alcat2010

Ive said before that I do realise ANY country has its problems..
My wife and I have not lived sheltered lives and we know a 'bad' area when we see one.

We have just returned from Vancouver, where we stayed in Downtown, next to east side/chinatown, known for being Canada's worst poorest postcode/area..
This in a city voted one of the best to live in the world..

We are not looking at Canada with complete rose tinted glasses..

We are hoping that what Canada has to offer, compared to the UK, offers my wife and I some more opportunities in terms of careers and better family lifestyle... for me its as simple as that.

(My wife is a nurse = understaffed wards /12 hour shifts without a meal break/ low pay / no more nursing jobs in Scotland....
I am a Firefighter = relatively secure enough career, but willing to give it up to give my daughter a better upbringing/ surroundings )


Your comment about Canada's projects and Glasgow's schemes..
Well I may be completely wrong but Im of the opinion there is more good than bad in Canada, its easier to stay away from the 'bad' areas, id say due to the sheer size of the country...

In my opinion, and due to the fact ive lived here for 30 years, in Scotland it is harder to stay un-effected from the bad areas / culture...

MikeUK

That the one thing that's a plus here,

its much easier to avoid and pretend the bad areas don't exist...

dbd33

Except that the work is in the bad areas. Or, to put that less contentitiously, the work is in big cities, hence the population density in southern Ontario and, with the mass of people comes the problems complained of above. Nunavut may be lovely but unless you're a seal skinner by trade it's no more use to you than the pretty bits of Scotland.

iaink

Its just not true. IT consultants and corporate lawyers may be thin on the ground, but Im pretty sure there are both nurses and firefighters in Belleville and Trenton. The "big city" problems may be around to a small extent, but I certainly dont loose any sleep over them.

Kids out here are doing pot if anything. Better stoned then pissed in my view. One wonders what drugs kids in the civilised city are doing?

The downside to country living I see is that you need to drive kids to everything. Theres is lots for them to do, but the absence of public transport options means moms taxi does all the work. We dont mind, for us the pros certainly outweigh the cons.

dbd33

As it goes, one of my daughters is a nurse and has emigrated from Canada to the UK. She's not working yet but I'll be interested to hear how an inner city trauma unit there compares to one here. I rather miss the weekly update on how many patients are chained to their beds and the gruesome tales of patients wandering out to put street drugs in their IV holes and then being hit by traffic.

cheeky_monkey

did you not hear or see the riots in Vancouver last month?...and im still bemused how many people still say im willing to give everything up for my childrens future and better surroundings and upbringing..different yes..better no.

dbd33

And what would you say are the chances of a fireman unrelated to the fire chief finding work in small town Ontario?

Perhaps I should provide a link to the facebook page of my niece who lives near Smith Falls. The one renowned for "beer bloat". She doesn't seem to lack alcohol to go with her drugs. The language used, being largely derived from rap lyrics, makes quotation here inappropriate.

Visitors wanting a view of rural population might try attending a rodeo, as we did yesterday, a place where it's acceptable to wear a shirt celebrating the peculiar lifestyle of Michael Vick, a place where a young woman sporting a "White Trash Beautiful" tattoo might feel at home. "Culture shock" doesn't quite sum up this leap into "In the Heat of the Night" country.

macadian

Ditto.......lived just outside Glasgow, now been here since 2004

iaink

The thing is, the hockey riot is hardly representative of everyday canadian living is it?

The fact that a Canadian team was even in with a chance to win the stanley cup is rather exceptional for starters...

iaink

Same as anyone else with the necessary qualifications as far as I know. Same goes for policing around here. But then I dont see Canada at all like you do.

Lets not forget that a certain expat we know is working in a hospital near me, and as far as I know shes not related to anyone there

iaink

Or maybe they could attend a church youth group picnic, or a united way fundraiser car wash, it would be just as relevant.

izzi81

you clearly haven't lived in Glasgow and experienced the yearly Orange marches! One riot in Vancouver does not equal the joy that is Orange marching season... or the occasional Old Firm flare up.

Iaink - it is nice to know the cliches of less stress and less crime ring true for some... I hope it's what we find as well

cheeky_monkey

no never lived in Glasgow but did work on 2 projects one in Coatbridge and one in Airdre (which is the most depressing town i have ever been to in the UK) Also i did spend a lot of time living in the shit hole thats is Lewisham/Deptford SE London so i do know what living in the inner city of somehwere like Glasgow is like.

dbd33

No need to go to church, overbearing, in-your-face religiosity is aggressively displayed at the rodeo. People compete for God and Canada (a characteristicaly derivative wording).

alcat2010

From what my wife has seen and heard, unfortunately your daughter might struggle to get a job here (well in Scotland anyway) Im sure England might me a bit better though...

Good luck