The problem there is, despite being beautiful lakes, you cannot actually in their vicinity -Waterton, you could but there isn't much there apart from the beautiful Park and as you say employment would be tricky to say the least!

Our local pond, Kalamalka Lake isn't too shabby

Chilliwack or Hope BC. Both near mountains. Anywhere near water will be expensive.

If you dont need a lot of extras in life you can make it in Vancouver on a modest income. Of course you likely wont be able to do much extras like travel or skiing etc.

Our income is only 2600 a month and we make it in Vancouver renting but we do only have 400sq feet...lol and no garden but in a good location for transit. And easy access to downtown and water.

This.

My neck of the woods ticks most of the boxes. The "mountains" are not exactly the Alps, I admit, but people ski down them. And there are lakes, a large city, people that want to learn English and rather more affordable property that would be found out West.

indeed

What about somewhere near 'Gibsons BC'?

Welcome to Gibsons - Town of Gibsons

photo gallery below

Photo Gallery - Town of Gibsons

Property prices

http://www.point2homes.com/CA/Real-E...hanged=&ajax=1


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And wet.

ESL schools in BC are concentrated in Vancouver and Victoria, which fit all the criteria except being able to afford a house with a garden. There are ESL schools elsewhere such as in the Okanagan or Pender Harbour on the Sunshine Coast. Beautiful areas and much more reasonably priced. The downside, of course, is that there are not that many great employment opportunities for your OH and it might be a trek to see a punk band.

ESL for new immigrants is generally taught in community centres or colleges. The ESL schools in Vancouver tend to cater to foreign students who want to spend a year learning English in an English speaking country (aka have a year long vacation at their parent's expense).

I was, of course, thinking that Quebec offers almost everything on the list at a cost sustainable on one solid income from language teaching and one supportive one. If mountains, proper mountains, are critical then Canada's not an obvious choice. I assume the US presents visa problems but why not France or Italy or, for the adventurous, Chile?

Thanks everyone so much for taking the time to reply. We have lived in many countries but are hoping to settle in Canada mainly because it is closer than NZ (where we lived before) but has some of the same landscape.
I think we will come to Vancouver and do a bit of a road trip to see where we like.
We have been living in a society where the people are very closed and cold at times and this is another reason to move. The fact that all of you have taken the time to reply is yet another reason to move there! People are so much friendlier.
Thank you so much.

Do bear in mind this a forum of people who choose to associate together online.


Vancouver named unhappiest city in Canada

Alone, so alone, in Vancouver - The Globe and Mail

Vancouver study: A city of loneliness and unfriendliness? | Georgia Straight Vancouver's News & Entertainment Weekly

A year ago, Vancouver vowed to become friendlier... so how's that going? | Metro News

Much as I love Vancouver, it has some well publicised, acknowledged problems with people being insular, closed, and hard to get to know. Various reasons suggested for this (eg the transient nature of population, the need to work constantly to pay the cost of living, the cultural-linguistic issues of being such an immigration hub) but when the city council officially tries year after year to make it a friendlier place, you know it has issues.

Thanks for this. Do you think that suburbs that you live in and commute into Vancouver could be better?
I know what you are saying about the forum being for people, but you would not believe how rude some people are on other forum sites! Any ideas if it helps if you are just starting a family to make friends etc? With groups and meet ups?

It is true of my daughter who lives in Vancouver, that she knows a lot of parents of young children from swimming and Baby Bach and whatnot. I don't know if she would count them as friends or just acquaintances. Anyway, having children in Vancouver must be staggeringly expensive.

Toronto does have great gigs, one of the things I really like about the place. In terms of old men punk bands I have seen Buzzcocks, PIL, Angelic Upstarts, UK Subs, Steve Ignorant and shortly The Damned. Of course he may well have more current musical interests, in which case I have no idea. I did see the Sleaford Mods recently though who were excellent. Venues such as the Opera House, Lees, Phoenix etc are great and very mellow.
You could probably plan a schedule of a few bands a week. Drink enough at each gig and dull the reality of actually living in Canada.

I have to say, having lived in the Vancouver suburbs for 18 years, this is not something I recognize. Maybe if you live in a high rise downtown?

Just because they do not say **** and **** you should not assume that all posters are actually trying to be helpful.