Hi,
I keep seeing letters about why immigrants from England are returning to U.K. from Oz or NZ but was curious if there are any folks who after emigrating to Canada, staying there 2 years or so are now returing back to the U.K.

Could anyone share why they would do that?

Hi Ya, just read your post, we live in Ontario Canada at the mo, I was born in the UK, hubby is Canadian...We are looking into moving back. I'm not sure if you remember 'Calle' 'posts', but it is much the same. I'm a expat, came over young. so right now, I'm feel the pull to move back, it isn't just for family as alot say there are homesick, I missed out on the culture and history etc.
We would like to go while the children are young, it just needs to be the right timing!

What part of Canada are U from?

Well, we lived in Surrey in England then moved to Calgary then Vancouver and then Surrey again. Spent som 4 years in canada in total. But are now thinking again about moving back to Canada - this time it is Ontario.
I am hoping it to be the last time.

Can I ask you what shipping company you used?, I know you were from Vancouver some movers are international for all of Canada.

Surrey is lovely, why on earth do you want to come back to Ontario??, where the winters seem endless....

Utility bills and taxes have gone up so high in England. We are a family of 5 and can afford nothing.In Canada we are hoping for a smaller mortgage.

If you left england more than 3 years ago I would advise that you return for a holiday 1st because things are rapidly...changing here.

Good luck with your decision, What things are rapidly changing?

We used AMJ Campbell I think for taking our stuff from Vancouver to England

I can not write to much because the Mediators will close down this Thread or
ban me from the forum. But package things for you I will say that Optimism is lowest I have ever seen in 20 years, economic outlook for jobs is not good either. I hope I am wrong. England is changing into a beaurocratic cleptocracy ...Now go on close this thread!

We moved here a few months back in the GTA, I can't claim to be an expert on Canada. We settled in OK but financially LONG TERM life here appears a no brainer. We're not missing England or homesick or nothing like that, so its a rational conclusion.

Myth One - Housing is Cheaper Here.
Maybe the "average" property is but It aint cheap here.
A house here in one of the majot cities that Brits are attracted to for work; Van, Tor, Cal would be similar price as back home.
Also a lower wage / higher tax meand your ability to pay the mortgage quicker and build savings will be limited.

Myth Two - Petrol's Cheaper.
It is, but your driving an inefficient auto. Your spend is probably equal to UK week to week. Add car insurance to the cost and you're way over.

Myth Three - Brits bitching about utility costs goin up
Get used to it its the same in Canada. plus you dont have the summer drop in usage as Heating becomes A/C.

Once you start earning / paying CDN $ you see the true costs of living.

Most of our neighbours appear to live month to month and hardly seem to live the outdoor life. Whilst I dont hanker for a bling bling type life theres no way we're gonna live at a lesser level than back in England, where simple stuff we took for granted become luxuries or treats. It just doesnt seem worth it !

OK, the environment is better, dog sh*t free parks etc, but I think that a lot of the things availble here are also available back in Blighty its just we didnt go looking for them as we couldnt be ars*d or the kids were too young at the time.

I think we're best off looking at this move as a opportunity for a life / work experience, essentially a years working holiday. I think perhaps we sawe alot of things through blinkers when we did recce trips.

I don't regret moving here, it was something we always wanted to do.
I can easily fall back into the lifestyle we had in England plus be more appreciative of it.

You are definitely right about the massive hike in house prices in Canada in the last 3 years. All you a saying is what we thought before moving here, and yet after eating lots of curries we seem uncertain.
I also agree that a lot of this perceived value ends up unused. We lived in Vancouver 3 years and went into mountains once a year. You could manage the same in U.K.

I think money prevents a lot of people doing this. I've spoken to a few neighbours and none of them have even been to the local conservation areas which are literally minutes away. They'rre vacations tend to be garage / garden based too !!!

Whereabouts in Ontario were you considering ??

Toronto or maybe even Thunder Bay if I am lucky to get a job there

Hi Ya!
Hope U all like the snow, ice, can get as cold as -20and below, winter in Ontario is colder than, your Vancouver or the UK. It plays havac on the heating bills so that adds on the cost of living. lived in ONtario for awhile and never quite get used to the cold winters. Visited UK in the winter a couple of years ago, and it was a refreshing break, it was mild, little rain, and even saw some flowers.

Thunder Bay is more north, so expect winter to stay longer and colder! Just a bit of reality. It is expensive here.
Cheers

Only -20. Mmmm more like -44 in NW Ontario!! Winter starts November and snow's all gone by end of April. BUt, winter is either an endurance or an opportunity, depending on your attitude. I prefer to see it as a big improvement on dreich drizzly UK winter where all you want to do is stay indoors. Here its cross country skiing, snow mobiling and nordic walking on frozen lakes in beautiful sunshine with blue skies.

Good morning! (Here in Holland anyways!)

I signed up a wee while ago, but I've just been lurking. I'm Canadian with a Dutch fiancee and debating a move to the UK or back home to Canada. This forum has been highly recommended by people from all over because - despite its name - it's the only decent one for those who want to move to the UK or Canada! Interesting stuff, thanks!

I thought I'd chime in because I was born in Ajax, near Toronto, but lived in Thunder Bay most of my life. So I can speak for both ends of the province.

First thing to note: Thunder Bay, or rather, Northern Ontario, should be its own province, for it's a totally different world from Southern Ontario.

I love both for different reasons, but here's some things to consider:

1) Thunder Bay, despite a population of 115,000, is isolated. It's somewhat exhilerating for a visitor, having such natural beauty practically in your backyard, but frustrating for someone who lives there, unless you were born and raised there and all your family and friends live there. Otherwise, you are looking at a nine-hour drive to escape the next city, east or west. (Winnipeg or Sault Ste Marie). The closest city is actually Duluth Minnesota USA, a 4-hour drive southwest. It takes a two-day drive of nine hours each to reach Toronto. And, with only a couple of exceptions, most of that drive is on a two-lane highway, with 50 km at least between towns. Plane fares are ridiculous...At least $400 return to Toronto now by Westjet. And no passenger trains; they've been rerouted northward through Sioux Lookout and Armstrong. Despite ongoing lobbying, Via Rail doesn't find it profitable to go through the city.

2) For those moving there for a job, the economy is not so good. When they say Ontario's economy is great, they rarely consider past Sudbury (Get used to that, most of the province past Sudbury is pretty much ignored by the media and government; so take most statistics and "facts" about "Ontario" with a grain of salt). Thunder Bay has always been primary resource-based, and the papermills and grain elevators that once kept our city thriving are closing. This won't affect the person who is moving there for a job...but if your partner wants to work, it may be a problem. There are few opportunities for workers in creative industries, although administrative and healthcare positions are more plentiful.

3) Toronto has more to offer in recreation and world-class events...be prepared to pay however. That being said, it also has incredible restaurants and outdoor patios. Thunder Bay just doesn't have the infrastructure to support patios, but I can recommend Bistro One and Giorg for great dining experiences. There's lots of stuff for kids to do, but if you have teens, they could get somewhat bored, unless they are into sports (especially ice hockey), and frustrated when they have to travel to Winnipeg or Minneapolis (another nine-hour drive south) to access any concerts that were practically in their backyard back home. (I'm speaking as a former teenager in Thunder Bay, and as a mom of a teenager in Thunder Bay!) (That being said, our annual Blues Festival is not to be missed!) Your university-aged kids have a good college and uni to choose from, but the more extensive course offerings and opportunity to play varsity sports may lure them to Southern Ontario and elsewhere.

4) Weather. Well, I have to say that I sometimes prefer the dry cold winters in Thunder Bay to the wet, bone-chilling so-called warmer weather in Toronto. It will dip to minus 30 in Thunder Bay with a worse windchill, but minus 10 in Toronto with its humidity feels more uncomfortable to me. Cars in Thunder Bay have block heaters so you can plug your car into an electrical outlet outside your house so you can start your car in the morning when the temp dips; not necessarily so in Toronto!

However, Thunder Bay is protected from extremes in temperatures and bad weather due to its situation on Lake Superior. I have, in almost 40 years, never experienced disaster-type weather. The yearly snow storm may close schools for a day, and is a bugger to shovel, but we have the equipment and resources to dig our way out within 24 hours. Toronto had to hire the army!

Summers in Thunder Bay are lovely and dry. It can and has reached into the 30s...but it lacks the humidity and smoggy conditions of Toronto. Again, the lake moderates the temperatures; drive away from the lake and the temperatures automatically rise 10 degrees! And nothing beats a Thunder Bay night when the sun doesn't completely set until 11 pm! Toronto is dark by 9, which was hard to get used to! Of course, in the winter you will go to work in the dark and get up in the dark, but that's in both cities...

5) Real estate...that's the big difference. If you want to buy new, you can find housing in Thunder Bay that costs less than $200,000. Decent resale homes can range from about $120,000 to perhaps $300,000 for the ritziest ones.

Hope that helps somewhat! Happy to answer any questions...

Poly

Thank you very much Polyhymnia/ Read with great interest!