Where to settle down - Vernon?
 

Hi, went out to Canada year or so ago to do reccie for a month (starting in Vancouver and ending in Calgary).

Don't really want to live in the big city so much. We're pretty active and have 2 boys (3 and 1). Would love the mountain/outdoor life and def want to be close to skiing. Don't want to push ourselves with a mortgage and both me and my husband 'having' to work full time.

I'm pretty realistic. Think Vancouver area would be nice but more emphasis on the 'work' as opposed to 'life' balance due to costs (esp nice housing!). Calgary, didn't get a massive feel for but stampede was cool.

My husband feels the Okanagan valley may be where to look. We only brushed thorugh it really. We went to Penticton but I didn't like so much. Kelowna, probably has higher house prices. Stopped in Vernon a few hours on Canada Day and park area seemed nice but didn't really investigate further as no time. House prices seem ok....any views on living there??

We currently live in a small market town in the UK with 14,000 people and it would be nice to live somewhere with the same sort of feel - appreciate this may mean a larger town in Canada due to space!

Re: Where to settle down - Vernon?
 

Can't really offer much help, but I loved Vernon and Kelowna when we went last year for a holiday. - good luck wherever you decide...:)

Re: Where to settle down - Vernon?
 

Cochrane, Alberta ! ;) Seriously.

Re: Where to settle down - Vernon?
 

Weather dictates everything, the further east you go the colder it is. The only exception is the okanagan valley which has whether like califonia, very very hot and dry. The only dessert in Canada is at the bottom of the valley in osoyoos. The big problem is that it is fruit and vine area and it is very expensive.

We are in the same position as yourselves but have to accept the fact that when we move to Canada (next year) we will have to live at first were the work is, which for most people including myself is in a city.

Canadian cities are very different to the UK, more spread out with the suburbs feeling more like towns. We currently live in the cotswolds in the UK and have lived in villages for years. To replicate that in Canada and sustain work I think is very very hard. First off we will live in a nice neighbourhood of vancouver and move outwards toward the valley as we prosper ending up with a home in the valley when we have enough cash.

Canada is as I am sure your aware an enormous country, we have spent so much time on trips and hours on google maps trying to get a feel for different areas. But to be honest until you are there you will not know what feels right and what does not. All you can do is research as much as you can and base your decision on that information....In the end the best you can hope for is an educated guess.:unsure:

Then again my view is very polarized and there are many people on here living in Canada who may be able to provide better advice.

Re: Where to settle down - Vernon?
 

I grew up in Vernon and loved it there. I'd go back if there was enough of my type of work there (IT). There are possibilities but not as much as in Calgary so I think I'm here to stay.

Being in Vernon as a kid and a teenager was just fine. Big enough to have everything I ever wanted - about 35000. Close to the great outdoors - lakes, mountains... Close to other places (like Kelowna). So it never felt like I was living in an isolated place. Theres an airport 30 miles from town.

Summers are hot. Winters cool but rarely extremely cold.

What do you do for work? Finding work could be a drawback depending on what you do. Although Kelowna is about a 45 minute drive which, if you don't mind the commute, would open up the employment possibilities.

Re: Where to settle down - Vernon?
 

Enjoying the park is not a good basis to look for somewhere to live. A lot dpends on what you need to do for income. The areas surrounding Vernon are nice, not a lot there though from an economic perspective.

When house prices are lower there is a reason, you just have to figure out if that is a problem for you or not. I have friends in Vernon, he works for an airline so comes down to Vancouver once a week (or less) for work to YVR, off to some far flung place for a few days and drives home when he gets back. They love it there. For me and my business it would be too far from major centres.

Re: Where to settle down - Vernon?
 

I was recently talking with a young lady were I volunteer. Her mother and father sold up in Calgary last fall and moved to Vernon. They both had so much difficulty finding full time employment they are very disillusioned and are selling up again and moving back to Calgary. They could find part time employment with no benefits but nearly all offered just enough hours to keep you strictly part time.

I have no idea what they both did in Calgary and they are in their mid to late fifties.

Re: Where to settle down - Vernon?
 

What are the good areas for I.T? I was looking at Vancouver first (although I am in management of I.T now). I heard the winters are very cold in calgery, much colder than in Vancouver.

Re: Where to settle down - Vernon?
 

For IT there is Kal Tire when they are hiring. Tolko when they are hiring. And there is a Richmond BC based company that has a software development office in Vernon - I think its called Progressive Solutions. The City of Vernon would also have an IT group.

If you include Kelowna in the local job market there is more.

There may be more but its still not a big market. It would be great if you were working but I don't think it would be easy to find work in IT if you ever lost your job.

Winters can be cold here in Calgary. But the good thing is it's not cold all winter long. There can be days or even weeks above freezing. But then again there can be days or even weeks at -30 and below. In 20 years of living in Vernon I can only remember 1 day where it was below -30.

Re: Where to settle down - Vernon?
 

In general, Toronto may be the best place to look for IT work.

Re: Where to settle down - Vernon?
 

Vernon's about 45 minutes south of where I live. It's a very pleasant town, situated in a beautiful lakeside spot and offers pretty much everything you need day to day.

It's not a cheap place to find housing, with prices not that far off Kelowna real estate levels. The city's expanded greatly over the past few years in terms of residential development, but I've not seen similar expansion in business, except retail.

I'd happily live there, but career opportunities will certainly be somewhat limited, and a commute to Kelowna in the winter wouldn't be a great deal of fun.

Re: Where to settle down - Vernon?
 

^ Very good advice.

Re: Where to settle down - Vernon?
 

Hello

I'm aiming for Kelowna myself, but it is expensive to buy there.

This link might have some useful info for you, but really another visit & a focus on job hunting would probably help most.

I'm not a skier, but Silver Star is nice & seems to get some good reviews.

http://www.okanaganforum.com/

Re: Where to settle down - Vernon?
 

My husband and I live in Kelowna. We have a two year old boy. We have been here for 5 years now. If you have any questions, please ask.

Re: Where to settle down - Vernon?
 

Sorry I can't comment too much on Vernon, but my wife and I along with our three kids, 11,9 and 7 moved to Kelowna 19 months ago and absoloutly love it, real estate isn't much dearer than Vernon and there is more job opportunities here, depending what your field is.

The weather and outdoor life is fantastic, the Okanagan valley offers us everything that we wanted when we moved to Canada, but as I said "everything we wanted" it doesn't mean is suits everyone so please do as much reaserch as possible.

If you need and info please contact me and I'll be happy to help if possible.