Cherry Jam

Hi everyone,

I came accross this thread posted 5 years ago and wondered whether it is still relevant in 2010.

http://britishexpats.com/forum/showt...+towns,+canada

I have quoted two posts here for your convenience, but as you will see, almost the entire thread paints a picture of [I]disappointment/disillusionment[I] with Canada once the "honeymoon" is over.

How has Canada changed/improved in the last five years?
Are we not simply romanticizing about a dream country with lots of opportunities and friendly, sophisticated citizens?
Is Canada still "behind" the UK as the thread suggests?

Looking forward to your views on this matter.

Cherry Jam

Quote:
"Feb 26th 2005, 3:58 pm,
Tom Masters
Senior Member
Joined: Sep 2002
Location: London Ontario
Posts: 448
However, today I think the tables have turned a bit. It can be very difficult to find work here and when you do find a job, you hold on to it as there aren't many others about. Holiday time isn't as good as the UK either. It took my husband 7 months to find a reasonable job in his field (chartered accountant). This was the first time he had ever been unemployed so that was a shock to the system. In the UK he had no problem finding decent work.

The health system is ok although it is very difficult to find a family doctor over here. Education is somewhat behind the UK academically, in my opinion (elementary level), although it is still fairly decent and kids here often go on to university etc. and go into their chosen field. As far as shopping/food is concerned, I think there is much more variety in the UK although you do adjust."

Quote:

Feb 26th 2005, 5:01 pm
Julius smith
Senior Member
Joined: May 2001
Location: Now in West London, but one day soon in Vancouver.....!
Posts: 373

"funny how as the time comes nearer to leaving, suddenly all these people turn up as if from hiding, to give me advice why i shouldnt go back to the uk! how i should've waited till the summer, bought a house, moved to another community....but, would that change how lifeless the place seems to be? how everyone seems to be a in ahurry but get nowhere, how suddenly everyone rushes around at weekends trying to fit everything in, then go back to the grind of work work work, how most of the drivers (men and women) in toronto at least, are absolute maniacs (to put it in a family-friendly way!), how pointless existence seems to be here? no, it wont change all that, so thats why i am glad we made the decision to bale out. canada may be friendly, but all we saw here were big cars, bigger houses, bigger mortgages, longer hours at work to pay for them and nothing more. as someone said on one of these forums, they may be friendly, but there is SOMETHING missing somewhere..... "

snowshoveller

I'd say the job market is worse, the exchange rate is much worse, so things are relatively more expensive. House prices will be higher (although with the state of things you might get a deal.

still difficult to get a doctor

iaink

Ah, Julius Smith. He still pops his head in from time to time.

As I recall he came, landed a decent job, didnt really settle (family wasnt super happy I think) moved back to the UK, and now his kids are in the last few years of school in the UK. He almost immediately wanted to return to Canada, but for now hes holding on for the kids sake.

Tom I seem to recall had a hard time landing a teaching job, but got there in the end?


Is Canada better? For some yes, for some no. There really is only one way to find out if it will be for you, and its not entirely without some risk, and it really takes a few years to come to any lasting conclusions. It also depends on what type of life you left behind too I think. If you have a comfortable life in the UK with a decent wage then there is less to gain. I think the middle classes probably have a better time of it here as they can afford to live in "nicer" places. Sweeping generalisations though.


I see I am there saying "Canada without a reasonable income would not be much fun, but having said that wild horses would not drag me back to the dirty unfriendly "me first" crowded overpriced UK now." And while I still agree with the first part, five years later I dont see the UK as all that bad now. There are certainly some very nice bits, but Im not sure I could afford to live in them!

tioram

Although there are many people who genuinely prefer the UK to Canada once they've had the opportunity to experience both, I find that many of those who end up dissappointed simply had over inflated expectations of what Canada will be like. They also often consider UK v Canada in very general terms, forgetting that while they may not be happy in a particular part of Canada/UK, that does not mean that other areas of Canada/UK wouldn't suit them better.

I've been here four months, and I honestly can't imagine a circumstance where I might look back and wonder if I've made the right choice. For me though, I happened to moving to Canada at a time when I would have been looking to move house / area in the UK in any case. So as well moving country, I've also improved my lot in life.

I'm sure there are areas of the UK where I could have been perfectly happy, but for me, Canada is a better fit. In general terms, this is what I've found:

Pros of "my" Canada:
1. It is far more family friendly.
2. It is less pressured / fast paced / stressful generally
3. It is far more "outdoorsy"
4. The climate (note, I've not experienced my first winter but I'm looking forward to it)
5. Less anti-social behaviour

Pros of "my" UK:
1. It is far more high-tech (online shopping is poor in "my" Canada, technology is way ahead in the UK).
2. Supermarket shopping is generally cheaper and there is greater choice.
3. You don't have to add tax onto the price of everything.
4. Cheap travel to other countries.

For me, I give more weight to a family oriented environment, a more comfortable pace of life, and better access to the outdoors. The relatively poorer use of technology, lesser range of shopping and lack of cheap flights is something I can easily live with.

My two cents / pence

Almost Canadian

I can`t understand the "better access to the outdoors" argument. I have climbed, walked, hiked all over the world and do not believe that Canada offers anything "better" in that respect. No good living in Manitoba but wanting to climb in the Rockies, no good living in London and wanting to scale Ben Nevis anytime soon.

Maclean Creek just outside of Calgary amply demonstrates the hell that breaks lose when "ourdoorsy types" are allowed to reign free over the land. Is that "better"? I suggest not.

I appreciate that skiing and skating are more readily available in Canada than the UK but I don`t get what other outdoorsy pastimes are more readily available in Canada than in the UK. If such pastimes simply consist of walking over areas, I believe the UK has just as good an environment as Canada.

rubberduckofdeath

One of my major gripes with the UK is that yes, it has a hell of a lot to offer but travel in the South East is so painful that I actually don't bother making use of much of what's on offer and tend to stay in the same 20sq mile area for most of my time. On my visits to Canada, sure, things might be more spaced out so you spend a bit of time driving, but it's not put me off because it's not stressful like it is in the UK.

Alan2005

I like where I live now, but I do miss the english countryside. The yorkshire dales where I used to live and the dorset coast where I grew up in particular.

dbd33

Starting downtown it takes an hour or more to get clear of Toronto so that's no different.

Atlantic Xpat

As has been commented here before: A move from the SE of England to the North/Scotland offers much of what people seek in Canada with less cost & risk.

In my experience, life in Canada vs. the UK is a question of 'same sh1t, different shovel'. It's what you make of it that is important.

rubberduckofdeath

That's a rather specific comparison though, don't you think? I'm saying the South East of England is a pretty congested place. Fair enough where you live might be comparable but I'm sure it's not true of everywhere...

rubberduckofdeath

I don't doubt or disagree with either of those comments. However, Canada's preferable for me

dbd33

Then I'll broaden that a little. I suggest that the population density and congestion in Southern Ontario is similar to that in the South East of England. Further, the access to the countryside in the South East of England is superior to that in Southern Ontario.

rubberduckofdeath

Just as well I don't want to live in Ontario then, huh?

cheeky_monkey

i would suggest not in a month of sundays

mandymoochops

It's all about the events that go on in your personal life that make Canada / UK great places.

If its all going well in Canada - ie good job, friends, outdoorsy stuff - then your life will be one you love and won't look back.

If it goes wrong - it goes doubly wrong because you can feel so very alienated, far away from any advice that can be of much help or anyone that can do something to make it better.

If it's good in the UK, then you have a good life full of familiar surroundings and friends to share it with, again if something goes tits up - you're not alone.

Basically Canada amplifies emotions - if you want to live on the highs then you'd better make sure you prepare to succeed. Fail and it's a slippery slope that can break up even the strongest of families.

So in summary are those posts still relevant? Of course they are - peoples hopes and expectations haven't changed in 5 years and neither have the pitfalls / rewards.