Canada Exposed

oh my god, you have completely got stuck up on the SUV, what car do you drive yourself, the yellow one that Dell boy drives?? Actually dont reply to that you are just bored and argumentative, don't you have a wife to argue with?

well none of the victims in the links below were involved in any drug or gang related activity,

The year I spent in Ottawa an office close to the Rideau, was severly colder than Sweden, but then again I like outdoors life and you seems to be glues to your computer so we are obviously differetly affected by weather.

Hot tip: Check up the keyword Gulfstream and you will understand why.

Steve_P

Plonk

iaink

Bored and argumentative pretty much sums up the latter parts of this thread.

I personally dont know a single Canadian / resident that still drives an SUV. I myself drive a Honda Civic. Its the best selling car in Canada, and has been for pretty much as long as I can remember. Perhaps that puts a bit of perspective on things. My daily commute is 26km each way, and takes a little over 20 minutes...Hardly to the moon and back.

Although its obviously possible to drive large distances in Canada, and to plump for a 5.7l V8 Chevy Tahoe, its certainly not a necessity, and winter driving conditions certainly dont require it. I would have thought a Scandinavian would not need to be told that winter tire selection is far more important then the vehicle they are attached too, but to be honest, the roads around here are usually cleared long before it becomes a hassle to get around.

To the Original Poster;

I hope you can see the problem with general questions...its a big country and opinions are like arseholes...everybody has one.

As far as taxation goes, I earn (well, get paid) $70k a year, and my total income tax burden using the married allowance, including all the "NI" type contributions last year, was less than 19%. But it depends what you can"deduct". Im not doing anything special though.

Sales tax here in Ontario is 13%, in Alberta its less. Car licence plate stickers are about $80 a year. Some things are cheaper here (Gasoline), some are not (Insurance!). If I were you I would come visit and see what you think. Cost of living is one topoic that has been discussed to death (if the search function is working again?)

Obviously, on my income, Im not rolling in it, but I can afford for my wife to stay home with the little kids, 2 cars, and a house with a nice view on 3/4 acre and to still throw some nice fat steaks on the BBQ from time to time...so it can be done.

Making the move for purely financial reasons is probably not a good idea, there has to be something about the way of living out here that appeals to you first. For me its far more important to raise my kids in a nice community, free of crime, and to live free of stress and not be worried about keeping up with the Joneses or whether some scrote will try and nick my car tonight.

Downsides are that here in Ontario the winter can drag on a month too long, the flying bugs can drive you nuts in the spring and early summer, and as emigrants, with no local family, you really have to be self sufficient all the time with regards to raising the kids.... dumping them with grandparents or uncles for a bit of "me time" is not an option.

Surrey Expat

I think you probably made the right choice.

Canada Exposed

Im not sure yet, I have a standing offer to make an internal transfer and work in our head office in Ottawa, but to be honest, there is something that doesnt feel right.

I think only people who have made the right choice are the ones that are out there enjoying life and not posting on here, what do you think?

Once I found my ideal location I will surely stop posting here.

Honestly, if everything is great in Canada, how come you are online on this website??? Missing the old blighty? I am puzzled...


I wish one of you expats who is living the canadian dream of harmnoy could give me an honest opinion, and not get so defensive, it is almost as if you resent yourself for having taken the step across the pond...


"free of crime, and to live free of stress"
Is it really crime free?

If you only earn $70k a year, you probably not moving in those circles where they can afford a bigger car than an Honda Civic. No offence, but I dont know anybody that earns less than £60K per year, and stress is what you make it.

If you smile to people in they will smile back, no matter where you are.
Make cynical comments and you will get cynical comments back, just look at how innocent myfirst reply was before the White Rock mafia decided to open thier gob.

Surrey Expat

We are doing just fine, cannot imagine anything that would get me to live anywhere else. Nothing we miss about the UK, have no desire to even travel back there. Family visit us here. We are doing everything we imagined and more. It is extremely unlikely we would do what we are doing had we stayed in Britain.

There are many people on this site because they enjoy sharing their experiences with others and helping others. Chatting on a website is hardly a substitute for anyone missing the old country. We have also made some very good, lifelong friends through BE. I know of people who have not enjoyed life here and never been on this site. Don't think your arguments hold water there.

Is it better than anywhere else? For us it is, but each has their own opinion.

You might want to try an be a bit less abrasive and appearing rude in your comments, this might help.

iaink

I have, and yet I am still posting here, and have done for years
No where is perfect, but Canada for me is close enough. I post here to try and offer the benefit of my experience, I sit at a computer most of the day anyway, so why not chew the fat with people of a similar background. You dont have to post here just to warn the innocent Whos defensive? I see something like "crippling taxes" and I know I pay 19% on what is pretty much an "average" houshold income here, then Im not going to let that go unchallenged. Your other points about what to expect of the winter, and the cost of living (IN VANCOUVER, the most expensive city in Canada) were fair enough up to a point

Anyway, to crime. To put it in perspective, they report stolen cars on the local radio news. There are no muggings, next to no property crime, and I have seen maybe two acts of vandalism in 6 years. People gather in the spring to collect litter from the side of the road. The local paper carries a listing of all the local police call out for the week...its all trivial, mostly intoxicated / stoned kids and the usual "Police responded to and investigated three motor vehicle collisions".


Stress is in large part what you make of it, but with no petty crime to fret over, and no traffic, whats left? What a simply ludicrous statement. You dont think the directors of the mutinational business I work for could afford an Escalade or a Tahoe if they wanted too? And yet, living in Toronto, they chose smaller more efficient cars.

I could be earning 100+ in Toronto, but its not what I want. "Only" 70k is more than enough to get by in small town canada. You dont know anyone on 60k? You move in limited circles then. FWIW my previous car purchase was a Subaru Legacy GT. What are they, $40+k? I just am over the whole idea of buying more car than we need. Besides, its not very canadian to judge people by there cars.

Interestingly my friends neighbour drives a Civic for his daily commute too. I was astonished when I saw him in his "weekend" car the other day, I knew he was doing OK , but I wasnt quite prepared for a vanity plated $500000+ Mercedes McLaren SLR. You just cant tell. I have friends I know to be millionares, but again, no SUVs, one lugs the family around in a Honda Oddessy, another Millionaire aquantaince I know through church has several cars, the most expensive of which is a Camry. The other guy I know drives a F150, but as he runs a farm I suspect its out of necessity rather than an ego thing. Maybe its not the circles I move in, perhaps it the kind of city folk you hang out with? I lived in Leeds for years and years. Smile at the wrong person there and you will need a lot of dentistry done before you are smiling again.

You cant contol other peoples responses on an internet discussion board, only your own. Dont go blaming other people if you post drivel

Canada Exposed

Thanks for a reasonably constructive answer. If you scroll up and read the posting in chronological order you will find that I started out in a very nice way giving my OWN opinion, but certain bitter people (remain bitter no matter where they move) had to post offensive superior comments.
Maybe that is just a British trait, I mean Quote "...after all it is a very violent nation internationally known for moaning and complaining about everything and everyone in a superior way...", or maybe it is just the "friendly" way of the certain people. Pick a fight and then they walk away with a "plonk"

iaink

It wasnt your opinion he was arguing about, it was your presentation as fact about the "high crime" and "high taxes" and the terrible winter (which hardly affects Vancouver at all in reality)

You need to get a thicker skin I suspect.

I dont present my idylic rural life as typical across all of canada, i know I was lucky to fall into it..that one reason I wont abandon it for more money in TO. Its a great big country, with room for all sorts, but you can go saying something like gas is cheap but you HAVE to drive a gas guzzler for miles to get anywhere, and not expect all the people with 20km commutes in small cars to stick there oar in and say, actually mate, you dont HAVE to do any such thing.

Canada Exposed

well maybe you should have gone to specsavers,

read the first postings,
The first posting is talking about WINNIPEG, TORONTO and EDMONTON NOT VANCOUVER.

The crippling taxes was a quote from the first posting said about the UK, but in fact the taxes are very similar in the UK and Canada,

Well you would have to search for a long time to find anyone on less than (£60K / $120,000) in any Finace job in London today

Let's give it some time, if enough brits move to Canada they will possibly also export the issues in the UK over to Canada. (obesity, property prices, Yobs mentality, Lack of respect, arrogance, teenage pregnancy aren't they all a very british "phenomena") we certainly dont have it in either Spain or Sweden. Maybe Canada is a big enough country to avoid the same destiny as Spain and Costa del Sol has become crime ridden with soaring house prices, as a result of a high influx of immigrants from a certain British Isle...

iaink

All of the bold items are not hard to find in Canada, and are far from uniquely british attributes.
Its very shallow in my opinion to pin atributes to a particular country, especially in these days of easy immigration, but if you want to play that game then North Americans on the whole eat too much and live sedentary lives. Obesity in the UK is probably more a reflection on the current generation copying an american lifestyle.

Certain parts of canada have booming property inflation. Calgary prices have more than doubled in a few years, SK is following now Im told. Vancouver is as expensive as many parts of the UK. Toronto is not far behind.

Canadians might have invented arrogance...how else do you explain the much complained about "canadian experience" employment requirement, or the constant (favourable) comparisons between Canada and the USA that some canadians are often caught making?

Teenage pregancy is one of the few negative points of the area I live in, and is probably symptomatic of a lack of things for teens in this area. The quinte area has (one of?) the highest teen pregnancy rates in Ontario.

daft batty

How much time do you think will do?? re Brits moving to Canada? Is 250 years enough?

You seem to a very angry arrogant person, sounding off without cause at two of the most helpful, kind, people on this forum.

As a friend from NI used to say, " Catch yourself on"

JonboyE

Oooh! I think he is being rude to me.

Well, I'm all for giving a chap a fair chance, so perhaps you would like to justify this:

If I were to be sarcastic and cynical I would say that your employers should expect a rudimentary knowledge of economics in return for their GBP60,000 + a year. However, I'm not, so I won't.

This site is read by many people who are trying to make up their minds if a move to Canada is right for them. I think all honest opinions and experiences are welcome, good or bad. However, something so obviously wrong as I have quoted above isn't helpful to anyone. You really shouldn't get all upset if you post such rubbish and are challenged on it.

Canada Exposed

That would probably be the reason why you dont run a FTSE100 Company.

Further postings on the same theme
http://britishexpats.com/forum/showthread.php?t=546237
http://britishexpats.com/forum/showthread.php?t=546193

Canada Exposed

You don't even know how right you are! I can't believe how badly informed I was about "NEEDING A SUV"

I should have read the article below first...
http://www.canada.com/vancouversun/s...c-b48eb22a2983