Moving back to UK from Canada
 

Hello all

I moved to canada in 2010, to Toronto, since then i have a good job with a good pension, married and have a good house. I am however always homesick and miss Scotland. I was born in edinburgh and moved over when i was 25, and now i need to convince my canadian wife to move.

I am tired of it here, its overcrowded, taxes are getting crazy and driving is really really frustrating.

I miss the little things about the UK - the landscape, being close to the ocean, less overcrowded and simply going to the pub for a pint and ordering at the bar.

I will have to give up a lot and its seems crazy so im wondering if anyone has regretted moving back or can give me advice on this

thanks

Joe

Re: Moving back to UK from Canada
 

Could you both take a long holiday back to see if it suits you both? It wont give a perfect picture but will give an idea.

Re: Moving back to UK from Canada
 

Joe,

Before you plan to move back to the UK, you should consider getting Canadian citizenship if you qualify for it and not already done so. This will make any return to Canada easier.

If you feel homesick in Canada, why not join the local Scottish society to meet fellow Scots in Canada?

Caledonian, Scottish and St Andrew's Societies

You will also need to think about the wife - spouse visa for her in order to move to the UK with you.

Re: Moving back to UK from Canada
 

Just watched the UK tv programme Location Location this week and they had a couple in a similar situation you find yourself in, they did a few extended stays in Edinburgh and finally decided it was the place for them and their young son, they finally bought near to Edinburgh (as their young son went to school there) but also very near to the coast, maybe you could do the same ie try a long extended stay and see how you both like it.

Re: Moving back to UK from Canada
 

I always thought Toronto was a very livable city. But housing costs (as in practically every big Canadian city) are outrageous. Taxes are high, but govt health care is excellent. People crossing into the US to bring back cheaper goods is the norm.

But you have to be where your heart is.

Re: Moving back to UK from Canada
 

Let me add my two pennies worth...My wife and I came to Canada in 2004 and became Citizens in 2009. We started in NB and gradually moved west via Winnipeg...we are now in Edmonton AB. We have decided to return to the UK by early 2019...Ask us why?...We hate the fact that this country is populated by a vast majority of people who do not accept responsibility for their own actions, it's always someone else's fault and not their own. Also there is a sense of entitlement here that is so in-grained in the culture that law enforcement agencies are made to almost apologize for doing their job. My wife and I do jobs where we deal with the public face to face on mass everyday, it's like dealing with spoilt children who when they don't get the answer they want...they throw their toys out of the pram!...WARNING...CANADA IS A NATION OF 35 MILLION KIDS...AND WE ARE OFF BACK TO THE UK. Finally we are both PRO-Brexit!

Re: Moving back to UK from Canada
 

I'd like to borrow that for a Maple Leaf topic. But before I do, could you explain your interpretation of it for me.

Re: Moving back to UK from Canada
 

No...and if you don't see it...than ya blind!

Re: Moving back to UK from Canada
 

https://lonerwolf.com/sense-of-entitlement/

:confused:

Re: Moving back to UK from Canada
 

From Steve of 5-0
Also there is a sense of entitlement here that is so in-grained in the culture

With all due respect, that is so rich coming from a Brit.

Re: Moving back to UK from Canada
 

I am a Brit yes! We accept responsibility if we are late for work one morning. We do not blame...the Tim Hortons line for making us late...Canadians need to work out that if they get their arses out of bed ten minutes earlier...that would solve it!

Re: Moving back to UK from Canada
 

Oh Wow, is that really the best you can do? At least the person you describe is working and not, as a goodly number of Brits reportedly do, live off the UK taxpayers, some apparently at almost middle-class levels. Entitlement at its highest level I propose.

Re: Moving back to UK from Canada
 

I am new here and probably should just chime into this but can I just say;
I do not know whether you have been back here in the UK recently, but there are a stunning amount of people in this country with a massive sense of entitlement. This extend from the general public, who for example despite been told they should stay at home because they have a cold turn up at GP Practices and demand antibiotics that they are told will not work, to those that do not pay their rent and then demand rehoming (and getting it) when they are served with court orders. Everywhere you turn there is someone else that wants to be spoon fed everything.

The sense of entitlement stretches all the way through to things like Brexit. We are not a powerful world player anymore, people are not going to queue up to do business with UK PLC, we just feel like we are entitled to it, because we are British.

There is also a massive lack of a work ethic in this country. Don't get me wrong the majority are hardworking, dedicated people, but there are those that do very little but expect things to magically work out for them. There are those that are hampering and abusing the wonderful system that has been creating. The British benefits system is one of the best things in the world, but there are those that see it as a way of life as opposed to the safety net that it is, and because of a few, many are beginning to lose out on the benefits system.
Canada may have its faults (what country doesn't) but it seems a better place to live if you want to get your head down, work hard and get on in life.

Cheers

Mike

Re: Moving back to UK from Canada
 

Oh dear. Sometimes it takes a move away from the UK to really appreciate how great Britain is. I have lived in the US and Canada and IMO neither measure up to the UK.

If you have the opportunity to move...do it...you can always return home.

Re: Moving back to UK from Canada
 

You could absolutely be right. I would be really interested to hear about your experiences in both the US and Canada, it's always helpful to hear from people who have actually been there and done it. Maybe sometimes I cannot see what I have right in front of me. We have some truly wonderful things here, such as the NHS, and generally the people are friendly, great and generous. However some of these things are slowly been eroded. You only have to look at the things the current government are doing to see that we are in danger of losing all that those that came before us worked to build

Re: Moving back to UK from Canada
 

We have been in Canada 11 years now and are seriously calling it a day and returning back to the UK in about 5 years for retirement. My family and I have become disillusioned with Canada especially in BC. We live on Vancouver Island just outside of Victoria having moved from the LM just over 4 years ago and wished we hadn't (culture shock is an understatement). The cost of living is going up so fast I don't see how the average income family can possibly survive here. Most of our major bills have gone up approx. 100% in the time we have been in Canada, food, electricity, property tax, food, wine, insurances and I am not even going to mention property especially in the Lower Mainland and Victoria. Salaries have been static for many years and being eroded by inflation plus. We share some of the sentiments of Steve where there is a strong feeling of entitlement here, nepotism is rife (both my wife and I have seen many examples of this), people seem to be getting ruder as their 'property wealth' increases and have less time for others. The government both Provincial (being run by developers) and Federal seem clueless and totally corrupt (no different from what we have come to expect from politicians everywhere) at least I understand what a thief-tom is now..!! Canada is hardly short on space but they seem to be pushing families should no longer expect to live in a single family home anymore. Ugly condos and towers are springing up like mushrooms destroying the landscape, no infrastructure (new schools, viable public transport, play areas). Traffic is horrendous and only going to get much worse with no forward planning with public transit etc. We are one of the lucky families, my wife and I have very good government jobs plus a company pension from the UK and a very small mortgage. The quality of life seems to be dropping rapidly from when we first moved to Canada. Just going out for a beer is getting outrageously expensive. We went back to the UK this summer and it was the first time we noticed a big change in the cost of living in the UK compared to Canada. Normally when we visited the UK we couldn't wait to get back to Canada but not this time. We found the Brits much more friendly than they are in BC and really missed the British culture. We took in a week in Greece as well and found the same thing. Now looking towards retirement we are seriously considering moving back to the UK probably somewhere on the coast of Cornwall or Devon. Property is far cheaper than where we are now and much of it seems unchanged since we left. We would miss the summers in BC but hope to spend much more time in the sunnier parts of Europe during our retirement.

Re: Moving back to UK from Canada
 

Interesting user name for someone thinking of moving back. We moved back 18 months ago after 29 years in the USA and absolutely love being here. We had a great time in the USA but it is nice to be back among family and be so close to Europe again.

Re: Moving back to UK from Canada
 

We moved out of the UK just before everything went downhill in the last recession. Canada was great then and affordable but seems to be following in the same path downwards. We had some good times but think the best times have gone now. People have got greedy here and we lack of controls in place its running riot. They are destroying its natural beauty and the housing they are building is just awful. We moved here for quality of life but as that gets eroded the reason we came to Canada is no longer here. Fortunately we have made a lot of money in Canada not by design and will be financially independent if we return to the UK.

Re: Moving back to UK from Canada
 

Well, it sounds like you have had some good times in Canada. Hopefully your return to Britain will bring some new pleasant adventures.

Re: Moving back to UK from Canada
 

Good point and I always say that a successful move depends on timing too. 10 years ago you could go to Canada or Australia with no money in your pocket and come back with your pockets full. Now you have to be loaded with cash and will probably come back broke.

Re: Moving back to UK from Canada
 

Yes agreed, perhaps not 10 years ago in Australia but closer to 15.

Re: Moving back to UK from Canada
 

True, I forgot it's nearly 2018:ohmy:.

Re: Moving back to UK from Canada
 

Interesting perspectives from everyone. :nod:

I was a Brit ex-pat up until late 2015 and now I'm a Canadian Ex-pat, but within 12 months I will be a Brit ex-pat again.

We moved in 2007 before the recession when the exchange rate was really in our favour and I had a good job to go to. We lived outside Waterloo (between TO & London), so edge of a city but not one I'd say was over crowded. We had a great life, we returned for family reasons at the time and I had lost my job in 2014 and was working for myself and could do it anywhere.

We moved back at the wrong time, exchange rates were perhaps the same as 2007 but the UK was coming quickly out of recession (in our perspective) house prices that were depressed between 2008 and 2014 have shot up in our neck of the woods, job availability for the over 50 is HARD - I've not been able to get back on the career ladder and work in retail but its a lifestyle change which is liveable, my wife still works for the same Canadian company here.

But we're going back, although ProBrexit I'm totally fed up with the politics and EU, and fear the length of time before we're really free of them. I love being with the friends and few family we have here but we sat down and looked at things real hard and decided that we would just be happier back in Canada (more friends, better housing, more space (easy to get away to the peace and quiet of the cottage).

The rates have worsened, there was a big house price increase in the 12 months after we left but things have stabilised, the biggest thing for me though is the job opportunities have been coming thick and fast, Canada or at least the businesses in the Silicon Valley of the North appreciate age and experience.... and my pension fund is in $CAD so there wont be income fluctuations when I officially retire.

Thats just one more perspective I wanted to share

Re: Moving back to UK from Canada
 

We've been in Canada for 17 years & are calling it a day, not because we especially dislike the place (although I am homesick), but for family reasons. Sure there are good & bad people here, thankfully more good than bad, but that's true of the UK too.

Good luck with whatever decision you come to.

Re: Moving back to UK from Canada
 

Totally. At least we are the former!;):goodpost:

Re: Moving back to UK from Canada
 

Its good to hear everyones experience good and bad. Thats what the forum is all about. Thanks for sharing your experience.

Re: Moving back to UK from Canada
 

I moved to Toronto, Canada in 2006, married my Canadian spouse in 2007, and submitted an application for PR (for me only) at some point after that. At the start of 2011, CIC informed me that my application had been cancelled because my ex-wife in the UK had refused to have medicals done for our teenage children even though they weren't included on the application. I'd even offered to pay for the medicals and transportation.

A couple of months later, I returned to the Uk. Eventually, after 3 years, we moved to Malta to live together. We returned to the UK, but due to the uncertainty over Brexit (both of us voted Remain) we're seriously looking at returning to Toronto in 2019.

Re: Moving back to UK from Canada
 

I moved to Canada in 2000 with my Canadian wife. At the time, my son from a previous relationship, who wasn't accompanying, also had to go through the immigration process (medicals etc), although I was lucky enough to have a cooperative ex.
We're now planning to move back to the UK. Go figure.....

Re: Moving back to UK from Canada
 

I'm moving back to the UK with my husband this year, after 13 years in Canada. We're moving back because it's been incredibly difficult to find a new job here for me, and there's simply about 10x the jobs in my field in Canada compared to the UK.

My husband is an EP of video games, and like me, there's simply more opportunity. Plus the fact that my Mum & Dad are also getting older.

It's funny that people are concerned about Brexit, when as I do most of my work in the US, our biggest concern is the future of NAFTA and the impact of the current implosion south of the border.

As a couple who live in downtown Toronto, we are also very lucky in that our house has appreciated by more than 300% since I bought it, and moving back to the UK will enable us to either earn more money (living in London) or mortgage free up North.

Re: Moving back to UK from Canada
 

Pretty Flowers, your not from Holmfirth are you? I ask because there is a place there with that unusual name.

Re: Moving back to UK from Canada
 

Some random thoughts on the points in bold.

Having recently moved from Vancouver to Edinburgh, I find the cost of living roughly the same, with no real improvement in living standards. Electricity is more expensive here, (most) food is cheaper. But throw in Council Tax (as a renter) and we're worse off for sure - I realise Property Tax is a serious business for property owners.

Is property on the coast of Devon and Cornwall really much cheaper than The Island? Sooke seems pretty affordable for instance. I agree wholeheartedly about the appalling nature of the real estate market in BC - it's a racket, but hopefully the new provincial Government will try to do something about that. In terms of aesthetics, I'm not sure which is worse - condo towers or bland brick boxes here.

A pint of beer is around 4.50 a pint here now - about $7 which is roughly what I was paying in Vancouver.

Agree people can be more genuine here, but not sure they're friendlier.

All in all I miss BC and we're seriously considering a move back - If you enjoy the lifestyle there then it's simply not attainable in the UK.

And watch out for Brexit (if it's going to happen) - at least Canada doesn't have to contend with that clusterf+ck.

Re: Moving back to UK from Canada
 

We lived in Ontario for a year as permanent residents moving from the states. The cost of living was surprisingly high. I noticed our neighbors and most everyone lived paycheck to paycheck. Some took extra part-time jobs to pay for heating fuel for the home. Daily crossing the border for cheap gas and purchasing essentials was common.

It was not what I expected. However, universal healthcare not tied to profit-making, insurance, and bills was wonderful. Location is often a mixed bag.

Re: Moving back to UK from Canada
 

Yup, you win some, you lose some.

Re: Moving back to UK from Canada
 

unfortunately the wife and me have to move back. We have been here 10 years and are Canadian citizens, I had a good job and the house is nearly paid off. My son and his wife joined us 7 years ago but they have decided to moved back to the UK which leaves me and the wife on a limb. Our health is failing and we are both pensioners and I don't want the wife here by herself if anything happens to me without any family around her. In the 10 years we have been here things have changed which I would expect but it is not as good as it was. The provincial government NDP and the federal government Trudeau are such an embarrassment it really makes it easier to go. We will miss the place no doubt but to look on the positive side we will see the grandchildren grow up and when the move happens we are going on a world trip.

Re: Moving back to UK from Canada
 

Well, that’s interesting. While we were there, we couldn’t stand the Harper government and were waiting for a Liberal comeback, even preferring NDP as a long shot. That partly added to our leaving then. Oh well, everyone has different politics and views on how things should be run.

From what you describe, it makes sense to return to the UK. As we age, the longer we wait the harder to make such a move. It ‘s not easy. And it sounds like everyone is really more rooted in the UK.

Re: Moving back to UK from Canada
 

We have family in Devon and have always enjoyed being in that part of the UK but it didn't have much to offer with employment prospects. Much of it is still unchanged and very pretty. I suppose there are a lot of synergies with the west coast of Vancouver Island and the south west coast of the UK in terms of rugged scenery. We can find a nice ocean view on the coast for around $750k in an excellent location from what we have seen on line. We will be financially independent so no big deal with work etc. Our property in Langford (awful very low-end place between Sooke and Victoria) has gone up nearly 80% in 4 years as people can no longer afford to live in Victoria. Traffic is horrendous getting into Victoria and only going to get much worse with the massive development around these parts. Don't hold your breath about the new NDP Premier sorting out the housing market. He is the Langford MLA and is interested only in himself, the Mayor and his developer buddies (everyone knows this locally). A lot of people thought the Liberals were corrupt but these people are far worse
(I don't have much faith or trust in politicians anywhere including the UK - they are all self serving crooks). He is already going back on his election promises on restricting foreign buyers amongst other things. They are developing the crap out of this place with high density very low-end condos (which is such a shame) and it looks awful in such a beautiful place. As for Sooke there is a reason why it is much cheaper than elsewhere. My daughter has a boyfriend who lives there and I am frequently out that way with work. The only nice thing about that place is the sea views but is often foggy, cold and damp. It does not have much else to offer other than the out doors and even Sooke is being developed intensively. Not sure about the $7 pint of beer (not a sleeve in Vancouver, either; maybe before tax and tip which takes it well over $10 - we were paying <$4 for a pint of Stella in Weatherspoons back in the UK with no tax and tip. Wine was about half the price as in BC. The food is now much cheaper in the UK and with far more choice - we had quite a lot of British food shipped over for Christmas. We have been in Canada 11 years and most things have gone up at least 100% in this time but cannot say the same for salaries which has gone up no more than 10% in the same period, most people will be lucky to get a 1% rise in salary. Our property tax was $3000 when we arrived and now its well over $6000. Electricity was 6c now its 14c per unit and likely to go much higher in the near future, car and house insurances are going up in double digits every year, food is getting very expensive, gas is now the most expensive in North America - just to name a few examples. We never go near Vancouver now unless its with work. The NDP recently took the tolls of the Port Mann and Golden Ears bridges and put the cost to build them on the Provincial debt. The highway is now as bad as its was before and is often jammed with accidents almost every day. If you have not been back to Vancouver for a while you may be shocked with how much everything has gone up and the shear volume of development. The Whitespot Restaurant on Georgia St. recently got sold to developers for $245 million for a 1 acre lot! Interest rates have gone up 3 times in the past few months and they are warning of more to come (this may cool the over heated housing market). Its very expensive, crowded, congested and not easy to get around without a vehicle. More importantly we really miss the British culture - there doesn't seem to be one here in BC. We are watching Brexit (which I support 100%) to see how it unfolds with great interest but hopefully that will be done before I retire in about 5 years so have plenty of time to plan ahead. Still its good to see peoples view of moving back to get a balanced view. Thanks:goodpost:

Re: Moving back to UK from Canada
 

Nope, but from Horsforth originally, so not that far away...

Re: Moving back to UK from Canada
 

Would be nice to have $750k to spend in either location. I always found traffic around the North Shore of Vancouver to be pretty horrendous (due to poor road design) but honestly its got nothing on rush hour in the SE of England. After 4.5 years away I was honestly appalled by how bad it is. I'm sure it's better in the SW though.

Good luck with the move, but I think many of your arguments could easily be made about the UK - salaries in line with inflation etc. Rail fares (re. car insurance), energy prices (which are already way more expensive here). Beer can easily be had for under ten bucks - I'd take a microbrewery in Vancouver over a Wetherspoons any day of the week.

For me the lifestyle and pace of life in BC is what's most appealing. Oh and no Brexit.

Re: Moving back to UK from Canada
 

We lived in the SE of England for over 40 years and a very aware of the problems in this area. Both of us have worked in London, which is why we left the UK before the last recession. Vancouver is catching up fast. Everyday a shooting on the news and a major crash on the highways, not to mention the huge drug problem and gang wars. The major problem in BC is Fentenol overdoses which is killing lots of people. We found most of the pubs in Vancouver area very drab and full of TV's etc not really our cup of tea. Our local Wetherspoons in Rochester is very good we have no complaints and really good beer to. We have some good English stile pubs in Victoria but then they are owned by a Brit! Our car insurance in Victoria is $1500 and add another $500 if we were in the LM with full no claims - hardly cheap. It was $1000 for the same insurance 4 years ago when we arrived in Victoria. Sewage going up 500% over the next few years and expecting another 20% increase in property tax this year on top of the 20% last year. Anyway we don't have to worry about jobs or income and the beauty of retirement is you don't have to get up in rush hour. $750k might and I mean might get you a condo in Vancouver and thats about it. The average single family home in Greater Vancouver peaked at $1.8 million in 2017. Good luck if you return.

Re: Moving back to UK from Canada
 

My wife and I are currently in this dilemma. We came here in 2006. In 2015 I found out I had cancer. It wasn't cancer at first but by the time AHS got to remove the benign lump it became cancerous. I am currently free of cancer but have three tumours still in me. My cancer is also extremely rare (.001 of the world population). We both love it here, we just have to look at the bigger picture and what would happen if I got sick again. We have no family here and my wife doesn't drive. Three days after massive surgery and I am having to drive to the shops. Family also don't come out anymore, parents are in their 70's and don't want to fly. My work was also not very accomadating with my cancer. They made it difficult for me, so I had to resign. We now try to get by on my wife's wages. We sold the car and motorcycle to make it easier financially. We would leave a beautiful house that looks at the Rockies to move in with family back in the UK. Just a difficult decision.