Klondike Pete's Canada for Brits

Pete and his family decided to up sticks and move to Canada for the family adventure of a lifetime - this eleven-part series chronicles the move. Invaluable for the prospective immigrant to Canada!

In the Beginning: "A lifetime's family adventure was what we needed. The kids were getting older and before they were up and left home, we'd decided to go for it. We'd sat there in our living room procrastinating long enough, the time had come to turn dreams into reality." Pete and his family decide to emigrate from the UK, and settle on Nova Scotia as a destination.
Worldly Possessions: "Your family will go through all their possessions and sort them out in two piles, those to be packed, and those to be disposed of. ...when the retained goods finally catch up with you, two months later, and you anxiously open the crates, it appears to be full of utter junk. What you freely gave away, you could really do with. Never let your heart rule your head." Pete ships his personal effects to Canada.
Leaving and Arrival: "The journey to the airport made, and the flight almost over, we circled Halifax, Nova Scotia's capital city, not knowing what to expect. But then, coming into land, as far as we could see, trees and lakes, lakes and trees, miles of them, plus the odd homestead here and there. Awesome." Pete describes his departure from the UK and his arrival in Canada - and how to go through Immigration.
Getting Around: "Word of warning for Brits. We discovered what a Big Mack really was early on in our Canadian driving experience. In a lapse of awareness, we reverted back to British driving and went round the corner on the wrong side of the road, only to be faced with a truck radiator the size of a three-storey house, and MACK emblazoned across its width." Pete gets behind the wheel!
Settling In: "It doesn't matter if the house is falling down; providing the grass is short and the log piles are neat, that's all that matters." Pete looks at some of the quirks of household maintenance...
Down to Basics: "Basic clothing is very affordable - I bought new M & S-quality pure cotton shirts for just nine pounds each. Overall, apart from leather, it is around 50% less than the UK. Consumables are around 33% less. Food also between 33% and 50% cheaper and the range of products in the supermarkets comparable with Tesco's A-grade stores." Pete explains what's in the shops in Canada, healthcare arrangements, leisure activities, and other aspects of daily life.
Communications: "This is a far reach from when I was a child and we had one phone on an estate of 200 houses. To contact Canada took forever and a fortune through a series of trunk and overseas operators and links. Just how lucky the kids are today... and it's going to get better." Pete looks at TV, post, telecoms and the Internet.
Setting up House: "Canadian cookers are huge and wide - why, we just can't find out. These are not your prissy, prissy euro ones, but monumental pieces of functionality - great for cooking missionaries in. The washing and drying machines are what you'd find in a laundrette back home, industrial and extremely practical." Pete looks at household electrics, the currency and sales tax.
Utilities: "For budgeting purposes, the cost of running our cottage is £36 a week. That includes wood, electricity, hot water, light, insurance, municipal taxes, phone rental (calls extra) and satellite system rental." Pete gives an overview of domestic utilities.
Property: "Having searched the Net before we came to Canada, we had, as you do, built up in our minds what type of property we'd like to purchase as our perfect bolt hole. This would be a log cabin on a sizeable piece of land, not too far away from civilisation, with a large workshop, water frontage, trees, facing south with a spectacular view." Pete looks at the Nova Scotian housing market.
Living: "Our solid recommendation is that you take time out to explore Nova Scotia. Best time is early spring, or autumn (fall), when nature's display is just simply breathtaking. The air is pure, the sense of freedom and space overwhelming." Pete ends this series with a look at Nova Scotia's climate and wildlife.