Hi everybody

I've been reading stuff on the site for a while but this is my first posting, have just received my official letter of employment and LMO confirmation, so now I know its going to happen for real, still a bit shell shocked though, 5 mouth ago the thought of emigrating was just another one of those ideas, then went to a Canadian Job Expo in London, got offered a job, filled out some paperwork and bam ! here I am selling up everything and preparing to move to Calgary with my wife & 12y old son.
Any other plumbers who have been down, or are going down the same route, please contact me as any advice will alway be welcome , in fact any advice from anyone is always welcome.

Hey Pete,

I know nothing about Canada or plumbing but I left Poole a year ago for Oz.....and thought i'd just say hi

Have a pint down the quay for me....Ash

Hi pete
Im a carpenter looking to move to calgary area, not as far down the road as you yet, just gettin a cv together to try and find a job.
Matbe ytou can put a word in for me when you get thete
Good luck with the move

We are just down the road from you and we spend a lot of time in Poole, and we too are moving to Calgary in early part of next year, hopefully... Brother-in-law also lives in Poole.. Hubby is an electrician not a plumber, but thought we would say Hi anyway!

One thing we will miss is the coast, but I guess we will have to make do with the beautiful mountains instead!

Good luck with everything

Julie

Hi Pete,

welcome to the forum, brilliant tool, some great advice from some bril people.

I am going over on my wifes WP, she is an early years educator. I have managed to secure a job with a plumbing company in Calgary, called Hoover Mechanical. I have passed my level 2 plumbing certificate over here and they are willing to take me on as a 3rd year apprentice. I will have to sit some exams, first is the entrance exam to SAIT, then an exam to see where I fit in there levels.

I know a few plumbers over there and on their way over and I'm pretty sure they wouldn't mind passing on their details to you. They are qualified plumber and have been in the trade for themselves or employed over here for about 20 years and more. They have all approach a company and been offered a position, one of them have been over there for nearly two years now and loves it.

How long you been plumbing? Did you go through someone to get the job or was you approached by a company?

There is loads of work there at the moment and from what my brother-in-law says (he's been over there in Calgary from Feb) still lots to come. He's a site/project manager for a large construction company.

Anyway, all the best, any question fire away and maybe see you there.
Regards,
Carl

Hi

welcome to BE, we are not far down the road from you

Good luck with your plans

Hi Pete
We are Pete and Sara from Canford Heath and are off to Toronto on 5 November - not plumber by engineer and wish you all the best with your move to Calgary.

Hi everybody and thanks for your kind words,

I wish you all good fortune in all your plans and dreams.

Hi Carl

I've been plumbing and gas fitting 20 yrs, I'm going over to work for a company called Trotter & Morton, met them at the Job Expo in London in June, told them about my work experience and they offer me a job.
I'm going over on a TWP, then have to sit and pass the AAIT Trade Exam within 180 of landing, then I can apply to extend my TWP and start the application for PR.

A couple of things I would like to know are is it worth going to the trouble of shipping my plumbing tools over and what tools to take, being self employed for the last 10yrs and having a van load of tools for every eventuality its difficult to know what tools your average employed Canadian Plumber is expected to supply for themselves and what the company supplies.
Are tool cheaper in Canada ?
We were planning not to ship very much stuff at all, just going to sell everything over here and start again from scratch over there

Anyone else out there either already working for or going to work for Trotter & Morton ?

Hi PeteThePlumber,

Just welcoming you to BE from just down the road from Calgary, in Okotoks. Sounds like your new life has come about in a flash. Best wishes with the move across.

Kind regards,

Eamonn & Janet.

Hi Pete,

Sounds bril mate, actually one of the plumbers I mentioned (he is a plumber and electrician, has own business for last 25 years) has secured himself a position with Trotters, going over as an electrician. They have sorted their LMO out and he has had the invitation from AAIT and has received their WP's. heading over in Jan I think. Nice fella, bril family, helped me loads, giving me some much needed experience. He would be ideal to talk to about tools etc, because he is in the same boat. I have sent him this thread link, he is a member of this forum, so hopefully he will get in touch with you.

There is another gent that is already over in Calgary, working as a plumber. Went the same route as you, nice bloke, again great help, when we went over there in April, he showed me around the site he was working on and introduced me to him work mates and boss. I will send him an email and see if he will email you. Might be a good idea to PM me your email address?

We have been talking about tools and other gear. The power tools might be able to get away with those, because you can get transformers for the chargers. When I was looking around the site, they did mention that they don't do much soldering, I think he said he's soldered about 100 joints in the past 20 months of being there. A tool he did say you will need is a crimper. He did say get the individual one's, half inch, three quarters and possible the inch. I had a go at doing a few joints, a lot easier than ours. He also mentioned that he didn't do much stuff over 10 years old, no lead, rads, etc.

I haven't got as many tools as you, but what I intend to do, is go through the bags and chuck or sell or give away things I can do without and some that are easy to get over there.

Anyway, hope this helps some, speak later.
I'm thinking of arranging a meet up for everybody that is heading to Calgary, would you be interested?? Oh and for anybody else that fancies it.

Regards to all,
Carl

WOW your in the same boat as us!


We went to the Expo in London and now we are on our way to Calgary.

My husband is a QS and has been offered a job, We are waiting for LMO and otherbits now.

We are hoping to be in Calgary in March-April next year.

We have three children and out eldest is 12 in January, he is a bt worrried about leaving his mates behind but i am sure he will be fine! hows you boy taking it?

Where abouts are you thinking of moving too?

Congrats on your job and lets hope we both settle into Canada soon.


Lisadd

hi lisadd,

congats to you as well

my sons a bit worried about leaving his friends also, but i bet the kids will settle a lot quicker than us adults.

we're looking to settle in the NW area of Calgary, but as we've never been to Calgary before i guess we won't really know until we get over there and have a look around - in fact we've never even been to Canada and here we are heading off in the new year to go and live there - are we mad !!! , but what the heck, being sensible for the last 25yr or so hasn't got me very far either, so bring on the madness and lets see what happens

pete

yes i know what you mean about being mad! we feel like that too!


We are going to SE Calgary cos thats near my hubbys work.

We are not selling our house here in the UK just incase things dont work out and we need to come back to the UK. If we sold it what would we have to come back too!

Anyway add yourself to the meet up site and then maybe we can all meet up next year, be good for the boys as they are the same age.

cheers

Lisadd

Hi Pete

My son is a gas engineer/adopted plumber, he is heading out to Edmonton on the 15th November. He is leaving all his kit for me to play with as his new firm is supplying everything.

Good luck

Paul