1 month in - 1st impressions
Jun 2nd 2014, 8:59 pm
#16
BE Enthusiast
Joined: May 2009
Location: Essex now Sylvan Lake, AB
Posts: 515
Re: 1 month in - 1st impressions
Well we (wife and two toddlers) have been here (South Surrey, Vancouver, BC) just over a month and we thought it would be useful to summarise our experience as first time visitors to Canada and expats for those about to come over or thinking about it.
We came here on company sponsored work permits so couldn't comment on visa processes etc.
ARRIVAL
Arrival in the country was a breeze, spent around 1.5 hours in customs waiting for work permits but all in all straight forward. If you have kids make sure you have entertainment as after a 12 hour trip ours were climbing the walls.
YVR airport had free WIFI which meant we could access all our travel info online, very handy if you have an iPad etc and saves you carrying docs.
We had lots of cases but there are porters at the airport who carry them on a cart for you for about $20 max. Taxi to south surrey was about $90 inc tip, we just hired one for our cases and followed it in our hire car.
BANK ACCOUNTS ETC
The banking system seems good here with lots of choice and credible options. We went with BMO as I couldn't be bothered to shop around but I now hear TD is one of the best. They have credit unions here too which are very good if you're needing business banking and I think they're good for personal banking as well. You need a social insurance number to open an account and unless you bank with HSBC you could struggle to keep your credit history and end up starting afresh like us.
Social insurance numbers are available at the local Service Canada government centres and take about 1 hour by the time you've waited and been seen to.
Mobile phones are a little more complicated than the UK. We couldn't find a carphonewarehouse type company here so ended up going vendor to vendor but the choice and amount of options is overwhelming. We went with Telus along with our TV, landline and internet but the only reason was that they looked the cheapest way to get everything in one place so that we had less to worry about. Oh and if you live near the border avoid Rogers, signal is very poor and you get whacked with big roaming charges when your phone decides to switch to the US network.
Household bills for tenants seem straightforward, pay for gas, electric, phone, internet, sky equivalent, rent and that's it. Everything else is paid for by landlord or doesn't exist here (eg tv license, council tax).
Paying for them isn't straightforward though as direct debit doesn't exist here. They have pre-arranged payments but they seem quite manual to set up and you can't just depend on your bills to be for what you owe which means you quickly end up in debt or credit.
TAX
I'm still getting used to the different rates and the fact that the price you pay is always higher than the price you see. I find it's best to ignore and accept it unless your spending $200+ But everyone is different.
If you can afford it consult a tax accountant before you leave the UK, particularly if you intend to keep a UK property, rent it or bring a lot of money into the country. the advice we got was so valuable and worth the money. Some of the things we learned could save us thousands of pounds within 3-5 years.
ACCOMMODATION
South Surrey itself we found to be a nice, clean area. It feels safe and is quite beautiful. Lots of modern accommodation with good facilities like free gyms, pools, clubs houses, parks and schools. Only drawback we found was because a lot of the communities springing up are new they lack a community feel and in parts feel deserted. Not a problem if you're used to city living but we're from a small fishing village in England where you know everyone so it felt weird.
We now live in White Rock, lots of Brits which is good for developing a network and if like us you're coasties then it feels quite familiar, it's nice and quiet. We have found that the small, cozy villages you get back in the UK are difficult to find even though locals are convinced places like White Rock and Steveston are nice small communities.
At the time I write this there is a lot of strike action going on with council services which has made clearing garbage difficult and many council run leisure and recreation services are off. I don't know if it's common or not.
Having drove around I'd say Whistler, South Surrey, White Rock, North Vancouver, Yaletown and, the beach area of Steveston and the University district had the nicest feel to them in terms of places to live. Langley, Coquitlam, Surrey, Richmond and Guildford was the opposite - again, just my opinion.
The rental market in Vancouver is ridiculously competitive and expensive. We were asked for decisions and deposits on the spot when viewing places. We decided living in Vancouver just isn't worth it given the quality of life outside the city felt far superior and better value for money. It's still hard to find a good place and still competitive but also far easier than VC.
DRIVING
Having drove a car in Europe and seen roads all over the US I thought driving here would be a piece of cake but I have found it much harder than I thought. I'm taking a driving lesson to get familiarized with the rules of the road more than anything as things like being able to go through red lights and 4 ways are alien to us Brits. Signage on the motorways is quite bad with speed limits not very well sign posted (or enforced) and highways split in some cases without any clue as to where they lead. The city of Vancouver is a nightmare to orientate yourself around and parking longer than 2 hours has proved difficult so make sure you pack your sat nav.
The comments I've seen about traffic in and around Vancouver have so far proved false for us personally. We manage to drive from White Rock to Vancouver daily within 35-45mins which is nowhere near the 1.5-2hrs I regularly hear.
SHOPPING
Grocery shopping is a bit of a science. We have yet to find an Aldi or Home Bargains type place where you are assured you're getting a good deal. Everywhere seems to contain a blend of overpriced and underpriced goods which means the only way to save money is to buy your bread from one place, your eggs from another and so on. Every day the newspapers contain a catalogue of discounts, we've found they become key to getting by as does shopping online.
Petrol is very cheap compared to home and none food items too seem very good value in comparison. Owning and running a car is a little more expensive than back home. Big difference is it's not as easy to buy a banger and get by with low insurance payments.
Living close to the border means you benefit from even cheaper petrol and even cheaper none food items, it's great.
The choice of fruit and veg out here is far greater and cheaper than in the UK so far in my experience anyway. But the processed or packaged food is very expensive unless it's on sale. Our big frustration is that the shelves of most places are filled with very poor quality food packed with sugar, e-numbers, sat. fat etc. there are always healthy packaged options and as in the UK you pay more but the prices here seem to be intentionally higher to force you to buy the processed garbage. My biggest tip is get into cooking and buy some good soup and salad cookbooks and eat lots of sandwiches otherwise you'll end up paying through the nose and feel like rubbish for it.
FAMILY LIFE
Family life is very good, lots to do for everyone. Weather has been great so far. Most people are very approachable and helpful, even in the city.
We are fortunate to be able to keep my wife as a stay at home mum which is great as good quality child care costs are even higher than England which was hard to believe.
If you don't have a car then you can get by but it's difficult with a family as public transport outside the city is woeful and it's easy to end up 15-25mins walk from the nearest store (which will probably only sell junk food). We can only afford 1 car which either means an hour and a half bus commute to work everyday for me or my wife has to get taxis to everywhere like playgrounds, community centres, schools and play dates. Given it's more important for the wife and kids to settle they will probably end up with the car.
FITTING IN
Lower BC is one of the most culturally diverse places in the world. If you're used to living in London then this will be nothing new. If you're from a small town or village in the UK like us then you may feel a little alien at first.
Every area is different but the vast majority of people here seem to have Far East origins and therefore speak in their mother tongue (but many speak English) or they (or family) originate from South America, Eastern Europe, Asia, Middle East etc. With the exception of some people from the Asian communities, we have found most people blend together and our new network is filled with people from a wide variety of cultures and ethnic groups which is great for us and the children.
However, if you expect to meet lots of stereotypical Canadians then you're probably going to be in for a shock as it's just not reflective of the lower BC population. Of the people we have met they have said 'real Canada' (whatever that means) is in the far north.
CONCLUSION
Like any place on earth (I've been fortunate to travel a lot) Lower BC is not perfect and it's not everything we dreamed it would be but it is close and we are very happy to be here. We are looking at this like a 2-3 year experiment and in which time we will avoid any commitments and just treat it as an extended working holiday with a review point.
It has given us a new sense of perspective on life back in the UK, you realize that the UK government actually makes life very easy for us in comparison to those living in Canada and we now appreciate that more but at he same time there is no denying that in Canada lifestyle is a bigger priority for the government here and we personally feel like our family time and kids lives will be far better than what the UK can offer.
I hope this helps anyone answer a question or confirm / deny any worries they may have.
We came here on company sponsored work permits so couldn't comment on visa processes etc.
ARRIVAL
Arrival in the country was a breeze, spent around 1.5 hours in customs waiting for work permits but all in all straight forward. If you have kids make sure you have entertainment as after a 12 hour trip ours were climbing the walls.
YVR airport had free WIFI which meant we could access all our travel info online, very handy if you have an iPad etc and saves you carrying docs.
We had lots of cases but there are porters at the airport who carry them on a cart for you for about $20 max. Taxi to south surrey was about $90 inc tip, we just hired one for our cases and followed it in our hire car.
BANK ACCOUNTS ETC
The banking system seems good here with lots of choice and credible options. We went with BMO as I couldn't be bothered to shop around but I now hear TD is one of the best. They have credit unions here too which are very good if you're needing business banking and I think they're good for personal banking as well. You need a social insurance number to open an account and unless you bank with HSBC you could struggle to keep your credit history and end up starting afresh like us.
Social insurance numbers are available at the local Service Canada government centres and take about 1 hour by the time you've waited and been seen to.
Mobile phones are a little more complicated than the UK. We couldn't find a carphonewarehouse type company here so ended up going vendor to vendor but the choice and amount of options is overwhelming. We went with Telus along with our TV, landline and internet but the only reason was that they looked the cheapest way to get everything in one place so that we had less to worry about. Oh and if you live near the border avoid Rogers, signal is very poor and you get whacked with big roaming charges when your phone decides to switch to the US network.
Household bills for tenants seem straightforward, pay for gas, electric, phone, internet, sky equivalent, rent and that's it. Everything else is paid for by landlord or doesn't exist here (eg tv license, council tax).
Paying for them isn't straightforward though as direct debit doesn't exist here. They have pre-arranged payments but they seem quite manual to set up and you can't just depend on your bills to be for what you owe which means you quickly end up in debt or credit.
TAX
I'm still getting used to the different rates and the fact that the price you pay is always higher than the price you see. I find it's best to ignore and accept it unless your spending $200+ But everyone is different.
If you can afford it consult a tax accountant before you leave the UK, particularly if you intend to keep a UK property, rent it or bring a lot of money into the country. the advice we got was so valuable and worth the money. Some of the things we learned could save us thousands of pounds within 3-5 years.
ACCOMMODATION
South Surrey itself we found to be a nice, clean area. It feels safe and is quite beautiful. Lots of modern accommodation with good facilities like free gyms, pools, clubs houses, parks and schools. Only drawback we found was because a lot of the communities springing up are new they lack a community feel and in parts feel deserted. Not a problem if you're used to city living but we're from a small fishing village in England where you know everyone so it felt weird.
We now live in White Rock, lots of Brits which is good for developing a network and if like us you're coasties then it feels quite familiar, it's nice and quiet. We have found that the small, cozy villages you get back in the UK are difficult to find even though locals are convinced places like White Rock and Steveston are nice small communities.
At the time I write this there is a lot of strike action going on with council services which has made clearing garbage difficult and many council run leisure and recreation services are off. I don't know if it's common or not.
Having drove around I'd say Whistler, South Surrey, White Rock, North Vancouver, Yaletown and, the beach area of Steveston and the University district had the nicest feel to them in terms of places to live. Langley, Coquitlam, Surrey, Richmond and Guildford was the opposite - again, just my opinion.
The rental market in Vancouver is ridiculously competitive and expensive. We were asked for decisions and deposits on the spot when viewing places. We decided living in Vancouver just isn't worth it given the quality of life outside the city felt far superior and better value for money. It's still hard to find a good place and still competitive but also far easier than VC.
DRIVING
Having drove a car in Europe and seen roads all over the US I thought driving here would be a piece of cake but I have found it much harder than I thought. I'm taking a driving lesson to get familiarized with the rules of the road more than anything as things like being able to go through red lights and 4 ways are alien to us Brits. Signage on the motorways is quite bad with speed limits not very well sign posted (or enforced) and highways split in some cases without any clue as to where they lead. The city of Vancouver is a nightmare to orientate yourself around and parking longer than 2 hours has proved difficult so make sure you pack your sat nav.
The comments I've seen about traffic in and around Vancouver have so far proved false for us personally. We manage to drive from White Rock to Vancouver daily within 35-45mins which is nowhere near the 1.5-2hrs I regularly hear.
SHOPPING
Grocery shopping is a bit of a science. We have yet to find an Aldi or Home Bargains type place where you are assured you're getting a good deal. Everywhere seems to contain a blend of overpriced and underpriced goods which means the only way to save money is to buy your bread from one place, your eggs from another and so on. Every day the newspapers contain a catalogue of discounts, we've found they become key to getting by as does shopping online.
Petrol is very cheap compared to home and none food items too seem very good value in comparison. Owning and running a car is a little more expensive than back home. Big difference is it's not as easy to buy a banger and get by with low insurance payments.
Living close to the border means you benefit from even cheaper petrol and even cheaper none food items, it's great.
The choice of fruit and veg out here is far greater and cheaper than in the UK so far in my experience anyway. But the processed or packaged food is very expensive unless it's on sale. Our big frustration is that the shelves of most places are filled with very poor quality food packed with sugar, e-numbers, sat. fat etc. there are always healthy packaged options and as in the UK you pay more but the prices here seem to be intentionally higher to force you to buy the processed garbage. My biggest tip is get into cooking and buy some good soup and salad cookbooks and eat lots of sandwiches otherwise you'll end up paying through the nose and feel like rubbish for it.
FAMILY LIFE
Family life is very good, lots to do for everyone. Weather has been great so far. Most people are very approachable and helpful, even in the city.
We are fortunate to be able to keep my wife as a stay at home mum which is great as good quality child care costs are even higher than England which was hard to believe.
If you don't have a car then you can get by but it's difficult with a family as public transport outside the city is woeful and it's easy to end up 15-25mins walk from the nearest store (which will probably only sell junk food). We can only afford 1 car which either means an hour and a half bus commute to work everyday for me or my wife has to get taxis to everywhere like playgrounds, community centres, schools and play dates. Given it's more important for the wife and kids to settle they will probably end up with the car.
FITTING IN
Lower BC is one of the most culturally diverse places in the world. If you're used to living in London then this will be nothing new. If you're from a small town or village in the UK like us then you may feel a little alien at first.
Every area is different but the vast majority of people here seem to have Far East origins and therefore speak in their mother tongue (but many speak English) or they (or family) originate from South America, Eastern Europe, Asia, Middle East etc. With the exception of some people from the Asian communities, we have found most people blend together and our new network is filled with people from a wide variety of cultures and ethnic groups which is great for us and the children.
However, if you expect to meet lots of stereotypical Canadians then you're probably going to be in for a shock as it's just not reflective of the lower BC population. Of the people we have met they have said 'real Canada' (whatever that means) is in the far north.
CONCLUSION
Like any place on earth (I've been fortunate to travel a lot) Lower BC is not perfect and it's not everything we dreamed it would be but it is close and we are very happy to be here. We are looking at this like a 2-3 year experiment and in which time we will avoid any commitments and just treat it as an extended working holiday with a review point.
It has given us a new sense of perspective on life back in the UK, you realize that the UK government actually makes life very easy for us in comparison to those living in Canada and we now appreciate that more but at he same time there is no denying that in Canada lifestyle is a bigger priority for the government here and we personally feel like our family time and kids lives will be far better than what the UK can offer.
I hope this helps anyone answer a question or confirm / deny any worries they may have.
Jun 9th 2014, 4:40 am
#17
Éireann go Brách
Joined: Mar 2006
Location: White Man in Hammersmith Palais
Posts: 2,932
Re: 1 month in - 1st impressions
Its not the traffic or the time it takes from A to B. Its the other drivers you'll encounter. Unbelievably bad. I drive 10 hours a day all points across the lower mainland and I'm shocked daily at how thick they are.
Apart from that... good luck!
Apart from that... good luck!
Jun 9th 2014, 1:02 pm
#18
Island life at last
Joined: Aug 2009
Location: BC
Posts: 2,715
Re: 1 month in - 1st impressions
[QUOTE=Londonuck; Its the other drivers you'll encounter. Unbelievably bad. I drive 10 hours a day all points across the lower mainland and I'm shocked daily at how thick they are.
[/QUOTE]
Agreed. I only drive 2 and a half hours, but the stupidity, carelessness and downright irresponsibility of drivers here rivals anything I used to encounter on a busy section of the M1 every day.
Near misses are regular occurrences, and I am sure that they drive on oblivious.
Scary
[/QUOTE]
Agreed. I only drive 2 and a half hours, but the stupidity, carelessness and downright irresponsibility of drivers here rivals anything I used to encounter on a busy section of the M1 every day.
Near misses are regular occurrences, and I am sure that they drive on oblivious.
Scary
Jun 10th 2014, 3:18 am
#19
Pondering a career change
Joined: May 2012
Location: Sunshine Coast, BC
Posts: 2,595
Re: 1 month in - 1st impressions
I think the driving in Vancouver rivals that seen on Russian dash cams, if you haven't seen Russian dash cams just type it into you tube
Jun 18th 2014, 10:02 pm
#20
Aberdeen to Vancouver
Joined: Mar 2011
Location: Port Coquitlam, BC
Posts: 26
Re: 1 month in - 1st impressions
Welcome to the neighbourhood! We moved to BC at the end of August and down to SoSu 
after our first month here.
Isn't it funny how everyone "knows" how terrible the drive to town is, but anyone who actually lives out here thinks it's fine? My colleagues are always going on about "poor me" with such a bad commute - I try to explain that doing 45km on the highway (with cruise control, coffee in a go cup and JRFM) takes the same amount of time as just going across town in Scotland!
after our first month here.Isn't it funny how everyone "knows" how terrible the drive to town is, but anyone who actually lives out here thinks it's fine? My colleagues are always going on about "poor me" with such a bad commute - I try to explain that doing 45km on the highway (with cruise control, coffee in a go cup and JRFM) takes the same amount of time as just going across town in Scotland!
Jul 29th 2014, 3:02 pm
#21
Fancy a Cuppa?
Joined: Nov 2007
Location: Vancouver
Posts: 438
Re: 1 month in - 1st impressions
Jul 29th 2014, 9:44 pm
#24
Bex in the city
Joined: Jun 2013
Location: Vancouver, BC
Posts: 3,899
Re: 1 month in - 1st impressions
A lot of the care work jobs I have been looking at seem to be in North van but it depends on if I can afford to live there on $17/$18 an hour - doubtful I would have thought.
There is also a lot of work in East Hastings.
probably more in my price range there 
Jul 30th 2014, 2:34 am
#25
Pondering a career change
Joined: May 2012
Location: Sunshine Coast, BC
Posts: 2,595
Re: 1 month in - 1st impressions
Jul 30th 2014, 1:35 pm
#27
Pondering a career change
Joined: May 2012
Location: Sunshine Coast, BC
Posts: 2,595
Jul 30th 2014, 3:12 pm
#28
slanderer of the innocent
Joined: Dec 2008
Location: Vancouver, BC
Posts: 6,695
Re: 1 month in - 1st impressions
Nothing wrong with Burnaby, as far as I know, but whenever anyone asks for advice on where to live on this forum and expresses and interest in a particular place they might like, someone comes along and slags it off.
Another poster then stands up for it forcefully.
Then more posters wade in on both sides.
Then it turns into a slanging match.
Another poster then stands up for it forcefully.
Then more posters wade in on both sides.
Then it turns into a slanging match.
In general, if you (general you) are a young 20something single, I'd stick to the city of Van just cos your social life will be easier.
Jul 30th 2014, 3:13 pm
#29
slanderer of the innocent
Joined: Dec 2008
Location: Vancouver, BC
Posts: 6,695
Re: 1 month in - 1st impressions
East Hastings is a very long street that goes all the way into the furthest reaches of Burnaby...just sayin'
Jul 30th 2014, 3:14 pm
#30
slanderer of the innocent
Joined: Dec 2008
Location: Vancouver, BC
Posts: 6,695
