Liana

It is the reason for leaving the UK that is relevant -many posters here have a negative aspect of different parts of life in the UK, though that isn't necessarily the truth for the majority of UK residents. If those personal negative aspects are nicely covered over here then I can't imagine those posters wanting to leave Canada.

Steve_P

Not necessarily true we were transfered to Calgary from Edmonton 33 years ago and knew no-one and we love it here. We very seldom visit Edmonton now as we know so very few people there.

Our family consists of us in Calgary and my wife's sister and her husband on Vancouver Island who we see twice a year.

But isn't family in most cases, "friends" just more so.

So if you develop some close friendships where ever you move then it makes it easier to feel comfortable.

Liana

But what I said was the reason you are comfortable is because you are in Canada with a Canadian and Canadians are used to family members living distances away- they are nothing compared to what Europeans think; and your wife is obviously happy here, so, a respected part of the reason the partners are feeling the same.

jonfrank123

Been here (Canada) for 1.5 years now, I couldn't live here for ever, simply not settled. A square peg for a round hole I guess.

welshmountie

The same applies visa versa. I would have to make a low risk assumption that most of the posts here are negative from those who are currently trying to make a go of it in Canada but finding it difficult. Don't get me wrong, I have every sympathy with them. A move to another country is a big thing. I've tried. Similarly, if you were to visit a Canadian expat site for those who have left Canada for UK, many of the posts would be slating Canada too and the rest (those unhappy with their move) would be slating the UK.

The moral of the story is this: Sites like this are very useful for seeing the worst aspect of a move and life in a new country. Those that are happy are not going to want to waste their new life browsing a site like this and adding stack loads of compliments about their new country. I feel that "in the whole", you get two types on this site. Those that are unhappy and want to whinge (and I don't mean this in an offensive way). Then there are those that are desparately trying to gather as much information as possible about a prospective move (like myself). I'd say this is not the place to build your confidence about a move but can be useful for worst case scenarios. The purpose of the poll was more to try and skirt around the negative "written" detail and obtain a clearer picture of actuals in the form of four simple questions. Keep the votes coming. Thanks.

or4ngecrush

The good thing about having made close enough friends who are more like family, is the benefit of having people that you choose to have in your lives.

As you see many people even here on BE who don't get on with family or don't even see family. I only see in my family my Mum, Dad and Sister and the rest just get on with there lives, it doesn't help that half my family are in England but even if I lived close to them I don't think I would be going for coffee often anyway. My other family live and stay in East Kilbride and I don't see any of them at all.

Why oh why didn't any of my family move to Canada it would have been so much easier for me (selfish I know lol) Oh my cousin has just moved to OZ shame I don't want to go there.

he he

you can choose your friends.....but you cant choose your family.

Liana

...that the reason for leaving UK is not relevant-No.

...that many posters here have positive aspects of different parts of UK life-Mm maybe not many, but good to still feel that way about another part of one's life.

...negative aspects of UK life is the truth for the majority of UK residents- No, the majority either doing well financially or on the best state benefits anywhere, are happy.

welshmountie

Highest national debt, all credit card biased. How long can the state continue to fund?.....Great for short term, but this paints a bleak mid to long term UK future.

welshmountie

Come on, there must be plenty more of you out there who haven't voted yet?

Bleech

We liked it in England, had a great house, really good friends and of course family and were doing well financially. But all the crap that went along with it was just too much. Petty vandalism, stupid neighbours, trying to avoid ending up in casualty on a Saturday night, hooded chavs giving everyone grief etc etc. All the things that apparently 'dont exist in the UK' according to lots of people on this site! We lived in a "nice middle class area" as well
Here, we love it. Have made some great life long friends, doing better financially, live in a much nicer place, more active, more happy, more free time with the kids etc. The kids have changed from Xbox playing scrubs into active happy children, that's the most important thing to us. We've been here just over a year now and it still feels like a holiday, I think it always will. Go back to the UK?? I'd rather scoop my eyes out with a rusty spoon and replace them with rats eggs. So that's a No from me

Liana

There are three middle classes in the UK- lower middle, middle middle and upper middle, so again, could depend on that
But it is good that you are happy here in Canada- lots of people are.

jempee

Good post Bleech. I was starting to wonder if i was the only one that has seen what UK is becoming/violence etc. As alot of posters on here seem to think it doesnt happen or its all hype.

dbd33

I think it's largely hype and that a tabloid press similar to that in the UK could make the populated parts of Canada look equally frightening. That's not to say that there's no crime in the UK, just that the country is represented here as being far more dangerous than it actually is. If we believed the more excited posts we'd feel obliged to rescue friends and relatives who go about their everyday lives in the UK unaware that, all around them, the streets are full of homicidal yuts.

Bleech

Hmm. Well I'd much rather walk around Kelowna at night than Bristol city centre, can't comment on Toronto. Most of the crime we experienced was petty crap like some weasle going round breaking all the car ariels, keying new cars, nicking bikes etc. But the bad stuff does happen, not sure if it's any worse than in the victorian times, but certainly not as nice as it was when I was growing up.

dbd33

The comparison of Bristol (pop 400,000 close to other major centres of population, mixed population) and Kelowna (pop 105,000, beyond the black stump, retirement community) is fatuous. Bexhill-on-Sea would be a fairer place to compare to Kelowna. I think this sort of skewed comparison often features here, equity rich Brits move from a dubious part of the UK to an affluent part of Canada and then announce the country to be safer. A Canadian moving from Parkdale to Virginia Water might hold the reverse view.