Re: Why did you choose to move to Canada?
 

including your post #139

Wanting to move & live in Canada is different than visiting it as a tourist.

Just wondering if you've ever been in Canada in the dead of winter January & February or the blazing hot humid summer when the humidex can be +40'C?

On your 'cons' points living in Scotland - have you considered moving to another part of the UK that has more 'pros' similar to what you'd [think]find in Canada, minus of course the Tim's coffee & donuts.

On a few cons points for Canada for you on the basis you'd ever make it getting here as an immigrant, will be finding work in a place that you can adjust to & settle in that will pay enough money for the lifestyle you're accustomed to in Scotland & to be able to buy enough Tims & Canadian booze. And yes, you can find chavs, yobs as well a more weirdos here also, including in certain parts of Canada more rain than you will ever imagine

That said - good luck with getting to Canada

Re: Why did you choose to move to Canada?
 

For what it's worth... we had no intention of moving from the UK until we lived in Canada (London, ON) for 6 months back in 2002 for work - and didn't want to go home to Belfast. (Yes, we had searing summer heat and -30 in winter, and loved both.) It's hard to pin down what we liked. As a gay couple we felt much more welcomed here. Crime was low. Services seemed to work, and people seemed happier and less bitter/bigoted and you got less of an impression that people felt that the world owed them a living. No feral children hanging around street corners, either! We also loved the beach at Sandbanks. So we applied for PR and got in; haven't regretted it for a minute. I guess we felt a bit stuck in a rut too - needed a bit of an adventure! Though we do take quite frequent trips back to see family and friends.

I work from home so can do as much or little as I like. If I were working for an employer over here the miniscule holiday allowance would be a major negative.

Re: Why did you choose to move to Canada?
 

Ah yes. 2002. Not long after that, Harper was elected and everything changed, gradually at first, but always for the worse.

I don't think that if you came to London for 6 months these days, you'd leave with the same good impression.

Re: Why did you choose to move to Canada?
 

+1

I live near London and its a gong show :thumbdown:

All the stuff you described as not being there are now there. :lol:

Re: Why did you choose to move to Canada?
 

I have just make moved to Toronto 3 weeks ago, we moved here to be closer to some family as well as a quiter life compared to London,

I do agree that some stuff is more expensive than the UK llike food shopping but then eating out is relatively cheaper,

Clothing etc is OK if you find the right places to shop, I went shopping in heartland whete there are loads of outlet stores which was a bargain,

As for the people I have no complaints yet,

Re: Why did you choose to move to Canada?
 

There was a lot of snow to shovel and no jobs back home. When I got there the plane broke down and I had to stay.

Re: Why did you choose to move to Canada?
 

Not been in the dead of winter yet. Were there late October 2008. Pretty chilly. I cant remember the last time Scotland was -20 or -30, but Ive grown up with cold winters with no heating which causes frost on the inside of the house windows and dampness in the cupboards lol. I've also shovelled a wee bit of snow over the years.
We have experienced two summer holidays June/July.

I take your / people's point on board in regards to dealing with the weather but I don't feel we are naïve to that issue and shouldn't be that big a shock to us.

My wife and I have discussed the moving to another part of the UK thing. And no, I honestly don't see that happening. As I said earlier, to me unfortunately, the majority of Scottish towns are pretty dire.
And I know weather, i.e. decent summers don't provide a 'good life', but they can actually provide an improvement to the 'quality' of life..

Oh, and the booze thing. Im not much of a drinker nowadays. Shock horror a Scotsman I know. So the price of that doesn't bother me

Re: Why did you choose to move to Canada?
 

have you ever traveled the UK from top to bottom, or lived & worked in the nicer warmer more prosperous parts of it - its quite different in places than what you describe your part of Scotland ?

have you (or will you in 2015) begin the process to come to Canada as an immigrant or is this just a pipe dream where you can come for a tourist holiday or to vent your frustrations about UK life thinking the grass is greener in Canada?

Re: Why did you choose to move to Canada?
 

I don't blame the OP for wanting to move from Scotland, we all did so it's just a natural progression of the immigrant work force here as I see it.

Re: Why did you choose to move to Canada?
 

I've visited friends in London and Leicester on a few occasions, seen the not so bright lights of Blackpool lol, and travelled enough all over Scotland (worked in Edinburgh for 6 years) to know there isn't anywhere much better id like to live / raise the kids.
My wife has visited friends in Bournemouth. She has also lived in Australia for a year.
Again we have discussed and agreed that there isn't really anywhere in the UK that jumps out to be a desired location. If there was I'm sure it would be well known and sought after.. Where would you suggest that has guaranteed summers, and prosperous (like Canada)?

Look, to be honest. This 'grass is greener' attitude / trap is something I am more than aware of falling into. I admit, a few years ago I may have been guilty of focussing on all the negatives of Scotland, and only the positive of Canada.
But since gaining a PER recently, I've been more realistic and been balancing it out a bit.
Where I am at the moment I've probably been the most settled I've ever been. Apart from itchy feet in my career lol.
Moving from a pokey flat in a not so nice area to a house in a decent area has helped.
The reason to emigrate, which my wife and others use 'its better for the kids' , now I am not so quick to jump on that bandwagon.
I know they can / would have a very nice upbringing here. And once they reach teenage years, well having two daughters I'll be worried sick when they leave for school or 'the town' no matter what bloody country we live in. Peer groups are peer groups no matter what accent they have.

There's plenty more for and against arguments for each reason to emigrate. It could be discussed till were blue in the face.
But after everything, my wife's heart is set on it. And we've came this far. And If certain things were to fall in to place i.e. a career break for myself, let out the house etc then we should at least give it a go, as that is truly the only way we will know if living in Canada is for us. It'll be an adventure if anything!

:rofl:

Re: Why did you choose to move to Canada?
 

^ What's a PER?

Re: Why did you choose to move to Canada?
 

Positive Eligibility Review

Re: Why did you choose to move to Canada?
 

There are plenty of posters who will take great delight in pissing on your parade but if it is something you have to do then go ahead and do it.

Some people love it and embrace their new life from the off. Some people struggle for a while but eventually settle and prosper. Some people never settle and eventually return to the UK. There is only one way to find out which type you are.

Re: Why did you choose to move to Canada?
 

The grass is greener here for me, no roller coaster ride (TM Ex Pats), nicer house and it was better for my kid too. So all the usual sayings are true for me.

Re: Why did you choose to move to Canada?
 

Seems to me that everywhere is sh!te just different varieties.
What's excellent (and bad) about the UK is the people.
What's mediocre and bad about Canada is the people.
What's excellent about Canada is the space you have and when it's good, the economy.
What's sh!te about the UK is it's cramped and the economy is mediocre for long stretches.