Re: Why Canada?
 

was being serious.
That's in Montreal where I imagine house prices are more reasonable that the more dense population areas like Toronto, Vancouver, etc. I appreciate that Toronto is pricey.

There's a lot of independent stuff in Montreal too.

You can buy 3 flats for about $400k there, that's about 3 times cheaper than London.

I know truck drivers who have massive houses with pools and lots of land.
You really don't need much to buy a house with pool in comparison to the same plot of land in the UK.

South Quebec is minus 30 in winter and about +30-40 in the summer. People there use their pool most of Jun, Jul, Aug.

As above. Again, it's a big place so it's difficult to generalise but it's just impressions on quality of life.

Re: Why Canada?
 

You are joking?

I know dozens of people that have pools, open them in June and use them through until late September.

It does get warm here, you know.

:eek:

Re: Why Canada?
 

I accept that lots of Canadians do, particularly those in southern Ontario or the BC interior. That is quite different to the assertion that "most" in Canada do.;)

Re: Why Canada?
 

I wasn't replying to the "most" comment. I was replying to your comment about you not knowing anyone with a pool. Sure - it's not Florida or Arizona but I know many people in Canada who get good use out of their pools. Personally I never felt it was worth the hassle considering the amount of time you could actually use it. Other people feel differently though and I've been to a lot of houses in Canada that have pools.

Re: Why Canada?
 

I am not disputing that. I simply don't know anyone with a pool. Do they exist in Calgary? Yes, we looked at purchasing a property that had a large indoor one, but they are not the ubiquitous feature in Calgary that they appear to be elsewhere in Canada.

Re: Why Canada?
 

We have an indoor pool. It's folded up in a box in the garage.

Re: Why Canada?
 

:)

We have an outdoor pool. It was here when we bought the house 20 odd years ago. It got a lot of use back in the day (as one has learned to say) but now much, much less. In fact I should probably fill it in.

Around here, pools are by no means ubiquitous but neither are they rare.

If you look at Quebec City on Google Earth you'll see that almost every house has an above ground pool.

Re: Why Canada?
 

Where a substantial chunk of the population is ;)

Re: Why Canada?
 

We have a pool. The goldfish like it.

Re: Why Canada?
 

Ironically, we have a pool - but it's too sunshine-y for me to spend time in it on the days that the weather is nice enough... I burn easy. One reason we want to leave IS the hugely varying weather - crazy hot to crazy cold - it ages a person!

We have a house full of unused rooms here in Canada and would LOVE a snug little cottage instead. Everything is so close by to visit, I'll never see all of Canada but I have a chance to see more in the UK!

I asked to get a perspective and I got a confirmation, thank you all!

Re: Why Canada?
 

Make it into an oversized planter and grow some veggies.

Re: Why Canada?
 

After all these years the secret of your Olympic swimmer physique is finally revealed.....

Re: Why Canada?
 

Most people moved for the children. More opportunities in Canada.

Re: Why Canada?
 

Paralympics in my case. But I'm sort of glad you noticed.

Re: Why Canada?
 

We have a pool in the pasture but it's pronounced "slew" (spelled apparently "slough").

It's awesome because it tends to empty itself as the year progresses and the upkeep is pretty much zero.

The animals like it. I don't it's full of mosquitos.

Re: Why Canada?
 

Definition of SLOUGH


a : a place of deep mud or mire
b also slew or slue (1) : swamp (2) : an inlet on a river; also : backwater (3) : a creek in a marsh or tide flat

:)

Re: Why Canada?
 

heheh, that's one of the reasons I'm leaving UK, it;s too boring weather wise and many other things.
You will obviously get different views. A lot of people go back and wish they hadn;t after a while but it takes a few years - maybe you'll like it back in the UK...who knows.

Bets of luck either way! :)

Re: Why Canada?
 

Thanks Scribble! :) You too!

Re: Why Canada?
 

Or

c: a town in need of bombs.

(hopefully that doesn't get the NSA too excited.)

Re: Why Canada?
 

You could move to the west coast but unfortunately you'll still be Canada.

Re: Why Canada?
 

i cant say i really know anything about your personal situation, but i can speak as a young person in the UK i cant want to leave, i want nothing more than to move to canada. its not that i don't like the UK its that i feel that its just a country on the down, i have recently finished a masters in medical biology and looking for a job here (UK) there is virtually nothing around, where as in looking in Canada there is much more oppertunity.

that being said virtually every Canadian or American i have met here, love it because of its history and culture and how everything is so close and reachable. but most of them are here short term and living here long term is very different i know, after spending most of my life in Europe coming back here for uni, my initial happy of being back in the uk was short lived.

maybe my experience doesn't relate to you and your family but i would really consider why you are coming back to the UK when so many people are trying to leave it.

Re: Why Canada?
 

Your issue is probably not with the country itself, it's just that masters degrees are effectively useless, usually handed out as consolation if you failed a Ph.D.

Re: Why Canada?
 

You base that statement on what exactly?

Re: Why Canada?
 

I qualified it. It seems from his post that Joe's issue is employment but his chances of getting a position without a PH.D or an MD in the medical field are going to be slim.

Re: Why Canada?
 

i didn't fail a Phd, masters are not just handed out for failed a Phd, what you get for failing Phd is a big bill saying you failed your phd. but i was just speaking from my experience which is all i can do and is exactly what i said.

Re: Why Canada?
 

Not if you had it funded. Anyway, sorry didn’t mean to upset you. Everywhere gone to the dogs these days, so I empathize. You probably just need an opportunity to show what you're worth. :thumbup:

Re: Why Canada?
 

I can't speak for anyone else, but my husband's field doesn't require tons of pieces of paper saying he can do his job, it's an experience based job. He has over 15 years experience and should be okay to find work, I pray!

As for opportunity, I don't know. I guess if you are into crazy clever fields that might be true - the Canadian government (and the US) does spend a lot of money on research and such. Thing is, if you are thinking of coming to Canada because the economy is so great and there is so much opportunity, let me burst that fantasy bubble right now. There is opportunity, but often it's a very high price (like having to live in expensive areas, cost of groceries, need to own a vehicle due to lack of good transportation if you want to live outside the metro areas, etc...) it's not all rose petals and unicorns here either. Insurance rates for vehicles and houses are ridiculous, food is very expensive (probably due to the large distances things travel), gas may be cheaper but you need more of it due to distances, depending on where you live medical coverage is less than complete, AND in lots of areas there are no doctors to be found (we have live in the area we are in now for four years and still no GP if the kids get sick, instead it's a sit in the hospital for hours waiting to see someone for something like an ear infection), people are self-absorbed (rarely do people know their neighbours), there's the french language issues (big anywhere in Canada, but obviously worse the closer you get to "their nation"), separatists all over the place (french, western Canada, eastern Canada - though admittedly the worse are the french in QC) - politically there is nothing happening, it's all at a standstill with both liberal and conservative parties leading the country with hands tied. It's not all lovely... believe me.
It's not all bad either. If you knew me in person you would probably be stunned to hear me point out all the negatives about Canada - I'm fiercely patriotic. BUT, I'm also realistic. I don't think life in the UK is all roses and unicorns either, but there is heritage, history, culture, food, language, family (we have much family there - more there than here to be honest), and ... well, it's something my husband has always wanted and never knew was even possible.

I wish everyone the best of luck wherever their lives take them. I thank you all for being part of this conversation thread, it has really been a blessing! :)

Re: Why Canada?
 

Oh, the UK has lots of old things for sure, including the food. The good stuff is on the other side of the Channel. With the <shudders> French.

Re: Why Canada?
 

+1 :)

Re: Why Canada?
 

the food is a good point in the UK.
ahahahahahahha ahaha hahhh

Re: Why Canada?
 

This must be an area thing. In Quebec food is good and cheap.
Cheese is expensive .
Wine is expensive but that's government tax for you.
Beer is about the same.
Restaurants are about half the price for double the quality.

Meat quality is better than UK.
You can even buy a lobster in season for $5. Where can yo get one in the UK for less than $50.

Taxes are higher in Canada (unless you're in Oil land) but this is balanced by the quality of life IMO.

It's the politicians rather than the people I think. The French in QC are actually very happy to talk English if you make the slightest interest in their language.
You can hardly blame them when the PQ get elected and some politician in Alberta says "ignore them, Quebec doesn't matter".
I live in Quebec and am actually pro some of the French protectionist ideas. The PQ have gone too far but it's mostly historic storm in a teapot stuff. Canadian politicians are like 6 year olds :) The English speaking part have just as much to blame for the ongoings.

Re: Why Canada?
 

We moved here from the Uk very recently, so no doubt I still have slightly rose tinted glasses, but I do know it wasn't a spur of the moment move, we thought about it for the last 6 years, and we'd both visited Canada a lot in the last 15 years or so.
I find the Uk a very negative place to live. This is my personal experience, if you ask on the moving back to the uk board I know you'll hear differently! I had a 'good job' but there was no encouragement, no job satisfaction. My OH ran his own business and had the worst time trying to start it up. I found there was no feeling of 'things are possible' in the UK, it was all very discouraging.

Whereas here in Nova Scotia, people could not be more friendly and encouraging. There are a lot more independent businesses, everyone tries to help, it's so nice! Re. your points about Canada....

As for opportunity, I don't know. I guess if you are into crazy clever fields that might be true

It feels to me like there is a lot more opportunity if you want to create your own job here. Maybe I'm wrong, like I said I'm new, but we've not been here a month yet and OH has likely found business premises already. That took months back in Glasgow (and included encounters with some of e least helpful people we've ever met..)

Insurance rates for vehicles and houses are ridiculous,

Not got as far as house insurance yet but were only paying about £50 more to insure a ford ranger truck here than we were paying for a Nissan micra back home. When we by a house we'll certainly get more for our money than back in Scotland.

food is very expensive (probably due to the large distances things travel),

Food is more expensive, that's true. We are having to budget carefully and buy things when on offer. But there are lots of farmers markets for cheaper food, and shopping around we've found things like meat etc. at the same price as the UK. Fruit and veg is more expensive but that's what the farmers markets are great for!

people are self-absorbed (rarely do people know their neighbours),

We've had long chats with both our prospective neighbours already, they're very friendly! Our landlady in our temporary cottage has also been friendly and popped by with help a few times. I never knew our neighbours in Glasgow, everyone kept to themselves, except when the ned woman upstairs listened to dance music at 3am and clumped about in her ridiculous shoes! I quite like neighbours being neighbourly but not overly friendly... Suits me :)
In Scotland when driving its every man for himself. Here I've already seen 2 politeness traffic jams, by which I mean 2 cars get stuck going 'after you' 'no no after you!' After commuting in Glasgow for years this attitude is unbelievable lol.

politically there is nothing happening, it's all at a standstill with both liberal and conservative parties leading the country with hands tied.

Um... Have you read up on the uk political situation? You could be talking about it in that sentence!
I don't know about the French issues; I think in NS it's not something that is a big deal, but I'm sure as I become aware of national politics I'll hear more about it.

there is heritage, history, culture, food, language, family

There is more 'old stuff', if that's what history is, but I'm keen to learn about the history of canada as well. I know I will miss the historic feel if Edinburgh etc mind you, it is something special.
I don't get the 'culture' thing. Quite a few people say the uk has more culture. I don't know what that means. I lived in Glasgow. The culture was to drink buckfast at 10am then collapse in the street by 4. Ok I exaggerate ;) but surely every country has culture? And it depends where you live as to what side of it / how much of it you see?
Pretty sure Canada has food and language too ;)
The Uk does have my family though. I wish they were here....

To me the Uk is small, too packed with people who quite often are negative and selfish, and dirty. This is probably my recent Glasgow living speaking though. I had mild depression back in Scotland, whereas here I already feel so much better! The people are courteous and helpful, there is green and countryside everywhere, you can go to the beach and have no one else there, there isn't a mad rat race.

I wish everyone the best of luck wherever their lives take them. I thank you all for being part of this conversation thread, it has really been a blessing! :)


I wish you the best of luck whatever you decide to do. Keep your realistic view point and you should be fine! Lots of people love living in the Uk, I just don't think I'm one of them :lol:

Re: Why Canada?
 

I am extremely keen to emigrate and Canada would be my first choice.

I live in Ireland however, and our economy is currently in the plughole. Canada has always been portrayed to me as a beautiful, prosperous, friendly country.

Would love to go. But can't.

Re: Why Canada?
 

Oh well never mind. :@(

Re: Why Canada?
 

What I wonder is how them farmer's markets work in December, are the farmers Australians?

Re: Why Canada?
 

Yes, one has learned to use that surprisingly good phrase.

Re: Why Canada?
 

I'll tell you in December! We've only been here in April, October and just now :)

Re: Why Canada?
 

It is what it is. You gotta go for the five hole.

Re: Why Canada?
 

Steady on.

No idea what the second one means.