Bevm

I lived in a beautiful part of Canada, so it's not either or, but I now have lovely views (I'm a sea person, not a mountain person), a better way of living to my mind (more variety within a short journey and overall more vibrant), I think the school system overall is better in the UK (higher standards), and there's enough seasons for me! I hope if you get there you enjoy 5 months of snow and ice, but I never did. Did you know it can snow in Calgary any time of year? It has a weird climate. Watch the climate there daily as you make your choices. It's what we did in planning to come home.

I will say, I think that apart from the Rockies, England has all the landscape that Canada has, just more condensed, so it's easier to get to.

As for big houses, if you're in a tiny home, perhaps you mean enough bedrooms for your family, but if you mean a 5 bedroom suburban mansion, it's each to their own. I don't like the way of life in a modern suburb where one drives to everything, even to get a bit of milk and the parents run a constant taxi service for their kids, and Calgary's notorious for sprawling suburbs. The outer fringes are where the cheaper houses are. Cheap is only cheaper relative to where you are in the UK. A big house in Victoria would probably be close to a million dollars. Ditto Vancouver, Toronto, inner Ottawa et al

Canadians like us well enough -- except some of the Quebecois(e) -- but it is a foreign country. Things are different. Be prepared. But we had plenty of good times there. Go for the adventure, not in search of heaven.

Why are we back? For change and adventure. Are we liking it? Overall, yes. What's better about the UK? It's just so much more alive and interesting. Short train journeys can take us almost anywhere. There's something different a few miles down the road. Even BBC radio is constantly interesting, whereas CBC rarely is. I keep getting behind on things I should be doing because I don't want to stop listening to a programme.

It's all very personal, but it's a big mistake to think one option is better than the other overall. Where are you living in the UK? Have you thought of moving somewhere else here first?

Bev

Aviator

Funny you should say that, I met him last week. Very nice chap, has a good job and 26 children, cannot remember their names though. He told me how much he liked Canada, how easy it was to find a job and how charming everyone was.

That was you?

dbd33

I know a real Brit called Amrit who has an 'arder London accent than what I do. He's done well in Canada but he's in Toronto where there's little need to make contact with the unhyphenated.

wheatsheaf

Yep, there's quite a few Abduls and Amrits in Canada with London, Glaswegian and even Dublin accents. All have the 'trustee' of British values attitude. I wonder though, whether they are accepted and understood in an insular Canada?. I recall days following shortly after 9/11. There was an "Amrit" type character with a turban in the office next door. His manager called the cops, as she felt it her duty to report him as a potential 'you know what'. A month later he was 'let go" without proper reason. Never heard from again. Also have known an "Abdul" type. Committed suicide a year after because he felt he was being isolated after 9/11. Pity of it all is that Canadians woo all and sundry at a political level, whilst at a social level, joe bloe hasnt a clue...even at an ice rink!!!

Yoong

Hi Jackie.
Have a look at the MDA website,it is a non profit self help organization. Our ex patients had benefitted from the education and support from them.
You can contact the organizer of the support group in your area and have
a chat with her for more information.I went through the website and found their newsletters consisting of peoples' lifestories ,education ,resources and found them useful to those who would consider becoming a member.


http://www.mdabc.net/help/membership.php
Good luck.
Yoong

dreamchaser

Hi, I feel the same, suck here in Canada. I miss home, and so want to go back, but its the job situation that bothers me..... but, it will come to a point, that i think i will just bite the bullet and leave..............

jonfrank123

Or try being an Anglo in Quebec, that is the lowest of the low.

Lemonfish

Don't you think that's a bit harsh?

I actually have a good job here and my OH has been able to find one too. But we didn't get those only because we have good UK experience and we interview well. It also has to do with a certain amount of luck, being in the right place at the right time and so on.

Some people have come here and been unlucky, and just haven't had the breaks. Others do face genuine discrimination in their area of work or the area in which they live because of tight local networks they cannot break into. The fact that there are many exceptions to this does not mean it does not exist.

I know of incidents here where people have been included in projects because they have a francophone name. Rightly or wrongly, short of changing your name, there's not much you can do about it.

I've seen people on here assuming that because someone hasn't found work it must be their fault. I hope that they never find themselves in the same situation.

Aviator

No.

It is no good blaming everyone else and a culture. Not getting a job can be demoralizing and there could be a number of reasons why. Self evaluation is an important part of the process if you are not having much success. Obviously something is not right, it is doubtful that it is a global conspiracy. Some people have the skills, but don't interview as well as others, some are not looking in the right place, some don't like knocking on doors and networking, the resume may not be as good as it could be from the employers prospective. One spelling mistake can be all it takes. These are all things we can change and have control over.

Sometimes we get dozens of applicants for a job, many of whom do not understand or read the requirements. We cannot interview everyone and more and more employees are coming through existing contacts. We don't have a need to advertise a job when we can fill the position though contacts. As a business our concern is filling a postion with someone we think can best do the job, not searching the planet in case we missed someone better. We'll do that if we have no success through our connections. If someone cold calls who is qualified and we have nothing, we may end up passing it along to a colleague who is looking. Do not underestimate the value of building a network. Cold calling and meeting prospective employers, joining social groups, the more people who know you are looking the more chance you have. Waiting for the right job to come out in the paper can be a hard game to play. Get out and meet people.

Discrimination does exist, but not everywhere. The job you mentioned that someone with a French sounding name got, an Anglo Canadian presumably would not have got it either. It takes time, but I don't know of an immigrant who has never managed to get a job. Many after a period of time begin to work their way up to a level they were at before or better. Many have also started new careers, from opportunities they would not have had in the old country.

Like many I have been through it. I don't ever recall blaming Canada, just some employers are not as good as others, same everywhere.

ann m

All these recent comments are similar to another thread running in the Canada section at the moment.

I would be interested Aviator, to know if you personally accept cold calls, or do you have someone in your company that will hear these poor souls out? It seems a repeated comment that many people cannot get past computerised answering systems, voicemails or stonewalling receptionists.

Sometimes networking, and especially in this climate, is just bloody hard work

Aviator

Sure I would see them. It is such a rarity that anyone shows the initiative that I think it would pique my interest. If a letter came through (not E-mail or fax) or phone call and the person asked for me by name, I would speak to them. If they asked for help and wanted to meet for a chat, I'd gladly do that. Others did it for me. Just asking for help can be enough to get a face to face meeting with someone, you never know where it may lead. I have done this on many occasions, some work out others come to nothing, but valuable information was gained.

We take every applicant on face value, so long as they can do the job, it does not matter where they come from. I think our place is more like the UN at times, but we all get along and do a good job. I have had bad experiences of lazy immigrants and lazy Canadians, neither of which lasted long. We have a great work group now in multiple nationalities.

My suggestion to anyone trying to get through is to do as much research as possible. Put a presentation together that stands out from the crowd, address it to the right person by name; be nice to the receptionist if there is one, ask for help if you need it. Don't take it personally if you hear nothing, that's the way it is here. Follow up with a call, ask for a meeting. Even if there are no jobs then, if they will meet with you its another contact. Trade events, chambers of commerce, events where the people you want to talk to go. Too many people these days rely to heavily on E-mail and electronic means of communication as it is cheap and easier, but often less effective.

Networking is hard work, so is making sales, but our customers won't buy much if we don't make the effort to try and sell. Networking and job hunting is selling your skills and experience to a prospective employer. More often than not employers have a choice and will (should) go for the most suitable candidate with the lowest cost attached.

I regularly look in the jobs wanted section on here too.

ann m

Thank you for your reply. I wonder if you are exception to the rule though?

Bevm

Aviator, thanks for that. It's a good reminder.

As for it working, one of my sons got his job by writing to some companies and asking to visit and talk to people. He did it by e-mail and didn't have names, but he presented a good case and showed his knowledge and enthusiasm for the sort of work. It's probably not surprising that the place that responded and hired him was a smaller, hands-on sort of company, but he has a good job that he enjoys.

Bev

Mistress Miggins

I sooo get what you are saying about the UK being alive, but totally disagree with the education system here, I think we parents have a huge amount of responsibility with regards to how our children's education goes, and when my kids are in classes that are half the size of the UK, I can't help but conclude the system here is better. Although I would return to the UK and my social life, my lovely home and career in a second........the problem is, would I still want to bring my children up there? I honestly don't know.

Bevm

Were your children in school in the UK? I'm just curious. I can only go by friends' and family's opinion of current UK schooling.

I'm not as convinced as many that class size is crucial. I was mostly taught in large classes and didn't suffer from it. Better chance to read in the back row.

Are your children in French immersion or English with core French. In many places French immersion has seriously damaged the content in the English streams, and I happen to have problems with the whole concept of French immersion. Whole other subject.

I found there was a lot of redundancy and repetition in the Canadian syllabus and less striving for excellence in academics, which I do see in some schools here. I think the lack of something like the exams here and the SATs in the States is a real problem. There should be a national exam. Everyone complains here about Offsteds etc, but Canadian schools have very little outside supervision and can get away with atrocious sloppiness. Apart from sports, there seem to be less extra curricular activities and trips.

But this is absolutely only my opinion. I'm sure schools are different area by area everywhere.

Perhaps other people here who've experiences both systems with their kids can chip in.

Bev