soon.
A local heating and plumbing company has just laid off some guys and he told me it's the first time he's had to do this for many years, another local one that was around for years has gone bust (allegedly)
It's not all doom and gloom though there are still jobs out there for the right candidate and businesses that will survive because they have a good business plan.
May 10th 2011, 9:42 am
#6
Just Joined
Thread Starter
Joined: Oct 2009
Location: Bournemouth UK
Posts: 15
Re: OKANAGAN
I live in Kelowna and often travel to Vernon. Let me know if i can help.
Similar story here as in Kamloops. The building trade is ticking along but houses aren't moving much at present unless priced right. New builds are a bit slow but there seems to be work out there.
The problem with this area is that the wages are not as high as they should be considering price of houses, gasoline, food etc.. so everybody wants to be their own boss and start their own company. We seem to be flooded with small contracting companies, plumbers, electricians, nail experts, massage therapists, dentists, vets. I could go on but i won't. Anyway of course some manage to make it work but many end up closing or moving as they cannot afford the rent on their retail unit or they just cannot generate enough business to pay all the bills and pay a wage. There are many new empty retail units up for grabs and some have been empty for 18 months or more so the developers are hoping the businesses will come and the good times will roll again soon.
A local heating and plumbing company has just laid off some guys and he told me it's the first time he's had to do this for many years, another local one that was around for years has gone bust (allegedly)
It's not all doom and gloom though there are still jobs out there for the right candidate and businesses that will survive because they have a good business plan.
Similar story here as in Kamloops. The building trade is ticking along but houses aren't moving much at present unless priced right. New builds are a bit slow but there seems to be work out there.
The problem with this area is that the wages are not as high as they should be considering price of houses, gasoline, food etc.. so everybody wants to be their own boss and start their own company. We seem to be flooded with small contracting companies, plumbers, electricians, nail experts, massage therapists, dentists, vets. I could go on but i won't. Anyway of course some manage to make it work but many end up closing or moving as they cannot afford the rent on their retail unit or they just cannot generate enough business to pay all the bills and pay a wage. There are many new empty retail units up for grabs and some have been empty for 18 months or more so the developers are hoping the businesses will come and the good times will roll again soon.
A local heating and plumbing company has just laid off some guys and he told me it's the first time he's had to do this for many years, another local one that was around for years has gone bust (allegedly)
It's not all doom and gloom though there are still jobs out there for the right candidate and businesses that will survive because they have a good business plan.
i have been looking at the real estate market and things seem fairly cheap but i guess thats because I have property here in the UK so when I look at what I could get for the same money it gets me quite excited.
May 11th 2011, 4:48 am
#7
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Joined: Apr 2008
Location: Okanagan Canada
Posts: 413
Re: OKANAGAN
Hi
I am living in Coldstream- the nice bit of Vernon
What do you want to know? Ask away! Given my job I think I've got to know the good and the bad!
I love it here though. We could have moved anywhere in the southern interior of BC but chose Vernon as it gave us everything- I still think this.
We have amazing weather in the summer- hot/dry with beautiful lakes. Winters are generally mild, with odd cold snaps, but a superb ski hill 35-40 mins away with great snow- has so much snow still, it's reopened for cross country again
Schools are good, imho esp. Coldstream
A small but decent selection of shops with Kelowna close enough if you want more.A nice selection of "foreign" shops- German, Italian etc. There are a huge number of older Germans here which surprised me. But it makes sense given the climate, they probably felt at home here , especially now with all the orchards/vineyards- I may be wrong but I think they may have been behind it all. I'm sure someone will put me right!!
It's small enough that I can never go anywhere with out seeing someone I know- if you like anonymity, go elsewhere!
And a great little airport , our side of Kelowna, I think I can get there quicker than a lot of Kelowna residents through their traffic. Security officers who can smile and joke- ONLY ones I've met!
There is crime, especially in Vernon itself, down town and East Hill are worst.
Drugs are everywhere, I believe are easily available in most schools- I imagine this is similar everywhere.
There is quite a bit of poverty, again mainly the areas suggested above. I see more homeless people on the streets than I would in a town of similar size in the UK. Maybe I was spoilt in rural Norfolk!
But there are increasingly lots of wealthy people moving here from Alberta and Vancouver area.
There are a fair few elderly but I don't think it's too much a retirement place like Penticton.
A lot of the elderly have money and disappear off in winter to Yuma, Palm Springs and Mexico! They are just appearing again along with the swallows and humming birds!
I like being in the middle of BC, we can get to Vancouver and east to the Rockies in a fairly short time- Canada wise!!
Employment:From a builders point of view, I'm surprised that how many new builds are popping up at the moment- could just be the end of a long winter
Postman? Have heard a few "bad" things about Canada Post as an employer but to be fair could be the employees who are really the problem!
OTs- a few in the hospital. I would say not used as much with the elderly as the UK and should be used more.
But used far more for younger people to get them back into work. ICBC and WCB are keen on pre work rehab and it really seems to help,I've started referring people myself which I never did in the UK. So I would say you have a greater chance of work in the private sector.
I could PM you with the name of one place so you can look them up.
One word of caution- I have seen alot of people arrive in Vernon without jobs arranged and I have seen a lot leave with less money and still in search of jobs. Quite a few families split whilst one partner has to go to places like Fort Mcmurray in search of work. From what I can see , the Okanagan is tough on everybody if you don't have a job or lots of money. Nearly all the people I am talking about are Canadian, the immigrants find it even tougher. I know a few with PR who are running out of money and considering having to move back to their original countries.Vernon is really quite small with limited opportunities.However I also think it is an amazing place to live for those of us fortunate enough to have employment!
Hope some of this helps. Feel free to ask for more or PM me.
I am living in Coldstream- the nice bit of Vernon
What do you want to know? Ask away! Given my job I think I've got to know the good and the bad!
I love it here though. We could have moved anywhere in the southern interior of BC but chose Vernon as it gave us everything- I still think this.
We have amazing weather in the summer- hot/dry with beautiful lakes. Winters are generally mild, with odd cold snaps, but a superb ski hill 35-40 mins away with great snow- has so much snow still, it's reopened for cross country again
Schools are good, imho esp. Coldstream
A small but decent selection of shops with Kelowna close enough if you want more.A nice selection of "foreign" shops- German, Italian etc. There are a huge number of older Germans here which surprised me. But it makes sense given the climate, they probably felt at home here , especially now with all the orchards/vineyards- I may be wrong but I think they may have been behind it all. I'm sure someone will put me right!!
It's small enough that I can never go anywhere with out seeing someone I know- if you like anonymity, go elsewhere!
And a great little airport , our side of Kelowna, I think I can get there quicker than a lot of Kelowna residents through their traffic. Security officers who can smile and joke- ONLY ones I've met!
There is crime, especially in Vernon itself, down town and East Hill are worst.
Drugs are everywhere, I believe are easily available in most schools- I imagine this is similar everywhere.
There is quite a bit of poverty, again mainly the areas suggested above. I see more homeless people on the streets than I would in a town of similar size in the UK. Maybe I was spoilt in rural Norfolk!
But there are increasingly lots of wealthy people moving here from Alberta and Vancouver area.
There are a fair few elderly but I don't think it's too much a retirement place like Penticton.
A lot of the elderly have money and disappear off in winter to Yuma, Palm Springs and Mexico! They are just appearing again along with the swallows and humming birds!
I like being in the middle of BC, we can get to Vancouver and east to the Rockies in a fairly short time- Canada wise!!
Employment:From a builders point of view, I'm surprised that how many new builds are popping up at the moment- could just be the end of a long winter
Postman? Have heard a few "bad" things about Canada Post as an employer but to be fair could be the employees who are really the problem!
OTs- a few in the hospital. I would say not used as much with the elderly as the UK and should be used more.
But used far more for younger people to get them back into work. ICBC and WCB are keen on pre work rehab and it really seems to help,I've started referring people myself which I never did in the UK. So I would say you have a greater chance of work in the private sector.
I could PM you with the name of one place so you can look them up.
One word of caution- I have seen alot of people arrive in Vernon without jobs arranged and I have seen a lot leave with less money and still in search of jobs. Quite a few families split whilst one partner has to go to places like Fort Mcmurray in search of work. From what I can see , the Okanagan is tough on everybody if you don't have a job or lots of money. Nearly all the people I am talking about are Canadian, the immigrants find it even tougher. I know a few with PR who are running out of money and considering having to move back to their original countries.Vernon is really quite small with limited opportunities.However I also think it is an amazing place to live for those of us fortunate enough to have employment!
Hope some of this helps. Feel free to ask for more or PM me.
