Re: Anyone leaving Canada?
 

Myself and my wife are planning to return to the UK in the next 6 months.

We came to Canada in January 2004 on a work visa and lived in Okotoks south of Calgary for 10 months before becoming homesick and moving back to the UK for six months. We made the mistake of going back to the same town we left (Milton Keynes). Our PR visas arrived in April 2005 and we moved back to the same house in Okotoks, Alberta as it hadn't sold....too easy to return. If the house had sold I don't think we'd have come back.

In August 2006, having got tired of the cold winters and the barren landscape in Alberta we moved to Maple Ridge, British Columbia (about an hour east of Vancouver). We have been back to the UK on holiday since moving to BC and did feel somewhat homesick on the return to Canada.

Over the last few months we've become increasingly disillusioned with life here in Canada and are now planning to return to the UK in about 6 months after building up some more savings- earlier if I can get a transfer to the UK with my present employer. Although Canada is a nice place and the Canadians are nice people, we miss the English way of life, culture, the people and the landscape.

Financially we are comfortable here and have a nice house in a good location but feel we have lost something in the move to Canada and seem to be existing rather than living.

For anyone considering emmigrating from the UK I'd suggest looking at living somewhere else in the UK first as the reason for wanting to leave may be more related to where you're living rather than with the UK itself.

From and Englishman in BC

Re: Anyone leaving Canada?
 

Us people disillusioned with Canada seem to be a rarity. During the 4 years that I lived there every single Brit I spoke to seemed to be happy with Canada.

Re: Anyone leaving Canada?
 

Oh, not my experience.

Certainly there are many people happy with the change, but when we decided to go back we heard a lot of wistfulness. We encountered a lot of people who clearly would like to move back but felt they couldn't.

In many cases it was kids and grandkids. In our case, living in Victoria, our sons are so far east it hardly makes any difference, but if we return it could well be to Halifax for that reason.

In others it was work, and feeling they couldn't get the same back in the UK.

Quite a few older people had heard all the scare stories and believed them but it seemed to me they'd be on the next plane if they were sure of their safety.

I think with Canada for most people, it's not awful, and especially from eastern Canada visits back to the UK aren't too arduous or expensive, so people don't get desperate to leave, and minor problems are enough to stop them.

Also, it's so similar in many ways, and the people in general so pleasant, that it can take a while to realize that the funny feeling deep inside is alienation.

But definitely, for some people Canada is the ticket. If you're a winter sports enthusiast, or sailing, or love hiking and kayaking through wilderness etc you can probably do those things in Canada much more easily and cheaper than in the UK if you pick the right location. There's also probably some spillover American support of initiative and entrepreneurship that's a bit different to the UK.

If you can live away from the big cities, it's probably cheaper, as long as you don't drive a lot to get to things.

But I'm searching my memory for a single expat we've met who's said, "Wow. I'd never go back!"

Bev

Re: Anyone leaving Canada?
 

We were in the East so that may well have had something to do with it. Regarding the scare stories there are certainly some ridiculous perceptions of the UK, it's no wonder some of the older ones are too scared to go back.

The worst thing is that they don't seem to read the news and realise exactly the same thing goes on under their noses in Canada

Re: Anyone leaving Canada?
 

'Never' is a long time! I was a BBQ yesterday and spoke with a number of expats who did say that they cannot conceive of going back...Some had been here for over 30 years. One did qualify that with the term....'you can never say never, one never knows what may or may not await us'....and so decisions, forced or otherwise are made.

I for one feel that it is extremely unlikely that I would go back....but 'Never'?...that is a bit of a stretch!

Re: Anyone leaving Canada?
 

Perhaps it's people on the west coast who are more ambivalent. Just a wild theory, but many moved there because the climate is so English, and some like us have moved from other parts of Canada for the same reason.

So perhaps we never really embraced true Canadianship, which many would say involves dealing with Winter, and maybe toughing it out together forges bonds.

Or perhaps it's mobility itself, that moving around Canada, even if it seems to be for jobs, is a sign of not putting down roots.

Just wild theories on a Sunday morning.

Bev

Re: Anyone leaving Canada?
 

Yep...not the first time I have heard this. Have extended family out on Vancouver Island and they say they don't really live in Canada....:D;)...as in the way most of the world views Canada re climate etc

Re: Anyone leaving Canada?
 

Especially since Vancouver Island could easily disappear in a earthquake.

Re: Anyone leaving Canada?
 

Not quite - Richmond is the area that might liquefy, the island will get a bit wet though. Then is may not come for another 200 years.

Re: Anyone leaving Canada?
 

And I thought I was alone...

We've been in Canada for 7½ years now and I've had enough. It's a great country to live in, but it's not home and I really do think it's time to go home. Now all I need to do is convince the rest of the family...

Thank you all for sharing your feelings. I will now lurk in the background and revell in the fact that I am not weird for wanting to go back.

Cheers,
Steve

Re: Anyone leaving Canada?
 

So the epicentre is actually under South Vancouver and not further west.

Re: Anyone leaving Canada?
 

No the anticipated epicenter is way out in the Pacific, however VI is solid rock, so it is not expected to sink, maybe just break a bit. Richmond is expected to sink due to liquefaction.

Re: Anyone leaving Canada?
 

Ok, I`ve heard various opinions about what would happen if the big one struck there and this seems to match most.

Re: Anyone leaving Canada?
 

Some fun reading for Vancouver residents
http://gsc.nrcan.gc.ca/urbgeo/geomapvan/geomap7_e.php

Re: Anyone leaving Canada?
 

Mean while back to Anyone leaving Canada?......

Just got back from 11 days in the UK and it's made us all the more eager to return from our 6 year stint here in Canada (currently BC). Should find out this week if I can get a transfer to the UK with my employer which would only mean a 3 month wait; if not 6 month wait to build up the savings.

Spent time in the Midlands, the south west and south Wales and we loved it all. Seemed to be a lot less litter than a few years ago, everyone's upbeat in spite of the economy great customer service, can't wait to return.

Watch this space as they say.

Re: Anyone leaving Canada?
 

Good for you Ciderman, I left Canada 3 months ago to come back and can say it's the best thing I ever did. Keep us posted

Re: Anyone leaving Canada?
 

Should be putting the house here in Maple Ridge, BC up for sale this week so then it's a question of waiting for it to sell.

Not sure the transfer with my existing employer will happen. We were going to wait longer to put the house on the market to allow us to build up savings but if it takes a long while to sell we'll be stuck here longer by waiting so we'll take are chances, put it on the market now and if it does sell quickly, we'll cross that bridge when we come to it as they say.

It's been an interesting experience over the last six years and whilst some folks looking to go back to the UK may view it as a waste of six years, at least we've "been there and done it" and not wondering "what if..."

Re: Anyone leaving Canada?
 

At least you tried it ciderman, most people just talk about it and do bugger all. All the best, keep us posted.

Re: Anyone leaving Canada?
 

Well the house is now listed for sale on MLS, the realtor we're using is doing a tour of the house this week for all their own realtors so now we're waiting for the first viewings and hopefully an offer soon!

Re: Anyone leaving Canada?
 

Where would you settle Ciderman? and if you don't mind me asking, why are you leaving Canada after 6 years? cheers:)

Re: Anyone leaving Canada?
 

We're looking to settle in the Wiltshire area near Chippenham and Corsham. Like most people in this part of the Expats site we're going back to England for the English way of life. Shame it's taken a while for us to realise what's been missing/wrong all this time.

We originally came to a small town south of Calgary in Alberta called Okotoks in January 2004 (on a work visa), bought our first house there within a few days of landing- big mistake that; always rent first. Within a few months we didn't like that one so set about building a new one just around the corner. Not long after we moved in the homesickness set in and we went back to the UK at the end of October 2004. Within weeks of getting back it became obvious this was a bit hasty (worth noting we moved back to the town we left- second big mistake) and as luck would it have our PR came through so by April 2005 we were back in our new house in Okotoks- lucky it didn't sell.

Things went reasonably ok for the next year or so until the unsettled feelings started again and this time we moved to another new house but in Maple Ridge, BC in August 2006. Before the moved to BC I got a job with a company in Calgary that allowed me to transfer to their Vancouver office which made the move easier.

However by October 2007 those dear old feelings started again- to be honest the neighbourhood was not the best in terms of neighbours being considerate so we moved around the corner to another new home in April 2008. This was actually the area in Maple Ridge we wanted to be in originally when we came to BC but the timing didn't work out first time round.

Looking back now I think all the moving around was a clear indication that we were not settled and that all the moves were an attempt at fixing it- just not the right fix! The moving process occupies a fair few months but after things had got back to normality each time....well you know the rest. About 2 months ago the realisation finally dawned for the wife and myself- I'd actually been unhappy for quite a few months previously but hadn't said so as I though it would pass- that Canada wasn't for us.

The people are nice but we don't feel we belong here, we have a big house and a nice view but these do not a life make. We have made friends, both English and Canadian, but the majority are Expats- again a bit of a sign. We originally came to Canada for a better quality of life but to be honest for most people who emmigrate it's a different quality of life you end up with and at the end of the day our quality and way of life we wanted turned out to be in our home country of England. Still it's been a worthwhile experience as we know we wouldn't have been sitting in England wondering what if.

I think my advice to all those people thinking of emmigrating would be to consider a move to a different part of the UK first. The country you're in may not itself be the problem, just the particular area you're in doesn't suit you.

Re: Anyone leaving Canada?
 

Wow.
What wonderful reading this thread has been.
I've been in Canada for 30 years ( came when I was 31). I am a canadian citizen. 2 of my 3 kids were born here. 2 of them are now living in UK. It's not "back in the UK " for them, they were too young, but they have learnt from us, the humour, the friendship, the chat, the "premier league" ( just kidding), but they love it in the UK, yet, it was a move designed for them, the opportunities for kids in Canada etc etc, yes, they went skiing and watched hockey etc, but it did not cut it for them, they visited their grand parents cousins etc, and fell in love with it. Now we are thinking of following them back.
The biggest thing for me in all of this is the UK humour (not spelt humor). I miss it so much, because Canadians ( bless them) definitely lack something in that department.
"Only fools and horses" comes to mind mainly because I was born in Peckham, London

Re: Anyone leaving Canada?
 

Wonderful to hear! You wrote in July, how are things now a few months later....You have given me great hope that 'things' will fall into place.

Re: Anyone leaving Canada?
 

We have been in Canada 36 years and I have always said the Canadians are a dead race.
Why do they always talk about their RRSPs hate the cold hate the heat, and god forbid tell them a joke...it takes a week to explain it to most of them, I have missed Ireland / UK and really want to go back.
Now we are having Thanksgiving and all they talk about is Turkey.. oh I love turkey, turkey at Easter Christmas and Thanksgiving why wait, it is available all year round,Why don't they just have a cold one EH..

Re: Anyone leaving Canada?
 

LOL

Re: Anyone leaving Canada?
 

[QUOTE=Ciderman;7861842]Myself and my wife are planning to return to the UK in the next 6 months.

We came to Canada in January 2004 on a work visa and lived in Okotoks south of Calgary for 10 months before becoming homesick and moving back to the UK for six months. We made the mistake of going back to the same town we left (Milton Keynes). Our PR visas arrived in April 2005 and we moved back to the same house in Okotoks, Alberta as it hadn't sold....too easy to return. If the house had sold I don't think we'd have come back.

In August 2006, having got tired of the cold winters and the barren landscape in Alberta we moved to Maple Ridge, British Columbia (about an hour east of Vancouver). We have been back to the UK on holiday since moving to BC and did feel somewhat homesick on the return to Canada.

Over the last few months we've become increasingly disillusioned with life here in Canada and are now planning to return to the UK in about 6 months after building up some more savings- earlier if I can get a transfer to the UK with my present employer. Although Canada is a nice place and the Canadians are nice people, we miss the English way of life, culture, the people and the landscape.

Financially we are comfortable here and have a nice house in a good location but feel we have lost something in the move to Canada and seem to be existing rather than living.

For anyone considering emmigrating from the UK I'd suggest looking at living somewhere else in the UK first as the reason for wanting to leave may be more related to where you're living rather than with the UK itself.

From and Englishman in BC[/QUOT Iagree .best of luck .

Re: Anyone leaving Canada?
 

Please tell me if you had any problems getting your benefits back or opening bank accounts, I tried to open a bank account last March and they told me I couldn't as I have been out of the country too long?????

Re: Anyone leaving Canada?
 

Hi

Benefits wise, no problem, for example my kids automatically qualified for free prescriptions as all kids under 16 do. No problem registering for a school. I kept my UK bank accounts open during all the time I was in Canada so I don't have that problem. However I did try to open a new one and they weren't having it. You might need to shop around on that one!!

Re: Anyone leaving Canada?
 

Hi

Very good, everything seems to be working out brilliantly. Our Social life is way better. Maybe it's the pub culture. In the UK you can always call on the spur of the moment and meet friends in the pub that evening. In Canada it always seemed that you had to plan this well in advance.

I also find it a lot easier to earn money in the UK, despite what the gloom mongers tell you about the recession, my wife was offered 3 jobs!! We seem to get out and about a lot more. I've just realised that I've driven more miles in the last 4 months than I did in the last 2 years in Canada. Visiting friends and family, going on day trips etc.

Are you planning to come back?

Re: Anyone leaving Canada?
 

I ache for a good belly laugh at times and usually get it when I call my close chums in the UK. It feels terrible to say it but you really don't get that here and hence there isn't the familiarity and relationships built as the ones back home. I have a small number of lovely Canadian friends but it truly isn't the same. Maybe that's not having the history with them but I don't think so. I wonder if the pioneering spirit, living in freezing isolated places began an isolated and independent existence?

I guess a dense population in a wee place, plentiful rain, lots of pubs equals great 'banter' and lots of jokes!!!

It's a long time away so I hope it works out for you. Lots of luck with the move....a brave and bold move after 30 years. Fantastic!

Re: Anyone leaving Canada?
 

Indeed I am planning on a return. I'm married to a lovely Canadian (spent his formative years in UK so 'does' banter very well...too well) and he is a little hesitant but he hates change, nervous about providing for his family, finding a decent place to live, driving on the left, driving on the left........he's terrified! But he loves the UK and always felt he fitted in better there than here.

I'm pregnant and we have a three year old so I'm keen to get him in school for September when he'll be four. He wouldn't start here in BC until the following year! I'm a teacher so I'd like to work from Sept 2010 and hopefully my hubby would stay home for a few months with the baby while we got settled. I think that would be a good opportunity for him to get climatised. He's in IT and is very smart so I hope he'll hunt down a decent job eventually. We have very close friends in the Warwickshire area so that's where we're hoping to move. From there we can get up or down the country and visit as you are enjoying right now. How I miss that variety in my life!

It's great to read posts from people who are enjoying it. I really feel empty here and it's made worse by how stunningly beautiful it is. I have wonderful experiences of the environment but that's about it........a few Brit friends.....a few Canadian friends......but nothing to hold me here for any longer. I want my kids to know the people I love.....family and friends can't be replaced and can't make up for a ski winter and a beach summer! I have lots of lonely beach walks!

When I learned my best friend in the UK was pregnant and due a week before me I just couldn't believe it and that cemented it. It only took one look to the O/H!! And work here as a teacher is dire. The seniority process is terrible and education is SO under funded, dry and boring. Teachers 'coast' here compared to the UK. I now have a new appreciation for the Brit education system.

So there you go....a tad long I'm afraid but it's 5am and bugger all else to do but spill my guts. This is a great site to vent, survive and exist a little longer. (lol) We have committed to doing everything here that we can before we go so we can truly leave saying done that, been there and move on to a new adventure.......ooohhhhhhh, for an adventure......everything here is SO predictable I can hardly stand it!!!!

PS I still have two bank accounts in the UK so I'm delighted i never closed them. I didn't realise it would be so hard. Weird!

Re: Anyone leaving Canada?
 

[QUOTE=canadageoff;8006041]We are also looking at moving back to a different part of the UK as small town life in Stirling did not really suit us so we are looking at Glasgow -took me a long time to persuade OH, him being from Edinburgh.
It is kind of scary though as there are a lot of undesirable areas as well as good ones and makes it much more important to get the area right first time especially when you are considering schools, you don't want to have to move them again if you don't like the area.
For us it's a no brainer really, OH hates the north American work culture here where its every man for himself and the people he works with seem to have had a sense of humour bypass. He was reprmanded in a managers meeting for sending humourous emails at work:blink:
My work is not so bad but I noticed that I listen to radio 2 (not looking forward to Tels last day:() watch british tv via the fab My Private Network and read the UK papers on line so you could say I've not really integrated that well!
I really knew that it might not work out for me when one of my friends came over to visit last year and we went on a night out with some Canadian friends I had recently made and all I could think was how dull their company seemed in comparison to hers .
Sorry for rambling on but am on night shift and getting a bit slow and tired now, thank god for this website which has kept me awake on many a long night.

Re: Anyone leaving Canada?
 

[QUOTE=canadageoff;8006041]

Re: Anyone leaving Canada?
 

Oops don't quite know why that didn't work, obviously my original post was much wittier and more informative but now my nightshift brain can't remember what it was;)
We are also trying to work out where to live when we go back, we moved from London to Stirling and found that small town life was not for us took soo long to make friends, hence the move to Canada.
We are looking at Glasgow although OH took some persuading him being from Edinburgh . My worry is that we feel we have to get it right 1st time as we don't want to have to move our kids from school again if we find we don't like the area and Glasgow has some really nice parts but some pretty dreadful ones too. Oh decisions decisions.
My OH finds the north American work culture quite brutal and some of the people he works for certainly seem to have had a sense of humour bypass. At his last office he was reprimanded for sending out humourous emails and if anything his new office is even more devoid of people with any social skills.
As for me I realised that I'm listening to radio 2( not looking forward to Tels last day:( ) watching UK TV via my private network -which I would definately recommend only 5 quid a month - and looking at UK news on line so you can see that I've integrated well!
Well I'm off to bed now so here's hoping this one will go, night all.

Re: Anyone leaving Canada?
 

Lols ..........I have so been where your at :lol: We were in Nanaimo.....loved the place ( stunning):eek: hated everything else.

Re: Anyone leaving Canada?
 

Easily one of the best sitcoms ever written, especially the first few series.

Re: Anyone leaving Canada?
 

Glasgow? Be careful what you wish for. Having lived there all of my life prior to moving over here, (only 5 years ago) such a thought for me is far from attractive. In my Police career there (28 years) I got to see much of it, the good and the bad. Yes, certain areas on the outskirts of the city are OK as far as what the area has to offer, but at a premium. It's no coincidence that the better areas, from a quality of life perspective, are way expensive. I wish you luck with your move and sincerely hope you find what you seek.

As a parting shot, don't take the word of an Estate Agent as to how good a particular area is/is not. Do your own research....and include a chat with the local Community Cop for the area for which you have an interest....who should be able to give you the 'full Bhuna 'so to speak, particularly as you are returning to the UK from overseas. Speak to him on an informal and unofficial basis...you will get more of the 'how it actually is', rather than the sanitised version. Have had tales of woe related to me in my capacity as a cop from people who had taken unresearched assurances from such as Estate Agents ..only for them to find that after they have bought a property , the area was not quite as they had been led to believe. If an opportunity seems too good to be true, it probably is .:sneaky:

Once more, the best of luck to you.:thumbsup:

Re: Anyone leaving Canada?
 

Daft I know but maybe you could ask your current Canadian bank to arrange a UK based account for you....it used to be called 'introduction to correspondent bank' or sth similar. It's the moneylaundering regs which make banking from overseas so difficult now.
I have also kept accounts open but even so there are new products they won't let you access online as a non-resident. Very frustrating.

Re: Anyone leaving Canada?
 

Maybe you could rent (or buy) Dunroving's house which I believe is in the Glasgow area? He's desperately keen to move back to the USA and is always posting on this board....

might be worth sending him a private message.....? :)

Re: Anyone leaving Canada?
 

Oh dear - I'm upset at how much this sentence resonates with me (on some days). :unsure: