My ideal location in canada... but where

[lukerides]

Hello,

My girlfriend and i are looking to move to Canada, about 6 months or so after she finishes her degree in Palaeontology. Im a jack of all trades so i guess i should pick a past employment job and run with that experience. (Network infrastructure, web design, car trader, import-retail business owner, 9 years a drummer, and 7 years a skier).

Id like to know a bit more about climate over Canada, i hear that its white in the winter and green in the summer, but im more after a geographical location. Personally, (this would be dreamland mind) i would love to live in a medium sized town, that is approx half hour away from a ski resort and a lake. But its gotta be hot in the summer! (an English hot, about 30c )

Also, what area's are more relaxed about cannabis possession? (or commercial growing for that matter)

Thanks for any help you guys can give.

 

[Leon]

First figure out how you are going to immigrate to Canada. You can start here: http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/immigrate/index.asp Once you get to Canada, you can decide where to live and if you don't like it, you can always move.

 

[lukerides]

Seeing as my girlfriend would have her degree, we would be gettin her in on a work visa, and me possibly on a visit visa where i can get employed then apply for a full visa myself.

I was more curious as to what locations fit the description above, Canada is unfathomably big, i mean the longest drive your ever going to do in the UK is 14 hours. I have no idea about the towns of canada, but im really interested to find out more.

 

[Leon]

Seeing as my girlfriend would have her degree, we would be gettin her in on a work visa, and me possibly on a visit visa where i can get employed then apply for a full visa myself.

I was more curious as to what locations fit the description above, Canada is unfathomably big, i mean the longest drive your ever going to do in the UK is 14 hours. I have no idea about the towns of canada, but im really interested to find out more.

To get a work visa, she needs a job offer. First make sure she can get a job somewhere, then move where the job is. If you have been living together for 12 months or more, you can go with her as a common law husband. Otherwise, it's pretty dodgy to go on a 6 month visit visa hoping to arrange a job and a work permit during that time.

 

[toby]

Probably Leon is right: you will go to where the good job offer happens to be. But to answer your question directly, if you had a choice of locations, you should focus on Ontario -- maybe Kingston, where the summers are hot, the winters not too cold, and there are lots of lakes nearby, as well as Lake Ontario. Not much skiing nearby, though.

Ottawa is OK too, although the winters are cruelly cold (in Feb you can get a few weeks of -3o C with wind!!). Lots of lakes in adjacent Quebec, as well as the Ottawa River close by. And a few good ski hills. Population about 1 million (metropolis).

I'm sure those more familiar with the maritimes can extol its virtues better than I.

There is skiing and lots of lakes in Manitoba, but I suspect the employment opportunities are limited there.

 

[Leon]

Or BC. BC has skiing and I dare say mostly anywhere in Canada gets "English hot" 30°C summers. In many places they even get a lot warmer like in Toronto where you may have 37°C with a humidex of 47. Still, it mostly depends on where his gf gets a job. I do not know how sought after palaeontologists are in Canada or where those jobs would mostly be located.

 

[toby]

True -- the interior of BC gets a dry hot that is supposed to be quite pleasant. The lakes are beautiful too -- but employment possibilities are reputed to be limited.

The island had a few lakes, but the summers are much cooler than 30 C.

I am not sure how to advise anyone coming to Canada. It is too vast and varied to describe concisely. Maybe get an indication of where the work is, go to Google Earth to look for lakes and ski hills, then narrow the focus. But start with where the work is likely to be.

 

[Leon]

It's not like they have a choice of going anywhere and just looking for jobs as they are not coming as PR's, they are coming in on his gf's work permit, that is if she gets one. To get a work permit, she would first need to find an employer. Like I said, I don't know about the job market in that field so they'll have to see how many job offers she can get and then choose between those locations. lukerides, if you get back here after she has some actual job offers and ask us about the difference between certain named locations, we can try to help you, but it's unrealistic to expect that you have the pick of any town you want.

 

[gerrybyrne]

For location I would say Collingwood. It has everything you need in regards to skiing, lakes and sunshine.