Siouxie

You don't get your qualification accepted in Canada - you need to get them recognised in Ontario (or whichever Province you intend to work and live in). Healthcare in Canada is Provincial and many professions are regulated Provincially. It's a learning curve!

Without wishing to offend, there's not a lot of point comparing wages in the UK to wages in Canada. It's like comparing Apples to Oranges! What you need to ascertain are the minimum - Average - optimum wages in Ontario (bearing in mind you will have no seniority) and the expenses that you are likely to incur. From that you can determine whether you would be better or worse off. You can get an idea of the average / low / high wages from the jobbank link I gave in a previous post - then use an online calculator for taxes and other deductibles. https://www.taxtips.ca/calculators/c...calculator.htm You will also need to factor in Union fees and possibly private health care plan (drugs, glasses, dentistry) contributions.

Just to say also, disposable income is really dependent on WHERE you live and WHAT your expenses are and what your lifestyle is like. There is no 'one size fits all'

For example: Do you want / wish to live in a small town or a big city or do you want to live in the country or by a lake?

Do you want a high rise apartment, a city condo, a detached family home or a sprawling ranch style in the country - or do you want lakeside living? Are you intending on renting or buying. Will you need more than 1 vehicle?

Whilst you might want and intend to work full time unfortunately you should consider that there's some likelihood that it may be longer than you anticipate / hope until you get to be in that position. Could you afford to be working only part time? Does your spouse also have a career in mind, do they need to have qualifications recognised or if a regulated industry get their certification? Is there work in their profession available in the area you hope to go to?

High School in Ontario starts at age 14 (on average) until age 18. If it's your intention to remain in Canada for years to come, to settle here.. wouldn't your 16 year old be better to attend school - graduate (Grade 12) and get the necessary qualifications that will be recognised here? A levels are not accepted/recognised by all Uni's and Colleges. Additionally, school is where your sons will meet other kids and be able to integrate and be included, make friends.

When you say you are the 'outdoorsy types' what do you mean. Do you mean you like to walk.. hike.. cycle.. ski.. camp.. sail.. kayak.. snowmobile.. swim.. snowboard.. windsurf.. mountainclimb.. ride ?? Have you looked into how much you might actually be able to do in the region you are hoping to locate to, particularly in winter? Are you aware of the very limited leave (vacation) you will get each year, at least for the first few.. Do your boys do any sports that they wish to continue? What are your expectations for 'the outdoor life' - are they realistic? Have you looked into this aspect if it's an important factor for you?

It's always better to go to where the work is, rather than have a place fixed in your head of where you intend to live. If they coincide so much the better, but for many it's a case of compromising initially.

I'm not trying to put you off so please don't think that it's just that I would hate you to come with expectations of a certain lifestyle .. go to the expense and upheaval of relocating and then be disappointed and disillusioned.

Best to be realistic

mrslrothwell

Phaedru5

Hi, I am not a midwife and didnt move to Ontario, but I really just want to post something positive here. Firstly dont get me wrong this forum has been enormously helpful to me in my own move to Canada (BC) this year and I am eternally grateful, but I have learnt you need to take many comments on here with a hearty pinch of salt. True, the upheaval of a move abroad isnt for everyone, but you only live once, one time, each day that passes is a day closer to death, and what is life if not a series of experiences and memories. I and my family are what I, like you, consider to be 'outdoorsy' types - we like a plethora of outdoor pursuits, all of those mentioned by Siouxie above and more. We could not enjoy them to the fullest in England with the weather limitations and landscape limitations and hence moved somewhere with 4 proper, separate and distinct seasons for a better quality of life. We didnt go where the jobs were, an easy option for me would have been to move to a major city to work in engineering, but it didnt suit the lifestyle we wanted. I did manage to get a job, somewhat crafted one for myself, and my wife infact is still struggling her way through the nursing evaluation programme. We moved to what is commonly referred to as the most expensive province (BC), we moved to the interior where jobs are harder to come by, my basic income is less than what I left behind in England, (although im working hard,its going well and sales bonus' are supplementing that), My wife isnt yet working at what she wants to be doing (an RN as per her qualifications), but yet we have a bigger house (also supplemented by renting out a basement suite), cooler vehicles, more outdoor toys, and overall less debt, are the happiest we have ever been, spend our weekends doing what in England we had to take a weeks vacation and spent thousands of pounds to do - because it is all on our doorstep. So in summary what I want to say is sure, consider it carefully, but it you really want to give it a try then dive in with both feet first and good luck. Its not easy, but it is bloody good fun.