[archway-owl]

Hi folks,

I'm heading over to Canada on a working holiday visa I'm looking as it stands to start in Vancouver and move around as and when it suits me.

I'm just wondering if you guys can give me an update on how the jobs climate and what cost rent roughly is in area's where you guys live. I'm a electrician so hoping work should be relatively easy to come by though I'm prepared to be proved wrong on that.

Also can you guys tell me about how much you paid for car insurance as a foreigner when you first went over if you emigrated from england and what the laws are where you live, I have done some research and it seems British Colombia is the easiest place to sort these things out.

Many thanks

[Mickjj]

While it's true I live here in Vancouver I have been here nearly thirty years so my giving advice on setting up would be a little out of date. All I can tell you is that it is one of the greatest cities in the world in a fantastic setting. You may want to PM Indiana as he did the one year permit thing here a couple of years ago and really enjoyed it. As far as work if you are a construction electrician you should be OK. Even though the Olympics are over there are no signs of the boom letting up. PM me if you have any more questions.

[nebneeb]

I fucking love Vancouver. Best city i've Visited. Easily. BC really is beautiful.

I'd love to go over to Canada for a year.

Good luck mate.

[Maple Staple]

Vancouver is a great place and "trades people" in general are always in demand here in Canada. For an electrician, I believe their is some sort of exam that you need to pass before you can undertake that type of work. I presume you have/will be doing this?

They always joke, BC means Bring Cash. A great city, fantastic scenery and an ocean lifestyle don't come cheap unfortunately. I know, I went on a day trip to Victoria once :biggrin: .

It'll be a great experience for you. Canada's a fantastic place. Enjoy !!!!!!

This post has been edited by Maple Staple: 25 July 2010 - 12:57 PM

[edmontonowl]

OK forget all this nonsense about British Columbia.

All the rain there has dulled their senses :biggrin:

Come to sunny Alberta and enjoy some real fun.

No sales tax, seriously low cost of living, jobs all over the place, pick-up trucks all over..............................oh, and it's a dry cold so you'll not get frozzen to t'bone.

More seriously, though, like Maple suggests above I would imagine you'll have to 'prove' your trade qualifications are acceptable. In Alberta electricians are in demand in the oil patch but to get a job may need you to go through a union hiring process.

Like Mickjj, I've been over here for 30 years so I have to think back a long way for answers to your insurance and other "start-up" questions. As I recall you don't get any credit for previous good driving records and you'll basically be starting from scratch - they fob you off with "we drive on the right here you know"

The biggest shock to your system might be that you can't buy booze at the supermarket - you have to go to the Liquor store. In Alberta these are privatized so they are like off-licenses but elsewhere they are government run. Dunno if BC have seen the light and done the private thing too.

Overall cost of living is good - the strong dollar reduces the value of the pound but once you start getting paid in dollars you'll be OK.

Make sure to visit Banff and Jasper and go skiing/boarding. PM me if you have more questions and get in touch if you make it to Edmonton

[Mickjj]

If you go to Edmonton you could easily get a job doing this :biggrin:

http://www.edmonton.ca/bylaws_licences/AYP0602614_Veer.JPG

[Maple Staple]

Mickjj, on 29 July 2010 - 11:47 AM, said:

If you go to Edmonton you could easily get a job doing this :biggrin:

http://www.edmonton.ca/bylaws_licences/AYP0602614_Veer.JPG

Is that picture Summer or Winter in Edmonton ? I can never tell which is which :biggrin:

[roaminowl]

edmontonowl, on 27 July 2010 - 09:45 PM, said:

Like Mickjj, I've been over here for 30 years so I have to think back a long way for answers to your insurance and other "start-up" questions. As I recall you don't get any credit for previous good driving records and you'll basically be starting from scratch - they fob you off with "we drive on the right here you know"

I brought a letter from my UK insurance company showing full no claims bonus (6+ years) and got full no claims with my Canadian Insurance Company. That was in 2000.

[Utah Owl]

Maybe I should've moved to Canada then! Came to US 6 months ago with claims free letters from my Car and Bike insurers and got Jack!

What hurts most is I've worked in the industry for over 30 years and it always worked the other way round for people moving to blighty from Canada/US!

[edmontonowl]

roaminowl, on 30 July 2010 - 06:39 PM, said:

I brought a letter from my UK insurance company showing full no claims bonus (6+ years) and got full no claims with my Canadian Insurance Company. That was in 2000.

Fair enough.

I came 30 years ago. Maybe things change

[edmontonowl]

Mickjj, on 29 July 2010 - 08:47 AM, said:

If you go to Edmonton you could easily get a job doing this :biggrin:

http://www.edmonton.ca/bylaws_licences/AYP0602614_Veer.JPG

:biggrin:

You don't disappoint

Plus 30 here last 2 days and I've been landscaping in it.

The beer went down easily, though

[Mickjj]

edmontonowl, on 02 August 2010 - 08:55 PM, said:

:biggrin:

You don't disappoint

Plus 30 here last 2 days and I've been landscaping in it.

The beer went down easily, though

What were you doing Dave building retaining walls to keep the drifts back :rolleyes:

[edmontonowl]

Mickjj, on 03 August 2010 - 12:06 PM, said:

What were you doing Dave building retaining walls to keep the drifts back :rolleyes:

4 more weeks and I will probably wish I had :ohmy:

[Utah Owl]

Last winter wasn't too bad down here even though we're 5,00ft up in the Rockies! At least the cold is dry and you can wrap up against it, it's the wet cold back home that gets me, particularly when the rain is coming in horizontally off the back of a40/50mph gale! :cool: :cool:

[edmontonowl]

Utah Owl, on 03 August 2010 - 04:04 PM, said:

Last winter wasn't too bad down here even though we're 5,00ft up in the Rockies! At least the cold is dry and you can wrap up against it, it's the wet cold back home that gets me, particularly when the rain is coming in horizontally off the back of a40/50mph gale! :cool: :cool:

*points at mickjj*

See, Mick, it's a dry cold - makes all the difference :wink: :biggrin:

This post has been edited by edmontonowl: 04 August 2010 - 01:46 AM

[archway-owl]

top work guys i may pm a couple of you in the coming weeks for more advice.

great start to the game tonight come on the owls