Hi all
I'm a newbie here at BritEx and have started trawling through the swathes of helpful information available on this site.

I would now like to introduce myself and would be very happy to get further advice, given my situation and perhaps your own experiences...

I currently live in the NE Wales and have a wife and three kids, aged between 8-13yo. I work for an international design consultant though work has slackened off due to the state of the economy etc., however I have been given the opportunity to transfer to Winnipeg.

After the phone interview, they invited me out to Winnipeg where I stayed for four days to see the office, the team and the workload. I also had a car hired to see the city and to sample the suburbs for potential rental locations. After battling the Icelandic ash cloud, I have returned back with a verbal offer of placement and am now awaiting the paperwork to come through.

It's likely, if all goes well, that we shall be moving during the summer holidays and rent our current property here. The company will arrange for a work permit and will pay for our move.

So, I have read the statistics... the cold long winters, the hot mosquito ridden summers and the crime rate. But is it all that bad? Whilst I was there I met a number of Canadians from Winnipeg who were very kind and friendly. I sat next to a guy on the plane to Winnipeg who was from Lorette where we discussed his view of Ca life for two hours, quality time! The people at the office were equally welcoming, friendly and helpful.

But I am keen to get a handle on the expats perspective who live in Winnipeg, I would be very keen to meet up with any group meetings that are held in the future. I would also be very keen on getting advice from someone who has experienced this route into Canada so that I can formulate a "tick list" of things that I may miss out.

Well, thank you in advance and I look forward to your responses.

well all i can say is that manitoba has been very good for myself and my family,warm in the summer,cold in winter, mozies the size of sparrows lol,i notice that expats have regulary meetups in the peg at the brit cafe on portage ave..

Go for it! Winnipeg is a great city! I dont live there but spent time there when I was younger, apart from the weather (although even when its freezing its still sunny) the only real minus is that its quite isolated - having said that you will find just about everything that you would want.

The crime is not that bad compared to Uk cities of similar size and population and I would walk around late at night feeling safe. I think that its the same as any large city in that if you avoid certain parts of town then you will be fine. There are some really nice areas of city as well and the housing is affordable compared to the other large cities of Canada.

It is also a growing city that has been doing various things to improve itself over the last decade. The nightlife and entertainment is decent enough and there is a posibility that the Jets may return (Hockey is a religion not a sport) so on the whole its on the up.

As for the people Winnipegers are some of the best people I have met

Hi!

I visited winterpeg some time ago and I found out that I'm definitely not in the manitoba fan club. and to be honest this is one of the areas (another one would be regina) I'd personally wouldn't go - if I don't have to. BUT the question is what would I do if I were you?! If you are open for a change and also quite flexible (e.g. to move back or on if this job does not work out for you), go for it.
just be aware of that you are bound to your employer as long as you're here under a work permit only
you might get some more information whether there's a chance to get into a provincial nominee program or apply for skilled workers class, which both would provide you and your family more flexibility and security. you might also consider to go alone for the first couple of months/weeks to see how's the job, life, etc. and if you feel that this is the right place get your family over.

good luck with your decision!
andy

Hi there,

We almost emigrated there a couple of years ago, through the MPNP, but backed out at the last minute due to the recession, the realisation that -40 degrees isn't safe for very small children (who refuse to wear hats and coats!), the reduced salaries (of jobs my OH would be doing), the expense of having heating on 24/7 in winter, having to spend an hour every morning defrosting the car / plugging it in, and a few other personal reasons.

However, that said, we thoroughly enjoyed our recce trip and got a better tan than on our honeymoon to Thailand the previous month! (we went in June and spent a few days up at the lakes where it was really hot and gorgeous - lovely beaches although - unless you squint - you can't quite pretend you're by the sea cos you can just see the other edge of the lake!). Everyone was so friendly, we got invited to strangers' houses for dinner and drinks, our b&b hosts were amazing (would definitely recommend them - pm me if you need the details) and the transport system is very efficient and easy to use (this coming from someone who STILL can't understand UK bus timetables!).

The only negatives for us were:-

(1) the huge (and I mean HUGE) mosquitoes and flies (when we were in the car at the lakes they were hitting the windscreen and it sounded like pebbles! - it was like something out of a film!) - this may not bother you though, if you don't normally get bitten. Unfortunately my husband is allergic so each bite turned into a huge boil-type lump the size of a walnut!

(2) It's very flat and there are no hills or mountains in Winnipeg (I think Brandon (west of the Peg) is more undulating and there is actually the possibility of skiing a few hours' drive away (Assessippi?) I think, if I remember rightly (sorry, it's been 2 years...).

(3) Listening to the news at night we did hear of rather a lot of murders, even in the town centre areas where we'd walked the previous day (though it's a big city so statistically it may be no more dangerous than London), and when we were in Assiniboine Park (again, I think that's the name, my pregnant brain is all over the place!) we saw a gang driving through in their souped-up hummer (we thought they were just chavs and actually laughed at them, then our 'guide' (our b&b host's friend) who was with us told us to be quiet and keep our heads down incase they'd heard! That was quite scary, particularly as there were loads of families having picnics and kids around in the park at the time, and I kept thinking the worst... but again, I guess it depends where you're from in the UK. We're from a relatively safe area where the worst we get (touch wood) is a few chavs trevving up and down the street; someone from London who has first-hand experience of knife / gang-related crime may not be as phased by this as we were...

At the end of the day, you need to visit for yourself and make your own mind up. I certainly wouldn't say 'yay' or 'nay' based on what I (or anyone else here) has said in a few sentences.

Whatever you decide, I hope it works out for you and your family - let us know what happens :-)

Anita.

Winnipeg is quite a cool place, but you need to be able to embrace the winter, cos if you dont life will be grim.

As you know the winter is cold, but mostly that will not stop you getting out as long as you are dressed properly. I walked or cycled to work most of the year. personally i think the winter is easier to live with than many other places, it doesnt snow as much as many other places, but once it has snowed, it's not going to melt til the spring. this means that the road crews get a good crack at getting roads clear.

we enjoyed skating(indoors and outdoors) breakfast at the forks (Danny's) after skating is great. The festival du voyager is great fun too.

the kids got the biggest kick out of meeting santa in the woods at fort whyte.

the summers on the other hand are hot and plagued by mozzies - i think i prefer the winter!!

we lived in armstrong point for 2 years - right next to the murder hotspot, apart from getting my bike nicked i didnt experience any crime but i wouldnt recommend walking about down town after dark - actually no one really goes downtown then anyway.

generally winnipeggers are decent types but turn into complete animals when in a car.

i am currently back in the uk, but probably returning to the peg later this year, if you want any more specific advice feel free to PM me

Happy as a pig in sh1t here. We have a super house, winter bills are OK not killers and mozzies are only half the size people say..

Surely you mean they're only half the size of the PEOPLE...?!

Nope and they only anoy the whinging Brits

Is the new job permanent? Maybe it would be good to try it out for a year and see if you like it or not. Would your other job in the UK be available if you didn't like it?

I have Canadian friends that were born and bred from Winnipeg and left because they hated the winters and mozzies. Nevertheless, if you are looking for a change and an adventure then give it a go. Experiencing a Canadian winter certainly gives you a whole new meaning to being cold. Good-Luck with what ever decision you make.

Looks like it isn't just the whingeing Brits who aren't enthralled with the Manitoba mozzies!

I personally don't mind them - for some reason I rarely get bitten (whichever country I'm in) - must be all the marmite I eat

Wow, Thank you so much for your responses. I shall run through your comments and answer your questions.

Alex2201 - heh, I know what you mean about the hockey. I accidently walked in front of a guy at the Forks market and got shouted at as he was watching a match on the TV... oops...

hrt2fnd - I guess some places are just not for some people. My wife is from Liverpool but we chose not to live there because of some of the areas. But I guess you get that in any City, good and bad areas. ...and this leads onto a future discussion about which area of the city would be best renting in? Rental properties are hard to find, especially 3-4 bedroomed houses. Looking on Kijiji, there are a few but are expensive.

I take heed with your comments about being bound to an employer. I would be contracted to work there for at least 2 years with an option to move back to the UK or to another location. I have been working for this company for four years now, and they have been good to me so far, and the work will be the same in Winnipeg, so that's one positive aspect I guess.

Seanyg - Anita, just how big are these infamous mossies? Do they really put dints on your bonnet? heh, I just googled images and found a Manitoba Mosquito statue in Komarno! They must be a worthy advesary to earn the respect (or hatred) to have their own sculpture...!

I guess you get gang related crime in any city, I just hope that our kids wont be influenced with any of that, wherever we live. And you are right, we need to live there for a couple of years just to see what it's like, so we don't regret not taking the offer. We could always return back to the UK as our house here would be rented out.

Snowshoveller - One option I'm thinking of would be to rent locally to my place of work. I do know they have a bus stop outside the building so I may save a few dollars and use the public transport for starters as I understand the car insurance is expensive. Sounds cool taking the kids to see Santa in the woods, my kids may be getting too old, but I may just drag them along cos I'm a big kid at heart! Thanks for the PM offer, I may just do that if something crops up.

Gremmie - thanks for the short and sweet comments, especially about the mosquitoes... my mum is from Croatia and they too have huge mossies, though they're not half man sized maneaters

Gremmie, I've noticed that you must live in Niverville. What's it like to live in this town. This sounds silly and strange to say, but the one thing that we have never experienced where we live is that community spirit. Knowing, and caring for your neighbour. We just don't have that were we live, and although we say hi to the folks across the road, we still don't know their names... it's just not done here. This is somewhere where we would like to move out to after a couple of years once we have made the decision to stay. Is it still commutable to the Southwest of Winnipeg? I never got out there during my stay so I don't know if it's just that little too far to travel, especially during winter time..?

Sazzer - Yeah, as I've mentioned, I will continue to work for the same company but relocate, though I could return in two years but I'd hope this would be perminent. As for the Pegger driver, It wasn't all that bad driving during rush hour to the office down highway 90. In the UK the A5 is a lot worse driving to Telford every day...

Well, thank you again for all your comments and I hope the discussion continues, to help us on our journey. If there is anything else that you can advise with, please let me know.

Chris

if your office will be downtown, river heights, cresentwood and osborne village will be easily commutable without a car (bus, walk or cycle)

just as a point of interest one of the things that came as a shock, coming back to the UK after 2 years in winnipeg was the lush greenness of shropshire and the sense that stuff has been there for such a long time. but we didnt really miss that aspect while in canada, things are very convenient in winnipeg.

It's interesting to see the breakdown of Winnipeg population. More Brits than any other nationality.

Ethnic Origins[69]
Population Percentage
English 141,480 22.6
Scottish 114,960 18.4
German 106,260 17.0
Canadian 104,130 16.6
Ukrainian 96,255 15.4
French 87,165 13.9
Irish 86,580 13.9
Polish 50,555 8.1
Visible minorities[70]
Population Percentage
Total 101,910 16.3
Filipino 36,820 5.9
South Asian 15,080 2.4
Black 14,200 2.3
Chinese 12,660 2.0
Latin American 5,390 0.9
Southeast Asian 5,325 0.9
Multiple 3,060 0.5
Arab 2,115 0.3
Korean 2,065 0.3
West Asian 1,885 0.3
Japanese 1,725 0.3
Other 1,585 0.3

just browsing the winnipeg open houses this weekend, and what strikes me is the similarity of prices in winnipeg compared to the west midlands. With the exchange rate they are practically the same