Hi Ann
St Albert is where we would prefere to go but we are flexable with that.
Steve
Moving to Canada Part Two
As an outsider I would highly recommend Edmonton. What a city, what an economy, what a place of nice people, and most importantly what a terrible garden zone. Sorry Lynn but I would need a little more gardening season. But I do love Edmonton. Good travels Veshengo. Steve.
Two of my brothers and one sister would concur. They like Edmonton too! :)
Whats with the Americans taking over? Any media on the North American continent going on & they HAVE to get involved. ........what?....................oh!........... the address under my name?.........never mind........
Our 'murrican friends are always welcome over here. After all, we do occassionally try to annex one of your states here at DG, so it's only fair to take the people with the land, eh :-)
--Ginny
Hey, watch who you're calling 'murrican! LOL There's a lot of expats over here just longing to move home. ha ha!
As for that annexing part, make sure you pick one with a great climate -- IA sucks! HOT in the summer, COLD in the winter and WINDY all year!!
Sounds just like where I live - right on the border of Southwestern and Midwestern Ontario :-)
How far is Blyth from Lindsay?
Hey kooger. Lindsay is about 160 miles (200 km) northeast of Blyth. We are located about 25 km east of Goderich, and Goderich is right on the shore of Lake Huron. I've included the mapquest map for the trip from Blyth to Lindsay so you can see.
This message was edited Nov 3, 2006 10:02 AM
Good news.
We will be coming over for a vacation end of Feb next year. Flights booked and car is booked. Place to stay, still undecided.
Any suggestions on where to stay?
Steve
do you mean end of february 2007?
are you all coming or just you and your wife?
how long are you staying and what do you want to see/do?
will you be looking at real estate at that time?
Yes Feb 2007. Only me and my wife are coming, it will be easier to do what we want. We will be there 24th Feb - 3rd March. Basically this is a recon mission, to check out where everything is and have a good look round, eg. University, shops, amenities. I would be nice to see what the houses are like and the areas available, but we won't be looking at any real estate at the moment.
Steve
Thats it, everything booked for our vacation, just got to loose the kids for a week.
Booking flights with Air Canada on the internet is easy (never done it before), we have even reserved our seats going and on way back.
Yes, the internet is a wonderful thing. Without it we would have no DG! I'm glad everything is going so well for you.
Have got my HGV2 (rigid-no trailer) driving test tomorrow, pass this and its onto the HGV1 (articulated).
Get these and we are one step nearer.
All the best, Steve!
Sandy
St. Albert --- = Holes to me. Go google Holes Nursery. Hee hee.
inanda
*##@!!@'''~~#
Didn't pass, will have to try again after Christmas. Never mind.
If I don't post before I'll wish you all a
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year
Steve & Helen
Don't despair, Steve. You'll cinch it next time, you watch. Merry Christmas to you and Helen too.
Don
2nd time will be the charm. Wishing you and Helen ALL the BEST in the New Year!
Merry Christmas
Pam
Hi all
Long time away from here, computer has broken down. Am using my sons at the moment.
Good news........Have passed my HGV2 test. Now I can drive ridged trucks, all I have to do is pass the next one (HGV1) the we can start out great adventure.
We came over and visited Edmonton last week (24th Feb-3rd March) and had a wonderful time. We were there when Mark Messier retired his number at Winston Churchill Square on the 27th Feb and froze in the -20 chill factor.
We are hoping to come back in the summer for two weeks and will rent an apartment this time.
From what we saw we are thinking to relocate to the Sherwood Park area, but we will have a good look round when we return.
Steve
Congrats on passing the HGV2 test! And it's good to know that you enjoyed your visit, and took the minus 20 windchill in your stride.
congrats from me too. I am sure you had a million things to do while you were here but next time let us know of your arrival and maybe we can meet.
Congratulations on passing your test! Things are progressing. Before you know it you'll be here to stay.
--Ginny
Steve,
Well, if -20 didn't scare you off, you're all set. We came over from Wales and went to Eldorado in northern Saskatchewan. Had to fly in and out.... very remote. I was 9 and that same winter I stuck my tongue on the school bus window frame. Yep. It stuck. Yowww! That hurt like heck to peel it off, I think all my taste buds stayed there! LOL Do you have kiddies? Tell them not to do that. Or, better yet, do not even mention it!
Congratulations on passing your test!
Sandy
Hi All
Thank you. We had a wonderful time and we survived the -20 chill with easy (Helen says it was bloody cold!!!!) Driving in the snow was fun but it was a different type of snow to ours. We have a damp atmosphere (big word alert) here and the snow forms a hard crust and sets like ice and we have to scrape it off. Your snow is better. Dry air (small word, Big ones give me a headache) and the snow is powder and can be sweeped of the cars with ease.
jagonjune
Will let you know when we come out next, and will look forward to meeting.
Steve
Wow, Steve... I just read thru this whole post for the first time today so learned of all your adventures. First, let me say I'm sorry to hear about your job loss. I personally know how scary that can be as I was laid off from Ford Motor Co. last year. It is a nerve-wracking and scary time, isn't it. I have to commend you for your bravery. Relocating to a new country is a HUGE decision. I hope only the best for you. At least you picked a GREAT country to come to. I am in the most southern area in Canada. Its a big country with lots of diversity but anywhere you go, people are always welcoming and friendly. Good Luck and God Bless all of you in your move and the adventures to come.
Maureen
Good news, or should I say 'Exellent News!!!!!!!!'. Have passed my HGV1 test and now I can drive the big toys now.
Will be filling in the relocation forms in a couple of months, need to get a bit of experience driving on the roads first.
Steve
Congratulations..One step closer.
Congratulations, Steve! Things seem to be falling into place for you nicely. Won't be long now.
Sandy
Steve
Yahooooo for you!
Congrats and hope to see you when you arrive.
Ann
Congratulations Steve! That is wonderful news :-)
--Ginny
glad to hear from you with good news. it had been so long, we thought you might have changed your mind Will look forward to meeting you in person
Its been so long because my **#~/!!!!!!! computer was out of action. Have ditched it and got another one.
First form filled in on the internet. Just the basics, Name, Address, How long have you had license, etc..
No reply yet.
This message was edited Aug 13, 2007 1:57 PM
Hi I have come into this thread late, I left the UK in the seventies, following hubby who went first in the 60's and we came back to the UK in 2000. We lived just outside Vancouver.
I may be telling you something you know but just in case...are you aware you can swap your British Driving License for Canadian one, and vica versa if you come back. If anyone else is reading this who needs to know, there is reciprocal agreement between Canada and the UK and it simply a matter of paperwork.
There is a problem coming this way though if you have older kids who get their license and may want to swap.
The UK ask for proof that you took your test in a manual car, this doesn't happen in Canada as they don't discriminate between the two types of car. When we came back we had to take auotmatic licenses in nthe Uk even though we had driven manuals for 30 years and taken our tests there on same, we of course could not prove it, despite all knds of letters from our Canadian insurance and clean driving licenses the UK would not budge, the choice was auotomatic ot take a UK test..we took the automatic.The really silly part was that we could drive on our Canadaian licenses for a year in the Uk before we decided and we drove manuals on them which was legal.
It is worth knowing as perhaps one can get a declaration at the time of the test from the examiner that the UK would then accept.
You will enjoy BC, I miss it very much.
As I havebeen both ways, of you need any help on what topack and take and what to leave and buy fresh there I may be able to help you.
XX Jeannine
Hi Jeannine.
The license info is very helpful. How often do you have to retake your test in Canada and how long can you drive on your UK license?
We will take you up on the offer on what to pack as and when we get the all clear to go.
Steve.
Hi Veshengo, I think you can drive for a year, certainlly coming this way you can so it is probably reciprocal.You do not need to retake your test in Canada, wll I think when you get very ancient they can requesy you take one, we had a relative that did, they passed her but only for driving in the daytime.You can apply for an International one if in doubt.
Packing boxes are expensive, watch Freecycle here, I often see them as give aways, or put a wanted on there. You can collect them ahead of time and flatten them.
When we came back we had a company pack us but some stuff I insisted on packing myself, they warned me I would not be covered for damages in those boxes. Funny, the only damage we had was in their ones!!
A good tip,this is funny, we brought a very large artificial Christmas Tree, we had paid $500 dollars for it the previous Christmas and that was half price .At first we thought it was too much to carry here but then figured out the cubic capacity an decided that with all the loose space around the branches we could get something else in the very big long box. Oh boy did we ever. We fitted allsorts in there ,long things like my four feet quilting rulers, doll stands, shoes, evetthing you can think of pushed in between the branches, but the funny thing was, the contents of two desks, pens, pencils rulers, staplers ,artist brushes, icing things,cotton bobbins, serger threads knitting wools ,needles. CDs videos,all the kitchen utensils and their hanging racks. all the stuff that we would have discarded got dropped in among the branches, then the box was sealed woth 2 strong rolls of gaffer tape. We saved £s and£s with that box, wh had a laugh sorting it at the other end though. My husband did the same thin with his workshop, We had an old wooden chest, he packed if full of tools till it could take no more then opened the jars he kept all his treasures little bits in..no room for the jars, but all the bits found a space all by them selves, so free carriage on those too.He just screwed the lid down and it travelled like that.If you have tools you know all the bits you have !!
When I went over to Canada I took some electrical stuff and had the moters changed, like my Kenwood Chef, when I came back here, I brought my sewing machines with me and I have run them off a converter for 6 years with no trouble.
Bear in mind, it is cheaper to get things over there than here, one mistake we did make was forgetting that when we came back here.
Think about things that yu can't get there that you might miss, you might want to take a stash of that with you.
Your videos and DVDs might not work there, if you have Pal you would have to buy a machine that would run them and I believe DVDs are different.
Take things like letters from your insurance companises showing your no claims on your car, insurance in BC is ICBC which is the province, there is no independant companies like here, ask companies you have dealt with here for letters of reference for credit, eg telephone, power, TV and credit cards, stores etc, they all come in useful. Some banks here are also there, but not many, HSBC is common in BC. If you go to Vancouver consider an account with Greater Vancouver Credit Union, they are online , they are excellent, we preffered them to the main banks.I will add other things as I think. If you want to phone me send me an e mail and I will give you the number.
XX Jeannine
wow veshengo, you are getting great advice; in alberta we do have private insurance companies and i am sure that reference letters from your existing insurance company and utilities would help (the fact that you will be driving for a living should also help)
we don't retest for road skills until you are over 80 i believe. We do start to require frequent eye tests however at about 65 i think.
Hi Veshengo, Don't know if you have changed your itinerary from Vancouver and Kelowna, or not, I see a lot of people trying to lure you up to Edmonton, lol, its a great city. Kelowna is very busy, but there isnt very much else like it in Canada, its really unique. Wineries and fruitgrowing everywhere. Average winter temp is about -5 or so. This is Southern B.C. for you. The senery in between is gorgeous. Vancouver is a stunner, lovely, and an English climate, it snows, for 3 days, then it rains. But Vancouver is a bit expensive. However, its very lively, very multicultural and just about EVERYTHING happens there.
One thing you might want to do is check out some Mountain Driving Institutes in B.C., we have a few here in the Kootenays, east of the Okanagan, where Kelowna is. Driving commercially here is lucrative, there is lots of need for good drivers, but I highly recommend some training for these mountain roads. They are not scary or anything, but there are a few things to pick up on here, you wont get in the UK. Good luck!
Katherine
Hi all.
Its been a while because I've been busy with theatre work.
We are flying to Vancouver tomorrow for a visit to my sister-in-law who emigrated there in 2007.
Will be checking out the job situation as well as the leisure activities.
Steve