Harrisonasa

Hi everyone.
Im interested to get as many perspectives as possible.

What was your reason(s) for choosing Canada?
Did you have it shortlisted with anywhere else?
What part did you move to amd why?
And did it/has it lived up to your expectation? Do you feel you have found what you were looking for and feel at home?
Thanks. sorry for the 'test', I am trying to get as much research done as possible.

(I hope I got the right section this time)

scrubbedexpat091

I didn't really choose Canada, my wife of the time didn't want to live in the US, and I didn't make enough to sponsor her to the US anyhow, so Canada was the only option.

If I had a choice and ability to immigrate somewhere on my own, I'd have chosen Australia, I just like it there, and seems to be a better fit for me then North America is, but of course I have no idea what its truly like as a resident, as I have only been a visitor, but it would have been my chosen country if I had the ability to immigrate.

Harrisonasa

Thanks so much for your honest answer. For me Canada is a 2nd choice to the med which is whre I guess my heart really lies. But my husband is not keen having not liked it previously so his choice was Canada. It worked as a good compromise for me as I want to get out of the UK regardless and 2nd choice is still fine
I just know little to nothing about it so have been researching like crazy so I go in with my eyes open. It looks beautiful and vast so I am excited at the opportunities

izzi81

My partner and I realized we couldn't have the life we wanted in Scotland. We both never really felt we fitted in with many of the norms of UK culture, and both enjoyed visits to America and Canada. So one day we just though, well, maybe we should move there!

It's was only ever Canada. When I was younger I liked the idea of living in America but not as an adult, it's too... American lol.

We moved to Nova Scotia. I had lived in Vancouver for a few months and loved it there, but it was too expensive. Nova Scotia felt like Scotland but with the things we couldn't get/afford there. We made 3 recce trips, and loved it and felt at home every time.

We have been here for almost a year now. So far, it has been basically all we hoped it would be. There have been some hiccups, and some tense moments as the savings ran down, and we're still not 'comfortable' financially, but it's early days yet. The lifestyle has been just what we hoped, and I feel much happier in myself (we visited Scotland a couple of weeks ago and my mum remarked a few times that she hadn't seen me so happy and relaxed for ages). We still have work to do, but we have no regrets at all :-)

Harrisonasa

That is great. Thank you so much for sharing!
I feel about the UK the same way you did. I never felt at "at home" here and have spent virtually all of my adult life living away from here.
The more I read and look at abour Canada the more excited I feel. As you say, things that you couldn't have or do in the UK can become possible there. Thanks again

JamesM

I came to Canada to give my children a better life.

It has been a roller coaster of emotions.

I chose it because I felt the Walmart culture was better suited to my lifestyle and it has innovative restaurant concepts such as Hooters.

Other places on me list were Germany, Japan and North Korea but only speaking English I felt that I should come to Canada. I hear the other countries discriminate against non-english speakers so figure it was the land to be.

Britain has gone to the dogs.

Happy Friday everybody :-)

christmasoompa

humanist

It was circumstances for me.

Came here with my (ex) wife on a one year work contract that stretched to two. Marriage fell apart and my ex-wife went back to UK. I liked it (loved it actually) here so I thought I'd stay and make a fresh start.

Now I'm married to a Canadian, have a 2 year old son and am applying for citizenship in the next few months! Funny how things work out.

SchnookoLoly

My husband is British, I'm Canadian. We are both homebodies, so our living choices were going to be either close to his family, or close to mine. We decided pretty quickly that we would not entertain any third locations.

We decided we couldn't make the decision on whether to do UK or Canada based solely on which of us would "crack" and be apart from family, so we decided instead to look at everywhere else. We compared the two places we'd be looking to live and looked at what life would be like for us. School, kids programs, travel opportunities, proximity to family, ease of family to travel to visit us, outdoor trails etc, real estate (big one), job opportunities, commutes, all that kind of stuff.

Based on all of that, we decided Canada would at least be worth a shot. We agreed up front, though, that if Canada was not working out that I would also be okay with moving back to the UK if it came to it. Basically that being together was the most important thing - Husband was not going to move to Canada if I was going to be completely unwilling to move back if he was miserable.

Husband has been here since September and me since December. So far it's good. We are both liking our jobs, and we've been able to do a bit of travel around the area. We've bought a car, and just two weeks ago agreed a house purchase (though we don't move in until the end of the year). We are liking where we are living (Oakville), so, so far so good. I think it will start to feel much more like home once we move into our house. (We are currently living with my parents.) BUt we are settling in. We found a great yoga studio, we've done a few cycle rides around, we've explored the area, we've gone down to the waterfront, etc etc etc.

We do miss a few things about the UK, though. Travelling to further places on trains is easier, we are more reliant on cars here, which isn't awful but a nice alternative. I miss being able to buy alcohol when I do my groceries (Screw you LCBO!). There seem to be more proper walking/cycling trails, or at least better signed/maintained. For cycling I do like more of the windy roads, as opposed to just cycling in a straight line.

Overall we are happy, though, and for now, we are looking forward to the summer, to getting up to the cottage my parents have up in Bruce County, and ultimately to moving into our house, when things will really start to feel more like home.

AlliF

AlliF

We had it chosen for us - it was either stay in Australia and be made redundant or take an opportunity and a chance and let them relocate us to Canada.
So far hubby loves it - he has easier commute (as in 15 minutes instead of an hour and 15 minutes)better work and work prospects and a nice shiny new car.
Me I'm not so sure. Being a SAHM it's a lot harder to make friendships and get human contact (with an adult I mean).
I'm a planner and I find it very unsettling when you don't know if you are staying or not.
We have another 2 months left on the TWP and an application in for PNP then the decision might be made for us...

TanieBird

Reason for choosing Canada - Travelled to the US a lot but knew getting a visa for there was next to impossible, so thought Canada was the next best thing - although I had never been there.
Moved to Calgary, AB but had initially researched and visited the GTA after the visa app was already underway. Why Calgary? I landed at the airport, saw the Rockies and it screamed CANADA to me! My now Ex hubby was still looking at job opportunities in the GTA but I told him he could send the money to me in Calgary as if we were living in Canada that's where I would be.
Has it lived up to my expectations? Not at all, but it hasn't been all bad. If you search my previous posts, you will find my 7 year update which explains a lot of why. My vision coming here was that I would be able to not work/volunteer/work for fun, I would learn to ski, snowboard and ice skate and would spend lazy summers in the mountains. Reality - had no money to afford to do any of that, became the breadwinner, an ill fated attempted to snowboard has put me off winter sports for life and come March/April every year I wonder what the f I am still here for!!!!!! I'm 99% sure I won't see out my days in AB and maybe not even in Canada, but having a Canadian partner may make that impossible (and I'd much rather be with him than without him). I do feel at home, the UK feels almost foreign to me now after being away for 8 years, but a the same time it doesn't feel like home. It's the expat curse of not knowing where you belong anymore.
Would I change it? No. It's been a great, if very trying experience at times and I am a much stronger person for all of it.
You can do all the research you want, but nothing prepares you for the realities of moving to a new Country. I wish you all the best on your new adventure

magnumpi

I see a place in the wiki area for such an informative post.

I didn't want to come to Canada, I rather go the pub, paraglide and when it was sunny enough, sit in my back garden.

My OH said let's go see my cousin, oh erm we have too? It's not cheap!!! Anyhow we saved some cash and went to her cousins for three weeks in Waterloo. That three weeks changed my whole outlook and I was just so at home here. When I got back to UK we was like erm, we wanna be in Canada. So a year on from then I got a job, got PR and moved.

The end

Almost

We citizens now. :@)

humanist

Where are you located scotdownunder?

dbd33

We thought we should try living abroad. I picked up the trade paper and glanced at the adverts.

“USA? Long time for a visa.”

“Australia? What if we don’t like it, it’s an expensive air fare to get back”

“Canada? Hey, they speak French there, how about it?”

A few weeks later, we were in Toronto.

It wasn’t what I’d hoped but the children did get educated in French which helped when they grew up and most of them moved to francophone countries.