Hi everyone, i thought i would ask this question here to get a real time up to date answers from real people.
Myself my wife and our 2 kids moved to canada 5 years ago, did the first 3 years truck driving all over canada and the usa, i think i have seen every province and state apart from florida. I consider myself very lucky i had the chance to do it, and spent the last two years pulling wrenches. whilst in canada we had 1 more child (unexpected) and a set of twins due within the next2 weeks(unexpected):), total of 5 kids ages 12,8 1,0,0, let me just say there will no longor be any unexpected things happening again:).
We have 85% made our minds up to come back home to the UK as we really miss family and friends alot and feel our kids are missing out on growing up with there family as well.
I guess wgat ime asking is has anything changed, i really do forget why i left in the first place.
If you where in my shoes would you come back, and what is the job situation like, i would like a 8-10hr a day job driving truck. dont have loads of money either so will more than likley be renting, and we are planning to move to the Walsall Dudley west bromwich areas of birmingham.
Are we doing the right thing!!!
Thanks.
The work situation isn’t too good at the moment though you would probably stand a better than average chance in that area. Property prices are ludicrous and it is very difficult to get a mortgage right now. We are in a recession which is deepening, there are to be 500,000 public sector job cuts and it is estimated that there will also be another 500,000 who become unemployed in the private sector over the next few years.
At the end of the day yours is a personal family decision and you can’t put a price on that. However my practical financial advice would be to aim to return in 2-3 years time if things look better here then.
Good luck whatever you do!
Don’t go to Brum…I left in 97, you would not know the place!
One of my sons (Big Jon’s brother) is here in the UK from Edmonton Alberta for a week visiting. After 2 days he announced there is no way he could move back here. The place is too crowded and people are so rude in the UK. He says life in Canada is much more relaxed and reasonably paid employment is easier to find. He is just starting a new job on $22/hour driving class 5 or class 3 with air brakes and is home every night. He has recently passed his class 1 but is happy to take the straight truck (rigid) job at the pay rate and conditions on offer. It helps that he holds dual citizenship like Big Jon & I so he can freely work in Canada or the UK.
I have a servicing business here in the UK which I couldn’t operate in Canada as the population density is too small in Canada for my business to be viable. I am making a decent living in the UK and have done for 40 years. I visit Canada frequently and If I wasn’t making such a good living from my business I would move back there like a shot. Unfortunately, or fortunately perhaps, I make too much of a good living to give it up. In some ways I’m marooned here by my own success. I wouldn’t dream of driving HGVs here due to the rules and regulations being so over the top with the authorities just waiting to punish any transgressions.
Hope this helps.
Big Jon’s Dad
midlanddryerservices.co.uk
edit for spelling error.
Do yourself a big favour and go back for a couple of weeks only ,just to see friends and family.It will give you a chance to re-affirm your original decision about moving to Canada.We had no plans to return,but visited the U.K.2years ago for a holiday.Remember lasting about 5 days before we all wanted to get back here.
Whatever you choose to do,best of luck.
With all them kids you could probably get a council pad & retire in UK atm. but that might be subject to change in the next 5 years.
Birmingham and Dudley is probably more like Delhi and Lahore than anywhere in Canada would be and Britain is probably set to become poorer than the rest of India and Pakistan in the next 10 years and I’m still pxxxxd off with the Canadians for not letting me go over there to drive trucks around thirty years ago.It’s a no brainer. 
Stay where you are son this country has had it maybe in 10 years time it might be better but not at this present moment in time.
He’s got 5 kids - there’s nowhere like Blighty if you need help.
harry:
He’s got 5 kids - there’s nowhere like Blighty if you need help.
The trouble is harry is he going to get any the way this crowd of crooks as apossed to the other crowd of crooks are performing we will all be in the mire.Plus there is now talk of child allowance for the first two children so having five will make no difference.
I can only say that things have got worse since you left and there is a very real prospect of a deeper recession here with the planned deficit reduction plans, lots of people are going to be losing their jobs, fact not fiction.
If returning to UK has nothing to with wonga ,stay in CA. If you are making a living coming back would be a massive back-step. If you are skint get on the next plane.
Hiya… I,d stay in Canada and visit the UK and read a few news papers before moving back.
I,ve been to Canada 10 times(holidaying)and it seems a dream place to live.You,ve been to Ottawa and seen the
flag stones…if you come to britain you can,t see the flags for litter/chewing gum.
My friend who lives nr Vancouver and has kids in calgary come back to GB after leaving Crewe in 78 and said
he will never visit again the place stinks.
IF you play your cards right have another 2 kids in a couple of years time ,then give up work to help the missus
get a council house. Then get £60,000 a year hand outs. thats how it works in the UK.mind you we,ll all slag you off
behind your back.
I,d stay put it may be hard but there must be more openings in CANADA…good luck
John
PS send me a pm with your address and i,ll send you a newspaper or two.
i will never complain about the cold in Uk again after -50 winters in saskatchewan.
Cold in Canada just isn’t the same as cold in the UK.
You can feel cold in the UK at temperatures above freezing which you wouldn’t think of as cold when experienced in Canada.
Conversely -42 before windchill, which is the coldest I’ve personally experienced in Canada, is a joy as everything is so crisp, clean and white & the sky is bright blue and absolutely huge.
Because the cold is dry you don’t feel all that cold. You have to dress appropriately of course. Personally I love the cold winters when I visit. It makes the UK winter seem much more mild after visiting Edmonton. The UK is more grey and damp than cold.
Big Jon’s Dad
thanks for the fast replies everyone!!! NOT QUITE WHAT I EXPECTED. it seems that everyone is painting a bad picture at the moment.
It kind of makes you think twice about the move.
Big Johns Dad, the cold here is different, its easy to cope with up to -20 after that with the wind as well its awfull
. We have a 6 week period in saskatchewan in jan feb where temps hit rock bottom and stop there. -40 or lower every day + wind chill as well.
I have heard that BC winters are very much like english ones.
I am very tempted to take a trip back first for a couple of weeks and see for myself whats changed, and if its a good move for us.
Does anybody have anything good to say about the UK Please■■?
ppc25:
thanks for the fast replies everyone!!! NOT QUITE WHAT I EXPECTED. it seems that everyone is painting a bad picture at the moment.Does anybody have anything good to say about the UK Please■■?
Honestly with no word of a lie the place really is absolutely zb’d up the zb creek without a zb paddle.
Carryfast got in first. The even shorter answer to your perfectly reasonable question is no!!
Carryfast:
ppc25:
thanks for the fast replies everyone!!! NOT QUITE WHAT I EXPECTED. it seems that everyone is painting a bad picture at the moment.Does anybody have anything good to say about the UK Please■■?
Honestly with no word of a lie the place really is absolutely zb’d up the zb creek without a zb paddle.
Don’t tell me----who’s stood up in the fron’t of the canoe—saluting? step forward the bold “Carryfast” C.D.M +BAR 2nd.class.
We can swap if you want. Me and the family will move to Canada and you can have my house in England.
I want out of this country and out of driving here asap. I’ve even been looking at teaching English in japan to get away from this ■■■■■■■■ of a country.
We’ve been overrun by dole scroungers, illegal immigrants, politicians that have raped and pillaged this country to satisfy their own greedy desires, chavs that will happily stab you for a bag of chips and a govt that is happy to let the sandal wearing guardian readers control my thoughts about who should or shouldn’t be allowed in our once great country.
There was a news report just the other night where the reporter was speaking to a Taliban bomb squad, who told him the majority of their money comes from donations from individuals and mosques from our own ■■■■■■■ country!!! Why are we allowing this to happen?
My wife is Asian and just got her British passport last week, so finally we can have the pick of countries to move to and Canada is top of the list for us, so if you know anyone who wants a truck driver let me know, I will even happily buy you and the family dinner if you can help me get away!!
Take it from me, STAY where you are.
Bewick:
Carryfast:
ppc25:
thanks for the fast replies everyone!!! NOT QUITE WHAT I EXPECTED. it seems that everyone is painting a bad picture at the moment.Does anybody have anything good to say about the UK Please■■?
Honestly with no word of a lie the place really is absolutely zb’d up the zb creek without a zb paddle.
Don’t tell me----who’s stood up in the fron’t of the canoe—saluting? step forward the bold “Carryfast” C.D.M +BAR 2nd.class.
I hate to say it sir but I told you so that if we went this way we’d be up to our necks in mud and zb alligators.
(Quote taken from CDM+BAR 2nd Class) during the retreat from Louisiana during the 1812 British US war.