We're going back
Apr 19th 2013, 11:36 am
#31
Just Joined
Joined: May 2012
Location: Huddersfield, UK
Posts: 12
Re: We're going back
Wow
Had to reply to this as this is our story almost exactly (minus the sad passing of your mother). We're still in Canada but for reasons similar to yours would love to return to West Yorks.
Ironic - we spent so long hating the UK and trying to get out and now all of us are desperate to get back! Total madness.
Hindsight is a wonderful thing and if only we had listened to good friends and parents and thought harder about coming here and what we actually had in the UK maybe things would have been different.
Unfortunately we left UK just as the crash happened in 2008. We benefited from high selling house price. BUT what we are going back to and what we can afford is a lot less than in 2008. Mainly the jobs have all dried up in Huddersfield area and minimum wage is the norm - or so I hear. Lower house prices though.
Overall the whole experience has aged myself and my husband. Also echo the comments so often made by us and others banging on about 'a better life for the kids'. NO better for them or us - just different.
All the best
Had to reply to this as this is our story almost exactly (minus the sad passing of your mother). We're still in Canada but for reasons similar to yours would love to return to West Yorks.
Ironic - we spent so long hating the UK and trying to get out and now all of us are desperate to get back! Total madness.
Hindsight is a wonderful thing and if only we had listened to good friends and parents and thought harder about coming here and what we actually had in the UK maybe things would have been different.
Unfortunately we left UK just as the crash happened in 2008. We benefited from high selling house price. BUT what we are going back to and what we can afford is a lot less than in 2008. Mainly the jobs have all dried up in Huddersfield area and minimum wage is the norm - or so I hear. Lower house prices though.
Overall the whole experience has aged myself and my husband. Also echo the comments so often made by us and others banging on about 'a better life for the kids'. NO better for them or us - just different.
All the best
Apr 19th 2013, 2:55 pm
#32
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Thread Starter
Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 233
Re: We're going back
Thank you all for your kind and supportive words - they are very much appreciated.
In reply to a query earlier in the thread, we didn't specifically choose North Bay and nowhere else - my husband was offered a decent job here before we came out, and our research on North Bay didn't show anything too bad (low crime, lots of sporting activities for the children, lakes, trails etc), so we went for it.
I guess our research didn't show up that there weren't any other jobs in North Bay.
In North Bay's support, the lakes and wilderness around are very beautiful. But beautiful surroundings don't pay the bills
In reply to a query earlier in the thread, we didn't specifically choose North Bay and nowhere else - my husband was offered a decent job here before we came out, and our research on North Bay didn't show anything too bad (low crime, lots of sporting activities for the children, lakes, trails etc), so we went for it.
I guess our research didn't show up that there weren't any other jobs in North Bay.
In North Bay's support, the lakes and wilderness around are very beautiful. But beautiful surroundings don't pay the bills
Apr 22nd 2013, 7:56 am
#34
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Joined: Jun 2011
Posts: 992
Re: We're going back
"This expat" meant me by the way, in case it was not clear I don't know, I just found for myself that it can be easy to be negative. Realistic portrayals are always welcome though for sure.
Best!
f
I don't know, I just found for myself that it can be easy to be negative. Realistic portrayals are always welcome though for sure.Best!
f
Apr 22nd 2013, 9:12 pm
#35
Part Time Poster
Joined: Jan 2004
Location: Worcestershire
Posts: 4,219
Re: We're going back
It's nice if the pro's and Con's balance but very few coming here seem to give enough attention to the cons' tending to focusing on the pro's, the pink glasses and as such the urge is to remind them to look at the con’s and not to ignore or belittle them, whilst understanding they don’t need any help looking for positives they already got a strong focus on them and in part is why there moving here..
It may make some long timers look negative, with the been there got the tee shirt, just wait till you see it for real, enjoy the winter if you can, mentality..
But many have got the tee shirt of Job hunting, and have a realistic cost of living with a Canadian salary, and I bet a few have found that taking up winter sports as a solution to a long winter isn’t there cup of tea (it is mine
)
Apr 23rd 2013, 10:14 am
#36
Forum Regular
Joined: Mar 2013
Posts: 60
Re: We're going back
Wow reading these stories and experiences are terrifying me. We are currently I'm in the UK in north yorks and are planning to move on a spousal sponsorship route at the end of the year. I am canadian and my partner is British! And we have a cute rented flat with decent jobs and an okay life... The govt just introduced a new buyer scheme where they lend you a lot of money for a house to buy etc so lots of possibilities ...we want to move to Canada to raise a family and be close to all my family there we want to try the Toronto area to see what jobs are like and really excited as.I always thought life was better and easier in canada... Now reading these posts I am terrified that we are making a horrible mistake. In the UK there are lots of benefits if anything happens to you or anything...in canada you don't get anything at all... You are on your own and only get pitiful amout of uneployment and govt help that never seemed to worry until now and I'm having so much panic .... Is it really that bad!??!?
Apr 23rd 2013, 12:33 pm
#37
Forum Regular
Joined: Nov 2011
Posts: 33
Re: We're going back
Wow reading these stories and experiences are terrifying me. We are currently I'm in the UK in north yorks and are planning to move on a spousal sponsorship route at the end of the year. I am canadian and my partner is British! And we have a cute rented flat with decent jobs and an okay life... The govt just introduced a new buyer scheme where they lend you a lot of money for a house to buy etc so lots of possibilities ...we want to move to Canada to raise a family and be close to all my family there we want to try the Toronto area to see what jobs are like and really excited as.I always thought life was better and easier in canada... Now reading these posts I am terrified that we are making a horrible mistake. In the UK there are lots of benefits if anything happens to you or anything...in canada you don't get anything at all... You are on your own and only get pitiful amout of uneployment and govt help that never seemed to worry until now and I'm having so much panic .... Is it really that bad!??!?
At least you have a support network and experience of Canada so you have an advantage there. There are no guarantees for a so called 'better life' in Canada but there are no guarantees in life anyway.
The only advice I could offer you is a better life often depends on quality of life. By this most people rate home, surroundings, income, work/life balance as factors which directly influence them. This is a mass of information. Largely though your income has a large impact on one's quality of life. Although it is not the be all and end all.
Good luck with your decision x
Apr 23rd 2013, 5:36 pm
#39
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Joined: May 2012
Location: South Bucks
Posts: 1,654
Re: We're going back
To the OP well done on your honest post and having the guts to post it! Good luck with your plans to go back home. There is no such thing as having failed at something only having the guts to try something new and learning from that experience.
Apr 23rd 2013, 6:09 pm
#40
Best Place on Earth- LMAO
Joined: Dec 2004
Location: BC
Posts: 571
Re: We're going back
Wow reading these stories and experiences are terrifying me. We are currently I'm in the UK in north yorks and are planning to move on a spousal sponsorship route at the end of the year. I am canadian and my partner is British! And we have a cute rented flat with decent jobs and an okay life... The govt just introduced a new buyer scheme where they lend you a lot of money for a house to buy etc so lots of possibilities ...we want to move to Canada to raise a family and be close to all my family there we want to try the Toronto area to see what jobs are like and really excited as.I always thought life was better and easier in canada... Now reading these posts I am terrified that we are making a horrible mistake. In the UK there are lots of benefits if anything happens to you or anything...in canada you don't get anything at all... You are on your own and only get pitiful amout of uneployment and govt help that never seemed to worry until now and I'm having so much panic .... Is it really that bad!??!?
If you have an okay life with decent jobs etc. and you still want to go to Canada maybe you should have a backup plan of returning to the UK if it doesn't work out rather than think 'I'm going back home for good'. Also don't underestimate reverse-culture shock if you've been away from Canada for a while.
ps. I had family who lived in a small village in north eastern Yorkshire and visited a few times - beautiful place.
Apr 23rd 2013, 10:18 pm
#41
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Posts: 233
Re: We're going back
Apr 23rd 2013, 10:34 pm
#42
limey party pooper
Joined: Jul 2012
Posts: 9,982
Re: We're going back
I agree with this,, good luck with going back.
Apr 23rd 2013, 10:36 pm
#43
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Joined: May 2009
Location: Langley, BC
Posts: 1,954
Re: We're going back
I'm Canadian and sponsored my OH from the UK some years ago before moving to Vancouver. In hindsight I wish I remained in the UK. Life might have been better and easier in Canada in the 1980s but not now imo. One of the big negatives for me is work - trying to find and keep a job is tougher. Also general workplace culture I find isn't that great. I haven't had great experiences working here since I returned.
In my opinion the future of Vancouver is out in the burbs, I expect more businesses in Surrey, Langley and Abbortsford to open up and with that will slowly come better hiring practises and better treatment of staff. We'll see though.
Apr 23rd 2013, 10:52 pm
#44
limey party pooper
Joined: Jul 2012
Posts: 9,982
Re: We're going back
I agree with this,, good luck with going back.
Apr 24th 2013, 5:30 pm
#45
BE Enthusiast
Joined: Jun 2011
Posts: 992
Re: We're going back
I think that it’s as you move forward as an expat, you know that it is the negatives that de-rail the process
It's nice if the pro's and Con's balance but very few coming here seem to give enough attention to the cons' tending to focusing on the pro's, the pink glasses and as such the urge is to remind them to look at the con’s and not to ignore or belittle them, whilst understanding they don’t need any help looking for positives they already got a strong focus on them and in part is why there moving here..
It may make some long timers look negative, with the been there got the tee shirt, just wait till you see it for real, enjoy the winter if you can, mentality..
But many have got the tee shirt of Job hunting, and have a realistic cost of living with a Canadian salary, and I bet a few have found that taking up winter sports as a solution to a long winter isn’t there cup of tea (it is mine)
It's nice if the pro's and Con's balance but very few coming here seem to give enough attention to the cons' tending to focusing on the pro's, the pink glasses and as such the urge is to remind them to look at the con’s and not to ignore or belittle them, whilst understanding they don’t need any help looking for positives they already got a strong focus on them and in part is why there moving here..
It may make some long timers look negative, with the been there got the tee shirt, just wait till you see it for real, enjoy the winter if you can, mentality..
But many have got the tee shirt of Job hunting, and have a realistic cost of living with a Canadian salary, and I bet a few have found that taking up winter sports as a solution to a long winter isn’t there cup of tea (it is mine
)
but believe that there is also plain old cynicism which methinks is different. Thanks for a great post. A non cold lover meself
