I retired 18 years ago after working 19 years in the UK and 48 years in Canada.
Started my working life on Dec 27 1944 and retired on March 31 1992. 8 companies in the UK (including 2 years in the RAF) and 3 companies in Canada. Only time out of work, the 5 days it took to cross the Atlantic ( Cunard Carmania)

Congratulations and well done.

Bet there aren't many people who can say they've only had 5 days unemployment in their lifetime!

Wow thats a long time - what made you go to canada in the first place?
How did you cope with the homesickness when even making a phone call back home would not be an everyday thing to do?

Wasn't planing to come to Canada. In 1963 the UK was still suffering from wartime housing shortages and we were going through a similar winter that the UK is having now. An add in the Sunday Telegraph announced "Winter in Canada is exhilarating" and within 5 months I had a job offer, sold the house and moved to Ottawa with the wife and two kids (6&2). Been here ever since.

Homesickness? Neither of us were big on close family ties and the situation in the UK was pretty dull compared with what we had read of Ottawa and unlike Australia it was relatively close.
Only been back 3 times (last in 1982) and I'm so glad we made that choice way back not only for the wife and I but especially for the children, I think they had better education opportunities here.

Wow that is really funky, congratulations

Giving my younglings better opportunities is one of the main reasons why I would like to move to Canada.

[QUOTE]Wasn't planing to come to Canada. In 1963 the UK was still suffering from wartime housing shortages and we were going through a similar winter that the UK is having now. An add in the Sunday Telegraph announced "Winter in Canada is exhilarating" and within 5 months I had a job offer, sold the house and moved to Ottawa with the wife and two kids (6&2). Been here ever since.

Homesickness? Neither of us were big on close family ties and the situation in the UK was pretty dull compared with what we had read of Ottawa and unlike Australia it was relatively close.
Only been back 3 times (last in 1982) and I'm so glad we made that choice way back not only for the wife and I but especially for the children, I think they had better education opportunities here.[/QUOTE

Thats an amazing story - you make it sound so easy and yet with all what we have these days it seems such a hard decision to make!
Well done

[QUOTE=kate holt;8238458] It was relatively easy. The company that offered me the job (Design Draughtsman) held interviews in London in Feb 1963 and after getting the offer in March we all went to Canada House and completed the immigration formalities.
All I had to do then was to sell a house which was due for completion in June. New housing was so scarce that we actually sold the place for 10% more than we paid for it.
All transportation was organised by the company, all we had to do was turn up at the dock in Southampton on July 2nd for a leisurely trans Atlantic cruise.

[QUOTE=Keith;8238582] Great story Keith... 100% success!

I didnt know you were a "dratter" (design draughtsman) thats the same job as me....funny how things change..... I am 39 I have never been out of work until I gave up my job in the UK and came to Canada, its now been 7months (except for the part time bar tending job I now have which I feel doesnt really count) Im approaching triple figures of applications ive made for draughting jobs, ive had one interview, as I have said before it was just very unfortunate timing for my move, cant really blame anyone for that.

Although I dont think moving to Canada from the UK now is anywhere near as advantageous as when you did it, but I also think it was a much braver thing to do back then.

Well done! you are 100% Canadian!

Paul

[QUOTE=Paul_Shepherd;8240611] The company that brought me over was Computing Devices of Canada and is still here but is now part of General Dynamics. http://www.gdcanada.com/content/deta...ym=integrators

Have you tried them?

[QUOTE=Keith;8241100] Hello Keith,

Yes I have actually applied for a job through General Dynamics, but again another example of how things change over the years.....they were kind enough to reply and let me know I wasnt suitable (most dont) whcih I suppose was something.

I wasnt suitable as I do not have experience with Unigraphics (modeling software) I did mention I had soild works expereince and would be willling to learn Unigraphics on a lower salary, but that fell on deaf ears. It seems to be a far removed world nowadays than what it was...engineering/ draughting and Canada!

But as I said before, I feel what you did back then was a far more braver move than the equivalnent of what anyone can do today, so you have well deserved your success.

Paul