livermanl

I've been miserable in Canada for almost 3 years now the only thing keeping me here is my wife...Unfortunately even that is wearing a little thin right now.

sans

Nothing to say just wanted to send you a }}}}}HUG{{{{{

johnh009

I think it often depends on what stage in your life you are at. Times magazine recently did a really interesting article stating that there is a World-wide migration trend of people returning their home country. This is based on the fact that as people age, many feel the need to return to their roots.

pinkkristen

Is there no way you can go back to uk? It must be very hard when one of you likes it and one of you doesn't. We always said to eachother if one wasn't happy then we would go back, as we know we could settle back into life in the uk, but it must drain you and as a couple if one person is miserable.
i hope you can find some compromise, life is short and being being miserable for 3 years in a place must be all consuming.

Hope you can work something out

dingbat

^^^^^ What she said. Sorry to hear things have not improved.

Ciderman

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

jonfrank123

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.

Bevm

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

jonfrank123

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

macadian

'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!

Bevm

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

macadian

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.......as in the way most of the world views Canada re climate etc

Jules Europe

Especially since Vancouver Island could easily disappear in a earthquake.

Aviator

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.

FlangeMcGravity

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