Our story starts in a small living room in Denham, Buckinghamshire, on a damp and miserable November evening. My husband, Alan, and I were feeling mentally drained after spending the last few hours debating on how we could spend Christmas, that year. We all know that familiar feeling of looming neuroticism, frantic list making, meal planning, hazardous sorties to the overheated, overpriced superstores and Christmas Day planned to military precision to ensure that everyone enjoys a relaxing day - Oh God! What could we do that would make this particular year different from the rest?
'Let's take the kids to Lapland for a few days, before Christmas', I announced to Alan. He looked baffled, as only minutes before I was moaning about our tight budget, but by now I was beyond caring.
Countless travel magazines and internet searches later it was clear that there's no such thing as doing a 'once in a lifetime trip' on the cheap. Lapland was going to cost an arm and a leg - and our Christmas dinner. Being the pessimist of the family, I felt all was lost. Alan, on the other hand, had other ideas. In his quiet, methodical way, he had discovered that for the price of a long weekend in Lapland, during the Christmas high season, we could enjoy a fortnight in The Rockies in February. There and then, my husband had turned into my own personal Santa!
Whilst I skipped round the living room like a hyperactive toddler who had just swallowed a kilo of blue Smarties, Alan booked the flights, accommodation and arranged the hire-car - yes, he's the brains of the outfit.
In February 2003, we spent the best two weeks holiday that we had ever experienced, bar none. Our two children, Joe then 14yrs and Shannon then 7yrs, had never experienced such a vast amount of snow and freedom to throw themselves around in it. We took part in everything available to us, skiing, snowboarding, dog sledding, cross country skiing and snow-shoeing. In the UK we hated the cold, in Canada it was magical.
Although the activities were a new and exciting experience, what really struck us was the Canadians. People that we had met for the very first time and probably wouldn't ever meet again, made an effort to chat and enquire about us. You can usually tell if someone is making necessary small talk, either because they are serving you lunch or booking your activity, but these people (and we mean everybody) were genuinely interested - although the British accent is an instant icebreaker.
We had never felt so respected and welcome in a new place and what was really refreshing was that the children were treated with equal respect and were included in every conversation. Perhaps that's why the Canadian children that we have met are so respectful and confident.
Our two weeks went far too quickly and before we knew it we were on our way back to the airport. The atmosphere was subdued and the children were unusually silent - everyone feels deflated when a holiday ends, but this was different.
Planting the SeedOn the plane journey back to the UK, we were already planning on going back for a holiday - only this time we would try another season, apparently spring and summer are best for spotting the more spectacular wildlife. We even fantasized on how wonderful it would be to live there; the quality of life was so much better than in the UK - Canadians worked to live whereas we were living to work. We thought that, for us, that kind of lifestyle would always remain a fantasy.
We arrived back at Heathrow and our first experience was the stoney faced and terse immigration officer. Our next experience was the slovenly car hire clerk, who I might add, made us feel like we were in a sketch from Little Britain, "sorry, the computer says no!". On exiting the airport we were immediately reacquainted with the aggressive manner in which the British have learned to drive. The car park known as the M25 lived up to our expectations (we arrived during the morning rush hour). Our last stop before home was the local supermarket to pick up some essentials. The cashier didn't even bother to look up to see who she was taking money from! I can relay this experience in such detail because the stark difference in cultures was quite shocking; and I still have the nervous twitch!
Alan, at the time, was a Police Sergeant with the Metropolitan Police, based at Heathrow and serving his 25th year in 'the job'. His first day back was a night duty; being as this can be a very depressing shift, he took in some travel books to research our next holiday to The Rockies. Colin, a colleague of Alan's, showed an interest in the books because he was in the process of emigrating to a town called Cochrane - in The Rockies!
Colin also informed him that two colleagues from his station had moved to Cochrane a year ago. Alan waxed lyrical about our holiday and commented on how we would love to live there. Colin asked him if he had considered emigrating. Alan's immediate response was to say that he thought at 43yrs old he was too old and that he didn't realize that being a Police Officer would be recognized by the Canadian authorities as being a skill. There was also the issue of me having epilepsy. Colin recommended that we subscribe to the Canada News magazine and visit the Emigrate Fair at Sandown Park.
The next day, the first thing we did was to make a 'wish list' of what we wanted from life and asked ourselves if Canada could supply it. Yes, it could. We then made another list of the pro's and con's of emigrating. The pro's outweighed the con's by a mile. The con's being; missing the family and the expense of the emigration process. Throughout the following four years, these lists were our saviour when we felt that the long tunnel didn't look like it had an end.
We're On T'internet!Knowing that we had only spent a two week family holiday in the mountains, we decided that to start the ball rolling without knowing anything else about Alberta would be irresponsible. We knew from Colin's input, that it involved parting with cash that wouldn't be refunded and it also involved a good deal of running around and seemingly endless paperwork. Above all, we had to consider the impact our decision would have on our two children. The internet was a good place to find out what we would be letting ourselves in for.
Checking out emigration websites was an obvious move, but also some communities run their own websites. We picked out areas on a map and 'Googled' them. What we learned about the cost of living, sense of community, schools and climate (even stories about the perils of wildlife) was really surprising. Some had chat forums that we could join in and we found that the residents were more than happy - proud even - to tell us about their way of life.
We researched our questions and concerns about the bureaucratic side of things by logging-on to the Canadian High Commission website. The answers that we received were encouraging but the cost of the application posed a dilemma; were we prepared to lose a third of the cost of the application if we were refused? Were we able to afford the further £600 it would cost us for the medicals?
Fair PlayOn a work colleague's advice, Alan and I took a trip to the Emigrate Fair at Sandown Park. Our visit proved invaluable to us. To say that the contacts and information that we came away with were useful is an understatement. A wealth of knowledge, experience, guidance and support lies with people that are eager to share it - you just have to ask. We came away carrying bags that were brimming with leaflets, forms, magazines and business cards. The relocators and realtors that we met were based in Canada and had travelled to the UK especially to attend the Fair. We also made contact with a money exchange company, who have turned out to be extremely beneficial when it came to transferring our money from the UK to Canada (they aren't the only company to specialize in this service, we chose them because they suited our purposes). We also touched-base with immigration lawyers; as we still weren't wholly sure that I would be accepted and should we need to appeal they would be useful. Names had faces and the faces were friendly; we were finally given the confidence we needed to take the plunge.
Don't Let It Be Someone Else's Dream
Alan applied as a Skilled Worker - Police are recognized under the Skilled Worker category. It doesn't mean that because you have a particular skill that you then have to take up the same one when you get to Canada, it just means that you possess skills that are likely to get you employment. The benefit of this scheme was that Alan would be the applicant and we would come along with him; this meant that me not working wasn't an issue at that point. However, if I was refused due to my medical condition, Alan and the children could still go - not that they would have!
Our next move was to tell the children about our plans. Shannon at the age of seven, was fairly easy; but Joe, at fourteen, who has an extremely close relationship with my mother and father, was more difficult to sell our idea to. He was torn between a happier quality of life and the emotional cost of being separated from Nan and Grandad. As we had already booked a month's holiday in Calgary for that summer, he decided it was worth another look.
Our talk with Joe was the start of a long emotional roller coaster ride consisting of deep low's and soaring high's. For us, telling the rest of our family about our intentions and having a few years to let them digest the news, was the most stressful and emotionally draining part of our plans. Our strength as a couple, the importance of giving our children a safer and better quality of life and that well thumbed wish list kept us focused. We didn't want to spend the rest of our lives wondering if we could have 'lived the dream.'
The Three R'sEveryone that we consulted about our plans (be it in an official capacity, or otherwise) always came up with the same advice, research, research and more research, you simply cannot do too much.
Before we left, for the first of several research trips, we made sure that we had an itinerary to keep to, we also made sure that any meetings with our new contacts from the Emigrate Fair were already arranged. We had to be disciplined and not get too caught up in the holiday atmosphere, because it was a lot of money to spend just to come home hardly any better informed (take lots of things to keep the children amused whilst you are dealing with the 'boring' stuff - the extra expense really pays off!)
As a Brit, I have been conditioned to think that you don't get anything for nothing, therefore I was very cautious about meeting up with a relocator. I felt that somewhere along the line there would be a hidden cost for some service or other. However, after our first meeting I was pleasantly surprised as the information supplied and the assistance that was on offer really was free of charge!
We also met up with our old colleagues from The Met. We listened to their experiences and were shown round their beautiful homes. The practical side of life such as employment and schooling was equally enjoyable and fruitful. This made us even more determined that whatever the cost and however many hours spent on paperwork, the end-result was definitely going to be worth it.
At this point, there was only one concern nagging at Alan - employment. Since the age of sixteen, Alan's career lay completely with The Met. He was a Sergeant and had just over four years service left, he didn't want to start a police career again in Canada. He had put out feelers towards managerial posts but nothing was guaranteed. Positions in construction and carpentry were extremely well paid and in huge demand. Alan was prepared to turn his hand to such things but would need to go through a fairly long training course first (this would apply to most jobs that were available to him). Training such as this takes time and in our current position we needed him to find work a.s.a.p. We weren't sure who would employ me either as my condition, with it's limitations, could be a big issue. More research and planning was to come and, as a result, the brains of the outfit came up trumps again.
Three Steps To Heaven
Back in Blighty, we were elated when we heard that we had got our visas! It had been decided that my particular form of epilepsy and the way in which it is controlled would not become a drain on the Canadian medical system and social services, therefore, it didn't pose a problem.
Alan's proposed solution to his employment concerns was to delay our emigration until July 2008, so that he could see out his remaining service in The Met. Once retired, we would then have the security of his pension to keep us going whilst he found suitable employment hence giving us a bit of breathing space. He made extensive enquiries with The Met regarding his pension and researched our position with the Canadian authorities, should we want to wait for him to retire before we moved to Canada.
It turned out that we could delay our move by using the residency requirements to our advantage. We took these three steps: Once we received our visa's we were allowed to wait up until one year to 'land' ourselves in Canada. That year would commence from the date that we took our medicals. On landing we would be issued papers evidencing our permanent residency status. The actual Permanent Resident cards would be issued to us a few weeks later via post. This required us to have a registered address in Canada - this in turn, allows you to apply for your S.I.N. (Social Insurance Number) Card. You must then be physically present in Canada for 730 days out of 5 years or your permanent residency will expire.
After, yet again, making a list of pro's and con's, we decided that the rewards in 2008 would outweigh the frustrations and hardships in between. We chose to spend a month in Calgary, each year until 2008.
The Carraghers Have LandedWe booked another, month long trip to Calgary, for the following year and 'landed' ourselves. Research wise, this trip was just as fruitful and enjoyable as the last. One of our friends allowed us to use his address for any official correspondence and we were issued our Permanent Resident and SIN cards by post. We were in!
Dollars for PoundsIt was at this stage that we set up a money exchange account. Our intention was to secure a good exchange rate when the time came for us to transfer our money from the UK to Canada. Our timing was perfect, for us. We found out that we could 'forward purchase' a lump sum (in our case, this would come from Alan's pension) by placing a 10% deposit on that lump sum, there and then. We informed company of the rate that we were hoping to get and they gave us their opinion on the likelihood of that being a reality. At that time, the exchange rate was excellent (£1 = CDN$2.23). We had to do some serious thinking because money was still tight in the UK and 10% of his future pension was a lot for us to part with right now. We took a gamble and put down our deposit. It was now guaranteed that no matter what the rate was in 2008, our lump sum would be transferred at CDN$2.23 to the pound. That gamble turned out to be one of the best timed decisions we have ever made.
Taking A BlowOver the following two years, as well as keeping up our research trips, we also kept a close eye on the MLS property website. We also kept in touch with our friends in Canada by e-mail and continued our subscription with the Canada News magazine. In keeping this continual link with Canada we noticed, that due to an economic boom in Alberta, the property prices in and around Calgary were escalating at a worryingly fast pace. We were also aware of the rising cost of living.
This was the start of an extremely low period for us. We had worked out that we couldn't afford to buy a three-bedroomed apartment let alone a house! On top of that, our son Joe dropped the bombshell that he didn't want to come with us! He was seventeen; had found a good job, with excellent prospects; passed his driving test; had a huge circle of close friends and a girlfriend. All of a sudden, for him, his life was already where he wanted it to be and he felt that Canada wasn't the place for him. Alan and I were poleaxed!
Shannon was still only nine years old and faced the prospect of spending the rest of her school days in a school that Joe had managed to survive rather than enjoy. It was all that was available to us, unless we moved to another area. We couldn't do that because we were now living in a rented house, Alan's pension was tied up, leaving us unable to afford a mortgage and the likelihood of finding a more affordable rental was bleak. We had run up a considerable 'tab' investing in our emigration so staying in the UK was no longer an option for us. We either had to change Joe's mind or cope with the heartache of leaving him behind. Yes, he was old enough to make his choice, but any parent reading this will know that this fact is irrelevant.
Alan and I put far more into solving this dilemma than I am prepared to write. Joe could neither be swayed by our foresight, nor by our logical argument. Eventually, we had to accept and respect Joe's decision in the same way that our parents had done for us. It was up to us to support and prepare him for the future he had chosen. We made sure that he would be financially sound and that, should he need us, we had a 'fund' to take a flight anytime. He would also have the immediate support of our family and close friends, once we had gone. We could do no more.
Staying Focussed
So, just to recap:
Con's
Joe's not coming with us.
Shannon was wavering because Joe wasn't coming.
We're living in a rented home that is financially crippling us.
The emigration process and the numerous research trips have created a considerable 'tab' that cannot be recovered.
Alan is yet to retire.
We have most of Alan's pension tied up with a Money Exchange company We've already booked our last research trip to Calgary.
Calgary can no longer give us the quality of life that would make emigrating worthwhile.
Joe is covered for any eventuality.
We have our PR status and our SIN cards.
We have made numerous contacts in Canada.
The money that we have is at an excellent exchange rate.
By keeping our wish list, we haven't lost sight of what Canada (if not Alberta) can offer us.
MLS property website is being updated constantly.
Alberta isn't the only province in Canada.
There is another Emigrate Fair in Sandown coming up next week.
Late one evening, during one of Alan's many visits to the MLS website, he found a lakeside property on 2 acres of land boasting 2,400 sq ft of floor space (not including the basement) for less that £150,000! His expletive made my ears prick up and I asked where it was. 'In a province called Nova Scotia.' His reply was half-statement and half-query. 'Where's that?' I wasn't any help.
Come the early hours of the morning we had located the whereabouts of Nova Scotia and decided that it was worth looking into. 'They persevered' should be engraved on our headstones!
The next few days were committed to researching Halifax and Nova Scotia on the internet. As with Alberta, we picked out towns and communities from a map and called up any websites that were linked to them. We liked what we saw and were encouraged by people's accounts of their experiences within Nova Scotia. Were we really lucky enough to have found a chink of light at the end of our dark tunnel?
Visiting Sandown Fair was crucial and at such short notice, Alan had to go alone. The look on his face when he came home told me all that I needed to know. His hands were full of bags packed with leaflets, business cards and brochures. I was told that he had met a couple called Mike and Orla Wilson, who were relocators and ran UK2NovaScotia. He had also been introduced to Annette and Jerry Murphy who were realtors in Nova Scotia. As he walked away from the stands, after a brief but extremely informative chat, he had found that all four of them had instantly instilled his trust.
We had spent four years building relationships and researching Calgary - enough to be confident that our decision to emigrate was the right thing to do. After all of that effort we were dealt a blow that threw our once bright future into an uncertain one. Could a few days surfing the net and one brief visit to Sandown really recover us from that? In our experience, we couldn't make an informed decision unless we went to see Nova Scotia for ourselves.
Previous client stories
The Witt's StoryThe Saunders' Story