Jimbo2012

I thought it was a very sweeping statement at first but then I realised there is an element of truth in it. Perhaps it's because Britain is an island.......?

MarylandNed

This is not something I see as distinctly Canadian. A small and ever-decreasing percentage of the population can even remember the 1950s so it's not even relevant to most people. The 1950s are seen as a golden age in the US and the UK as well.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/arti...ed-street.html

I would tend to agree with that generalization. You'll find a different (more European) outlook in Montreal and other places in Quebec.

That is changing incrementally in response to events such as the the Boston bombings and the recent terrorist arrests in Canada related to the VIA Rail plot.

bats

I like trees

Tigger1

Because I could (I have dual nationality)

Sally Redux

I assumed it was a homework essay.

MillieF

Maybe someone should say 'Welcome to British Expats'....great first post, can we expect more in the same genre? Just out of interest why do you want to know? It's a bit like asking how long is a bit of string. I should imagine there are just as many different reasons as posters on BE. I personally heard the clarion call of "I want to go home" from my husband, and here I am

james.mc

Like others, I'd love to see the OP (The Queen or Minister Kenny maybe) come back, maybe post at least twice in the Forum, and explain why they wanted to know all this?

Sounds like a 'need to know' for some kind of research project.

Oh! and ..... Welcome to cyberspace!

__TJ__

for us it was because UK is going down the pan and we dont want to go down with it.

there is work here and its more the money than the respect but the respect is important too. if hubby says he wont lift something because its dangerous ( crane driver) in the uk it was "... well i have 4 other blokes that want your £10/hr job!" here its like "ok how can we make it safe and get the job done" (BTW so not on minimum wage here!) they respect that he knows what his crane can do and what it cant and he feels valued here.

weather/culture/europe doesnt even come in to the decision. as ive pretty much travelled the bits of europe im interested in, and i live in north BC so we have proper seasons- if you dont count the 6 month winter

hubby has been here a year now and us 9 months and we love almost everything about it. yes there is bureaucracy and hoops to jump thru still to get our PR but we are ok with that - in fact we wish it was as hard to get into the UK as it is to get into canada, then people who go there want to be there and more importantly - deserve to be there.

christmasoompa

That was my thought too, but if so the OP needs permission from site admin as per site rules.

Sweeping generalisation much?! A lot of the UK is far from 'going down the pan'.

It *is* just as hard for Canadians to come to the UK (or any other non European citizen), despite what the Daily Mail would have you believe. It's only movement within the EU that is easy, but of course that works both ways and you could have moved anywhere within Europe without a visa too.

Partially discharged

Actually I found the post to have a lot of truth to it. I can relate to a lot of what MarylandNed had to say.

Editha

My husband is Canadian, and got a job here. I agreed to come too. We are going back next year. He'd stay longer because he likes his job, but I am not prepared to stay more than 8 years, which is the normal length of time served by lifers in the UK. As it is, I'd like to know what I did in a previous life to deserve 8 years in Edmo.

Novocastrian

Goodness me! Welcome back.

__TJ__

sweeping generalisation maybe, ok to qualify - in Winchester ( a fairly "nice" place to live in the south of england ( hampshire TBE) work is drying up, conditions are worsening ( in particiular not only no pay rise last year but for the last three years consecutive pay cuts for the same hours/responsibility) cut in pension and sick pay rights and in general raises in local and government taxes and cost of living. the schools struggle to cope with 30+ students for each teacher, the hospital waiting lists are a joke ( the 18w is fine but if they offer you an appt and then cancel it they can use another 18w to keep the statistics, i know one little old lady who has waited three years for an op that keeps getting cancelled)

and as for moving to england being easy ( despite the DM, which i didnt read when i lived there and have no interest in following now) i did mean from EU, my mistake in not being clearer. yes i appreciate i could have moved to italy - but i dont want to. for one im allergic to garlic so eating there is a nightmare! we chose Canada because to us it felt like the UK of our childhood. maybe it is perception but my kids can play outside here - even the autistic one, in the uk he was bullied and my kids were scared to play outside the house ( oh and i live in Prince george which many would have you believe is a crime riddled filth hole - its actually very pleasant!)

maybe its rose-coloured glasses, but we are happy in Canada and one day hope that our PR and citizenship will come thru and we can be proper canadians. in the meantime the best test is if someone offered you £10m would you go back. and honestly i dont think we would.

Novocastrian

Good luck, you'll need it.

Have you read dbd33's comments on autism care in Canada at all?

jessicanuck

Yes, actually.

A few days ago I became acquainted with a family from Birmingham, England who immigrated to Canada about two years ago.

The father seems comfortable here although he stated that it was because of a job. The mother and the two kids, aged 14 and 16, seem to be quite unhappy whenever I've been invited to visit them at their home. Well, actually, the mother seems to be more reserved about it than the two kids.

Both of the kids seem to be fans of soccer and the mother doesn't seem to leave the house much besides to check and water her plants outside.

I'm assuming that the mother and kids were much happier back in England than here and it intrigued me when the mother would mention how much she adored Birmingham, missed the BBC, her friends, travelling to London, France, etc.

Based on their perceived unhappiness, I became intrigued with how comfortable they were in England and if this sentiment is shared by other British immigrants/expats.