Can anyone help me ??
I am living in Red Deer, Alberta, Canada and am
desperate to meet some expats or join a group here
before I go crazy !!!

Sorry I don't live in Red Deer and I'm not British expat but I've spent a few summers near there - I feel your pain...

Hi, we have just put in our application to emigrate and plan on settling in the Red Deer area. My partner is a power lineman and I am currently working as a book-keeper.

How long have you been there and what are your views on the place. Have you got any pics you could show. I have two boys aged 9 and 11. They would also like to know about Red Deer. Is it snowy yet!. It's a lovely sunny day here about 8c but due to get colder I beleive.

Hang in there, may be with you in about 18 months or earlier (you never know). If we get on the nominee program could cut this time in half. Matt (the other half) has been speaking to Fortis, but this is in early stages.

Any help or info would be much appreciated. We are planning a research trip ourselves in the Spring.

Hi,

I am thinking maybe there are not so many British Expats in the Red Deer area as go to Calgary etc?

Friends of ours live in Bowden, not far away, and they are fully integrated into the local community. Can you not meet people at work, or join some group. An excellent way to meet people is to join some voluntary organisation, or help at local schools etc.

If you really crave British company, how about putting an ad in the local rag? (Just be careful how you word it !)

Good Luck!

Morw

Thanks for the reply. I just got back from visiting all my family back home in the UK for two months, so am feeling pretty homesick right now. Not to mention hubby is way up north for the next two weeks and my best friend just moved to Calgary. Now the snow has come I find myself sitting at home feeling pretty miserable and missing a cup of coffee and a good chat !
I do work part time at a bank, but just miss the English sense of humor and lifestyle I suppose.
I will try your advice and put an ad in the paper I think. You mentioned some friends in Bowden, are they young or older ? How long have they been here ?
Thanks
Liz


============================================

I am thinking maybe there are not so many British Expats in the Red Deer area as go to Calgary etc?

Friends of ours live in Bowden, not far away, and they are fully integrated into the local community. Can you not meet people at work, or join some group. An excellent way to meet people is to join some voluntary organisation, or help at local schools etc.

If you really crave British company, how about putting an ad in the local rag? (Just be careful how you word it !)

Good Luck!

Morw[/QUOTE]

Hi Alison
I have been in Red Deer for 4 years. Its a really great place to live and bring up your kids for sure. Have you ever been ? What made you decide on Red Deer ?
Yes, it is snowing now, but not too unpleasant at +1. You should got on the web site for Red Deer if you havent already www.red-deer.ca that will tell you a lot and of course go to www.remax.ca and search in Red Deer for some nice houses. Do you know all about being able to assume mortgages and stuff ??
My husband and I are the same age as you and I have a baby girl who is 18 months old right now. I work at a bank in town, so finding you a job for you wouldnt be a problem at all, you know what they say.... its not what you know .....
I brought my dog and cats over with me too, so if you need advice on that I can help for sure.
Im afraid I dont have any photos of Red Deer, but do have some of us rafting down the Red Deer River which most people do in the summer. It takes four hours and is WONDERFUL. There is so much to do here, not to mention your in the middle between Calgary and Edmonton, so dont have to travel far for the "city" atmousphere.
If you are planning a trip in the Spring, let us know when and maybe we can put you guys up for a while so you can have a good look around.
Regards

thank god someone does .... lol

The Editor of the Red Deer Express is British. I met him once.

That's probably about the most useless information I have ever provided in this forum.

Where are you originally from and how did you come to live in Red Deer? What does your husband do? It's nice to know may be able to get a job myself. We have based our application on Matt's skills. I haven't a clue about mortgages and stuff so may have to pick your brains - if you don't mind. All my family on my mothers side live in St Johns, Newfoundland and although I love the place they have a very high rate of unemployment which could make things a bit difficult. I couldn't see myself settling there. We want a life change and think it would also benefit the kids and decided if we didn't make the jump now would regret not having tried.

We've never been to the other side of Canada although Matt's sister lived in Calgary for a long time and is a citizen but since she got married she's now living back in the UK. Matt's colleague has just moved to Ontario (he's also a lineman). Matt felt if it could work for him then we also stand a good chance of making it work. We feel that the need may be greater in Alberta and Fortis in Red Deer is fairly central. The province in general is more appealing to us.

We plan to sell our house and possibly rent here before we move provided we are accepted our course.

I also have two dogs (Akita and Alaskan Malamute) they both love the snow and we may even try a bit of dog-sledding. Nando our Mal and Keiko our Akita would feel right at home. Could be tricky getting them there cos of their size. We also have a cat but would plan to rehome her as she doesn't get on well with the dogs (they see her as their next meal I think). She doesn't come in the house anymore and has her own share of the outside kennels.

Thanks for the offer of putting us up - may take you up on that or maybe we can arrange to meet up so that you can show us around. Don't feel like your on your own, a chat is only a few fingerclicks away. So when your snowed in think of me and send me a mail. I would be only to happy to have a chat.

I'm trying to remember back when we first came here and didn't know a soul. I met people through work at first. I got friendly with the girl who sat next to me and then through her I met other people. How we really got to know people was when we moved into our house. Again, in the winter its hard. We moved in in December and I saw our neighbours but we didn't get to know them until the spring. That seems to be how it is in cold places.

We were all new home owners and we all got together and built fences and then we had barbecues and coffee and played cards and went out for supper and as we still live in the next street to where we started off, we still see the neighbours all the time. Which reminds me - I must phone Ron and Marie and see if they want to come for coffee tonight!!

You don't have to concentrate on ex-pats - I only have one expat friend. My best friend was born in Regina. You just have to have something in common. I met my best friend becuase our kids went to school together - yonks ago that is now!!

Thanks, and nothing is useless

Thanks for the reply Liz. I am not fussy about ex-pats anyone will do (lol) !
Its probably just not a good time right now as its so cold and no one really gets out and about, at least in the summer I can walk the dog. But as long as I have my sanity (still?) I think things can only get better. Like I said before, its made a difference just chatting on this site.
Thanks again
Liz

/e hands Liz a cup of coffee, and a Penguin biscuit from back home..... and settles down for a chat.......

You're right. Even when we got to know the neighbours - come spring you hadn't seen their kids all winter and you would hardly recognize them after six months. Of course once you get to know people in the spring and summer - you carry on being friends with them in the winter. Its just as you said, its very hard to get to know people when everyone is shut up indoors. Even if you get chatting to someone when you take the kids tobogganing, right after everyone races indoors again.

I kept my sanity. I only knew the one girl that I met at work and of course at Christmas everybody scatters and goes home and we had several Christmases alone until we met another expat couple and we did have Christmas with them for a couple of years until they moved away. I think you will gradually meet some friends. Its just that it doesn't happen overnight.

thanks and ..... yummy !