Obitim

Hi there!

I've been in touch with someone who currently lives in Canada and has offered to do some introductions with some IT firms in Winnipeg, as a result, my wife and I are heading out on a bit of a recce in June next year, is there anyone on the boards who can tell me anything about the area?

I guess the onfo we're after is what is there to do, neighbourhoods and what is the IT industry like out there?

Any help is greatly appreciated!

Obitim

Also, how do I change the title of a post?

christmasoompa

You can't. I'm on it!

Hope you get some good info from IT related Winnipegers.

:-)

Juggernaut1064

A friend of mine who is IT thought Winnipeg was a bit of a dead end for IT, there will be some on here who may still live there now but my friend left and virtually doubled his income by moving to Edmonton.
Make sure you checkout other cities too.

Conmar

Hi Obitim,

can't tell you a lot about IT in Peg at present, back in 2013 the situation was not, well, really attractive to put it this way. So I would rather second Juggernaut1064.

However, I do strongly recommend a recce in winter, perhaps January/February 2016, there is a reason why it is also called Winterpeg.
(Don't get me wrong, I personally loved Peg - and still do).

Grah

Hi I work in IT in Winnipeg, but what do you mean by IT?

Great West life insurance HQ here, so mainframe and business development, MTS, Lottery, Government, small coding places all sorts of IT work.

Asking a generalist question doesn't get you the specific information you're really after.

Be more forthcoming in your information
i.e IT positions using
Oracle or MS SQL Server databases (SQL and PL/SQL, T-SQL)
HTML, Java script, Python, CSS and XML
Software Testing / QA
ESRI technology including ArcGIS for Desktop, ArcGIS for Server, developer tools

for example.

Also remember that coming to Winnipeg is but the first step and it doesn't have to be the last step. Once here you can always move again.

Grah.

Obitim

Hi Grah,

Apologies! My background has been helpdesk for Windows however I also have experience of resolution of Network and ADSL faults.

My most recent line of work has been supporting Spine 2 for the NHS, this involves monitoring of various services using Splunk, Nagios and NMS and upgrading using Puppet (scripts only) from the command line and using Linux also from the command line.

How's that for info? although happy to provide more as well!

Grah

Hi,
just so happens I know someone who was working in Networking. Supporting multiple companies and he might have some insight on opportunities. I'll also ask the MTS network designer if he is aware of anything. But I only see him occasionally - Being on a helpdesk won't hurt either as there are quite a few help desk places. Not great but enough to get you in the loop.

But if you have some one already helping they are the best to getting you in the doors for interviews. June is holiday time here, Universities are letting the new batch of kids out on to the market place - could you maybe make it sooner?

Are you starting the paper work for an application to the be able to be ready to move if you get the chance?

If you have the chance to visit a commercial walk in freezer take the opportunity, as its normally -20ish (no wind chill) which is a warm day here in the winter.

good luck and have fun planning your new life.

Obitim

We've already booked the tickets with Westjet (got a decent deal!) so can't move the date - the options sounds like there will be opportunities out there for me in that case, can see what the score is!

I've not started any of the paperwork as I'm a bit flummoxed about EE, PNP or how to get that side of things started as there seems to be so many options and methods of doing it!

Thanks for the help Grah, much appreciated! If I don't hear back from my other contact would I be ok to ping you a message?

Oink

You must live in a right dump to make you think of Winnipeg an attractive option.

Juggernaut1064

On a separate note if your flying west jet from Gatwick, let us all know how that flight is please

Former Lancastrian

Perhaps the OP lives in Tower Hamlets, Hackney, Basildon or Brentwood

Oink

He's probably lives up north somewhere. But ffs Winnipeg? Canadians hate living there. The successful ones either move east or west while the rest huddle as close as they can to the US border.

dormy

Got to disagree with you there Oink, I love living here, comparing it to Ontario & Nova Scotia, my job has taken me to several cities across Canada, and I have not been happier anywhere else. It is one of the last affordable major cities left in Canada, wonderful cultural scene, growing at a rapid pace, folk from across the country are moving here now, wonderful friendly people, unlike the UFO's that visit, and go away moaning that there are too many bugs, or its too cold.

Sure it has it's issues, as with every major city, but these are slowly being addressed. Yes its not the prettiest city, but within a 20 minute drive you can get lost in spectacular scenery. Sure its freaking cold in winter, but that is what hats, and coats are designed for. Summers are fantastic here, something fun happening every weekend, and with over 100,000 lakes to chose from you can always get away from what few people there are, at an affordable cost.

Each to their own I guess, and if you don't like it, stay away.

Obitim

Don't worry!

I shall indeed!