To bring a balance to the discussions on this board, please post your positive experiences in Canada as an immigrant. Thank you.

My paternal great-grandfather, mother and two babies (one was my grand-dad) migrated from Scotland to what would eventually be called Canada in the 1890s. They came by boat, it took 8 weeks, one of their babies died on the crossing but luckily (for me) my grand-dad didn't and landed in Newfoundland. My family has some documents from this period and the most interesting one for me is his list of items they brought with them: a few pairs of socks, a baby basket thing (the word is lost on me and the moment!), a couple of jumpers, wool jackets and shoes, some blacksmith tools and a small chest of crockery.

God knows what their first fews days or weeks were like but they settled there and my great-grandfather became of fisherman (what else) and my great-grandma worked first as a servant and eventually a shopkeeper, meanwhile popping out a three more babies. They lived the rest of their days there. I suspect it was a mixture of heaven and hell.

My grand-dad (the baby that migrated) left NFD when he was young and headed for Ontario, worked for a bit and headed west to Calgary. Worked for a bit, headed west, yet again. A bit of a wonderer my grand-dad. Ended up on Vancouver Island, met my grandma, got married and had some kids (one being my dad) and created a nice life for himself. My dad grows up, meets my mom and eventually I'm lucky to be born. So, from my perspective, a positive migration story .

If we're doing happy historical immigrations:

My grandfather emigrated from Austria in the 1930's (ish), leaving behind my grandmother and aunt (as an infant), as he couldn't afford to bring them over. He ended up in Hamilton, and worked in construction until he could bring my grandmother and aunt over. They lived in an unheated chicken coop on someone else's land (one of their favourite tales to tell was of waking up in the middle of winter to find the baby frozen to the wall by her diaper, but otherwise completely fine). My grandfather got a job as a blacksmith, and worked his way into a 4 bedroom house next to a train track through an area of Hamilton filled with immigrants, like him. They went on to have 4 more kids, of which my dad was the youngest.

When I was 10 (making my Dad about 45), my parents and brothers and I emigrated from Pickering, Ontario to England, living in the Oxfordshire area. A few years ago (2002), my parents then emigrated to South Carolina, my older brother re-emigrated back to Canada in 2003, leaving my younger brother in Bristol, and me in Coventry with my (British) husband. Now my husband and I are planning to emigrate to Canada in 2006...

So far, all experiences wound up good in the long term, although I would hardly call any immigration easy, but they've definitely been worthwhile.

"West is best" - here's hoping that 6000 miles makes enough of a difference

Rich.

I did the classic immigrant thing. I arrived with nothing but the clothes in which I stood carrying a snooker cue and a pair of skis. I have little formal education and spoke only English, I was accompanied by my new wife who spoke only French. Our net worth was less than zero.

I got a job and for the past ten or twelve years five women (three children, two wives) and I have lived on my income. We have a couple of houses and have had numerous cars. Inshallah, two of the daughters will soon graduate from university with zero debt.

I've just returned from driving the Cabot Trail in a convertible with my young American lover and our seriously affected yuppie dog. We drink a lot, we eat out as much as we do at home. We ride horses and sail. We're not in any way prudent. This is perhaps not the kind of success story the government would want to use but, hey, what I wanted to be was the cockney Tom Vu.

Arrived in 98 to waiting job. Wasnt thinking of moving, but the offer came up. Was young and single enough to have little to lose (unlike so many here)

Job evaporated in 2001 just after my PR came through and I bought my house for the measly sum of $105k, found another OK paying job in same area through person I had worked with before after a month of considering moving away (all about who you know remember)

Applied for citizenship in 2003, and also returned to my original job as I enjoy working here (probably contributes to overall happyness level) Found this site while looking for citizenship timeline...havent managed to escape

I had no idea just how crap the UK was till I got here. The weather is better, the cost of living is better, the level of crime is better, the people are friendlier, there is SO much more space, The cost of housing is affordable, the sense of community with service clubs and a volunteer culture is so much more what I want. In short, no regrets, and no intention of leaving.

Would I have done it if i had a family to think about? I dont know, I like stability, but knowing what I do now I would say life here for middle income earners with dependants is much better. If I lived in the concrete jungle of the GTA I would not be as happy, but there is a misconception that you have to go to the BIG cities to get a job., There are more jobs there, but there is also more competition from the huddled masses who gravitate towards what they know. I guess in some fields like high finance or corporate IT there is little choice, but for the rest?

Unfortunately you will never know if immigrating is for you unless you try it.

recruited and came here in 98 during the IT shortage on a Work Visa. Bought house, 2 cars (1 a van ) boat tv's hifi's etc etc. Got PR 2 years later. Salary doubled on arrival and will have doubled again in a couple of years time. Lifestyle superb. Learned how to catch Muskie Cannot think of anything negative. Would not go back even for visit - Family?? Iv'e been there, they can come here.

We bought a great house outright that we could never, ever have afforded in the UK. Canadians are very friendly and lots of snow in the winter with lots of sunshine in the summer. There are some negatives but that's not for this thread and I'm trying to concentrate on just the positives right now.

I had no idea that your "roots" were so deep in Canada!

Came as a graduate student in Sep 2001. Struggled a lot for about three years (had to be away from my son for more than three years). Furthermore, my son had a congenital heart problem and doctors advised him to undergo the surgery at the earliest possible time. That time I was still a student and somehow managed to arrange the money for his surgery (took the entire money from credit card, which I could not have got in my own country). Surgery went well and my son recovered completely. Meantime I graduated and found a job (not well paying, but enough to survive) immediately after two months of my graduation. Became a PR on Jun 23, 2005 and now in the process of buying a small house for 100k.

yes, the decision of immigrating to some alien country is not an easy task, but if you are prepared to take on any eventualities then you are sure to to come up in life and make a mark in the society that you live.

Reddy

My goodness there is a bit of goofy newfie in 'er......gotta love those newfies!!!

Oh Oh is that all you can think of that is positive??? Hope not!

A house for 100K - my Lord, where do you live? I didn't think there was such a thing....In these parts, a small cottage 3 hours north of here is way more than that

a baby basket thing (the word is lost on me and the moment!)

Could it have been called a Moses Basket or a Baby Crib !!!!!!!

CAnt think of anything else

OCH Well in another 12 hours I shall be leaving Glasgow Airport for sunny Toronto

Canny Wait

Eddie

Then try travelling two hours east instead. The roads are better and the property cheaper. Come to think of it the weather is probably better and the bugs fewer too

The cottage next to my house was for sale for $55k, and didnt sell! I know a guy you could buy a waterfront lot on the Trent from for about $40k.