Karate Kev

Hi everyone,

It's me again - asking for yet more advice!

As you know, we're hoping to emmigrate to Canada from the U.K. - but I want your opinions as to where to live!

The obvious choice is Sunny Summers, and Snowy Winters - but not too bitterly cold - and as little rain as possible!

Got any ideas, please???

Our initial thought are (in this order), Alberta, British Columbia, or Saskatchewan.

Look forward to your thoughts and ideas. Take care,

Kev.

shamur

Hi Kev, Alberta is a great place to live, you will have your sunny warm summers, very little rain, lots of snow in the winters but Im afraid we do have a couple of months that can be really very cold.
But you learn to live with that, Saskatchewan is pretty much the same although Ive never been there we are on the same weather pattern. BC is a beautiful province but they do get lots of rain and lots of heat too my daughter lives there and loves it because it reminds her a lot of England.
I think either one of those provinces would be good, and if you dont like the one you choose move to another.
Good luck whichever one you try first.

iaink

I dont think anywhere in Canada counts!

Coastal BC isnt bitterly cold, but it is not that snowy either, and those of us in the East keep hearing about all that rain.

Anywhere that gets the nice snowy winter is pretty much sure to get bitterly cold spells, although its all relative. I suspect an Edmonton or Winnipeg native would be wandering around in a TShirt in what passes for bitterly cold in SE Ontario (-20s C).

I guess you will just have to take the rough with the smooth. Calgary gets the Chinook winds which give you a bit of a break from the winter now and then, but they have been known to drive folks mad, and my wife tells me its been used sucessfully as a defence in a murder trial! I suspect thats an urban legend though...maybe!

Iain

NessieOggy

I've seen a few posts here that say that BC gets too much rain! If you are living on the coast, you will see more rain, as it is classed as rainforest in a lot of areas and afterall, it's at sea level. I lived on the lower mainland (Vancouver area) for a number of years and will agree though that the continuous days of rain in the Spring/Fall can be a bit much sometimes.

On the flip side... as you go inland towards the Okanagan Valley, it becomes semi-arrid, so very little rainfall. We could actually use some more rain!!

(Oggy)

CalgaryAMC

Kamloops, British Columbia.

mickj

I'll have to be bias about it, and say Ontario, all these to see and explore

Karate Kev

Hi all,

Thankyou, ladies and gents, for your points of view. I kinda thinks Alberta is winning at the moment.

Now all we've gotta do is save up the airfares, sort out a house-swap, come out to visit, and of course....... qualify for the visa!!!

take care,

Kev.

mickj

Must have been the stampede that clinched it for you then

CalgaryAMC

I think Alberta is a good choice for lots of reasons. Economically it is a good entry to Canada, house prices are still reasonable, the climate is not as awful as it might sound because although it gets very cold it is sunny all year round.

It doesn't meet your climate criteria - which precluded bitterly cold - though because it does get bitterly cold. The only place I can think of that meets your climate criteria is Kamloops, BC.

The picture below was taking yesterday in Calgary. Earlier this week we had a blizzard.

mgilly

hi kev
we moved out to regina,sask about 10 weeks,we have seen -22 and plus 22 in that time,we have bought a house that we could never afford in england(we lived in bournemouth)saskatchewan is alot cheaper than b.c and alberta,so it means your money will go further,hope this helps
mark
p.s what job are you in

Smokey

Kev, you were asking about weather...try this one....

three days ago I work in the yead with a T-shirt on getting bitten with mizzie bites.....two days ago it snows. Hard. Yesterday its starting to warm again.

OK, OK, so I know Calgary has all these things happen regularly but when you experience it for the first time I really had to think if I was in the Twilight Zone :scared:

Karate Kev

Hi Mark,

The more I hear, the more I think Edmonton might be the place. But we've yet to visit.

I'm a fully qualified carpenter/joiner by trade. Have been since leaving college....over 20 years ago! Man, am I old?!

But I also teach martial-arts 4-times a week - I'd LOVE to get a fulltime instructors job!

Take care,

Kev.

Karate Kev

I notice a couple of people have suggested Kamloops, B.C.

So what's that like? Sunny? Snowy? Rainy? Help me out here.

Kev.

Karate Kev

Silly silly silly me! I forgot to mention....

I've also heard good things about Medicine Hat - any suggestions?

Kev.

CalgaryAMC

Hah!