Canada - British Expat Forum

Hi everyone, this is my first post.

My wife has been accepted into a College in Downton Halifax for Sept 2009, so we are hastily trying to sell our house in the UK with a plan to move over in August. We are looking at the Lower Sackville/Timberlea area to buy a smallish house outright at first.

We have 2 children 15, and 11 so not sure which area has the best schools?
Web are timing our move to coincide with my daughter finishing her gcse's and that my son will be starting junior high when we land.

We have a PR visa pending but can't wait any longer so are coming over on a student visa.

I am a Marketing Manager in the UK, but happy to do any sales/admin/marketing work to get us settled.

Any help/advice or just a chat will be greatly received.
p.s my son is really into table tennis. Do they play this in Canada?

Cheers

Hi Supersonic,

Congrats on coming to Nova Scotia.

We moved here last July and moved into a house in Lower Sackville. We love it here as there is lots of recreation for kids; canoe club, ice skating, bowling, gymnastics, horse riding, cinema, swimming, etc. We are just 30 minutes from Haifax and Dartmouth so we can easily get to both.
The schools here are good, both my kids (age 5 and 13) attend Cavalier Drive school and are doing really well there.

I'm not sure about Timberlea i'm afraid as I've not been there.

Good luck

Hi Lorry,

Thanks for the reply. Did you buy straight away or did you rent first. Am I right in thinking that Canadian schools are 1 year behind UK schools in curriculum? We are at that scared stage and hoping we can sell our house in plenty of time. Do you mind me asking if you had a job offer before you moved etc? Where were you from in the UK.

Sorry for all the questions but it is nice to speak to someone who has gone through the same process. We have some friends in Bridgewater who moved last year from here in Staffordshire. They also moved on a student visa

Thanks for your help.

Hi Supersonic.

No problem.

We moved from Berkshire, an hour from London. We moved here with no job, no home, no nothing, just took a giant leap of faith!
It was very scary, but exciting at the same time.
We stayed in an appartment in Halifax for 5 weeks when we arrived while we were house hunting, then we bought our home.
My hubby had a job interview the 3rd day we were here, and thankfully he got the job and started 2 weeks later. We were very lucky!

The schools are slightly behind, but the subjects are different, they have social studies and obviously the History lessons are totally different from the UK. My 13 year old struggled a bit at first but now she is doing well. Her school is great in that they give her extra lessons so she can catch up with Maths etc. It is a small school, so children get alot of attention there.

To be honest, I wish we did a couple of thing different, I think we should've rented first (although a lot of money is wasted that way), or maybe bought a smaller, less expensive home.
Houses are alot cheaper here, but salaries are alot less also.

Don't get me wrong, I totally love it here and have no regrets about moving, it is better for us as a family.
I love this area as there is plenty to do for us and the kids, and the lakes are amazing, providing summer and winter activities.

Good luck

Hi Lorry,

Thanks for the quick reply. I can see me asking you loads of questions over the coming months.

We are planning on coming over in February (half term). My wife has this student visa starting in September, so we are moving over in August. I don't have a job at the moment, but I'm willing to do anything. I am a marketing manager in the UK. We'll just have to wing it!!!

The kids are excited and also apprehensive.
We are thinking of buying something cheap outright to start us off. About $175,00 - $200,000 and then work from there.

Thanks for the help. I will keep you informed of our progress and no doubt be asking for advice. Cheers, Gary & Lisa

Hi Gary and LIsa,

You're welcome, I am happy to help. This forum was a great help to me before our move, so it's nice to give something back.

Hopefully we can meet up when you arrive.

Lorraine

Hi Lorry,

Thanks for the help and advice. Did you move over on a permanent residency visa? We applied in Jan and are moving over in August 2009 on my wifes International Student Visa. We are banking on getting our PRV before we are carted back to the UK! We would love to meet up for a coffee if you are free when we come over in February. Did you do a recce first?
Speak soon,

Gary & Lisa

Hi Gary and Lisa,

february?... BBBBRRRRRRRR...very cold....lol

Yes, we applied for PR and it took 2 and a half years to receive our visa. Apparently, we applied just in time though, as the waiting went up and up after that, people began waiting for 5 years!

We didn't do a recce trip at all, we just took that leap!
When I look back, I think we were mad, we should have come over first to check things out, but we just thought, if we don't like Nova Scotia, we'll move on to Ontario.
Both my husband and I have been to Ontario, so we knew we liked it there. Infact, hubby has been all over Canada previously, apart from Nova Scotia!

The weeks leading up to the move were a nightmare. All the trips to the tip, the packing, giving lots of our stuff away to friends, selling other stuff, packing the things you want to keep for the container, all the phone calls to every company, just ending your life in the UK!

Then, to start all over again here. Finding a house, a car, kids schools, a job, etc...
It is very hard work!

Of course, we would be happy to meet you and the family. I will have tea though, not a fan of coffee lol.

We met another British family last year who I met on this forum, they now live about 30 minutes from us and we see them regularly. It is good to have some British friends, but also very important to have Canadian friends and join in with your community.

Take care

Hi Lorry,

Thanks for the advice. Things are moving along nicely. We are trying to get as many options as possible.Lisa already has an acceptance letter for the college in downtown Halifax. We have heard Brunswick street where the college is situated is not the nicest of areas. Do you know if it is safe around this area as it is a bit of a worry. We are also looking to apply to a college in Kentville. Do you know anything about this area at all.

We are getting our thermals ready for Feb....but we are also coming over in April/May as well so we can look around further. A cup of tea sounds great or maybe a hot chocolate.

Cheers,

Chat soon...

Hi Gary and Lisa,

It depends where on Brunswick street the college is situated. It runs from downtown Halifax (the nice end near Spring Garden road) right along to the dodgy end of town, although I hear that they are improving on this. I'm sure Lisa will be fine, it's not dodgy as in London dodgy. It is a small area of town that is not as nice.
I don't know anything about Kentville I'm afraid.

Thermals are definately a must, especially downtown as you will be right near the ocean and get that cold breeze. You will have to buy your winter clothes here though, British clothes are not made for Canadian winters.

Good luck with everything. I'm pleased to hear everything is running smoothly for you.

Take care

Lorraine

Hey Supersonic: I just wanted to wish you and your family well. My wife and I moved to Ontario in 1975, worked there all my life, then retired to Nova Scotia in 2001 when I was 53. We love it here on the south shore and I am sure you will love it too, after what is sometimes a difficult period of adjustment. Don't be afraid of taking a leap - many are afraid, and they are the people who stay home, regretting it later in life.

I suspect you and Lorry are corresponding privately. By way of encouragement, my wife and I have seen all of Canada and love Nova Scotia best, so much that is why we retired here. The people are absolutely wonderful, as you will find, the best anywhere. You'll love the pace, the beauty, the quality of life. As for winter clothing, what Lorry says is right on. I suggest that you and your family seek out a store called Frenchy's; they have outlets all over Nova Scotia. They sell new and used clothing. Your wife will love rummaging through the clothes and selecting some winter gear, perhaps other gear too. I only buy new stuff in the main and pay $2.75 for shirts. I think good coats go for about $5 or $6. The deals are amazing. Any local will tell you where the nearest store is. It's a fun and rewarding experience.

Please let us all know how you get on. Good luck.

Hey Buddyboy,

Apologies for the delay in replying. Thank you for your post. We are visiting now in April, and trying to arrange as many things as possible. We are meeting with a few realtors, visiting schools and trying to see as much as we can in 4-5 days. We are very excited at the prospect. The children although apprehensive are also looking forward to the move. Where about on south shore are you living? We have friends in Bridgewater who we will try to visit, and we also wanted to get up to Kentville.

Keep in touch.
Supersonic6669

Supersonic: I live in a tiny village west of Bridgewater, about 6km inland. I know Bridgewater well. I shop there regularly with my wife and play bridge at the Bridgewater Duplicate Bridge Club. You'll have a great visit for sure, although 4-5 days is very short.

When you are in Bridgewater, treat yourself to a meal at the Two Chefs restaurant. Your friends will know where it is. Tell your waitress that the big English guy, Bernie, sent you. You'll get a great welcome. I recommend their "all you can eat" curry buffet on Thursday evenings, 5-8pm, for $13.95, soft drinks included. I always drink about three big mugs of coffee and smile inwardly when I think that three mugs of coffee would probably cost me more in the UK than the whole meal does here.

If you can figure out how to get to Nova Scotia and how to make a go of it here, you will have found your own paradise.

Well given that I am a "scotianer" I thought I'd give you my "tree cents" lol! I am from cape breton island. And its true people from NS are the mose welcoming and polite of all of canada. With that being said you still wanna lock your doors . You will adjust well there if you keep an open mind about getting yourselves and children involved in community events. My most important peice of advice I can give you is to buy a car stright away. The area that you are thinking of living in does not have the best of bus services. You could be waiting up to an hour for a bus and trust me in the winter time you don't wanna be out there. don't forget to check out timhortons theres one on every corner, in the malls, at the gas station, the ferry OMG there every where! I haven't been to NS for a few years but "timmies" has probably invaded NS by now. lol..hehehe

There are plenty of jobs in marketing/sales. I set up a company in darthmouth based on potential sales and it worked out well!

You'll probably want to check out all the cable& telephone companies there as well as there are turn over there.

Good luck

Hi I moved to Halifax just over a year ago and am now living up in Middle Sackville. Coming from the UK I have had no regrets so far. The houses are cheaper and the wages are lower but the way of life here is so much better. In the Summer we love to go out on the lakes Canoeing or Jetsking. Camping is a must and in the winter there is Ski-ing. One other thing I like more here is that everyone likes the outdoor life so much more and we love nothing more than firing up the BBq and having a campfire out in the garden. For anyone thinking of moving here I highly recommend trips to Lunenburg Chester and the Cabot trail in Cape Breton.