Where is Canada???

[iceno9]

Hi all,

Im new to the forum!!

Im a project manager working in development of an electronics company based int he UK. Im interested in going to Canada either on a delegation or a permanent basis....however i have never actually been there!!

So the question is - where would suit me best????

Some details...
- There would be me, partner and children (aged 6 and 17). Partner works in childcare.
- I enjoy the outdoors, keen on hiking and mountaineering and therefore enjoy the more hilly places....not so keen on flat locations
- Partner is oppersite and tends to like beech holidays....so location would be ideal if it covered both accessibility to coasts and mountains.
- I want to be close enough to shops, facilities, people etc....but i also like my space and peace and quiet with gardens etc. I therefore do not want to live in a city center in some flat with no gardens and busy all the time.
Im a keen DIY'er and have plenty of hobbies so finding specialist shops needs to be practical....for example....marine fish shops. Some countries seem to cater for clothes and food and thats it....im sure people dont have hobbies in some countries!!!

So where do i start to look? Edmonton area maybe as its close to the rockies??? But then Toronto is better for jobs......but i dont want to live in a massive city like London int he UK.

So any advice, and/or suggestions welcome.

Matt

[Auld Yin]

Originally Posted by iceno9

Hi all,

Im new to the forum!!

Im a project manager working in development of an electronics company based int he UK. Im interested in going to Canada either on a delegation or a permanent basis....however i have never actually been there!!

So the question is - where would suit me best????

Some details...
- There would be me, partner and children (aged 6 and 17). Partner works in childcare.
- I enjoy the outdoors, keen on hiking and mountaineering and therefore enjoy the more hilly places....not so keen on flat locations
- Partner is oppersite and tends to like beech holidays....so location would be ideal if it covered both accessibility to coasts and mountains.
- I want to be close enough to shops, facilities, people etc....but i also like my space and peace and quiet with gardens etc. I therefore do not want to live in a city center in some flat with no gardens and busy all the time.
Im a keen DIY'er and have plenty of hobbies so finding specialist shops needs to be practical....for example....marine fish shops. Some countries seem to cater for clothes and food and thats it....im sure people dont have hobbies in some countries!!!

So where do i start to look? Edmonton area maybe as its close to the rockies??? But then Toronto is better for jobs......but i dont want to live in a massive city like London int he UK.

So any advice, and/or suggestions welcome.

Matt

To facilitate your requirements there is only one place in Canada to meet your requirements - Vancouver and its environs. Unfortunately Vancouver is expensive in regards housing, so that's something to keep in mind. Edmonton is a long way from the ocean and beaches.

[jen45]

Hello, well first off Edmonton is not a small city theres probably near 900,000 people there and its not near the rockies it is located in th northern area of alberta, calgary is closer to the rockies but it has a population of more than a million, if you want the hills, mountains, seaside, fishing etc at or near to you then British Columbia or B.C as they call it is the place, but then again it is very populate as well in the main city of vancouver well over a million people, you can go to smaller cities out there but the your getting the winter weather, the only parts of Canada that really don't get the winter is the vancouver, victoria areas but they are very pricy to live in, the rest of canada gets the winters, the snow and the cold, the east coast areas of Nova Scotia are very scenic and good for the outdoors and cost of living is cheaper then B.C, but you do get the snow and cold in the winter, so you will have to really think about where you want to be and what kind of weather you want, the summers are very good all over the country but if you don't want the snow and cold then you have no choice but to go to B.C, Edmonton is a nice city, well spread out and everything you will need , hot summers but the winters are snowy and cold...... you can probably find out somewhere what the yearly weather is for areas in canada so you might want to check it out before you jump to going to a certain area then not liking the snow and cold as the snow and cold you get in the uk is of no comparison..... the big freeze you had last month is minor compared to the winters in canada, the traffic doesnt stop, schools and shops stay open and this is with 2-4 feet of snow and temps could be -5 to - 30.... they had a cold snap as well getting to -50 but that is not a regular thing but yes it can get to -20 to -30 easily in the winter in some areas.....hope this hasn't put you off but it is the truth, the winters can be cold but the summers are a summer with nice hot weather that lasts during the summer, good lifestyle, job opportunities, and all the outdoor activities from boating, swimming, hiking, climbing, fishing, biking and anything else you can think of.......we are going back to Canada end march early april after being back here in the uk for 2 1/2 years, so we dont have long to wait and looking forward to another adventure.......best of luck.

[iceno9]

Ok - why Vancouver?

I wouldnt say we have to be so close to beeches and oceans, as thats the kind of place you go on holiday....so, we could simply holiday out near the coast.
However - i dont think the other half would be too keen on living in a mountain hut (other extreme) that takes 6 hours to the nearest school and is -20 + windchill with rain 80% of the year. (even though i would cope with that) :0)

[jen45]

there are other ares in B.C.....Kelowna is very nice and is not overly large, has all the the things you need, very close to the hills and mountains, its nestled amongst them, very picturesque and great scenery, summer weather, lakes nearby, but is a few hours from the ocean, the winters would be cold but you can get used to that, if you like the hiking, good scenery, the outdoors, skiing in winter this would be a good choice, very friendly city with everything you need....

[jen45]

Another area you could consider is Kamloops, similar to Kelowna but water at your door at the same montain scenery, great summers and cold winters.....

[jen45]

there is also other areas near vancouver that would probably be less costly....Abbotsford, Langley, Surrey..... not sure on cost of living in these areas but your not too far from Vancouver and the ocean......

[iceno9]

so your certainly suggesting the Vancouver area then....Canada is a big place, any other suggests to look at?

I work for Siemens so might try to find a SIemens in Canada to transfer to

[jen45]

there is siemens all over canada, just depends on what province you want, but if you want the ocean nearbythen its either B.C or the east coast, Nova Scotia..... if you want mainland then you have several choices...... they do have siemens in Alberta and Ontario..... I know there is a siemens in London Ontario and I believe also in Windsor, Kitchener or Guelph Ontario and probably Hamilton or Burlington Ontario..... go into siemens website and find out where there locations are in Canada..... in Alberta i think they have them in Edmonton and Calgary.....

[jen45]

go into siemens.ca the ifo you need is there, with all their locations by province and even job vacancies...... hope this helps you....