2 Years in Edmonton
 

I know lots of you despise Edmonton for various reasons,but I like the place.

Anyway,the first year was not as tough as expected,we had come to Canada with $3,500 dollars and our suitcases,no property in the UK,and no gifts from well off parents etc..
We have had a great time so far,work has been good and I have made way more money than I ever would in the UK,the change in lifestyle has been simply AMAZING for us.
I know some better off people and people with well off parents don't seem to feel the same about their experience in Canada,well that's NOT us!!

We now have all our furniture(no air beds now lol),an F150(something I NEVER dreamed of owning),we go shooting,hunting,off roading,my oldest daughter even won a ski trip to Jasper for being one of the two best pupils at her school last year,she moved school as we moved house but her old school called us and asked if she could still go on the trip FREE!!

The missus is pregnant and expecting around October,the doctors have been great so far and the medication for her HG actually works here unlike the medication that she was given time and time again in the UK which NEVER worked on her,ok I have to pay for it,but the union refunds me the cost 2-3 weeks later so no big deal there.

We have made some GREAT friends here,Canadians,Irish,Polish,Croatian,Chilean,Portu geee,Vietnamese etc..etc... I have to say that the friends that we have made here have been nothing short of AMAZING compared to the majority of people we have met in the UK despite knowing us for a short period!

Overall I am extremely happy with moving to Canada,and can not imagine EVER wanting to return to the UK,and am looking forward to many more years over here.

Re: 2 Years in Edmonton
 

Congrats buddy 2 years already, seems like you are settling in well. Glad all is going well for you. 5 months and we will have been here two years, we have no plans to ever head back to the UK

Re: 2 Years in Edmonton
 

Congratulations on both your 2 years and also little one on the way! We're just outside Red Deer in Sylvan Lake - hubby moved in October last year and myself and the kids joined him in January

Re: 2 Years in Edmonton
 

How are you guys finding the move?
My missus has had a few ups and downs but for the most part prefers Canada,even more so now that we got our PR.

Re: 2 Years in Edmonton
 

Scootb...very many congratulstions:thumbup: Well Done. It's really nice when a plan comes together!

Sounds like you and your growing family are thriving, hope it all continues to go splendidly:thumbsup:

What's HG?

Re: 2 Years in Edmonton
 

Thanks Millie we are all pretty chuffed now :)
HG is Hyperemesis Gravidarum is pretty much like having morning sickness all day every day.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hyperemesis_gravidarum

Re: 2 Years in Edmonton
 

Oh Thank you for letting me know. A girlfriend of mine had that and it was ghastly, but she had a happy bouncing baby in the end:thumbup:

Very best of luck to you all!

Re: 2 Years in Edmonton
 

Yeah lol, they do say crappy pregnancy,good birth,and the 3 previous pregnancies were nightmares but the births were simple and gave us 3 strong healthy girls that are just a bit too clever lol.

Re: 2 Years in Edmonton
 

Where did I go wrong then - HG *and* a crappy birth! Luckily she's been an angel ever since to make up for it. :wub:

Re: 2 Years in Edmonton
 

Ok for some,we have 3 demons lol.
I guess they all have their moments,just when they decide haha,the dog is better behaved!

Re: 2 Years in Edmonton
 

:rofl: "City of Losers" :rofl:

Re: 2 Years in Edmonton
 

I would have expected that to come from one of those Eastern sheep tamperers rather than a fellow West coaster :lol:

Re: 2 Years in Edmonton
 

It's hockey related, they have the sign when you go into Edmonton saying city of champions....

Re: 2 Years in Edmonton
 

Good for you scootb!!! sounds like your move has worked out well!! I think some people expect too much too soon, you are proof that you don't need a whack load of cash to make the move, just patience, perserverance and a good idea of what you want from such a move, and what your getting yourself into, that said a little luck does help you along the way too, I hope it continues for you!

Re: 2 Years in Edmonton
 

Thanks guys.
cbrown,I know mate,was joking with you bud(I'm from Ayrshire,and Glasgow myself)

Paul,we slept on air beds for the first few months(the kids loved it lol),I worked 6 days a week 8-11 hour shifts for the first year,the second year I was working 10 hour shifts 6-7 nights a week for most of the year so that really helped get us on our feet.
I had honestly expected things to be a lot tougher than what it has been,it has surprised me just how easily everything has gone for us!

When I first looked into Canada,my father told me to go for it as we had nothing in the UK,and that we would always regret not taking the chance,if it didn't work out he said our relatives would help fly us back to the UK,thankfully it did work out :)

Re: 2 Years in Edmonton
 

What happened to 'no gifts from well off parents' then eh?! ;):lol:

Re: 2 Years in Edmonton
 

No well off parents,my mother died in '97 to hospital negligence(we did not sue),my father is retired and on a pension.
All my family just said that if things did not work out they would all chip in to get us home,they seen how bad things were in the west of Scotland after the EU crash,but like I said we didn't need their help!

Re: 2 Years in Edmonton
 

What are you working on up there?

Re: 2 Years in Edmonton
 

Glad to hear you're doing well mate, from one Ayrshireman to another

I'll be 3 years this year...and here's to a few more :)

I'll probably be up Sherwood Park way for work at the end of May/Start of June...we should meet up for a pint if you're around!

Re: 2 Years in Edmonton
 

cbrown-I was working on the bridge girders for the Henday my first 8 months,then I was working on the deck slabs for the bridge girders,from November last year I have been working on the bleachers,wall panels etc.. for the new Oilers stadium(the stadium of champions haha!)

Haggis where in Ayreshire are you from mate?
I was born in Irvine,grew up in Stewarton then Glasgow before going to Largs,Paisley,then to Beith before coming to Canada.

My father will be over visiting us from 6th May till 16th June so give me a shout mate and I'll haul the old pensioner out for a drink.

Re: 2 Years in Edmonton
 

I lived in Edmonton for a year, I liked it. Reminded me of the US, it's a very US like city that Vancouver region just doesn't have.

If not for ex-wife not wanting to stay, I probably would never have left.

Wasn't the most scenic city out there, but of the larger city's I have been to in Canada or lived in, its at the top of the list just below a city in Ontario.

At the time I lived there, rent was still pretty cheap, had a house on the North side (maybe its called something different) 116th and 93rd I think was the street. Only 750 a month, 2 bedroom 1 bath, not a big house but worked for us. Only time a house has been affordable to rent...lol

That was back in 2006 though. I am sure a lot has changed in 9 years.

Looking back, 13 per hour was so much money....lol...We were making 8/hr in BC, so was quite the raise for us at the time.

Re: 2 Years in Edmonton
 

We're pretty much settled in now - definitely glad that we made the move!
Graham works on the oil field and so is away quite a bit which takes some getting used to but can't complain as he is lucky to be busy at the moment! Was a bit tough before I had transport but now have my trusty Dodge Ram - still getting used to all the intersections though and not brave enough to venture too far :o
Hope all is going well with you?

Re: 2 Years in Edmonton
 

That's good to hear!
I can imagine it would be a bit tough with your partner working away a lot,it's one of the things that puts me off that type of work as the kids well the oldest anyway is at that age of pushing her luck lol.
Everything is great just now,looking forward to getting some overtime again,it's been a bit slower than this time last year for me.

Re: 2 Years in Edmonton
 

Hope that the overtime picks up. My kids are at opposite ends of the spectrum - a hormonal teenage daughter at one end, a stroppy four year old son at the other and two sons in between! It's been a LONG spring break!!!

Re: 2 Years in Edmonton
 

My oldest daughter is 10 1/2 just now and is the double of Merida from Brave right down to the fiery red hair,she is a good girl but you know yourself how they go having a teenage daughter lol.
My 8 year old daughter is 9 in June and is a moody one that finds getting a row funny which in turn winds up the missus to no end lol.
The 7 year old turned 7 the day we activated our PR(10th April),she is an angel(for now at least).
We live just behind a newly built park and the Mill Creek Ravine area in Edmonton,so plenty to keep them all active now it's a bit warmer for them to get out.

Re: 2 Years in Edmonton
 

I'm from Ayr dude, born and bred :)

That said, we did live in Crosshouse for a couple of years, but let's not talk about that...at least I had my vaccinations beforehand ;)

Re: 2 Years in Edmonton
 

Lol,I had to take one of my kids to hospital for an appointment to Crosshouse once it took us 45mns to get there from Beith,whereas the RAH in Paisley was only a 25mn drive,they wouldn't let me go to the RAH as that is Renfrewshire,wtf does it matter if you are paying taxes its all the same NHS.

Re: 2 Years in Edmonton
 

I lived in Ayrshire for 5 years, was in Girvan and worked in Irvine

Re: 2 Years in Edmonton
 

My dad built the bypass at Irvine in the 70's,we used to go there at weekends,I also made my first attempt at ice skating there at the Magnum leisure center,I learned how to do the splits on ice without trying hahaha.

Re: 2 Years in Edmonton
 

I am hopeless at skating, I get better with a few drinks, but too much drink and then Im rubbish again. I use to spend some time in Stranraer and Port Patrick as well.

Re: 2 Years in Edmonton
 

Well on Friday the missus went for another scan and we found out that we are going to have a boy :)
I had actually given up on the hope of having a boy,but there you go an heir to throne at last!
The anti sickness pills are still working on the missus so the pregnancy is going really well this time.

Re: 2 Years in Edmonton
 

Congrats buddy :)