drummond82

ANY VEIWS,OPINIONS, HELP OR ADVICE WILL BE A GREAT HELP ?


I currently live in the UK with my family, we are looking to move to CANADA. I know this will be a big change but I feel it will better mine my partners and my children's lives. My partners mother and father are also looking to move with us. Myself and my father in law will be seeking jobs in the trucking/distribution industry (any advice or opioins on jobs in Canada will help)

We are looking to move to the Nova Scotia area. Again advice on the area, life style even the schools in the area will be greatly received.

Im hoping that even though this move may be stressfully at the beginning it will give us all a better life and through hard work be rewarding !

So in short, WHAT'S NOVA SCOTIA LIKE ?
WHAT LIFE LIKE OUT THERE ?
IS WORK HARD TO COME BY ?
HOW HARD WAS THE MOVE FOR YOU ?

Again YOUR views will be a great help .

THANK YOU ,

Siouxie

Hello and welcome to BE

I think the first thing you need to do is ascertain what visa you could get to be able to move to Canada - there are more than 50 different ways to get Permanent Residency and then there are temporary work permits as well.

Have a read of the wiki first, then once you have narrowed it down come back and ask some more questions.

http://britishexpats.com/wiki/Quick_...an_Immigration

You can also find out more about Nova Scotia Provincial Nomination programs here: http://novascotiaimmigration.ca/immigrate/

You mention that your in-laws are hoping to move over as well and that you are all hoping to do it through trucking. Only Alberta, British Columbia, PEI and Saskatchewan have specific semi-skilled Provincial programs that incorporate long-haul trucking. You can read more here: http://www.albertacanada.com/immigra....aspx#trucking and http://www.welcomebc.ca/Immigrate/im...-Trucking.aspx and http://www.gov.pe.ca/immigration/ind...1037607&lang=E and http://www.saskimmigrationcanada.ca/trucker although some of the other Provinces have similar programs if you have a job offer and or work experience in the Province.

You may be able to get a job offer in trucking elsewhere and provided your potential employers have obtained a Labour Market Opinion, you would be able to get a Temporary Work Permit. You can look into ways of converting that to permanent residency once you have the job offer.

There is also a trucking forum on BE which you might want to post in and have a read through: http://britishexpats.com/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=118



Hopefully others will be along to give you some ideas as to what Nova Scotia is like, though there are many threads on the subject if you do a quick search.

drummond82

Thanks very much , im sure this will be good reading. Thanks for your help and advice.

ExKiwilass

Everyone I know in Nova Scotia (british expats) is trying to leave. Just something to think about. The following are the reasons:

-the culture
-feeling that it is backwards
-poor amenities
-poor job prospects, low pay
-perception that there's not much opportunity for the kids, as well

izzi81

Um... I know of lots of expats in Nova Scotia that aren't trying to leave? Ourselves included. We love it here, and so do many others. No idea where the idea of not much for kids to do comes from, our neighbours have kids and they're out doing things constantly!
As for backwards... Depends what you mean. If you mean it's not a fast paced, modern, city living type place, if you mean people have time for each other, are friendly, small town life, then yes I agree it's backwards. Which i see as a positive. But I suspect you meant it negatively...

There are not loads of jobs here. But it is a small town place, obviously it's not going to be the same as Toronto or Vancouver. Don't move here thinking it is, do research and come and visit. Then you'll know what to expect

ExKiwilass

To the OP: The other thing to bear in mind is people living in NS appear to have a hard time hearing this and will tell you none of it is true. Perhaps this ties into the culture (inability to deal with criticism) that drives others away. Just something to bear in mind.

Siouxie

I think the expressions "to each their own" and "one man's meat is another man's poison" are appropriate.

Whilst I appreciate that you may have friends who are leaving NS, there are many others in the area who love it for the reasons you appear to dislike it, and wouldn't live anywhere else.

No need for put downs, thanks.

Aviator

You should clearly determine this before making the move. Chances are it will be a different life,but will it be better? what is better?

As for whether NS is a good place to live, ask those in NS many will tell you it is, ask those who left you get a different answer. For me, great place to visit, could not live there, even in retirement.

How many times have you been to NS?

You should not base your decision to move (or any part of it) on the banter on here. You have to visit, several times ideally, and make your mind up from that.

ExKiwilass

I disagree. If it's part of the culture there it's not a put down. Resistance to change/new ideas is an issue, according to people I know. I have plenty of neggy stuff to say about Vancouver too (where I live) yet I've never received a hand slap by a mod about that, I wonder why?

I don't dislike it, though I would never live there based on what I have seen these 4 different families go through.

izzi81

Exkiwilass - excuse me? Now you're not only criticising NS, but you're criticising my character as well? Do you like passing judgement on things you personally know nothing about?

I've been here for 3 months. If you want to criticise me for not being here long enough to really know what I'm talking about, that I might understand. But to try to say I've been culturally assimilated into refusing to hear criticism about NS and telling everyone blindly that its wonderful when it isn't is nonsense, and quite insulting actually.
Of course it has it's bad points. High tax and high fuel costs (compared to the rest of Canada) are two. But please don't try to say that the reason I tell people NS is good is because I'm resistant to change. It's all change for me right now!!

You've heard from 4 families, and you base all your opinions on NS from them. What about all the families who have moved here and found it great? Negatives always speak louder than positives I guess, but the positives are there too.

As Siouxsie said, each to their own. Maybe you don't like NS lifestyle, maybe the families you know didn't, but we love it, and so do others. NS is a varied place, the lifestyle depends on where you choose to live as well as what jobs you are looking for and what you expect when you get here.

Oh and I've yet to encounter this 'resistance to change' attitude I've heard mentioned on here. Maybe it's here somewhere, but it's certainly not as endemic as some here like to make out.

To the OP... NS stirs up strong reactions in some who don't live here I would recommend you come and visit. It can be hard to find work (though I suspect it can be everywhere) and you may have better chances elsewhere in trucking - though that's a field I know nothing about! It really depends what sort of life you are looking for...

Siouxie

I would remind you of site rule 15.

There is a difference in making a general negative comment about somewhere and making a targeted comment at someone who opposes your point of view. Saying that people who live somewhere are incapable of accepting criticism due to the culture (particularly when it doesn't appear that you have lived there yourself, so it's all 2nd hand information) is not particularly helpful to anyone, least of all the OP. Had you said the same about Vancouver (in the same way and same 'tone') then I would have made a similar comment.

If you wish to discuss this further, please feel free to pm me.

Atlantic Xpat

One of the least helpful things, particularly for a new poster to experience, is massive generalisation. Canada being a big country, we get that a lot around here. A statement that "everyone I know in NS is trying to leave" is the worst kind of generalisation IMHO. You may well know people in NS, and all of those you may know might be trying to leave, but the implication that everyone who moves there eventually leaves? As a generalisation, thats' both incorrect and massively unhelpful.

I hold no candle for NS as I don't live there. I find it wryly amusing the many people chose NS for the proximity to UK and the ocean & where I live, has more of that & a better economy to boot. But living here has other challenges as well & is not for everyone.

The OP should do his research on job opportunities (#1 priority), property prices, climate & then the million factors that ultimately dictate where we live.

ExKiwilass

A lot of people are leaving Vancouver cos it's really expensive, so I hear. I was talking to my account manager the other day, he's a young guy and he's seriously thinking about leaving.

with all due respect, 2nd hand information is what makes this board run. I don't understand why people, that I know, who tell me stuff, are somehow less reliable because they live in NS than people, in Vancouver, who tell me stuff.

Don't get it.

ExKiwilass

Oh please, we ALL generalize on this board. We all share anecdotal evidence. I've done it many times - like, hey, it's hard to find childcare in Vancouver! that kind of thing.


But you know, I think the responses in this thread speak for themselves.

bcmama

As others have said, first establish what immigration route you are eligible for. Then come out for at least one visit to the area you are interested in. Don't enter into it lightly, you can plan and research to the nth degree but it is an extremely stressful and expensive thing to do and potentially undo no matter how prepared you are!