looking to move to canada from uk

[pinkprincess123]

Hi Everyone

My family and i are looking to move to Canada to Alberta. My husband has citizenship through his mum but has never lived there. We have 3 children and an average lifestyle in England. Both of us work he is a roofer and i am a carer for the elderly. we are not well off but not on the bread line.

My husbands parents and sister moved to canada 3 years ago and are desperate for us to follow. Our main concerns are that we will not be able to maintain our current lifestyle or that we may not like it. We are also very concerned by the level of crime in our own area and would like to hear from anyone who could offer any insite into crime in calgary.

We would also love to hear from anyone who could offer us an unbiased opinion into things like jobs, schooling, cost of living compaired to the uk, etc. Also reasons you are glad you left England (if that is the case).

We thank you in advance for your help in this matter

Pinkprincess123

 

[bobnoorduyn]

It might be hard to find an unbiased opinion from someone who has moved to Canada and either stayed, or left. A friend of mine moved here with his wife, she went back to the UK, and he will never go back there, he has since taken up permanent residence here.

You mention Alberta, the supposed land of milk and honey. It sounds very enticing, but it can be very harsh. I moved away years ago when my job disapeared as quickly as it was created. My youngest daughter moved back there recently, and with no experience other than working at a coffee shop got a good paying job within 4 days. They will even pay for her to upgrade to an even higher paying trade, provided whe will stay with them. Still, other people I know there are kicking horse turds down the road. It can be boom or bust, feast or famine. I'm not saying it is that way for everyone there, but as you get older you kind of appreciate a bit of stability, not something Alberta has an abundance of.

As far as crime goes, you can find that anywhere. I'm of the opinion that security is the responsibility of the individual. I have lived and worked in many high crime areas and have never had my home broken into and never been mugged, (though I've had my garage broken into once and had vehicles broken into twice), heaven help the person who breaks into my home if I'm there. Ownership of firearms isn't as frowned upon here as in the UK, and I have several of the things, rifles, pistols and shotguns, as do many of my neighbours, and everyone knows it. Criminals look for easy targets, but the liberal faction of society just can't get their heads around that and seem to want everyone to be equally impotent. But I digress.

My opinion isn't unbiased, there are things I like about every place I've lived, and thing I don't like. Myself, I doubt if I'll ever move back to Alberta, though the cost of living is cheaper than a lot of places, the thing that makes that so is the oil and gas industry, and I smell it everywhere every time I go back. But then again, there are worse places to live, as well there are better places, it depends on what you are looking for and what makes you happy.

Cheers

 

[Bar Sinister]

There are a lot of things to consider when comparing Canada and Britain. I suspect you will find that in general that Alberta has a higher living standard than most of Britain, especially in the area of housing. Food costs in Canada are lower than Britain, but you will find that health care is not as comprehensive as in Britain. Schools in general in Alberta are good, probably better than many British schools, and standards do not vary much from one to the other. Compared to most cities Calgary's crime rate is low. You are going to suffer some culture shock. Things you are used to in Britain will simply not exist here, but there will be things here that are better than what you find in Britain. You may find that one of your biggest adjustments is to the climate. Winters in Calgary are long - expect at leas six months without leaves on the trees. Canada is not a gun society in comparison to the US. Firearms do exist, but they are much more tightly controlled. People do not carry firearms in public for example. Calgary has a wonderful location in terms of national parks, being just two hours from Banff and an hour from Kanaskis. These are two of the most beautiful and natural areas in the world and rival any park anywhere in Britain. What you will not find is history. Everything in Calgary is pretty new with the oldest building being less that 150 years old if that. I could go on but I am not sure exactly what you are looking for. You might try this link to help with housing REALTOR.ca - Welcome
and this one to give you an overall view. Government of Alberta - Programs and Services - Moving to or around Alberta

 

[MHz]

Our main concerns are that we will not be able to maintain our current lifestyle or that we may not like it.

Does it include cold weather and lots of snow, if it does you will fit right in.
It may take some time to get used to the Albertan drawl, we talk at about the same rate the grass grows.

 

[Cliffy]

Does it include cold weather and lots of snow, if it does you will fit right in.
It may take some time to get used to the Albertan drawl, we talk at about the same rate the grass grows.

Y'all been hanging out with the cows too much!

 

[Bar Sinister]

Does it include cold weather and lots of snow, if it does you will fit right in.
It may take some time to get used to the Albertan drawl, we talk at about the same rate the grass grows.

Actually you might drawl, but I don't. And I have been living in Alberta since 1958. I expect that characteristic applies only to a select portion of the population as I have never noticed it.

 

[Spade]

Six months of winter is an understatement. In truth, in most parts of Alberta, it's more like seven. You would be wise to travel to Calgary first,

It its a clean, modern city, with opportunity. But, visit it in winter to see if that is what you want!

 

[Nuggler]

Actually you might drawl, but I don't. And I have been living in Alberta since 1958. I expect that characteristic applies only to a select portion of the population as I have never noticed it.

He said "drool". I'm sure of it.

Canada is better. Come on over. If you want to work, you'll find a job. It's colder.
It's hotter. Great outdoor life. Or not. It's whatever you make it. Just like the UK.

:canada:

 

[TenPenny]

What kind of roofing does your husband do?

There's not much slate or thatch in Canada, LOL.

 

[FUBAR]

Hi Everyone

My family and i are looking to move to Canada to Alberta. My husband has citizenship through his mum but has never lived there. We have 3 children and an average lifestyle in England. Both of us work he is a roofer and i am a carer for the elderly. we are not well off but not on the bread line.

My husbands parents and sister moved to canada 3 years ago and are desperate for us to follow. Our main concerns are that we will not be able to maintain our current lifestyle or that we may not like it. We are also very concerned by the level of crime in our own area and would like to hear from anyone who could offer any insite into crime in calgary.

We would also love to hear from anyone who could offer us an unbiased opinion into things like jobs, schooling, cost of living compaired to the uk, etc. Also reasons you are glad you left England (if that is the case).

We thank you in advance for your help in this matter

Pinkprincess123

Hi, I did it the other way round, Canada--UK but visit the folks every year. The easiest way to compare is that what you pay a pound for you will pay a dollar for over there. A lot of things are cheaper but don't forget the tax when your shopping. In the UK you can see what everything really costs but there the prices do not include the tax so look a bit cheaper than they turn out to be. Houses will be a lot bigger than what you would get for an equal amount of money in the UK, but your job security will be less as you can get laid off easier over there. Can you get citizenship because your mom moved there three years ago? My parents moved there 48 years ago and have been citizens for years but I',m still British so might have trouble getting back, I'd check with Canada House first. Have a visit see if you like it....:canada:

 

[wulfie68]

I was a life long Albertan until this past summer and think its a great place to live. I'd love to take my wife and son back there but we have other challenges that prohibit it at this point, but I plan on visiting as often as I can. As others have mentioned, Alberta does suffer a bit of a cyclical economy, largely dependent on the three main resource industries of the province (oil & gas, agriculture and forestry in that order). Calgary can be a bit expensive in terms of buying a home but otherwise the cost of living is pretty manageable.

One comment I will make about Calgary winters in comparison to other parts of Alberta: the chinooks make them a LOT milder than the rest of the prairies. Calgary doesn't get the -40 spells that places farther north do either. The cold (when it hits)is also a less humid "dry" cold. In the wind, you feel it but otherwise if you dress for it, its not an issue.

Culturally, one thing you will notice is everyone drives everywhere. In most parts of Calgary public transit is a viable option but not a lot of things will be in walking distance. I don't know about MHz's drawl but linguistically, it shouldn't be too bad once you get used to the slang/colloquilisms. Remember, if you're a sports fan, the Eskies and the Flames are who to cheer on, not the Stamps or Oilers!