Canada for the people who have gone and come back

UK PROFESSIONAL DRIVERS FORUMS EX-PAT BRITISH TRUCKERS (INTERACTIVE)
1

Hi ,anyone been to Canada , and come back to the UK. :laughing:
Why dont you share your adventure with us all, let us into all the ups and downs from the start, to returning to the UK.

  1. Tell us about wages,
    2)hours of work
    3)why did you return
  2. what was it like
    5)was what you where told true

Why should a driver be told to take over ÂŁ30000 ,i thought a driver was going to earn a living, not spend his hard earned savings supporting himself while working. :laughing:
So come on if you have been START POSTING LETS PUT SOME BONFIRES OUT :wink:

2

i have,nt been but its obvious why you would need to take a fair bit of money with you.
probably not as much as ÂŁ30000 but you could,nt go with a tenner.
firstly you are not going to get paid for a month probably.
you need to get a house/place to live.
i imagine if you was to rent you would need to pay a deposit and a few months in advance or atleast keep money aside for a few months untill you get sorted.
if buying you would need a substantial deposit. thats if you could get a mortgage straight away
the house you are renting/buying may not be furnished. everything you need for a house needs to be bought, for cash. you wont get finance. you wont get hp for your car.or if you did it would be at a high rate of interest.
if your house was to burn to the ground and you had to replace everything how much do you think it would cost :question:
these people dont put there entire belongings in a container and get it shipped over, some may, but i doubt it, fresh start and all that.
you and your family have to eat. you would need to get a car.,insurance,licences etc for your wife and yourself if you base is miles away.school stuff for the kids.its a never ending list
no one is going to give you finance if you have just moved into a new country, you have no credit history. thats why you need a bit of cash.
you simply could not get by till the end of the month and then try to do it with a few thousand dollars that you have just earnt.

some people have come back from canada. of course they have . its not going to work for everyone.
i have read about people who visited the place once before going. thought it was for them and got it wrong, it happens.
i would imagine that a large percentage of people who came back where the ones who did not have a big enough pot to help them settle in in the first six months. or drivers not quite used to working away for so long.
emmigrating is not just moving house. it is the biggest decision you and your wife /family will ever make and you have got to be 100% sure.which is why i have,nt gone yet .

what puts me off more than anything being entirely honest is the work.
i have never done general haulage. after my military days were over it was supermarket work and now i work for a cement company. sure i do nights out but ive never done 14 on the trot. :open_mouth:
if i could get my job but over in canada i would go tomorrow.
the guy whos done general haulage tramping around the uk /europe would probably love the driving overthere. but i would imagine that some drivers who try it would hate it after a couple of weeks.imaging having never used snow chains etc and the finding out that you hated/or was scared stiff of driving in snow etc. that could put some people off.

as for wages i dont think you can compare the wages there to here unless you had a price for price comparison with everything.
and wages do vary everywhere anyhow.
there are people in the uk earning 35 grand and can get home every day and there are people out all week and earning far far less. theres guys who drive all over europe and get paid less than guys who just do local stuff.

also a final point. there are drivers who earn 18 or 20 grand in the uk and make do and are very happy , yet i know drivers on over 30 k and are in debt. miserable and so on.
everyones different.

3

another point.
i hear this on the radio all the time.
bloke phones in moaning about this country going downhill because of the invasion of polish,latvians etc, etc.
they are that peed off by this mass immigration that they figure the best way out of it is to emmigrate themselves.
now im certain that there are a minority of canadians feel this way also.
imagine after emmigrating there the first few people you met hated you for being an immigrant, stealing their jobs.
that may well put you off enough to make you come back.
just a thought.
have any of you guys overthere come across this. :question:

4

WELL WRITEN DAVE :laughing: At last somebody with a piont of view thats not telling us all how fantastic Canada is , but also pointing out the up side , and down side of immigrating to Canada :laughing:
Well done Dave good ice breaker :laughing:
[/quote]

5

people in canada can offer an insight in how it is for them,people in east yorks can offer advice for that area but an adult can make their own mind up. why not pick something more useful to crusade on.? totally bored with stevo and his fixation on people who are happy with the new life they chose,all the best to anyone who gives it a go.

6

If your bored GLENMAN DON’T LOOK NOBODY’S FORCING YOU.
only constructive reply s please :laughing:

7

This is your 3rd post trying to slate drivers who move to Canada, there’s obviously some reason behind it? You don’t slate Australia, or NZ or France? British drivers move there too.

I kind of agree that’s it’s slightly hypocritical for someone to decide to emmigrate to Canada to escape the mass immigration into the UK, but Canada has very strict controls on immigration and skills, you won’t get a job there if you’re not genuinely needed.

Over here, despite the new rules coming in about points they’re still gonna bring in 300,000 or so totally unskilled workers each year, which is what most ppl resent, including me.

I’ve been considering the idea of emmigrating to drive abroad in a few years time, and Canada is at the top of the list. I went over there for 2 weeks in June to see what I thought of the place, and although it was quite different to how I imagined, I was very taken by it. You won’t know what it’s like to live somewhere though unless you do it, so how can you knock people for having the balls to try it, and not just talk about it or grumble about being stuck here and not acting.

8

Steveo, you are a clown. Plain ridiculous.

Firtstly, the only point made by anyone in the first 4 posts which is correct is when dave said about some coming back from Canada, and when he said about the time away. Up until then there was no truth at all.

You have to understand how things work here and the others admit that the things they say are assumptions and not from experience.

I was paid from day 1. I had my drivers licence after 2 weeks and was on the road then. I have been earning reasonable money and am more than able to support my family.

I did, in fact, have a 10% downpayment mortgage arranged within the first week of arriving. I was able to raise the downpayment of $15000 but that was just about all I had left after I bought a cheap car and paid for my container to come over here containing most of our worldly goods. The apartment we rented had a $325 deposit for a $650 monthly rental and took all of 10 minutes to arrange.

There are other points but that is enough to go on with.

This is the worse one I mentioned, David. It is nonsense and this clown should be stepped on.

9

BOBTHE DOG AGAIN CALLING PEOPLE NAMES AGAIN.
THERE ARE PEOPLE WHO WANT TO HEAR OTHER VIEWS ABOUT CANADA, RATHER THEN HAVING TO SWALLOW YOURS ALL THE TIME, IF YOU DON’T LIKE KEEP THE SNIFFER OUT :laughing:

10

Just so’s your aware, I can’t be arsed to edit out every single personal attack on these threads so if it goes the way of the others and ANY Mod or Admin is unhappy with it, for whatever raeson, it will just be locked, and any posts on the same subject locked for a week or two as well, in order that everyone can calm down.

You’ve been warned. :grimacing:

11

But I am calm, Lucy. He can say nothing that can get at me because I know what I am talking about and he does not. I am not the one shouting here.

And, my belligerant yorkshire flower, your “opinions” barely merit being called such. They are more postulations and assertions on a subject you do not understand.

The joke of it is that you think I actually care.

The 2 people you think are supporting you are merely stating what they think, yet they openly admit they don’t actually know because they haven’t moved out here.

So you know. I cleared £23000 sterling last year. That money is paying for our 5 bedroomed house on our 10 acres. I have just been outside on my new John Deere ride on mower cutting the rest of the grass. My new mower bought with the “pittance” I earned last year. I cannot even see my nearest neighbours because we have lots of lovely space here. We have space, steveo, while you are just a cadet!
I got more time at home last year than I did in 3 years in the UK. I get time to plant the garden, although not all 10 acres. I get time to go looking around Winnipeg and other places because I do not have to work all day, every day.

We spent last night sitting around our neighbours house, sat around a fire in their backyard toasting hot dogs, marshmallows and sharing really good company. We spent yesterday in the city looking at childrens rifles and muzzleloaders and came home with a little 22 just the right size for teaching our child gun safety.

We have a good life here. We are able to live here without the worries and fears that you have there.

I have never, not even once, been made to feel an outsider by any Canadian. You know that 4 families offered to look after our son while my wife was so sick. They were all Canadian families.

You are not really that contentious, now I come to think about it. I have a good time here. If you had tried it then you could have, too, but you haven’t and, thankfully, won’t.

12

it would be a pity if all threads get locked simply because of someones blinkered opinions.im sure plenty of people like to hear of how things are overseas and from people who are actually living the life.most of us have enough sense to gather as much info as we need,and what suits one man may not suit another so let us make up our own mind.i know of people who went overseas and couldnt stick it but then they dont really like work back home either. there seem to be better more constructive ,more impartial contributors here whos views deserve more credence than someone who keeps opening threads to push his blinkered views.

13

Not sure if you are pointing at me there Glenman. I am impartial. I want everyone who moves here to succeed and will help in any way I can. That said, I won’t say it is a bed of roses as it is far from that. It is hard work and can be very frightening at times because it is different to anything you have ever known.

What it comes down to is choice. We made a choice to move here. We didn’t like the idea of being afraid for our childs welfare all the time. We didn’t like the idea that he couldn’t play in his own front garden because the traffic was miserable and you simply didn’t know who was around.

We couldn’t abide living around people who could not care less about anything, in a country where the elderly are left to die in their own homes because they couldn’t afford to heat them, then get left there, undiscovered for 3 weeks because nobody cared enough to check on them.

We have made a good life in a remarkably short space of time over here. It wasn’t really that difficult. The primary thing you need is cohesion within the family so you can share the difficulties you encounter. I drive a lot of miles here, and I do get tired, but it isn’t the same as in the UK. Road rage is virtually a thing of the past for me now, and I am not the only one who feels this way.

As for people who arrive here then give up and go home again, well some do. Some cannot handle the way things are here and treat it as a big holiday until the reality that you need to work for a living finally hits home. This usually happens when their stake money runs out. There are 2 families who went back from BFS who are now in the process of moving back here again. Another went home because of a death in the family which altered his circumstances. These things happen, don’t they?

BTW, I have never heard of anyone saying they have to have ÂŁ30000 to come here. That is pure rubbish. You have to have $10000 for yourself and $2000 for each dependent when you apply for residency but this can be in the form of assets. In fact, the deposit of $15000 which I paid for the house more than covers our little family in the eyes of the government. Add to that the fact that you are earning money and supporting yourselves and the financial requirements are more than met.

I don’t know what to think about the thread starter. He clearly has issues.

14

I Just wont the truth from all angles, not just yours , and a few others.
Here is AN EMAIL i received from WESTCAN a while ago, telling me that $40000cn would not be enough.

I am just trying to get to grips with it all , and to do this I need all sides to every story :laughing:

scornford@phl.ca wrote:

Hi Steve

The reason why we recommend that families bring that amount is we’ve
learned from experience that arriving with only a small amount just
doesn’t work, we’ve had families come with only $16,000 and after 3
months they’ve gone back to the UK as they’ve been unable to make it
work. As I explained the first year you are classed as training and the
wages reflect that. You have to take into account all sorts of things,
cost of a car, and deposits on everything from rent to all amenities.
None of your goods like kettles, irons etc will work over here so you
have to buy new. If you’re going to be buying a house that will be a
big portion of your budget. Then you have your removal costs from the UK
plus flights for everyone, we only pay for the driver’s outbound flight.
Then you have to remember that none of your benefits kick in until
you’ve completed 3 months service so all visits to the dentist or
doctors you have to pay for, plus any prescription charges.

You have 2 children under the age of 6 and so one would go to pre-school
which you have to pay for, they start kindergarten at 5 but only
mornings or afternoons. Any activities the children get involved in you
have to pay for and pay registration fees. Children are not allowed to
stay in for lunch they have to come home unless it’s an emergency, so
Sarah would be back and forth the school 4 times a day, so you have to
take this into account when budgeting for cars and gas. I’m sure on
reading this you might think I’m painting a black picture but we don’t
want to be brining families over just to go back 3 months later because
they haven’t come with enough funds. Myself and Jon came with over
$60,000 and in the first 3 months went through $50,000, a big portion of
that was on the car and deposit for our house but I know of other
families that have come with the same and have just rented and they’ve
told me that their glad they came with what they did as anything less
and they’d have ended up going back to the UK. Even on what you’ve told
me about what funds you have I think for a family of 5 you will be on a
tight budget.

As for your conviction that wouldn’t be a problem as it’s over 10 years
old and the only thing you’d have to do is apply to the High Commission
for your Work Permit. How the SNIP works is once you’ve completed 6
months with us you have an evaluation and get your guaranteed job offer,
this allows you to apply for your Provincial Nominee Number and to put
in your papers for Permanent Residency and to renew your Work Permit
This is where you start paying out the money, renewal of work permit
and/or work permit/visitor permit for Sarah and children $300,
processing fee for PR total $1,550, medical total $820, if offered PR,
Landed Immigrant fee total $1000 plus you have lots of photos taken
along the way and these work out at about $10 a time for each person.
We managed on just Jon’s wage for nearly 2 years but we only have one
daughter and came with a lot more money. I think you really need to look
at your funds before we go any further. If you think you’d be able to
manage on just the $40,000 I’d have to go to my manager before
proceeding any further as I’ve already stated we want to bring you here
to stay and not to be going back after only a few months. I know we are
still at the early stage and we’ve not yet received your application but
please talk things over with Sarah and let me know if you want to
proceed any further.

Regards,

Sandra[

15

bob im not having a go at you just the opposite.clearly for you its been a positive move. i dont feel you are on a recruitment drive for canada,whereas stevo seems on a sort of anti-canada crusade. for every person who makes well of the move many more dont,thats just life.i just dont see the point trying to tell someone what its like from this side of the ocean by belittling the people who are living the life in canada. all the best to everybody who had the balls to do it and are happy.

16

Stevo, you’re looking to relocate a family of 5 to another country and are being advised by your potential employer to have at least £30,000 in funds ready. To be honest, that seems fairly reasonable to me.

You’d have to as already said, either rent or buy a house, buy a car, insurance, living expenses, all expenses that Westcan have mentioned, and the fact you won’t be earning mega bucks in your first year on the job, and no one else in your family is allowed to work for the first year I believe.

It’d be hugely irresponsible of Westcan to mislead you into thinking you could safely do such a huge move with funds that may well be too little, seems they’re just looking out for you and your family.

17

Let me see, now. I had $6000 when I arrived, then I added about $15000 to that when my wife arrived but I had already bought a car and kitted the truck out for winter because I actually landed in January so had to kit up for the cold.

By the time I paid the downpayment for the house, I had none of my principal left but I was earning so it wasn’t such a concern.

If you can’t start afresh then you shouldn’t even try. I went without some things but made up for it when I got my tax rebate this year. I don’t actually care what someone from Westcan says, either. They give you their point of view but that is all it is, the same as I give my point of view. I arrived with little but made it stretch by buying an older car and by not thinking of this move as a vacation.

Oh, and my container cost me about 4000 sterling, and that was with the removals company packing it, storing it for 2 months and then delivering it to the house. The electrical items don’t really matter, do they. You can buy the TV for $300, the kettles aren’t exactly expensive, and things like cookers, washers and dryers are generally in the house when you buy it.

Like I said, This is my opinion and this is how I did it and coped with it. I wasn’t rich then and I am not rich now but I earn a living and we get by very nicely, thankyou.

If you really wanted to “get to grips” then you would be asking questions instead of trying to stir people up. You are merely pretending and that suits me just fine.

18

bobthedog Can’t you see its a wind-up,mate? Anyone who uses upper case bold to get their views across has got to be desperate. My radar immediately goes into snooze when I see Kidz Own prose. :laughing:
PS .THIS NOT MEANT TO BE PERSONAL ,I HAPPEN TO THINK THAT steveo1 IS A VERY NICE MAN/WOMAN. ( Sorry,that should have read ‘man stroke woman.’[/b]

19

It seems to me , that you all find it difficult to express your opinions without adding silly and childish comments :blush: .
Bobthe dog your last post was very informative , then you spoiled it :unamused: with silly remarks.Why do you do it .
It seems I would be better of going to a chimps tea party, they talk gibberish to :laughing: ,but with more brain power me thinks :laughing:

Anyway to all in Canada.Be lucky :laughing: I have had enough

BYE BYE :unamused:

20

I’m not really sure what point Steve is trying to prove here. People just need to do their research and either grasp the nettle and go for it or just stick to trucking in the UK and not get on the backs of those willing to take the gamble.
We’re going next year, have done 2 years research and already have relatives there who love it.
I’m looking forward to DRIVING on Highway1 than being gridlocked on the M6 for the next 25 years.
See ya there.