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]My wife and I currently live in New England in the US but are considering moving to Canada for a number of reasons such as: too many people in the US are ignorant, materialistic, pop culture obsessed morons, the fascist American government is bankrupting the nation and bringing about a police state, the US dollar is going to collapse in the near future and the US society is basically going to fall apart on at the seams etc etc ...all the usual complaints..... right?
I am in IT and she's a nurse. We have two kids and are used to the cold andsnow. We are not city people by anystretch of the imagination and would prefer suburbs to semi-rural areas. We've been looking into Alberta and BC. I've heard that both have decent economies. However I hear people talk about Alberta as if it is some wild west show with cowboys, rednecks and rodeos everywhere. But then I have heard people talk about Vancouver/BC as if it's the epitome of cosmopolitan. The problem is we're neither. We're somewhere in the middle and enjoy doing things that both the cosmopolitan and the"rednecks" would enjoy. We very much like the outdoor lifestyle, being practical and down to earth yet also appreciate fine art and culture without becoming overly pretentious andsnobby. We've been looking at areas near Calgary and Vancouver.
Can you please provide advice as far as jobs and culture inthat area? We're basically a middle class family looking to escape the impending disaster here in the states and find a decent, middle class English speaking community, where we can enjoy mother nature and not have to worry about a corrupt government micromanaging our lives
I think you'll find that stereotypes about Calgary and Vancouver are mostly exaggerated. Vancouver is Canada's third largest city and is considered fairly laidback for an urban centre. I wouldn't characterize it as the "epitome of cosmopolitan" culture in Canada. Toronto and Montreal compete for that title Vancouver is all about celebrating the outdoors in a beautiful, west coast setting - think of Seattle or Portland as similar. There are excellent restaurants and art galleries and music there, but not on the scale of Toronto or Montreal.
Alberta has a reputation for harbouring a more conservative mindset compared to other parts of Canada, but it is by no means comparable to the right-of-centre political culture in the US. The display of western "cowboy" culture happens on a large scale once a year. I've never been to the Stampede, but I've heard it's lots of fun. I think you'd find a balanced lifestyle in either place - there are smaller cities in both provinces that might appeal to you as well.
The most important aspect of your desire to leave the US is whether or not you would qualify to immigrate to Canada. It's not an easy process and it takes time and patience. Your wife's nursing background is definitely in demand, but for IT, it depends what you specialize in. I'd suggest Home - Citizenship and Immigration Canada - Canada as a starting point for your research and planning.
Thanks anitra. In the US I'd be called a conservative but not a religious one, more of a libertarian one. Ultimately I don't have an issue with government if government is actually practical, honest and serves the people when they truly need a little bit of help. None of these things can be said of the American government though. I'm just tired of being lied and condescended to and then chastised for not applauding those that are doing the lying.
My IT background is in networking and systems. I am Cisco certified. Does anyone know if that may be in demand in either Alberta or BC? My wife's nursing background is in long term care. IS there a big demand for that in those places?
For the labour market questions, it might be worthwhile perusing job sites like workopolis or indeed. Or looking at major IT recruiters to get an idea of what the markets in Alberta and BC are like. In Alberta, oil and gas and engineering industries dominate the landscape, in BC there's an upsurge in mining. My anecdotal evidence is that the Vancouver IT market can be tough to crack.
For nursing, your wife could contact each province's nursing associations or health authorities to find out what the outlook is for nurses and what they need to do to register in each province. As you may know, Canada has a publicly funded health care system, but each province manages its own system.
Bear in mind also that the cost of living in Vancouver is prohibitively high. Your salaries will go further in Alberta.
Last edited by anitra416; 10-21-2013 at 12:34 PM..
Reason: grammar
I was looking at the Okanagan Valley in BC. It lookslike a great place. Do you know anything about it?
It's very nice and would suit you (Kelowna for larger town, Kamloops, Penticton, Vernon, Princeton for a smaller town). Keep in mind, a lot of your complaints about the US are not really different here. Same shat, different location.
Your wife may have issues securing employment as a nurse in either B.C or Alberta. Alberta in particular has been in a hiring freeze with the main health authority there. Your wife may have more luck in B.C, however, it is not much better here. I would check the job postings with the interior health authority as that is the authority that serves the Okanagan Valley. The last time I looked there were only casual/prn positions. Also I would look at the College of Registered Nurses of British Columbia (CRNBC) for things like licencing, nursing standards etc. It's equivalent to State "Board of Nursing".
If you are serious, it sounds as if you need to do a bit more research.
First, you need to find out how realistic it is for you immigrate to Canada. Clearly, you have no family or employer to sponsor you. Canadian employers are legally obligated to hire citizens or Landed Immigrants before they look elsewhere. There are more than enough Canadian IT people. Your wife, on the other hand, might have better luck, particularly if she's a specialist. Alberta used to advertise in the states for nurses; don't know if that's still the case.
Alberta routinely goes through oil-related boom and bust cycles. Unfortunately, it is currently in a bust cylcle and jobs are being slashed right and left.
Canada is a great country. However, it is a very bad choice for libertarians.
I suspect you need to find out a little more about the Canadian political system, given the concerns you express about the U.S. The federal government (aka central government) actually plays a much larger role in people's day to lives than is the case in the US. Canada has CSIS (sort of like the NSA): I can't remember if the War Measures Act (Prime Minister can declare martial law) is still on the books. The nation has as many regulations as any first world nation. There's quite a bit more to discuss on this topic; the comments on similar threads might prove a useful starting point.
In my experience, Canadians, even the conservatives, find very right-wing Americans somewhat vulgar. Don't take it personally if you're not all that warmly-embraced should you be allowed to immigrate.
Keep in mind, a lot of your complaints about the US are not really different here. Same shat, different location.
This is exactly what I thought, as well.
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Vancouver is all about celebrating the outdoors in a beautiful, west coast setting - think of Seattle or Portland as similar. There are excellent restaurants and art galleries and music there, but not on the scale of Toronto or Montreal. 
