3 Years in Winnipeg
Jul 7th 2016, 2:49 pm
#1
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Location: Winnipeg
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3 Years in Winnipeg
Just passed my 3 year Canniversary and thought this year I would mark the occasion.
When we came here this was not the first time we had emigrated - first time was Scotland to Australia, but when the work dried up for my husband after 6 & 1/2 years the company offered to relocate us to Canada we thought why not?
We had never visited Australia before emigrating and neither of us had visited Canada either. But we are always willing to give things a shot.
Everything was last minute - from the moment we were told we could do it to arriving here was less than a month.
In that time we sold our house (although fortunately that had already been in the pipeline anyway - the sale went through a week before we left) packed our bags and shipped our goods.
My husband was lucky enough to be eligible for Intra company transfer so we literally boarded the plane(s) for a 30 hour/4 plane journey from Melbourne, just clutching some paperwork and very much hoping the border guard was going to be nice to 2 jetlagged parents and a very grumpy 2 year old.
Fortunately things went very smoothly, we got our TWP's and we launched ourselves into our Winnipeg adventure.
I'm not going to lie, that first year was hard, trying to make new friends as a stay at home mum is hard. And that first winter was the harshest Winnipeg had experienced in 100 years with around 40 days where the windchill dipped below -40C (even now when Canadians find out that was our first winter here they apologise lol).
Frozen eyelashes was certainly a new experience (rookie note, waterproof mascara is a must in these circumstances
)
The plus side to that was the last 2 winters, while we still had to be mindful of frostbite conditions, have seemed a breeze in comparison.
While the winters are very cold we just embrace it - we all took skating lessons, got rugged up and got out there and enjoyed it.
My, now 5 year old, loves the winter. Skating on frozen ponds, tobogganing and building snowmen in winter (and a guaranteed white Christmas) is a stark, but welcome contrast from Australia and even Scotland.
Summers are beautiful here - this city has so much going on and while we were only temporary residents we decided to act like tourists and crammed so much into our days taking advantage of every opportunity. The opportunity to get out to the lake beaches and surrounding countryside are great.
July 2014 we applied for PR - at that time there was no express entry so we had to do the long hard slog. Finally it got granted in December last year.
That was a long period of uncertainty where we felt we couldn't quite commit to Canada until 'they committed to us' but now assuming the work holds up, we are in for the foreseeable future and just recently started construction on a new house.
My daughter is due to start kindergarten in the fall and is now correcting our pronunciation on words such as tomato and zebra.
As an Australian with Scottish parents living in Canada she has got a nice varied heritage. Hopefully we can become Canadian citizens in the future.
So to sum up - a journey into the complete unknown, which we have embraced and are currently enjoying.
When we came here this was not the first time we had emigrated - first time was Scotland to Australia, but when the work dried up for my husband after 6 & 1/2 years the company offered to relocate us to Canada we thought why not?
We had never visited Australia before emigrating and neither of us had visited Canada either. But we are always willing to give things a shot.
Everything was last minute - from the moment we were told we could do it to arriving here was less than a month.
In that time we sold our house (although fortunately that had already been in the pipeline anyway - the sale went through a week before we left) packed our bags and shipped our goods.
My husband was lucky enough to be eligible for Intra company transfer so we literally boarded the plane(s) for a 30 hour/4 plane journey from Melbourne, just clutching some paperwork and very much hoping the border guard was going to be nice to 2 jetlagged parents and a very grumpy 2 year old.
Fortunately things went very smoothly, we got our TWP's and we launched ourselves into our Winnipeg adventure.
I'm not going to lie, that first year was hard, trying to make new friends as a stay at home mum is hard. And that first winter was the harshest Winnipeg had experienced in 100 years with around 40 days where the windchill dipped below -40C (even now when Canadians find out that was our first winter here they apologise lol).
Frozen eyelashes was certainly a new experience (rookie note, waterproof mascara is a must in these circumstances
)The plus side to that was the last 2 winters, while we still had to be mindful of frostbite conditions, have seemed a breeze in comparison.
While the winters are very cold we just embrace it - we all took skating lessons, got rugged up and got out there and enjoyed it.
My, now 5 year old, loves the winter. Skating on frozen ponds, tobogganing and building snowmen in winter (and a guaranteed white Christmas) is a stark, but welcome contrast from Australia and even Scotland.
Summers are beautiful here - this city has so much going on and while we were only temporary residents we decided to act like tourists and crammed so much into our days taking advantage of every opportunity. The opportunity to get out to the lake beaches and surrounding countryside are great.
July 2014 we applied for PR - at that time there was no express entry so we had to do the long hard slog. Finally it got granted in December last year.
That was a long period of uncertainty where we felt we couldn't quite commit to Canada until 'they committed to us' but now assuming the work holds up, we are in for the foreseeable future and just recently started construction on a new house.
My daughter is due to start kindergarten in the fall and is now correcting our pronunciation on words such as tomato and zebra.
As an Australian with Scottish parents living in Canada she has got a nice varied heritage. Hopefully we can become Canadian citizens in the future.
So to sum up - a journey into the complete unknown, which we have embraced and are currently enjoying.
Jul 8th 2016, 12:23 pm
#2
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Joined: Jan 2008
Location: Moncton, NB, CANADA
Posts: 50,853
Re: 3 Years in Winnipeg
Jul 8th 2016, 1:03 pm
#3
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Joined: Dec 2008
Location: Winnipeg
Posts: 1,497
Jul 8th 2016, 1:07 pm
#4
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Joined: Dec 2008
Location: Winnipeg
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Re: 3 Years in Winnipeg
You'd be surprised with a 5 year old - not many animals beginning with Z - but yes we get a row every day for tomayto.
An Australian, using Scottish words and phrases with a Canadian accent. Should be confusing enough for people.
An Australian, using Scottish words and phrases with a Canadian accent. Should be confusing enough for people.
Jul 8th 2016, 10:00 pm
#5
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Joined: Dec 2004
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Re: 3 Years in Winnipeg
Just passed my 3 year Canniversary and thought this year I would mark the occasion.
When we came here this was not the first time we had emigrated - first time was Scotland to Australia, but when the work dried up for my husband after 6 & 1/2 years the company offered to relocate us to Canada we thought why not?
We had never visited Australia before emigrating and neither of us had visited Canada either. But we are always willing to give things a shot.
Everything was last minute - from the moment we were told we could do it to arriving here was less than a month.
In that time we sold our house (although fortunately that had already been in the pipeline anyway - the sale went through a week before we left) packed our bags and shipped our goods.
My husband was lucky enough to be eligible for Intra company transfer so we literally boarded the plane(s) for a 30 hour/4 plane journey from Melbourne, just clutching some paperwork and very much hoping the border guard was going to be nice to 2 jetlagged parents and a very grumpy 2 year old.
Fortunately things went very smoothly, we got our TWP's and we launched ourselves into our Winnipeg adventure.
I'm not going to lie, that first year was hard, trying to make new friends as a stay at home mum is hard. And that first winter was the harshest Winnipeg had experienced in 100 years with around 40 days where the windchill dipped below -40C (even now when Canadians find out that was our first winter here they apologise lol).
Frozen eyelashes was certainly a new experience (rookie note, waterproof mascara is a must in these circumstances)
The plus side to that was the last 2 winters, while we still had to be mindful of frostbite conditions, have seemed a breeze in comparison.
While the winters are very cold we just embrace it - we all took skating lessons, got rugged up and got out there and enjoyed it.
My, now 5 year old, loves the winter. Skating on frozen ponds, tobogganing and building snowmen in winter (and a guaranteed white Christmas) is a stark, but welcome contrast from Australia and even Scotland.
Summers are beautiful here - this city has so much going on and while we were only temporary residents we decided to act like tourists and crammed so much into our days taking advantage of every opportunity. The opportunity to get out to the lake beaches and surrounding countryside are great.
July 2014 we applied for PR - at that time there was no express entry so we had to do the long hard slog. Finally it got granted in December last year.
That was a long period of uncertainty where we felt we couldn't quite commit to Canada until 'they committed to us' but now assuming the work holds up, we are in for the foreseeable future and just recently started construction on a new house.
My daughter is due to start kindergarten in the fall and is now correcting our pronunciation on words such as tomato and zebra.
As an Australian with Scottish parents living in Canada she has got a nice varied heritage. Hopefully we can become Canadian citizens in the future.
So to sum up - a journey into the complete unknown, which we have embraced and are currently enjoying.
When we came here this was not the first time we had emigrated - first time was Scotland to Australia, but when the work dried up for my husband after 6 & 1/2 years the company offered to relocate us to Canada we thought why not?
We had never visited Australia before emigrating and neither of us had visited Canada either. But we are always willing to give things a shot.
Everything was last minute - from the moment we were told we could do it to arriving here was less than a month.
In that time we sold our house (although fortunately that had already been in the pipeline anyway - the sale went through a week before we left) packed our bags and shipped our goods.
My husband was lucky enough to be eligible for Intra company transfer so we literally boarded the plane(s) for a 30 hour/4 plane journey from Melbourne, just clutching some paperwork and very much hoping the border guard was going to be nice to 2 jetlagged parents and a very grumpy 2 year old.
Fortunately things went very smoothly, we got our TWP's and we launched ourselves into our Winnipeg adventure.
I'm not going to lie, that first year was hard, trying to make new friends as a stay at home mum is hard. And that first winter was the harshest Winnipeg had experienced in 100 years with around 40 days where the windchill dipped below -40C (even now when Canadians find out that was our first winter here they apologise lol).
Frozen eyelashes was certainly a new experience (rookie note, waterproof mascara is a must in these circumstances
)The plus side to that was the last 2 winters, while we still had to be mindful of frostbite conditions, have seemed a breeze in comparison.
While the winters are very cold we just embrace it - we all took skating lessons, got rugged up and got out there and enjoyed it.
My, now 5 year old, loves the winter. Skating on frozen ponds, tobogganing and building snowmen in winter (and a guaranteed white Christmas) is a stark, but welcome contrast from Australia and even Scotland.
Summers are beautiful here - this city has so much going on and while we were only temporary residents we decided to act like tourists and crammed so much into our days taking advantage of every opportunity. The opportunity to get out to the lake beaches and surrounding countryside are great.
July 2014 we applied for PR - at that time there was no express entry so we had to do the long hard slog. Finally it got granted in December last year.
That was a long period of uncertainty where we felt we couldn't quite commit to Canada until 'they committed to us' but now assuming the work holds up, we are in for the foreseeable future and just recently started construction on a new house.
My daughter is due to start kindergarten in the fall and is now correcting our pronunciation on words such as tomato and zebra.
As an Australian with Scottish parents living in Canada she has got a nice varied heritage. Hopefully we can become Canadian citizens in the future.
So to sum up - a journey into the complete unknown, which we have embraced and are currently enjoying.
Jul 9th 2016, 2:12 am
#6
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Joined: Dec 2008
Location: Winnipeg
Posts: 1,497
Re: 3 Years in Winnipeg
Visited 3 weeks after coming back from Disney and the little one proclaimed Tinkertown the 'best place ever'! Think of the money we could've saved...
Jul 9th 2016, 3:02 am
#7
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Location: A Briton, married to a Canadian, now in Fredericton.
Posts: 4,854
Re: 3 Years in Winnipeg
What a very nice post may you and your family continue to be happy!
Very best wishes
may you and your family continue to be happy! Very best wishes
Jul 9th 2016, 3:16 am
#8
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Joined: Feb 2013
Location: BC, Canada
Posts: 3,874
Re: 3 Years in Winnipeg
definitely a winter to remember! The rest of Canada marvelled at the Winnipeggers!
Welcome!!
We were there last October, specifically to go to the new Museum and to have dinner with an old school friend of OH's who has lived in Winnipeg and area since 1967 ................. our paths crossed at Expo 67 in Montreal.
We and friend and his wife were all emigrating and they were spending just 12 hours in Montreal, so what luck that our paths crossed! They went on to Brandon, and we went down to Texas before coming up to Canada 1 year later.
We ride the train across Canada ever other Christmas and have watched the Museum for Human Rights being built, and decided we finally had to go. It's well worth a visit .......... but harrowing.
Welcome!!
We were there last October, specifically to go to the new Museum and to have dinner with an old school friend of OH's who has lived in Winnipeg and area since 1967 ................. our paths crossed at Expo 67 in Montreal.
We and friend and his wife were all emigrating and they were spending just 12 hours in Montreal, so what luck that our paths crossed! They went on to Brandon, and we went down to Texas before coming up to Canada 1 year later.
We ride the train across Canada ever other Christmas and have watched the Museum for Human Rights being built, and decided we finally had to go. It's well worth a visit .......... but harrowing.
Jul 9th 2016, 4:58 pm
#9
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Thread Starter
Joined: Dec 2008
Location: Winnipeg
Posts: 1,497
Re: 3 Years in Winnipeg
definitely a winter to remember! The rest of Canada marvelled at the Winnipeggers!
Welcome!!
We were there last October, specifically to go to the new Museum and to have dinner with an old school friend of OH's who has lived in Winnipeg and area since 1967 ................. our paths crossed at Expo 67 in Montreal.
We and friend and his wife were all emigrating and they were spending just 12 hours in Montreal, so what luck that our paths crossed! They went on to Brandon, and we went down to Texas before coming up to Canada 1 year later.
We ride the train across Canada ever other Christmas and have watched the Museum for Human Rights being built, and decided we finally had to go. It's well worth a visit .......... but harrowing.
Welcome!!
We were there last October, specifically to go to the new Museum and to have dinner with an old school friend of OH's who has lived in Winnipeg and area since 1967 ................. our paths crossed at Expo 67 in Montreal.
We and friend and his wife were all emigrating and they were spending just 12 hours in Montreal, so what luck that our paths crossed! They went on to Brandon, and we went down to Texas before coming up to Canada 1 year later.
We ride the train across Canada ever other Christmas and have watched the Museum for Human Rights being built, and decided we finally had to go. It's well worth a visit .......... but harrowing.
And the view from the top in winter over the frozen river is stunning.
I would love to do the cross country train sometime but will have to wait til kiddo is old enough to appreciate it - I think a 5 year old may struggle with sitting still that long lol
Jul 9th 2016, 8:35 pm
#10
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Posts: 17
Re: 3 Years in Winnipeg
Great post!
Nice to hear from other people in Winnipeg. I agree about the nose hairs!
Love the Summer, spoilt for things to do and every weekend feels like a holiday. I really love living here and although some people don't think it's a pretty place I have to say that the Exchange District and the Forks can hold their own.
The house prices are reasonable in Winnipeg and even better if you live just outside the perimeter. Not a big fan of downtown. I work there and I am always glad to get home as I take the bus which isn't the most pleasant of experiences.
Nice to hear from other people in Winnipeg. I agree about the nose hairs!
Love the Summer, spoilt for things to do and every weekend feels like a holiday. I really love living here and although some people don't think it's a pretty place I have to say that the Exchange District and the Forks can hold their own.
The house prices are reasonable in Winnipeg and even better if you live just outside the perimeter. Not a big fan of downtown. I work there and I am always glad to get home as I take the bus which isn't the most pleasant of experiences.
Jul 12th 2016, 7:09 pm
#11
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Posts: 308
Re: 3 Years in Winnipeg
Glad everything worked out, and continues to work out well for you
Jul 15th 2016, 10:31 am
#12
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Re: 3 Years in Winnipeg
Everything was last minute - from the moment we were told we could do it to arriving here was less than a month.
In that time we sold our house (although fortunately that had already been in the pipeline anyway - the sale went through a week before we left) packed our bags and shipped our goods.
Jul 18th 2016, 2:49 am
#13
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Re: 3 Years in Winnipeg
Yes, just a tad stressful - the sale didn't actually go unconditional until we were in the air and we had to set up a power of attorney before we left just in case anything went wrong and papers needed signing! Happy days
