Things more expensive in Canada than the UK?
Jul 25th 2009, 1:11 pm
#31
Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 3,054
Re: Things more expensive in Canada than the UK?
I'm afraid this is the post on this board with which I have most strongly disagreed (except for that corky fellow's view of brown people). I think people come for stuff, if they couldn't have a bigger house, more cars, lots of televisions they'd stay at home.
An anecdote. Today, in the liquor store a customer was struggling with the idea of chip and pin. The check out woman was a little harsh, "come on, people in Europe have worked this for a decade". When my turn came I said, "hey, people don't come here for the technology". "Why do they come?" the check out woman asked. "Outdoors" I said "ability to shoot things" (note that we're rural here, admitting to liking having stuff would be vulgar) "Algonquin, canoes, fishing" said the woman next in line. "But everything ethereal is better in Europe, art, architecture" said the check out lady. I scratched me head. Has the expats board bought the LCBO or does the expats board reflect the agony of everyone in Canada?
An anecdote. Today, in the liquor store a customer was struggling with the idea of chip and pin. The check out woman was a little harsh, "come on, people in Europe have worked this for a decade". When my turn came I said, "hey, people don't come here for the technology". "Why do they come?" the check out woman asked. "Outdoors" I said "ability to shoot things" (note that we're rural here, admitting to liking having stuff would be vulgar) "Algonquin, canoes, fishing" said the woman next in line. "But everything ethereal is better in Europe, art, architecture" said the check out lady. I scratched me head. Has the expats board bought the LCBO or does the expats board reflect the agony of everyone in Canada?
I think many come for better opportunities and a perceived belief that life here will afford a better quality of life (yes that may include a bigger, better house that may not have been achievable in the UK) and not necessarily a better standard of life as you would have us believe.
Jul 25th 2009, 1:12 pm
#32
Assimilated Pauper
Joined: Mar 2005
Location: Ontario
Posts: 40,023
Re: Things more expensive in Canada than the UK?
Thought I might throw my 2¢ in. I see expats postings that state that they miss the culture, the art, etc. I always ask, when did you last go to a west end play? The Tate? British Museum? St. Paul's? Stonehenge? The Tower? The usual reply for most, on a school trip! or haven't been years. I think it is the ability to go to some of the above, rather than the going to that emigrants think they miss. .
Where even people how live for square footage might feel that the crass nature of Canadian society is hurtful is in the case that they choose to breed abroad. One hopes that i would be difficult to see one's children raised as affluent philistines.
Jul 25th 2009, 1:13 pm
#33
Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 3,054
Re: Things more expensive in Canada than the UK?
Hi
Thought I might throw my 2¢ in. I see expats postings that state that they miss the culture, the art, etc. I always ask, when did you last go to a west end play? The Tate? British Museum? St. Paul's? Stonehenge? The Tower? The usual reply for most, on a school trip! or haven't been years. I think it is the ability to go to some of the above, rather than the going to that emigrants think they miss.
Most people, have same here as they had at home, go to work Monday to Friday, bugger around on the weekend, maybe go for a drink/dinner and thats it. Everyone is paying their bills, Not spending every one of your weekends going to monuments, touring art galleries or hitting the lastest show at a Museum. At home you probably wouldn't cross the street to wander into a Museum, but once you are abroad, you visit the sights and "must sees" that you wouldn't bother with at home.
Thought I might throw my 2¢ in. I see expats postings that state that they miss the culture, the art, etc. I always ask, when did you last go to a west end play? The Tate? British Museum? St. Paul's? Stonehenge? The Tower? The usual reply for most, on a school trip! or haven't been years. I think it is the ability to go to some of the above, rather than the going to that emigrants think they miss.
Most people, have same here as they had at home, go to work Monday to Friday, bugger around on the weekend, maybe go for a drink/dinner and thats it. Everyone is paying their bills, Not spending every one of your weekends going to monuments, touring art galleries or hitting the lastest show at a Museum. At home you probably wouldn't cross the street to wander into a Museum, but once you are abroad, you visit the sights and "must sees" that you wouldn't bother with at home.
however the ac was nice - its been unusually humid here today.
Jul 25th 2009, 1:16 pm
#34
Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 3,054
Re: Things more expensive in Canada than the UK?
I don't dispute the thrust of this. In London we'd go to the theatre once a year or so, now we go to the theatre in NYC once a year or so. If we were really keen theatre goers obviously we wouldn't live in Toronto. I accept that most people don't care for art, in the form of theatre or paintings at all and they may as well live in Canada as Europe. What may matter to ordinary people is this loss of the physical beauty in the environment if they move to Canada, someone accustomed to strolling past St Paul's without paying great attention would, I hope, be gobsmacked by the horror of the Toronto City Hall or the ROM. The lack of care for the built environment in Canada is, I think, rather sad, one may as well live in a mud hut as a product of Matamy or Greenpark.
Where even people how live for square footage might feel that the crass nature of Canadian society is hurtful is in the case that they choose to breed abroad. One hopes that i would be difficult to see one's children raised as affluent philistines.
Where even people how live for square footage might feel that the crass nature of Canadian society is hurtful is in the case that they choose to breed abroad. One hopes that i would be difficult to see one's children raised as affluent philistines.
Jul 25th 2009, 1:17 pm
#35
Assimilated Pauper
Joined: Mar 2005
Location: Ontario
Posts: 40,023
Re: Things more expensive in Canada than the UK?
as expressed in terms of consumer durables. People do not come to Canada for the opera, they don't come for the chance to meet their spiritual leader, they come for stuff. Of course there are exceptions but 99% of immigrants come for a bigger house with more wiring.
Jul 25th 2009, 1:19 pm
#36
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 14,227
Re: Things more expensive in Canada than the UK?
Hi
Thought I might throw my 2¢ in. I see expats postings that state that they miss the culture, the art, etc. I always ask, when did you last go to a west end play? The Tate? British Museum? St. Paul's? Stonehenge? The Tower? The usual reply for most, on a school trip! or haven't been years. I think it is the ability to go to some of the above, rather than the going to that emigrants think they miss.
Most people, have same here as they had at home, go to work Monday to Friday, bugger around on the weekend, maybe go for a drink/dinner and thats it. Everyone is paying their bills, Not spending every one of your weekends going to monuments, touring art galleries or hitting the lastest show at a Museum. At home you probably wouldn't cross the street to wander into a Museum, but once you are abroad, you visit the sights and "must sees" that you wouldn't bother with at home.
Thought I might throw my 2¢ in. I see expats postings that state that they miss the culture, the art, etc. I always ask, when did you last go to a west end play? The Tate? British Museum? St. Paul's? Stonehenge? The Tower? The usual reply for most, on a school trip! or haven't been years. I think it is the ability to go to some of the above, rather than the going to that emigrants think they miss.
Most people, have same here as they had at home, go to work Monday to Friday, bugger around on the weekend, maybe go for a drink/dinner and thats it. Everyone is paying their bills, Not spending every one of your weekends going to monuments, touring art galleries or hitting the lastest show at a Museum. At home you probably wouldn't cross the street to wander into a Museum, but once you are abroad, you visit the sights and "must sees" that you wouldn't bother with at home.
Jul 25th 2009, 1:24 pm
#37
Assimilated Pauper
Joined: Mar 2005
Location: Ontario
Posts: 40,023
Re: Things more expensive in Canada than the UK?
Would you say that a "snow packed peak" represents the height of human attainment? Is it somehow inspiring of respect for humanity past in the way that, say, the Whispering Gallery is? I suggest not. Climbing that peak might give one a hard on but it's not inspirational, it's just there.
Jul 25th 2009, 2:18 pm
#38
Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 3,054
Re: Things more expensive in Canada than the UK?
Would you say that a "snow packed peak" represents the height of human attainment? Is it somehow inspiring of respect for humanity past in the way that, say, the Whispering Gallery is? I suggest not. Climbing that peak might give one a hard on but it's not inspirational, it's just there.
Just a simple lad me - never had much that inspired me on a day to day basis in manchester - all boarded up cotton mills, filthy canals and MUFC scrawled everywhere. I got sick of hearing about London when I lived in the UK and have to say I get sick of hearing about it on BE
Happen I'm not very cultured but I am awed by the scenic beauty of this place more so than London - period, i, but hey that just me and I couldn't give a toss about the height of human attainment .
Last edited by dboy; Jul 25th 2009 at 3:19 pm.
Jul 25th 2009, 2:35 pm
#39
Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 3,054
Re: Things more expensive in Canada than the UK?
Wow - I must be in the one percent then. I live in 700 sq feet with two dogs (one weights all of 3 pounds mind) and my OH.
Jul 25th 2009, 3:23 pm
#40
BE Forum Addict
Joined: Mar 2007
Location: Valemount, BC, Canada
Posts: 1,281
Re: Things more expensive in Canada than the UK?
We didn't come here for "more stuff"...we came here for more space (around us, not indoors, LOL!) and less stress, and that's exactly what we got.
Jul 25th 2009, 3:36 pm
#41
BE Forum Addict
Joined: Mar 2007
Location: Valemount, BC, Canada
Posts: 1,281
Re: Things more expensive in Canada than the UK?
Oh, and our hydro is much cheaper than it was in the UK. The rate here (BC Hydro) is just under 6c per kWh, whereas I believe we'd be looking at somewhere between 10-15 pence per kWh in the UK.
Jul 25th 2009, 3:38 pm
#42
Joined: Feb 2009
Posts: 821
Re: Things more expensive in Canada than the UK?
I'll join you in the 1% then too. Our house is a little bit smaller than in the UK - albeit with more land. We've gone from having 2 cars in the UK to just the 1 over here. We have one TV (a 32" lcd, so pretty puny by today's standards) and our furniture is mainly well worn second hand stuff that came with the house.
We didn't come here for "more stuff"...we came here for more space (around us, not indoors, LOL!) and less stress, and that's exactly what we got.
We didn't come here for "more stuff"...we came here for more space (around us, not indoors, LOL!) and less stress, and that's exactly what we got.
another i agree with is mandy, when we was in the uk we had all the top stuff, here it is material and doesnt matter.
To another poster - yeah our wages are lower and we have more money each month......why because we dont waste money paying for credit, we dont have the high tech stuff, we live on what we have, we save where we can and get the deals when they are around, total life change for us.
You are right i could probably spend every cent i earn and have nothing, we have credit card etc, but thats a IN CASE happens.
We spend time outdoor, goto many places with the kids (most are free or i have joined a group that i get mega discounts through)
in the uk we travelled many a summer in our caravan and saw some amazing places, but i have said this before, for us it has worked, we will make it work, for others it wont and they will return back or not come at all............
I know what is on my spreadsheets and we have more cash each month, plus i need to know that i can get back to the uk soon, so i have planned ahead for $250 each i can do return flights.....call me a cheap skate or a tight @@@@@ but its about how you want to use your life, we only get one chance and ours is alot better, may not have the top stuff, but it works eh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Jul 25th 2009, 3:41 pm
#43
Pea Brain
Joined: Jun 2005
Location: TBD
Posts: 6,005
Re: Things more expensive in Canada than the UK?
I've ended up with more 'stuff' here, but it's a consequence of earning more, and having greater disposable income. It certainly wasn't a motivator, or even a consideration, and for the first couple of years here life was anything but filled with consumer driven desires.
As per Alex, more space, access to the outdoors and less stress were the drivers.
As per Alex, more space, access to the outdoors and less stress were the drivers.
Jul 25th 2009, 3:41 pm
#44
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 14,227
Re: Things more expensive in Canada than the UK?
If someone takes comfort and pleasure in art or architecture then good for them, we are not all cut of the same cloth. Besides, there is something to be said of living in a place that is new and is still finding its way as is the case with vancouver - something of a frontier mentality perhaps.
Just a simple lad me - never had much that inspired me on a day to day basis in manchester - all boarded up cotton mills, filthy canals and MUFC scrawled everywhere. I got sick of hearing about London when I lived in the UK and have to say I get sick of hearing about it on BE
Happen I'm not very cultured but I am awed by the scenic beauty of this place more so than London - period, i, but hey that just me and I couldn't give a toss about the height of human attainment .
Just a simple lad me - never had much that inspired me on a day to day basis in manchester - all boarded up cotton mills, filthy canals and MUFC scrawled everywhere. I got sick of hearing about London when I lived in the UK and have to say I get sick of hearing about it on BE
Happen I'm not very cultured but I am awed by the scenic beauty of this place more so than London - period, i, but hey that just me and I couldn't give a toss about the height of human attainment .
Either way - people say that want a "simpler" life, but they are usually liars. What they really want is the freedom to do what they want and the normal route to this is to have (relative) wealth. Another way is to not have so much state interference with everything we do, but that's a whole other debate and to be honest there isn't much between the UK and Canada in this respect anyway.
Jul 25th 2009, 3:44 pm
#45
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 14,227
Re: Things more expensive in Canada than the UK?
My there is a lot of false attribution bias on this thread this evening.
