Reasons for emigrating?
Jul 12th 2011 | 8:52 am
#151
Just Joined
Joined: Jun 2011
Posts: 16
From: Maritimes
Re: Reasons for emigrating?
I don't think this holds. I fancy that cutting down the trees in High Park to build a cabin would be frowned upon by the Parks and Rec department, they don't even like people playing ball games in the park. You describe a rural lifestyle but most people in Canada live in cities, to them it's not more accessible than it would be in Kilburn (granted most are likely glad about that).
One key distinction between the two countries is that rural life in the UK is pretty much off limits to the average citizen. Not only is there little employment but house prices are at least as ridiculously unaffordable as in the cities. In Canada, jobs (especially well paid ones) can still be hard to find in rural areas but if you can find one then you can probably afford to live reasonable comfortably. It is also worth a mention that most rural villages in the UK have few services, necessitating lengthy drives for everything from fuel to fuel to groceries. Because small towns are usually further apart here, vital services tend to be closer by, making it easier for young families in particular to be more "self sufficient" in their communities.
Seeing the same faces at the bank, grocery store, swimming pool, church and office (while no doubt a nightmare for some) is part of what can create the welcoming small town feel which seems to be attractive to so many immigrants.
Jul 12th 2011 | 8:59 am
#152
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 13,402
From: South of Calgary
Re: Reasons for emigrating?
OK - I accept the challenge.
(1) More opportunities for more people.
OK housing has been mentioned but that needs further clarification. Not everyone will be able to afford a larger home but most people will be able to afford some kind of home somewhere. Many people in the UK, particularly of the OP's generation, cannot afford to buy a home anywhere. Home ownership tends to rank fairly highly on most people's wish lists. Car ownership (again important to many people with the freedom it can bring) is more affordable here too.
(1) More opportunities for more people.
OK housing has been mentioned but that needs further clarification. Not everyone will be able to afford a larger home but most people will be able to afford some kind of home somewhere. Many people in the UK, particularly of the OP's generation, cannot afford to buy a home anywhere. Home ownership tends to rank fairly highly on most people's wish lists. Car ownership (again important to many people with the freedom it can bring) is more affordable here too.
How many people here do you know with cabins, trailers, ATVs snowmobiles, boats etc? How many do you know who have these things in the UK? Are they important? To a lot of people "yes" would seem to be the answer. It's not just the material possessions but the lifestyle which accompanies these things - something sought by many immigrants - which is accessible to a good proportion of the population.
(2) Sports for kids.
That one is easy. I live in a tiny town in the middle of nowhere and my children have had swimming, skiing , hockey/ figure skating, gymnastics and soccer in the last 6 months or so - all for next to nothing and that is outside school sports. When they are older, there will be even more opportunities for them. As a straight comparison I grew up in a small town in rural Ireland and had a choice of rugby or, let me see .... rugby. Every town, village or suburb in Canada appears to have similar opportunities as sports for children seem to be more highly valued.
That one is easy. I live in a tiny town in the middle of nowhere and my children have had swimming, skiing , hockey/ figure skating, gymnastics and soccer in the last 6 months or so - all for next to nothing and that is outside school sports. When they are older, there will be even more opportunities for them. As a straight comparison I grew up in a small town in rural Ireland and had a choice of rugby or, let me see .... rugby. Every town, village or suburb in Canada appears to have similar opportunities as sports for children seem to be more highly valued.
If you are talking about locals playing on an outdoor rink in Canada, I would imagine the same number of kids would be playing soccer at their local park in the UK.
(3) Do you think Yahk, Likely, or 100 mile house would offer a "better" life than Glasgow? If so, why?
Absolutely. I have visited a number of towns in rural BC, including 100 mile, (and have friends in several) - none is well off but all can afford, with one working parent, their own homes and vehicles and a great life for their kids.
Absolutely. I have visited a number of towns in rural BC, including 100 mile, (and have friends in several) - none is well off but all can afford, with one working parent, their own homes and vehicles and a great life for their kids.
Jul 12th 2011 | 9:17 am
#153
Beep
Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 8,311
From: Here
Re: Reasons for emigrating?
OK - I accept the challenge.
(1) More opportunities for more people.
OK housing has been mentioned but that needs further clarification. Not everyone will be able to afford a larger home but most people will be able to afford some kind of home somewhere. Many people in the UK, particularly of the OP's generation, cannot afford to buy a home anywhere. Home ownership tends to rank fairly highly on most people's wish lists. Car ownership (again important to many people with the freedom it can bring) is more affordable here too.
How many people here do you know with cabins, trailers, ATVs snowmobiles, boats etc? How many do you know who have these things in the UK? Are they important? To a lot of people "yes" would seem to be the answer. It's not just the material possessions but the lifestyle which accompanies these things - something sought by many immigrants - which is accessible to a good proportion of the population.
(2) Sports for kids.
That one is easy. I live in a tiny town in the middle of nowhere and my children have had swimming, skiing , hockey/ figure skating, gymnastics and soccer in the last 6 months or so - all for next to nothing and that is outside school sports. When they are older, there will be even more opportunities for them. As a straight comparison I grew up in a small town in rural Ireland and had a choice of rugby or, let me see .... rugby. Every town, village or suburb in Canada appears to have similar opportunities as sports for children seem to be more highly valued.
(1) More opportunities for more people.
OK housing has been mentioned but that needs further clarification. Not everyone will be able to afford a larger home but most people will be able to afford some kind of home somewhere. Many people in the UK, particularly of the OP's generation, cannot afford to buy a home anywhere. Home ownership tends to rank fairly highly on most people's wish lists. Car ownership (again important to many people with the freedom it can bring) is more affordable here too.
How many people here do you know with cabins, trailers, ATVs snowmobiles, boats etc? How many do you know who have these things in the UK? Are they important? To a lot of people "yes" would seem to be the answer. It's not just the material possessions but the lifestyle which accompanies these things - something sought by many immigrants - which is accessible to a good proportion of the population.
(2) Sports for kids.
That one is easy. I live in a tiny town in the middle of nowhere and my children have had swimming, skiing , hockey/ figure skating, gymnastics and soccer in the last 6 months or so - all for next to nothing and that is outside school sports. When they are older, there will be even more opportunities for them. As a straight comparison I grew up in a small town in rural Ireland and had a choice of rugby or, let me see .... rugby. Every town, village or suburb in Canada appears to have similar opportunities as sports for children seem to be more highly valued.
(3) Do you think Yahk, Likely, or 100 mile house would offer a "better" life than Glasgow? If so, why?
Absolutely. I have visited a number of towns in rural BC, including 100 mile, (and have friends in several) - none is well off but all can afford, with one working parent, their own homes and vehicles and a great life for their kids.
Absolutely. I have visited a number of towns in rural BC, including 100 mile, (and have friends in several) - none is well off but all can afford, with one working parent, their own homes and vehicles and a great life for their kids.
Jul 12th 2011 | 9:18 am
#154
Part Time Poster
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 4,219
From: Worcestershire
Re: Reasons for emigrating?
I know times have changed and exchange rates could be factored in, but I expect 1 new tennis ball will still be cheaper when spread over a minimum of two indivduals than would be two pairs of second hand skates?
Jul 12th 2011 | 9:20 am
#156
Thread Starter
BE Enthusiast
Joined: Jan 2010
Posts: 326
From: glasgow
Re: Reasons for emigrating?
Just catching up with this thread now. Your posts and Izzi's were a reminder of some of the reasons my family left the UK. 5 years in Govan were as much as any sane man should have to bear.
I remember the night we were showing our flat to a potential buyer and the teenage gangs outside were chasing each other with golf clubs and hammers. They took a break eventually though to set fire to a tree in the park for some more light hearted entertainment.
West/ central Scotland has to be one of the most difficult parts of the country to live in - widespread poverty, miserable weather and huge social issues. I can appreciate why you would wish to leave. I have had 3 children since moving to Canada and could not imagine living with them in Glasgow.
One of the principal reasons for emigration is to enjoy a better quality of life for oneself and/ or one's family. From my experiences in Canada more people have access to more opportunities here. It is possible for almost any working person here to afford a home (even if it is a trailer) and a car - things that are important to most families. Children are also likely to have access to sports opportunities which are harder to come by in the UK. One can definitely enjoy a great quality of life in the UK living in a cute home counties' village but unfortunately those areas are going to be out of reach for the vast majority of young families.
Some very wise words have been offered here but please don't be put off following your dream. I would think that the chances of having a better life in Canada than in Glasgow are fairly high!
I remember the night we were showing our flat to a potential buyer and the teenage gangs outside were chasing each other with golf clubs and hammers. They took a break eventually though to set fire to a tree in the park for some more light hearted entertainment.
West/ central Scotland has to be one of the most difficult parts of the country to live in - widespread poverty, miserable weather and huge social issues. I can appreciate why you would wish to leave. I have had 3 children since moving to Canada and could not imagine living with them in Glasgow.
One of the principal reasons for emigration is to enjoy a better quality of life for oneself and/ or one's family. From my experiences in Canada more people have access to more opportunities here. It is possible for almost any working person here to afford a home (even if it is a trailer) and a car - things that are important to most families. Children are also likely to have access to sports opportunities which are harder to come by in the UK. One can definitely enjoy a great quality of life in the UK living in a cute home counties' village but unfortunately those areas are going to be out of reach for the vast majority of young families.
Some very wise words have been offered here but please don't be put off following your dream. I would think that the chances of having a better life in Canada than in Glasgow are fairly high!
Thanks for your post mate,
And not just because you are "saying what I want to hear" as some people on here might think..
It's good to see that someone actually gets what I was trying to say..
I didnt want to say it earlier, but comparing a childhood growing up in leafy Berkshire or wherever, compared to the West of Scotland really is night and day..
Now when I started this thread, I was looking to hear peoples reasons for wanting to leave the UK, (majority of folk must have thought Canada would be better at some point as why would they go?)..
But what I didnt expect was certain people (who probably sit on the internet just a little too much
and take out there frustrations on a keyboard) try and make out other peoples reasons as being the wrong ones.. ?
Jul 12th 2011 | 9:24 am
#157
Moderαtor Emeritus
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 30,771
From: Upstate South Carolina
Jul 12th 2011 | 9:32 am
#159
Moderαtor Emeritus
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 30,771
From: Upstate South Carolina
Re: Reasons for emigrating?
What Im not clear on is why go from there to Canada, with all those immigration hoops to jump through and all the expense of the process and a transatlantic move and finding jobs in a foreign culture that doesnt understand or care for UK school exams or NVQs, not to mention a rather alternative climate to the UK.. Why not set off for somewhere closer to home, like leafy Berkshire, or somewhere more affordable like sleepy Norfolk or wherever...
Personally I dont care, but I do know that if emmigrating is to work out, in most cases you need to have a firm handle on your motivation for doing it when the going gets tough. Are you drawn to something inextricably canadian, or running from something peculiarly british...
Its seldom as clear cut as all that of course, but you get the idea.
Jul 12th 2011 | 9:36 am
#160
Moderαtor Emeritus
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 30,771
From: Upstate South Carolina
Re: Reasons for emigrating?
Surely there is census info for the UK and Canada that records the number of dual income households, should anyone care to confirm or deny the facts...
Jul 12th 2011 | 9:37 am
#161
Part Time Poster
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 4,219
From: Worcestershire
Re: Reasons for emigrating?
Many of us or at least many of those I know followed a job i.e. applied for or was approached to take a job in Canada that would either be an improvement on the one we had or would improve prospects for career improvement.
I left to get a couple of years international experience to enable me to boost my salary expectations when I returned to the UK, it worked, it got me from a UK based role to a European based role, however I’m back in Canada having now played in a North American level role and working towards a Global role.
I don’t think Canada “the place†factored in to any of those decisions, other than perhaps being considered an equivalent 1st world nation, with very little consideration to be being different, more just working on the assumption that what I had seen seems to be very similar to what I knew at home, enough so that I knew I could cope with a new job without worrying about where and how I would live.
Jul 12th 2011 | 9:41 am
#162
Moderαtor Emeritus
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 30,771
From: Upstate South Carolina
Re: Reasons for emigrating?
its an assumption
Many of us or at least many of those I know followed a job i.e. applied for or was approached to take a job in Canada that would either be an improvement on the one we had or would improve prospects for career improvement.
I left to get a couple of years international experience to enable me to boost my salary expectations when I returned to the UK, it worked, it got me from a UK based role to a European based role, however I’m back in Canada having now played in a North American level role and working towards a Global role.
I don’t think Canada “the place†factored in to any of those decisions, other than perhaps being considered an equivalent 1st world nation, with very little consideration to be being different, more just working on the assumption that what I had seen seems to be very similar to what I knew at home, enough so that I knew I could cope with a new job without worrying about where and how I would live.
Many of us or at least many of those I know followed a job i.e. applied for or was approached to take a job in Canada that would either be an improvement on the one we had or would improve prospects for career improvement.
I left to get a couple of years international experience to enable me to boost my salary expectations when I returned to the UK, it worked, it got me from a UK based role to a European based role, however I’m back in Canada having now played in a North American level role and working towards a Global role.
I don’t think Canada “the place†factored in to any of those decisions, other than perhaps being considered an equivalent 1st world nation, with very little consideration to be being different, more just working on the assumption that what I had seen seems to be very similar to what I knew at home, enough so that I knew I could cope with a new job without worrying about where and how I would live.
Its not why I am happy to stay here though.
Comparing my lifestyle and that of my kids, with friends and relatives in the UK, personally I think Canada has more to offer to a middle income earner like myself. I can afford a nicer home (yes, that again), a few toys, and my stress level is a lot lower (probably not true if I lived in a city instead) My kids dont seem to be placed under as much pressure here, both time pressure and the pressure of being categorised and evaluated at an early age. To me it seems that they have more time to grow up, but with plenty of opportunities to do kids stuff, as well as all the stuff they get enrolled in, music, sports, reading clubs etc etc. It could be that we would have struck that balance in the UK, and it could be that we are lucky in the location we ended up in that skiing (yes, even the race training), skating, soccer, music lessons etc are not prohibitively expensive.
Last edited by iaink; Jul 12th 2011 at 9:47 am.
Jul 12th 2011 | 9:41 am
#163
BE Forum Addict
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 1,380
From: British Columbia
Re: Reasons for emigrating?
When you flee the worst of UK culture (yobs, drinking, etc.) for Canada, you're also fleeing the best of UK culture - the very fabric of your day to day life, the things you take for granted in the UK. The shopping, the like-minded mentality, the humour, the driving habits, the seasons, the countryside, etc. and you're replacing it with the best and the worst of Canadian culture - wherever in Canada you happen to end up. Keep this in mind. You're replacing your entire society with a foreign society. For all intents and purposes, Canadian society will be foreign to you.
Jul 12th 2011 | 9:49 am
#164
Part Time Poster
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 4,219
From: Worcestershire
Re: Reasons for emigrating?
I see so many come trying to escape something that was never that real, that often existed inside their head, and as a result it came with them, some times resulting in the very bitter opinions we see in MBTUK forum.
Jul 12th 2011 | 9:53 am
#165
Moderαtor Emeritus
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 30,771
From: Upstate South Carolina
Re: Reasons for emigrating?
My gut feel is many of those that come here not expecting uptopia, have a pleasent time and like myself end up staying
I see so many come trying to escape something that was never that real, that often existed inside their head, and as a result it came with them, some times resulting in the very bitter opinions we see in MBTUK forum.
I see so many come trying to escape something that was never that real, that often existed inside their head, and as a result it came with them, some times resulting in the very bitter opinions we see in MBTUK forum.
Last edited by iaink; Jul 12th 2011 at 10:02 am.
