No i wouldnt do it again..although i have a good job good house and family..there isnt anything here i have that i couldnt have in the UK.

Back yard skating rink

i dont have a back yard skating rink here..but im sure a blow up swimming pool would suffice?

But you could

The thought occurs to me that anyone moving to cold bits of Canada with kids that hasnt at some time or other been tempted to go to the trouble of making a rink is missing the point in some way, or isnt jumping in with both feet. Having said that my kids have outgrown that now, so I dont bother anymore.

In a heartbeat! But no way when I was 25! Are you kidding I think being young, free and single and with a great education and future I certainly would be making the best of the opportunities open to you in Europe.

This would best translate itself into the North American lifestyle later on in life. I think 40ish is a good age to migrate if you're still inclined.

I had a taste of America as a Nanny in Atlanta when I was 20 and loved it. I knew one day I would be back across the pond but was always hesitant about settling in the US with kids.

Canada seemed a good option. Although I was adamant we would not replicate our lifestyle from the UK, everything had to be changed to make it worthwhile.

However, catch 22 situation, bigger house, bigger mortgage, bigger bills, me not working, etc., etc., means my poor hubby works his arse to the bone to pay for it all (just as well he loves his job!) so quality time together is still non existent but we're a few years away from banging out and downsizing yet.

When I was 25 I was living and working in Chelsea and had the most fantastic time. I think you've got more living to do yet before settling in Canada.

On the other hand I came when I was 28, and met my wife here, so it worked out pretty well for me.

There is no reason you cant have a fun youthful time here. OK, maybe not in Ottawa, but Toronto, or Vancouver or up in the mountains? I dont see why not. You dont have to buy a McMansion and be a slave to the bank, one thing Canada offers is plenty of alternatives.

Compared to Europe?

My situation is similar to the OP in some aspects (I'm 28, good university education, job and prospects) and different in others (I've never lived in the UK, have moved several times already, lived in 4 different countries).

Out of the countries I've lived so far viz. India, Saudi Arabia, the USA and Canada, I'd have to say Canada has by far been the best. I've lived in Canada for 6 years, 4 years in the maritimes and 2 in the prairies. They have both been excellent places to live with warm people who live life to the fullest.

Since I've lived in Asia for most of my life, I probably see a lot more positives in moving to Canada than you due to the facilities available in the UK that aren't common in India and Saudi Arabia e.g. health care.

However, I would like to warn you about basing your decision to move on your experiences during a short visit or a vacation. Furthermore, like someone else said in this thread, I, too, know some Journalism graduates that are finding the going tough in terms of finding employment. Ofcourse, ymmv.

Good luck.

The only thing that Europe has that Canada doesnt is that underlying thousand years of cultural history. But in some respects that lack of baggage is maybe not all together a bad thing?

Canada offers bristling metropolises, financial and business centers, trendy hotspots (I imagine.. not my thing) unspoiled wilderness, wild west oil patch adventure, boring middle class middle age ruttdom etc etc.


Im not sure what is it that Europe offers that Canada cant other than the history, and geographical proximity to the motherland (which I can live without) Its maybe a different culture/ lifestyle thing? But if you came to Ontario and liked it like the OP, then the north american lifestyle is surely part of the attraction.

Oh, it may be attractive and that seems to be the case for the OP but it doesn't offer much in the way of alternatives; one mall with a Tim Horton's looks very much like another mall with a Tim Horton's. From a career perspective this may be good, offered a supervisor position in NS a shelf filler from MB isn't losing anything and is gaining a promotion, but compared with moving from London to Prague or Athens it's all very much the same. I'm inclined to the general view on this thread, move to Canada when you've had enough excitement.

I would, but likely not to Canada. I don't think you can really get a true feeling for a country until you've lived it for a few years. Given the choice to start again, we would likely have put a lot more thought into New Zealand.

I dont see how living here for a few years can give you a feel for living in "Canada".


Maybe you might have a feel for "suburban Alberta" or "Rural Smalltown Ontario" or "Downtown Toronto"or "Northern Canadian wilderness", but I dont see too much in common with what you might experience as "life" in those places.

And that I guess is what I mean by diversity of lifestyle here.

How much of the difference between London and Athens can be put down to climate and language.

Its safe to say that Europe offers more diversity of those, its true.

Most people in Canada live in similar subdivisions with similar malls. I don't think there's any substantive difference between "suburban Alberta" and "Rural Smalltown Ontario" or, for that matter, any of the flyover States.
Urban vs. rural differs in Canada but, if you can walk to the next house, you're not going to live in a manner very different from people in the next province; it's all about ice hockey and fast food and blaming the francophones. By contrast, even comparing Britain and France, we have variations in food, language, legal system and humour. Strong points for Canada are stability, the availability of consumer durables and population diversity within the cities but, between the end of one subway system and the start of the next, it's all pretty much interchangable.

Mind, it all being all the same saves shelling out for those expensive internal air fares, if you're in Regina, you're not likely to feel the need to see Edmonton.

Climate, language, geography, physical appearance of the people, food, cultural mores, music - if you went to bed in London and woke up in Athens, you'd notice the difference. If you went to bed in Mississauga and woke up in Cochrane, how'd you know?