Plenty of opportunity to learn to fly at Vernon & Kelowna airport flight schools. Penticton too I assume.

Mosquito's come out to play during cooler mornings and evenings in early Spring and can be pretty nasty critetrs, mainly found up in the mountains or at higher ground around town. Die off when the hot dry weather comes around. Then the hummingbirds come by

Rich.

Penticton is big on training helicopter pilots.

What do you class as shopping essentials ? Prada doggie coats ? Helmut Lang underpants ?

Kelowna's strip is a combo of Blackpool and Vegas with a scent of Wigan retail park thrown in for good measure. Plenty stores big and independent around town to cater for your every need. Assuming you are not Imelda Marcos, Posh Spice, et al.

As a person of moderate needs I find Kelowna to be more than capable of meeting my retail requirements, herself also. sales on most of the time too which is nice.

If needing a huge retail boost then simply go to Vancouver a couple times a year and max out at Robson, Metrotown, etc.

Rich.

Great news. Good career move. Big demand for them in Iraq. Iran too soon, I hear.

Rich.

I think I may have been up in that one

Yes, helicopter pilots are disposable items in the Middle East.... they also must be in demand in the north looking for minerals and diamonds.

Having read the various replies to this thread I have to say that I like the sound of Kelowna. I've had a quick look on MLS and the property prices seem favorable (compared to Vancouver). In particular I saw some lovely places in Upper Mission and Black Mountain. Are these the right sort of areas, and are there others I should consider (Married with two young children).

Also, what are the employment prospects like. I currently work in Banking /finance, but am open to offers (the move is not about work, its more about lifestyle) including working for myself.

Whats Clown like for children. I suspect its not an issue for my kids at their young age, but are they likely to want to move away as soon as they are old enough ?

Yes nice areas. BM about 10 mins from central. Some nice new and newer homes with views. Lower/Upper Mission both nice, Upper has views mainly, Glenmore is nice way closer to town though some mixed older/newer areas. Any of these areas great for kids. Safe, easy access. Upper Mission has less amenities and a higher price tag (views). More upscale demographic. New homes are usually very very close to next door due to land shortage and builder smaxing out developments. Have views but looking out over rooftops of the homes below built on a steep hill. Most a compromise, but that's MLS for ya never tells ya the truth.

[/QUOTE]Also, what are the employment prospects like. I currently work in Banking /finance, but am open to offers (the move is not about work, its more about lifestyle) including working for myself.[/QUOTE]

Professionally not too good, small professional market, employers are generally not the most progressive and open minded. Even the placement agencies are pretty much backward in their approach to candidates. You may get lucky and carve out a niche, I did, no reason why you can't. If just lifestyle, the Okanagan has options for financial sector, real estate, self employment. Someone with great business/finance skills and customer service/marketing savvy, could make good money here. But ROI is usually low and SB's have a high failure rate due to lack of business savvy and likelihood of owner being on ski-hill/golf course most the time leaving lazy dope smoking staff in charge day 2 day. Service and business management is generally the dogs hairy ass.

[/QUOTE]Whats Clown like for children. I suspect its not an issue for my kids at their young age, but are they likely to want to move away as soon as they are old enough ?[/QUOTE]

WTF is Clown ? Maybe you mean K-Town ? or Klowntown ? Both alternative names for Kelowna. Plenty to do leisure wise, more than you can shake a stick at. Maybe they'll take the chilled out BC lifestyle approach. Bum out, ski, sunbathe, smoke roach etc. UBC has a good campus here, no need to move, some courses linked to BCIT. Or go to UAB/UC or UBC/BCIT at Vancouver and get to see the big city, electricity, non-white people

I can put you in touch with a great realtor should you need it. And of course I'm more than happy to help and advise but please remember it's just my 2c.

Of course, The Okanagan is the pits, don't come here

Rich.

Come to CALGARY !!!!!!!

Loads of mountains .................lots of sunshine .............lots of jobs.........GREAT SKIING .................and big tele's .............not so good beer .................crazy stampede's.................and BIG SKY'S

LOL you're on form tonight Mels

Hi Mutters

We live 1hr 30 north of Victoria.
When we came out initially on our reccy we weren't too taken with the place but once you spend a bit of time here you realise there are some really nice parts to this city & it seems to tick a lot of your boxes..........................this was our 1st summer here, it was sunny for the best part of 6 months with temps reaching the late 30's ( hot enough for me)
as I mentioned 1hr 30 from Victoria & the same to Horseshoe bay, Vancouver.
1hr 20ish to Mt Washington & Whistler isn't too far away.
Lakes everywhere and on the coast.
Schooling varies as it does everywhere, plenty of golf courses/restaurants & lots of 'outdoorsy' people.

I'm a 'coldaphobe' so the weather was a big consideration when we were choosing where to live, I know the rain is a factor for some people but IMHO its no worse than the UK............my teenage son was complaining today that it was too warm!! (10 degrees)

I've attached a couple of photos taken today.............the last one is what happens when your son forgets the puppy has gained 20lbs

that was the scaled down version I could have gone on for pages and pages..............

What about the big rock brewery? Or maverick in ed? Or the micro breweries dotted around the city like the one on 4th st "wild" something? You gotta love one ov em?

I went for an accountants job with one of the Brewers here in Calgary when I first landed and guess what one of the perks of the job was, FREE BEER !!!!! .......I cant remember which one it was now, but some other job came up instead, much to the dismay of my OH, he reckons I should have held out for that one. Things taste so much better when they are free .

I am not really a beer connoisseur, they all taste the same to me in this country.

Philistine