6 limes

Hi all. I have asked many questions and read and read and read everything I can find on the subject but I remain a bit unsure.
Now heres the thing;
Lots of people praise Canada highly, while pointiing out the realities, eg. cold,expensive etc. Many of these people have expressed that despite the drawbacks experienced living in Canada it has been worth it for many reasons, eg. quality of life etc.

On the other hand there are many criticisms of Canada, eg. behind the times, very cold winters, high cost of living etc.

Now my problem is arising because I like to have all possible information before making any decision ,but with such contrasts in opinions I am at a bit of a loss.
So once again Im calling on you experienced folks to point out which issues I should be concerned about and which I should discount.

I am aware that everyone views things differently, one mans meat is another mans poison, and all that, but we are a fairly down to earth family looking for a better life that we have in Northern Ireland but want to go in with our eyes wide open.

Sorry for rambling, hope Im not too confusing. Thank you.

Cassie 10000

I think that you can keep weighing up all the options, pros and cons forever. At the end of the day you make a choice do we go or not, but it has to be a decision that you and your family make together. Its your lives not anyone else's.

Only you guys know what makes you happy on a day to day basis. How much money you spend/earn and other factors.

We personally don't want to regret not doing it later in life. I would rather have done it, enjoyed the experience then come back. We may live for the rest of our lives in Edmonton or may come home after three years. Who knows.

This is my opinion and I'm sure there will be many more.

dbd33

The positive side of Canada for us has been that the class system I felt to be a barrier to me in the UK has not applied to my children here. They won't end up in Canada but being here has given them a good start.

triumphguy

Petrol is cheaper
food is cheaper
cars are cheaper
houses are cheaper (comparing apples to apples)

I don't see the cost of living being higher.

Winter is cold, but it's also a time for winter sports. You get very warm tobboganing and skiing, running through the snow, throwing snowballs etc.

Behind the times?

In what sense, fashions? Humour? We get "little Britain". That's as up to date as I want to be!!! Music, movies? It's a global on-line community. It used to be that Canada got UK music six months later, and UK got movies 6 months later. There's less difference now.

For me quality of life now means a sense of being a compete person, peace of mind, good relationships, good family time, simple fun, not big houses or cars.

Canada is just a country with people in it. Much of your happiness here depends on your definition of quality of life and creating your life on your terms. A big kitchen means you have to walk farther for your beer!

I miss being close to my brothers, sister and parents, especially as they are getting older.

But I enjoy the life I have here in Calgary with my wife and Canadian born kids.

iaink

Canadas great if you can bring in say $60k+ preferably more, wont miss family and friends too much and can get out of the rat race to some extent.

If you want to live in a large city with all mod cons, or are going to pine for tea at the mother in laws, or for the ability to dump the kids with gran and gramps from time to time, then you might as well save yourself the hassle and stay in the UK.

Canadas primary advantage for me is cheaper property and a slower, more friendly, family oriented pace of life.

You can weigh up the pros and cons forever, but ultimatley this is all other peoples experience, to find out for yourself Im afraid you need to shit or get off the pot.

swoops

Now thats what I'm looking for...

dbd33

For that you have to move to a small town. Perhaps a small town in the UK would offer the same.

dbd33

Canada has offered me the opportunity to be the custodian of a donkey. I don't think that would have been feasible in the UK due to the cost of fields.

nikki dreaming

ditto with you here Cassie

clynnog

People look forward to that?

triumphguy

Coming from working class Manchester originally I too found the class structure alive and well when I went to uni in London.

I would open my mouth and be instantly judged (for all you snobs I know it's a split infinitive!), and placed.

Over here they can't understand a word I say, so there's none of that!

Kidding.

They think my accent is 'cool' or 'neat.'

You may have to moderate your sense of humour. For instance, 20 years ago I might have asked db33 what his donkey's opinion of that situation is. But now I'm too Canadian!, and his quick wit and ready repartee might have been softened by constant exposure to Canadian humour. Not that they don't have a sense of humor (but they take U out of it!)

It's still a good place for kids, and for their future. I wouldn't take them back to England, unless I was rich and had a stone cottage in the cotswolds, and money for a weekend flat in London! And maybe owned a pub too. And an Aston Martin. And a setter.

PS. I watch Manchester United Live on Setanta on Saturdays.

BristolUK

Family of four, mortgage free, living on $20k. Could we do that in the UK?

Snow - even with last winter's excessive snowfalls we managed with shovels for all but one time when I paid $46 to have the drive cleared. So in three winters, it's cost $46. Cheaper than a snowblower.

The cold? Doesn't really restrict life. I mean you can't sit outside in winter but would you do that in January in the UK? Actually my wife goes outside to smoke.

A bit behind the times in some things but it's not really a negative.

dbd33

I'm not really exposed to Canadian humour. I don't watch Corner Gas or Little Mosque and I hardly know any Canadians. Or, more accurately, I hardly know anyone who was born in Canada to two people who were born in Canada. I think that's something immigrants might not be prepared for, the population of Toronto (not all Canada but where I am) is primarily immigrant and very diverse. Nowhere in the UK has a population anything like it. It's great if you want your children exposed to lots of cultures but they're likely to end up as rootless cosmopolitans; they won't be Canadians in the sense of having a local sense of humour anymore than their parents.

Rich_007

But you're not a typical migrant, and you're giving people a rose tinted view of life here.

Most people have to sustain their level of income, traded off against some benefits (bigger house, more toys) to have some sort of life.

I'm sure we'd all like to be organic goat herders earning a buck a day for an easy life but it just doesn't happen.

R.

Rich_007

It all depends where you move to. Everyone I know in whitetown is a honkey. I know two Aussies, a British couple, a far removed native dude, two Quebeckers (who I can understand better than any Canadian I know can), one Canadianised blockhead, and the rest are cradles. Here, an Albertan is considered "alien".

R.