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I'm a Brit living in Canada but still hope you guys will help me lol.
I'm currently in Manitoba and not liking it. The 'city' we came to has a population of around 50,000 and is very clicky. It's been very difficult trying to 'fit in' here despite the amount of integrating that we've done. We've also had Canadian friends that have left here because they've not been accepted here too.
Anyway....So I have a couple of choices here: 1) to go to Lethbridge - hubby has a job offer there but I've read a little about it on this forum and a couple of people are saying it can be clicky. Basically I don't want it to be another version of where I'm living now. Or,
2) go somewhere else! - (hubby will fly home to me on his time off). I guess a 'wish list' for me would be a place that has lots of jobs, not too cold winters (-45 in MB I cannot deal with!), and plenty of things to do like sports or places to visit etc.
I'll try to help. The main problem I see is that your husband's job appears to be something that only has jobs in tiny cities on the Prairie. Small cities that don't get many newcomers are often cliquey, and all Prairie cities are freezing cold in the winter (as are most Canadian cities, but the Prairies are the coldest provinces). How far are away are you willing to live, and since you say you want somewhere with good jobs, what field of work are you looking in? I'd direct you to cities with lots of newcomers, as it's usually easier to find new friends in places like this. I think the best city in your region for that would be Calgary, but it's no warmer in the winter. Otherwise, it should fit more of your criteria then Lethbridge will, which I don't think would be all that different from Brandon (50 thousand and in Manitoba doesn't exactly keep the identity of the place very secret )
Thanks for your post. Hubbys job takes him all over Canada and they will fly him back so it doesn't matter where I live (he's currently working out of province).
My field is addiction - I've just finished my British degree in addiction counselling and although I know there are a lot of jobs in most places regarding this - I've struggled from the get go to find work as most places want you to have a) Canadian social workers degree or b) Canadian psychiatric degree to be an addictions counsellor.
I have previously lived in southern Ontario - loved it, found it friendly too - but the problem there was too much competition for jobs - for my field employers want someone with a Masters at least. That was why I thought I'd have a good chance of finding work here but instead of wanting you to have a Masters here - it's like you have to be 5th generation Brandonite and then you'll get work
Hmmm, so I guess all of Canada's major cities are a no go then? Well, maybe the way to go then is to try Saskatoon. It's still a small prairie city without that much to do, but it is 5-6 times bigger than your current locale, and with its economy now booming, strong job growth, and lots of newcomers trickling in, it will probably be better. Also, I understand that's there's alot of problems with addiction there. There's a fairly large, urban aboriginal population and as far as I understand this community in particular suffers from a high rate of addiction and so there may be demand for people to help with this. Regina is broadly similar, but in a recent thread here the general sentiment was that people seemed to prefer Saskatoon somewhat over Regina, but I think both would be a similar improvement over Brandon.
I was going to suggest Saskatoon as well. I own some real estate there - it's the definition of a boomtown and is growing at an incredible rate. The Saskatchewan unemployment rate is very low, and incomes are very high. There are alot of transplants recently, so you're more likely to meet newcomers.
That said, the climate is probably worse than Lethbridge.
LOL, yes the size and the Province makes the city you're in a little difficult to hide.
I myself live in a substantially smaller town, despite growing up in Winnipeg. Personally, I love the rural lifestyle - though if you find a Town of 50K "Clique-y", I'm sure you'd find a Town of a few thousand suffocating.
This being said, when we had small children, and I was working full-time, plus taking a full course load on top, I didn't get out much, wasn't involved in many local activities, and would have labelled the Town I live in "Clique-y". I really missed the city, where there was a larger, diverse group where people had more interest in academic (philosophy, politics, society) vs. practical (farming, business, outdoor activities).
However, once I finished with these obligations, and was able to get involved in the community, I no longer found it "Clique-y". Through board volunteerism, and involvement in a number of Town activities, I was able to make many friends, and have found what looked to be an insular Town friendly and welcoming.
Interesting your comments on Brandon - I do know a number of people that moved there, including members of a visible ethnic minority. All have grown to really enjoy the community, and love the mix of big city amenities with a small town feel. You mentioned "integrating" - what exactly did you do to integrate, and why do you feel this didn't work?
I also found the "fifth-generation" comment telling. This was a preconception I had about small towns before moving to one, that no-one who wasn't born, raised, and "fifth generation" had no chance at local government, and would have problems owning/operating a business (plus making friends). Maybe 30 years ago this was true, but now I see a local government with only 2 of 7 members who are multigenerational residents, with the most successful business people in Town originally coming from outside. However, if "fifth generation" is what you believe, it can become a self-fulfilling prophesy - you've already lost before trying to compete. Is this a place where you feel you are right now?
Wondering if your issue is with this specific community, or would you have a similar issue with any community like it?
Reason I ask is that depending on how you wish to become part of a community, and what you need to feel comfortable and welcome, you could move, and continue to move without actually finding what you're looking for, be it Lethbridge, Saskatoon, or ??? Getting past that "outer shell" takes work on the newcomer's part, and it isn't the easiest thing to do.
One additional question is where in the UK are you from? Were there things you liked and didn't like about where you came from? Are you looking for something completely different that what was in the UK, or is having an expat community important to you?
I know other UK expats who have moved/wanted to move to Canada, but find that they have a hard time meeting people, simply due to not having a common shared background or upbringing. Although they meet people, they end up developing very shallow acquaintances, as they have very little in common with their new Canuck neighbors. This makes them feel isolated, unless that also have expat friends who they can share discussions about "home" with. How does a person who was born and raised in Brandon have anything in common with someone who grew up in Heygate in London, Red Road Flats in Glasgow, or heck, even Newmarket in Cambridgeshire? Where are the deep shared interests and cultural understandings that allow us to even have a conversation?
I encourage more discussion on this subject, and I'm interested as to why you didn't feel you integrated well. I think this is a key to helping suggest a community that may meet more of your needs. And yes, the -45* winters can be trying. But maybe, overall, you're simply homesick, and just aren't able to find what you were hoping for once the adventure wore off.
Last edited by ScooterMcTavish; 05-17-2013 at 07:52 AM..
Reason: Fixing my thoughts...
You're an addiction councellor?
Have you checked out job prospects in prisons? There's a high turnover there, and they may not be so picky.
Great suggestion, weltz.
On that note, I would like to suggest Windsor Ontario, or even the surronding small towns like Tecumseh or Lasalle, or Amherstburg (<--beautiful/historic). Anywhere in Essex county is great actually. They are building a brand new prison here, which should be complete mid to late summer of this year. Windsor is, in my opinion, a great, safe, medium sized city of 215,000, quite diverse communities, with a fantastic waterfront, access to so much of America in a very short drive to some of the best cities/destinations it has to offer. We have cold to mild winters, hot summers, a great growing season, in the middle of the Great Lakes if you like the water, etc......
The only issue is jobs. If you can get yourself set up with a job, personally, I think it's great. I can't really see myself living elsewhere, unless I had to for work.
Thanks for your comments. I have actually lived in villages before - one had around 500 people, a farming place and we loved it. We were welcomed into society, integrated and had a fantastic time.
People that I know had a rough time here (some of them immigrants, some of them out of province Canadians and some of them Brandonites) - they received racism, bullying and homophobia - yes I guess you could argue that this kind of thing happens all around the world and you'd be right, however, I personally have just never experienced that despite living in different places (cities and villages and towns) throughout my life.
Have I integrated myself here? I'd like to think I have. I do voluntary work, have done so for the last few years, work here, and I do have friends here. Interestingly, my friends who have lived here forever also point out what a clicky place it can be.
I get your point about how do we have anything in common with our fellow Canadian neighbours and vice versa but I would disagree with that - no matter where I have been in the world, I have picked up many different friends along the way of different nationalities and have always found something in common whether its the arts, ideas of living, travel, houses, cooking even humour! etc.
On the subject of homesick I don't feel homesick, well not conciously! but I must admit that there has been something lacking since I came here to Manitoba. I can't quite put my finger on it.
The comment about 5th generation Brandonites was meant to be a little bit tongue in cheek but with grains of truth to it too (maybe it would only be 4th generation *joke*) It is what I have experienced and overheard. It doesn't happen all the time - I'll grant you that, but on the same hand it does still happen. I guess you could liken it to the culture of 'its who you know and not what you know'.
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