Re: Why did you choose to move to Canada?
 

And Kitchener-Waterloo.

Re: Why did you choose to move to Canada?
 

For me it was because I wanted to. I had just finished university in 2009 (I guess I'm revealing my age there) and had seen the working holiday permits for Canada, Australia and New Zealand, I figured I'd give them all a shot. Canada was going to be my first but I ended up staying, eventually getting PR this year.

I still haven't worked out how general healthcare, dentistry, opticians, credit cards, education(I'd like to do a masters soon), etc work. I should probably get onto that. I have BC MSP and benefits through work, do I just take them whenever I see a dentist and they just take care of it? Or do I contact the benefits folk and tell them I'm visiting a dentist?

Anyway, I've found it pretty easy to move here but then I only need a couple of beers and good company.....

Re: Why did you choose to move to Canada?
 

If all else fails there is Hooters.

In certain places anyway......

Re: Why did you choose to move to Canada?
 

Sure some things are more expensive but a lot, for us, is cheaper. In no particular order but what we benefit from being here

1. Big house
2. Cheaper car
3. Cheap gas
4. Shorter working hours
5. Calmer environment
6. More countryside
7. Less chavs
8. Traffic is non existent
9. Hockey at a reasonable hour
10. Spending more time outside
11. More sunshine
12. Air conditioning
13. Eating out more
14. Less crime
15. My wife's family are here
16. Cheaper fruit in summer

Life is 'nicer' here. It may sound boring but it works for us.

Re: Why did you choose to move to Canada?
 

Hmmmmm - interesting choice of words.
It sounds to me like the OP is right at the start of this journey and will probably be able to direct their focus more on specific and "decent" questions soon and ensure that they do not subject their children to their "Ill thought out fantasies"
In the meantime I am sure that some support at the start of their life changing decisions wouldn't go amiss here.

Re: Why did you choose to move to Canada?
 

I'll chime in with reasons for moving as well. I'm Canadian, husband is British. Both of us are close to families, so it was never going to be a case of which of us "cracked" and moved. We weighed up what was important for us and went from there. I was open to staying in the UK, and he was open to moving to Canada.

A few points that helped the decision:

--value for real estate is better - bigger house, more space, newer, fewer problems (leaks, foundation, flooding, etc). Lot sizes generally are smaller, but with some looking and patience you can find larger lots.

--Cars and gas are cheaper, though insurance is ridiculous.

--Education is broadly similar, particularly for younger kids. More influence comes from how involved parents are, and we plan to be quite involved.

--Shorter working hours and a more relaxed work environment.

--Easier commute - even though we are living in the GTA! In London we were in Zone 2; if we stayed in London we would have ended up moving somewhere south or southwest of London. My husband's commute would have been a train into Waterloo or London Bridge, then the bloody Jubilee Line out to Canary Wharf. In Canada we moved to Oakville; my husband's commute is 30 minutes on the Lakeshore West GO Train, then a 7-minute walk to his office downtown. My job is a 15 minute drive from home; in London it was 45 minutes door to desk, but 2 tube changes to do it.

--Ability of parents to travel. My parents both still work full-time. Husband's parents are both retired. Husband's mom is American and still has family all over the East coast. Much easier for his parents to travel, particularly as they often do one trip this direction anyway to visit her family. Also them being retired means it's cheaper for them as they can fly in off-season and on weekdays; not only do my parents still work full-time, but my mom is a teacher so they are stuck flying during peak time.

--Seasons! I like that there are actually 4 distinct seasons that last roughly 3 months each... as opposed to the UK where it was more like 5.5 months of spring, 1 week of summer, 5.5 months of autumn, 1 week of winter. We are both outdoorsy people and while this past winter did get really tedious after awhile, it was nice to have some snow and to do some winter activities like snowshoeing.

--There is actual sunshine! I have a tan! My pasty British husband even has a tan! Oh my goodness!

So when we weighed up everything, we decided to give Canada a shot. Our agreement was that we would make the move with the intention of it being permanent - really try to get settled, plant roots, etc. However, if either of us are not happy here, the door is open to going back to the UK. That was agreed in advance. Some things we miss, some things we enjoy more, some things we are indifferent about. Cost of living we find broadly comes out in the wash - some things are more, some things are less, but at least for us and the way we live we have found that works out to be about the same.

Re: Why did you choose to move to Canada?
 

Admittedly I have no experience of work here - having taken early retirement - but I'm quite surprised at that.

Certainly my step daughter has shorter working time but that's because the employer keeps staff hours down to avoid being eligible for health benefits.

I know many of the people on this forum appear to have great packages, including leave above the norm, but presumably they are in Canada because they're in demand (not everyone of course) and can attract the sort of employee advantages they would in other places.

But from what my step kids have said about their bosses and employers, job adverts I see (12 hour shifts, pay for your own training, transport demands etc) and other things I hear, my impression is not one of a more relaxed work environment.

Oh...apart from people in public facing jobs drinking coffee in front of clients and customers. :lol:

Re: Why did you choose to move to Canada?
 

agreed. In the UK hubby went through police training where he was paid for the training period, admittedly at something like 70% of his eventual start salary (which we bitched and moaned about at the time), here he would have had to pay around $22k himself for that training in the provincial police and have no guaranteed job at the end.

Re: Why did you choose to move to Canada?
 

Then again you can probably say similar stuff about the UK... it's a mix.

My husband works for a bank in capital markets. He gets to his desk around 8:30 and leaves just after 6. So it's a longer day, but he said the amount of stress/pressure he has during the day is less than he experienced at the bank he was with in the UK. He also has a bit more flexibility around the occasional late arrival or early departure for appointments or commitments. He should also be able to start his day a bit earlier and leave a bit earlier down the road if there are kids to consider.

I'm working at a health care company doing IT-related stuff. I get to my desk around 8 and leave between 4:30 and 5. Tons of flexibility around hours - as long as the work is done and your hours are generally in it's fine. Ability to work from home which can be convenient.

Both of us have 4 weeks holiday. Husband had it offered with his job offer. My company originally offered me 3, but I held out for 4 - explained that I was coming from 6 in the UK, I'd have 4 if I'd transferred with the company I was with in the UK, and my husband has 4. They eventually agreed. 4 is not uncommon at least in the GTA for our level of seniority either - my dad has had 4 for the past 20ish years. The company I worked for in Toronto before I moved started with 3, but you earned a 4th once you reached Manager level which was usually about 5-6 years in. My brother, who has only been working for 3 years, has 3 weeks standard plus one day a month, so actually he's got 5. He also earns overtime, which he can take as pay or time in lieu. He took 4 weeks in January to do an Australia/Thailand trip (jealous).

Re: Why did you choose to move to Canada?
 

Canada in general awards far less vacation time, 2-4 weeks, in line with American norms.

Work hours seem to vary, and I personally think a lot of that depends entirely on what the individual employee is prepared to put up with.

Employers here seem happy to let overtime exempt salaried workers work long hours, and if an employee doesn't have the sense or the guts to draw a line in the sand and say "No, actually I have a life outside of work, I'm off home now." then more fool them.

Re: Why did you choose to move to Canada?
 

Yep. In my previous life I worked at a Big4 consulting firm... and it was exactly like that. Some people worked around the clock. Others left at 5pm on the dot to pick up kids or whatever.

I honestly don't mind SOME overtime - every job has it, it's hard to get away from it, but as long as it's a once-in-a-while thing and not the norm, that's what's more important to me.

In my husband's previous role in the UK, they had a lot of month-end reporting that had to be out by the 5th working day of the month. I knew as a result that the first 4 business days of the month would be busy days for him - he'd get home around 8 or 9pm instead of his usual 630-7pm. We didn't mind that either - it was a known quantity. We could predict it and we could plan around it. My job was way more unpredictable, and I'd often have to put up a bit of a fight to not work ridiculously late at a moment's notice.

So a lot of it just depends on the type of person you are, the culture of the company where you work, and the type of people you work for and with.

Re: Why did you choose to move to Canada?
 

Very likely. I'm sure things are worse since I left. But I think there are minimum standards in the UK - enforceable ones - that many in Canada can't even dream of like minimum/maximum working temperatures, break entitlements (people here even object to the use of the word 'entitlement') Sick Pay, even SSP so your income's not interrupted while off sick, and all sorts of other stuff.

Re: Why did you choose to move to Canada?
 

Not sure I agree with that. I think GTA winters are typical longer (5 months) while spring and fall are typically shorter (2 months each).

Now that I agree with. Much more hours of annual sunshine in the GTA. Even Vancouver has more hours of annual sunshine than almost anywhere in the UK.

Re: Why did you choose to move to Canada?
 

Depends how you want to define things I guess.

"Snow on the ground" winter is like 3 months, Late Dec to March, but its mostly sunny. It starts to grind for me sometime in March, this past year was a drag!
"UK wet gloomy winter" is in two parts, part of what Canadians consider late fall and early spring here... basically November and March/ April

Spring I find very short because most of it is really my made up "UK winter" season. Buds in the garden and grass greening up, and bugs appearing is spring for me, basically May and early June, blink and you miss it. AKA mud season.

Summer is Late June to August into Early Sept, hot lazy days (not so much this year:(), and the rain coming between 4pm and 6pm in the form of impressive thunderstorms.

That leaves fall, sensible temps, pretty trees. Later Sept and October. November counts as Fall I suppose in the real world, but in my mind its "1st UK winter" and has to be endured before the snow flies and ski season starts; I'm glad when its gone and the cold weather is upon us. I didnt realize how miserable grey skies and drizzle made me until I moved here and I didnt really have to deal with it very often anymore.

Re: Why did you choose to move to Canada?
 

Some may find this bizarre, but I really like the UK weather. Obviously, the long, hot sunny days of summer are wonderful, but I also really enjoy the cool, grey days and even the rain.

The best, and worst, thing about British weather is that it's so changeable.

I like the fact that you don't need AC in the summer, and you can switch your heating off before you go to bed in winter, safe in the knowledge that you won't freeze to death in your bed. You can sit outside in the evening without being easten alive by mosquitoes, and you don't need to shovel snow.