CampbellsRComing

Hi,

Hope someone can help?

We are planning to come out to the Island in August for a month to have a good look around with a view to making a decision about maybe giving BC another go later next year?

Being honest about this, it will be our 2nd attempt at emigrating i.e. we moved over to BC (Van Mainland / Okanagan) in Spring 2003 with our eldest (then just 12 mths old) and it fell apart horribly.

I won't go into the reasons for fear of boring you, but funnily enough we made exactly the mistake that I've just been reading about in the 'I'm so sad' thread - we sold up everything and as a result it took us a good 2/3 years to get settled back in Chester.

Long story short, but life moves on so quickly and by the time No. 2 and No. 3 appeared we now realise that its been nearly 5 years since we came back and the irony is now that we have kids, we want to bring them up anywhere other than the UK - though no doubt when they are teenagers they will hate us for it

Hence the trip.

We are looking to spend a week or so looking around Victoria (Sannitch Peninsula, Western Communities etc.) and another week looking around Cowichan i.e. Cow Bay, Cobble Hill, Ladysmith up to Naniamo etc.

That will leave us with 2 weeks to do a bit more digging in any locations / communities that give good first impressions and / or maybe travel further up the East Coast if worthwhile?

In terms of advice, we'd would really appreciate comments about where might be a good central place to base ourselves in respect to looking around Victoria and its communities and equally a good base for looking around Cowichan.

Obviously with the kids, we can't just be a car each day driving from one place to another (doing the adult research bit) without a break so we need to try and find a happy mix where perhaps one day we can kick back and relax (as far as the kids are concerned this is a holiday and given the last 3 years of UK summer weather they're actually very excited about doing stuff 'outside') but equally when we do get out & about to look around (adult time - but again with kids) we are not in for a 5 hour road trip each day.

If anyone could help with suggestion for the 2x bases we're looking for / offer any other practical advice (nice places you've found to live / places you would avoid like the plague) we'd really appreciate it.

We're bit older and wiser than we were 5 years ago but we could still learn a hell of a lot from people who have ' ... been there and done it ...'

Thanks

WendyS

Hi

I was just wondering if you'd thought about doing a house swap? We did this in 2007, and stayed in a house in Cadboro Bay. Was fantastic having so much room for the kids!

We spent most of our time around the Victoria area and only really went up as far as Naniamo. Totally loved all around Victoria though.

We hired a people carrier with a DVD and a sat nav, any longish trips we'd always stop at some beach or other to let the kids have a run.

Good luck with your trip.

skyturner

Now you have me curious and concerned...we are going to the Okanagan with our 2 year old and are soooo excited, what didnt you like that made you return? We would have loved to go to the island but decided against purely because of the climate.

halftheworldaway

If it's been 5 years since you came back from Vancouver do still have PR status as I think you need to spend 2 out of 5 years residing in Canada to retain your PR status.

CampbellsRComing

Hi - Yeah have thought about a house swap (trying to keep the cost down) but really wanted to know if we were thinking of swapping in the right area and then of course we need to find someone who wants to swap and come to Chester (not that bad a place actually!)

If you have any thoughts (or anyone else knows of someone) in the area's we are thinking about in terms of someone who might rent us their house for a month (or a couple of weeks) let us know - its got to be cheaper than Motels etc

CampbellsRComing

Hi don't worry about the Okanaghan - its was just personal circumstances - not a particularly the place - its beautiful there.

My wife (Sally) is actually goiong out to Kelowna mid July (I've got to work so won't be out til early August) to stay with her mum and sister and to get the kids settled time difference wise. I'll spend a day or so with the Mother-in-Law and then we're off to see the Island

Do you live on the Island?

CampbellsRComing

Hi,

Sal (my wife) is a Canadian citizen and has checked out the situation with with the Embassy in London - I'll post their email reply at the bottom of this post but aparently as I got PR on the back of being married to Sal so long as we have been living together outside of Canada that counts towards the years.

Dear Mrs Campbell,
Thank you for your information.
If your husband landed in Canada he will need a Travel Document to
return even if he has been abroad for a long time.
As he is married to a Canadian Citizen, each day outside Canada will be
considered as a day for which he satisfies the residency obligation. For
more please see the site below.
He can apply in person between 0800-1100, must bring his passport, his
landing paper, the marriage certificate and your passport or a copy of
the main page and of your UK status and pay a processing fee for 30
pounds.
He will be issued a Travel Document which is valid for 6 months and he
must enter Canada before the expiry date.
Please see more information on our site:
http://www.canada.org.uk/visa-info/f...eturn/e_rr.htm
Yours sincerely,

CampbellsRComing

Thansk to everyone

Just out of interest (I'm asking anyone and everyone who has an opinion) what was the 'deciding' factor in your move to the Island i.e. why there rather than Van or elsewhere in BC?

I only ask because my wife is originally from Toronto, we spent about 12 months in Van when we were younger (much younger - backpacking) and her mum and sister live in Kelowna and whilst big city living excited me in my twenties I'm past it now having done the whole Liverpool, Manchester & London bit - particularly now we have kids!

Equally I don't want to live in the middle of no-where as I need to work

Too be honest I'm not exactly sure what the draw to the Island is for us (me) but I guess its a mix of being close to the sea (I always have been) it being a size I canmentally deal with (as opposed to being in the the middle of Manitoba) and hopefuly it being a half way house between what I'm used to now i.e. access to bigger city (Victoria for work - Vancouver for play etc.) but still living in a rural / semi-rural setting that has some amenities rather than just being out in 'boonyville' as my wife refers to the big suburbs of Van etc.

Would love to know your thoughts - commuting for an hour or more is a way of life for me so that shouldn't be a big deal but as you'll appreciate, my wife's concerns are around schooling for Ryan, Aden & Indie and about amenities etc.

Lastly, could I be really cheeky and ask (as I have of a couple fo people) if you might consider replying (assuming you do) to us on this forum as opposed to private messages? I know that's cheeky - but the reason is that I'm hoping that by other people seeing what others write, it will generate their own thoughts, ideas, comments and views on things that we don't think to ask about but which others people think are important for us to know / consider

Hope that would be OK?

Thanks again

Andy & Sal:embaressed_smile:

TheJonesFamily

Hi Andy & Sal

We are emigrating to the Island in July this year. We are headed for the Cowichan Valley region (40 mins North of Victoria).

We've spent a LONG time making this decision and exploring all the different potential locations.

We have family in Toronto, but decided that area wasn't really for us (no big mountains or ocean and very cold winters).

We lived in Medicine Hat, Alberta for 2 years with my husband's work and explored the Calgary/Banff area in some detail which we loved but found it a bit too cold in winter with no ocean.

We explored Vancouver for a couple of weeks as a potential place and loved it but didn't want to live in the city and the house prices are very high.

We also visited Kelowna to see friends but I found it a little too cut off from the cosmopolitan feel of the West Coast.

So finally last year we went to Vancouver Island for 2 weeks to explore. Our first impressions weren't great as we drove through a rather depressing First Nations Reserve and through the centre of Duncan which isn't pretty on the main road and stayed in a rather horrible B&B. However, we then explored a bit further and fell in love with the place. When we got back to Bristol I just wanted to scoop my 2 boys up (5 and 2) and take them back to the Island. These are some of the reasons off the top of my head that made me love the Cowichan Valley:

1. Geographically gorgeous! Mountains (2 hours from ski hill), Ocean (beaches, sailing, kayaking, swimming, surfing), Lakes, Forests, Trails, etc.

2. Close to Victoria & cultural things such as great shops, restaurants, theatre, music concerts, art galleries, markets, etc. I don't need these things every day, but I like to be close enough to dip in and out.

3. Climate is very mild in the Cowichan Valley (Cowichan means 'warm lands' in the native language) with vineyards and fruit farms. The winters are mild and the summers are warm and relatively dry for the West Coast (drier than Vancouver for example).

4. Polite and friendly people with a really warm community feel (as far as we could tell and according to the ex-pats we spoke to).

5. The schools seem to focus on areas that I feel are important and seem to be lacking in Bristol schools: polite and respectful behaviour, plenty of art, music and sport, after-school clubs and activities.

6. An arty-crafty community, which is what I'm particularly interested in.

I'm SO SORRY, I seem to have gone on forever!!

Hope this is of some interest.

Bex

maddhobs

Hi Andy and Sal,
For us it was the wanting to be in a smaller community, beautiful scenery and nature, good schools and facilities, a more laid back lifestyle and attitude, community spirit and more affordable lifestyle to name a few things. We had visited BC a few times as we have family in Vancouver. We visited Vancouver and surrounding areas, Kamloops and Vernon, but it was when we came to the Island on a 3 day visit we fell in love with it and knew this was the place for us. Been here 5 years now and no regrets.

maddhobs

Hey Bex,
We thought we recognised that reply, well put!
See you in the Summer
M & D.

TheJonesFamily

Hey M & D!
Looking forward to it
Bex x

CampbellsRComing

Bex / M&D - Everyone,

It sounds as if we are on the same wavelength - I was beginning to think it was just us, in terms of what we think is important in terms of location, surroundings, accessability and facilities - and lifestyle!!!.

Some of the posts on The Maple Leaf (wrong forum in hindsight) were a bit ' ... what's wrong with you ... just move to kelowna / Vancouver ...' and I was starting to wonder if perhaps we were being too fussy / naiive and perhaps the reality was that if we couldn't settle in Kelowna / Vancouver then implication was that we wouldn't settle (couldn't feel at home) anywhere in Canada?

Truth be known is that as late Twntysomethings we lived in Kitsilano (it was great but we were broke backpackers who had already been travelling nearly 2 years) and we've seem to have been out to Canada (winter and summer) a hundred times to either see Sal's mum and sister in Kelowna or her dad in Abbotsford and I guess while its unfair to take places on initial impressions I had exactly the same thoughts as Bex i.e. Vancouver fantastic (but did I want to have mortgage the size of Wales around my neck?) and Kelowna (beautiful scenery but just too isolated / too strip mall / box outlet (if that is the right expression)

My views shouldn't put anyone off course - they just were'nt places we felt we couldn't live in i.e. I guess the big thing about Kelowna in particular was that we've become used to living in Cheshire i.e. lots of small towns (non a million miles from the other) were we can live but also with ready access (hour or so commute) to bigger cities / towns for work - Kelowna just felt too unconnected and Van - well - too big and too expensive.

I really want more for my kids - Sal in particular is very keen on them being more 'outdoorsie' and having spent 3 summers in wellies in the UK I'm not arguing anymore - and again being honest, we're both in our late thirties I personally have got to the point of 'now or never' especially with the kids getting older / progressing through school etc.

Now I've warbled for Britain but a couple of questions (for now)

We've got 3 1/2 weeks on the Island from middle of the 1st week of August (I've got to get from Calgary to Kelowna to pick up Sal and kids from the Dragon and then drive down to Van) to 28th (fly out of Van) and we can't hope to do everything /see everything incase the kids revolt (from too much car-fever) and swear never to set foot in Canada ever again i.e. this trip (ideally) had also got to try and pass as a holiday and on that basis what / where (having been there already) would you recommend as an itinary i.e. if I wanted us all to come away (me included) with just one thought ... how soon can we move?

I've thought about a week in and around Victoria to try and understand the layout / communities etc. and another week in and around Cowichan (M&D were good enough to reply to that first query) but also though about renting a motorhome for a week to actually give the kids the whole ' ... wow isn't this different, fantastic ...' experience of Canada?

Your experiences / knowledge may suggest another way of going about things and /or places to see?

Again we'd really appreciate your thoughts as the websites / brochures for places often just lead to a 'fall' i.e. they take the one decent photo of a place and the rest is a dump!

Ideally, I don't really want to drive for a couple of hours with the kids to experience that if it can be avoided i.e. I know the reality of how disappointing places can be but on a tight time budget I'd rather go for the best bets interms of potential places to live / great places to holiday - and get everyone excited.

Thanks again for all your help

PS By the way, I originally posted this thread on the wrong forum (The Maple Leaf) and M&D were good enough to reply anyway - so thank you - and I've since heard more good things about them (a private post so I'm not sure of the etiquette of letting you know who it was?) - but it sounds as if you will that already Bex!

Andy & Sal

bananahammock

My tuppence worth ........

We've found that Nanaimo ticks the boxes for us at the moment, our kids were 13 & 16 when we moved here ~ any farther north was not for us & south was either a bit too quiet or Victoria, & a job offer came up in Nanaimo so that put paid to living in Victoria. It was important for me that there was a reasonable choice of schools (I'm a teaching assistant), plus there are 2 large swimming pools/rec centres, a new skating rink, footie/rugby clubs, a couple of cinemas/bowling/malls etc & most importantly, VIU.

I didn't want the kids to be bored & because we'd come from Bristol they'd been used to a fair amount of choice .... 80,000 pop in Nanaimo still seems small to me!!. The 2 ferry terminals are handy too because sometimes I need a 'big city' fix ...... I can be at Departure bay at 8am & walking around Stanley Park at 10:30ish. Beaches are also a stones throw away & Tofino is a daytrip.

Personally, when we did our recce I hated this place ... couldn't wait to leave & get back to Victoria but OH got a his job offer ~ it took being here for 4 months to find an area we all liked & start to see past the strip malls & car showrooms (we live in Jinglepot)
Funnily enough OH now works in Victoria & has to commute each day ..... pretty tough stuff in the winter, my youngest is grade 11 so maybe when he's done at school we'd consider heading south but who knows?!!

In answer to the first part of your question the main reason we chose here (also the reason a lot of people don't choose here, funnily enough ) was the weather ~ yep, rain & all ~ that's what keeps this place so green I don't want to shovel snow for months at a time, can't ski, can't drive in the bl**dy stuff, don't want the kids to drive in the bl**dy stuff & have no balance & fall on my arse every time it snows ......... saying that, Mt Washington & Vancouver/Whistler are easily accessible if I change my mind!! Personally I would've chosen Vancouver but to be honest it was/is too expensive for us plus I think (not sure tho) that it rains more there
I don't own a brolly & only have snow pants & a jacket because 'sans' gave me hers when she left!! ...... I don't think my 16yr old has worn long pants more than a dozen times all year he's a typical 'west coast' kid these days, bless him.

We considered the Okanagan for a while but IMHO, although I've never been, it seems a bit isolated & I've grown to love living by the ocean.

Good luck whatever you decide ........

Catsteve

I am intrigued by this thread as we are landing in July (but not actually planning to move till next year) and we were thinking Vancouver but the talk of the Island interests me. My work would entail working in a BIG city and Vancouver is a god choice but I would like my family (OH and three girls) to live somewhere that is fun and peaceful and Victoria sounds good. So, to the question, is it possible to commute to Vancouver daily?

Looking forward to coming over