Once again thank you judy. I will get a cup of coffee now and read again the wiki etc that you have highlighted. By the way I have looked at lethbridge online and it does indeed look very interesting. thanks for that too. Alison.

Easy there Judy. They can pick fruit for cash. Or harvest other 'crops'

R.

Another one looking at lethbridge
like a mini english place at the moment ....

No honest i have been in lethbridge a few weeks now and the place is lovely, the weather, well better than where we came from in the uk
it does getting windy and the one thing that i have found is that i need to drink more and make sure my skin is well looked after.

The people are friendly and i have made loads of friends both on here and now that i am here, plenty from school, visiting shops etc etc
For me it feels like home already, but like others have said you need to visit the place and see if you like it, everyone is different and although i love it here, i know others wont

Feel free to PM me if you need any info, i know your job will probably need training for here as they do things totally different, but ill have a lookie round for your OH and see what jobs are going

hope that helps

i have just looked at your OH job here in alberta

http://www.tradesecrets.gov.ab.ca/in...ex_content.asp

Looks like you will need the red seal, but you can do this from the uk and if the employer is alright with it, sit the exam within 6mths of being here.

MY oh has advised that some of the local builders are looking for carpenters and also medicine hat are also advertising in there papers - a good site to keep an eye on is http://www.sajobline.com/

Hi 6limes

Welcome to our insane world here on BE.

I agree with what others have said on here about the places.

If you are truly worried about the climate which Alberta has then 2 years ago i would have agreed - now having been living in Canada and already done my first winter then I would say that it is truly nothing at all to worry about. Get a ski coat from a store out here, but some boots on and gloves and you will be good.

Last year there were 3 days throughout the whole of the winter that I actually felt cold - one due to a wind that really took the temperature down and then two days of -40 ( in both cases i just wrapped myself up and run to car and then run into wherever I was going ). Another way I would explain to you about the cold here is that -10 here in Alberta is nothing like even +5 degrees in the UK as here in the South of the Province as Judy says we have a very dry climate so you dont get that constant damp feeling that you usually have in the UK.

I have been visiting Lethbridge for nearly 20 years due to having cousins who live in town and have to say for family life on an every day basis this town has an awful lot to offer - good schools, amenities,shops etc. Have to admit though that I still have to take the odd trip to Calgary to have a wander in the malls having been used to having the Trafford Centre only 16 miles away from where I used to live. Calgary is only 2.5 hours away so it is easily accessible for the odd shopping spree.

The only other thing that i would say about moving out here is do your research thoroughly, make sure that you research where you skills are actually required as this will make it easier to get employment and please dont do what most people do and think that Canada is only made up of the Toronto's, Calgary's and Edmonton's - please consider smaller town living.

Good Luck with everything

Gaynor

That's different from my impression. The page on Carpenters, taken from the website to which you provided a link, states:
One of the possible options is to "work for an employer who is satisfied that the worker has the skills and knowledge expected of a certified journeyman."
x

Thank you judy, moondevil and burton bunch for your great replies. As I keep saying with 5 kids in tow the whole issue of moving just seems huge. We have decided that we definitely want to relocate despite the difficulties involved and the kids on the whole seem keen. We live in northern ireland and although it is a lovely place the political situation is still far from ideal, there is a drink culture that we would love our kids to not be part of and the weather is c**p!!! Also with the construction industry on its knees the time seems right to look elsewhere. Having said all that the process and work involved to actually get up and do it (relocate) terrifies me.
Lethbridge looks like somewhere we could fit in, schools, colleges etc look very promising, work possible for oh, not too remote, nice climate, friendly people etc.
So we need to read some more about the process to find a way in which we can all be able to move at the same time, ensure work for hubby and eldest son (apprentice joiner) and possibly work for eldest daughter who will be fininshed uni (drama and socieology degree, wants to do journalism) next year. So no pressure there, ha ha!!!

Judy

With what i have seen here on different trades, i would speak to AAIT, my hubby came over as an electrician and is already working in his field, although he hasnt got the red seal, he will be sitting the exam soon, but alot of employers are happy to see that AAIT have passed there uk qualifications and that you are able to sit the exam.

that is what i was saying in the post, a few have said that they wont go job hunting until they have the red seal, in our experience employers just need to see that you have made the effert to make sure that you are qualified in alberta.
i hope that helps

Electricians, plumber and mechanics need Red Seal. Carpenters don't. At least that's true in Alberta.

There are members of this forum who have come to Alberta as carpenters and who have not done the Red Seal exam.

I was just trying to save the original poster from worrying about a step that likely would turn out to be unnecessary.
x

Not a problrm judy, but the way i read the AAIT site and the adverts locally i thought they wanted to see that the uk guys would be the same as the alberta guys.
alocal advert states - Credentials (certificates, licences, memberships, courses, etc.): Carpenter Trade Certification, Driver's License
Now i would take that as if they needed to be put through to AAIT

i think this thread maybe of some help, plus a guy who brings people in -- http://britishexpats.com/forum/showt...penter+alberta