Hello
Is there any plumbers in the forum?
Was thinking of applying to immigrate and just trying to get heads up on construction industry and job prospects around BC, and Canada as a whole.
Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
Cheers

( In the voice of Stephen Fry ) "Grammar dear boy.... oh Lor"

I'm a newer member and others may well offer more useful advice (and I don't know about plumbing opportunities anyway) but from my experience so far (I have been living in Ottawa the last couple of months) I would definitely have a job lined up beforehand. Not only does it help with points, but we have found it quite expensive to live here and without a job, just the cost of living would quickly eat away at any savings you may have.

We found the immigration fairs quite useful (see the Emigrate Now website for example).

Hello
Thanks for that advice. I take it you are struggling to find work over there? out of interest what do you do for a living?

Cheers

We came here because my partner was offered a job by a Canadian company and they had to apply for an LMO so he could get a work permit. So we are ok, but were surprised by the cost of living here. Also I have heard of other people who have come to look for work whilst here and found it difficult, but obviously it depends on the occupation demand in the region you move to. As for myself, all the companies in the industry in which I am experienced are located in Toronto, which is too far for me to commute. In Ottawa, many office jobs require fluent French, so I am stuck with a shop assistant job - not that I am not grateful to have been offered a job but it isn't what I had hoped for.

Good luck and don't forget the emigration shows - they are a useful place to start.

Hi there,

I work in the industry here in Calgary and while there is a good enough market for plumbers, you would really need to have a job offer.

The pay is pretty decent here (probably the best in Canada outside of remote locations), the work is not too strenuous if you're coming from the UK but you will need to sit your Red Seal trade exam while you're here. It is pretty passable.

If you want to send me a message I can give you the names of some companies that may be hiring.

Pay rates in BC will be considerably lower in BC with a very high cost of living, but some people prefer it to avoid the harsh weather. Not sure if there are many big jobs going on in Vancouver but it would be worth contacting some companies there to test the water.