Originally Posted by THEBOLD

HI SORRY YOUR RETINAS HAVE EXPLODED PERHAPS YOU BETTER PUT YOUR ROSE TINTED SPECTACLES BACK ON.

Originally Posted by THEBOLD

HI, SORRY TO UPSET YOU NANOOSE BAY.

Originally Posted by THEBOLD

WE WERE LOOKING AT THESE TWO PLACES WITH AN OPEN MIND

Originally Posted by Tripitaka

Welcome to the community though; I welcome all diverse opinions for what they are.

Originally Posted by THEBOLD

HI WE ARE IN OUR EARLY 50'S AND FROM LIVERPOOL AND LONDON BUT WE MOVED FROM TORQUAY. WE HAVE NO CHILDREN BUT WE CAME TO BC ARRIVING IN CALGARY. WE SOLD OUR HOUSE AND CAME JUST WITH A TENT. WE WERE PLANNING ON GETTING AN APARTMENT IN VANCOUVER AFTER A 6 WEEK ROAD TRIP THROUGH BC. WE WERE DOING THIS TO SEE WHERE WE WANTED TO LIVE. WE HAVE BEEN THROUGH MANY TOWNS FROM ALBERTA TO TORFINO ON VANCOUVER ISLAND. WE ENDED UP HOUSE SITTING AS ALOT OF PEOPLE GO AWAY FOR THE WINTER THEY CALL THEM SNOWBIRDS. WE HAVE HOUSE SAT IN CALGARY FOR 5 WEEKS (A SOULESS CITY) AND WAS COLD EVEN IN AUGUST. KELOWNA FOR 6 WEEKS IN LAKE COUNTRY. COLD IN THE WINTER THAN VANCOUVER ISLAND. PICTURESQUE BUT ONCE AGAIN AFTER THE TOURISTS LEAVE EMPTY IN THE CITY. VERNON (DEADVILLE) WE ARE TALKING SEPTEMBER NOT A SOUL AROUND ON A SUNDAY. THIS REGION IS LOVELY AS ITS WINE COUNTRY BUT NICE TO VISIT. VANCOUVER A GREAT CITY BUT WHERE DO YOU SETTLE. STAYED THERE FOR 2 WEEKS BUT EXPENSIVE TO LIVE. SOME AREAS ARE REALLY ROUGH WITH GANGS. NOW VANCOUVER ISLAND. FIRST STAYED IN NANAIMO 5 WEEKS. NICE LITTLE TOWN BUT DYING BECAUSE OF THE BIG MALL UP THE ROAD. LOTS OF SQUALID AREAS THERE NOTHING TO SEE REALLY EXCEPT A MALL AND SOME PARKS AND OCEAN. PARKSVILLE STAYED 4 WEEKS. (LOTS OF RETIRED PEOPLE BUT BETTER THAN NANAIMO. QUALICUM BEACH. LOTS OF RETIRED PEOPLE BUT A NICE TOWN NOT DEAD IN THE WINTER BECAUSE OF THE PENSIONERS. THE ONLY PLACE TO LIVE IN THE WHOLE OF CANADA FOR CLIMATE (ITS BEEN THE MILDEST WINTER WE HAVE KNOWN IN YEARS, MUCH WARMER THAN TORQUAY). ITS PICTURESQUE. HISTORICAL, HAS A NICE FEEL. GREAT PUBS (ENTERTAINMENT 7 NIGHTS A WEEK, OLD FASHIONED LIKE ENGLAND. AND THE PLACE THAT GETS OUR VOTE IS VICTORIA. HOUSING PRICES ARE HIGH HERE TOO BUT YOU HAVE A BETTER CHANCE OF A JOB HERE. CHECK OUT PRICES FOR SAANICH, AS THEY HAVE MAINTAINED THEIR PRICES AND ITS ONLY 11 MINUTES INTO THE CITY BY CAR AND ITS BY THE OCEAN. SIDNEY IS A REALLY NICE TOWN. QUITE AFFULENT AND NOT FAR TO VICTORIA TO DRIVE FOR WORK. DONT LIVE IN DUNCAN OR DRUNKIN DUNCAN AS THEY CALL IT. PRICES CHEAPER BUT HAS THE MOST TOTEM POLES BUT HAS TROUBLE TOO. ANYWAY HOPE THIS HELPS. IF WE WERE YOU JUST RENT DONT BUY AT FIRST. PRICES WERE INFLATED BECAUSE OF THE OLYMPICS AND PEOPLE ARE SELLING CHEAPER NOW. OUR NEXT HOUSE SITS ARE ON THE MAINLAND IN CHILLIWACK SO CAN LET YOU KNOW AFTER WE HAVE BEEN THERE AND IN BURNABY NR VANCOUVER IN AUGUST SO DONT KNOW YET. CHEERS AND GOOD LUCK. YOU WILL MISS THE UK THOUGH, YOU CANT BEAT THE UK AND WE DONT KNOW IF WE CAN STAY HERE LONG TERM AS THE CANADIANS CAN BE QUITE INSULAR AS THE DISTANCE BETWEEN PLACES IS GREAT. VICTORIA IS GREAT BUT LIKE ANY CITY YOU WILL SEE BEGGARS, THE CITY IGNORES IT.

Originally Posted by christmasoompa

MMC was just referring to the fact that your posts are all in caps, nothing to do with their content! In case you are not aware (and haven't seen my previous post to you), typing all in caps is considered 'shouting' on an internet forum and as well as making your posts unreadable, means that they are considered rude.

Please stop typing all in caps, thx.

Originally Posted by Juliew

I would agree with the above comments. Rural Canada can be a very challenging place to live. From afar communities can appear appealing; however there can rampant drug and alcohol issues. Remote communities can be difficult places to live. Some of the people living in such communities can be downright scary. I am not convinced that they are the best places to raise children. Towns such as Kelowna, Kamloops and such are better bets as they will have a more diverse population living there. They also are home to some beautiful ski resorts.

I have been to West London on many occasions and would not want to live there!!! I would however consider one of Vancouver's suburds. Port Moody would be a lovely place to live. It is expensive; however nurses are paid quite well here!
Good luck

Originally Posted by Flogger

Originally Posted by Sammypeeps

Forum etiquette!! It was a learning curve for me too. Took me a while to work out what alot of the abbreviations meant, I didnt know caps was offensive either. ah well - its all fun really!!!

Originally Posted by THEBOLD

Thank god the British virtually built and designed victoria otherwise it would be a bland, characterless place as we found these other places to be.

Originally Posted by Juliew

I would agree with the above comments. Rural Canada can be a very challenging place to live. From afar communities can appear appealing; however there can rampant drug and alcohol issues. Remote communities can be difficult places to live. Some of the people living in such communities can be downright scary. I am not convinced that they are the best places to raise children. Towns such as Kelowna, Kamloops and such are better bets as they will have a more diverse population living there. They also are home to some beautiful ski resorts.

I have been to West London on many occasions and would not want to live there!!! I would however consider one of Vancouver's suburds. Port Moody would be a lovely place to live. It is expensive; however nurses are paid quite well here!
Good luck

Originally Posted by Oink

I know, Chiswick and Kensington are dreadful places, classic examples of crime ridden urban decay. No place to bring up children these days.

Originally Posted by THEBOLD

hi thank you for looking at my remarks. I did not get many positive responses on this one. We tried to see every place with an open mind but I guess being from the UK we have been spoilt. Living in Devon we were surrounded by beauty so it takes alot to impress you when you have come from a 'chocolate box' location. The open spaces between towns here and the flat box places are depressive to say the least. As you drive through these mall strips its like las vegas (nanaimo/parksville/duncan). I could not live with a vista like that. One may have a bigger house living away from victoria but i would say it comes at a price. We personally need culture, life and picturesque surroundings and I didn't find it in these places we stayed. And the excessive charity shops seems to be the norm. Thank god the British virtually built and designed victoria otherwise it would be a bland, characterless place as we found these other places to be. I didn't mean to upset anyone who lives in these places, if you are happy there well fine. We just couldn't live there.