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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?
Originally Posted by jonfrank123
(Post 7950626)
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
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Re: Anyone leaving Canada?
Originally Posted by canadageoff
(Post 8006042)
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?????
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?
Originally Posted by lilybilly101
(Post 8005904)
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.
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?
Originally Posted by canadageoff
(Post 8005262)
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 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?
Originally Posted by jonfrank123
(Post 8007369)
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? 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]
Originally Posted by Ciderman
(Post 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 . 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]
Originally Posted by Ciderman
(Post 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?
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?
Originally Posted by lilybilly101
(Post 8007805)
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?
Originally Posted by canadageoff
(Post 8005262)
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?
Originally Posted by bettyboo67
(Post 8008042)
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. 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?
Originally Posted by canadageoff
(Post 8006042)
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?????
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?
Originally Posted by bettyboo67
(Post 8008042)
.
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. might be worth sending him a private message.....? :) |
Re: Anyone leaving Canada?
Originally Posted by lilybilly101
(Post 8007805)
I really feel empty here and it's made worse by how stunningly beautiful it is.
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