ADVICE APPRECIATED

[SPARK]

I am interested in emigrating to Canada from UK possibly under the PNP scheme. I am 32 and a fully qualified and experienced commercial/domestic electrician I have basic french, my wife is 26 and works in sales (no french).
Which provinces would we have best chance to apply for PNP? Preferebly with a slightly warmer climate!!?

Any advice or links to helpful websites would be appreciated.

 

[BCguy]

We would love to have you in BC,Your skills are in demand and we have the warmest Climate in Canada.

 

[Leon]

I'm sure AB would love to have you too but the winters here are pretty cold. In AB, you have to take a certification exam within 6 months of starting to work if you are an electrician. In BC, not sure.

 

[ingegarcia]

Hi Leon, How cold are the winters in Alberta? I hear a lot of people mention that but do you have any specifics?

Thanks

 

[BCguy]

Hows -30 Celsisus in some parts of Alberta,Is this Cold enough Seiously Alberta is Cold

 

[Leon]

It's really not as bad as people say. You can see -40C sometimes but it's a dry cold. I spent some time in Seattle which is probably very similar weather to Vancouver, they are not far away from each other and the winter, even though it just gets to the point of freezing can still feel quite cold because it's a humid cold. It goes through your bones. Even -20 here doesn't feel that cold. When it gets to -40 though, you don't want to go outside at all, not even walk to the store. Any bare skin is freezing within minutes. It hardly ever gets that cold though. Maybe a few days per winter.

Believe it or not, I didn't even used to have a car until very recently. 6 yrs. in AB taking the bus and waiting for the bus outside. Of course if you take the bus regularly, you do figure out a schedule how you can minimize the time you have to wait outside.

 

[SPARK]

We would love to have you in BC,Your skills are in demand and we have the warmest Climate in Canada.

Ok, thanks BCguy. That's great to know.

How do BC property prices and wage rates compare with other provinces? I have noticed Quebec property seems cheaper than most.

 

[racygirl]

Hey Spark, I'm a BC girl and am now living in Germany (what I was thinking I'm not sure...but oh well) and I can recommend the Okanagan Valley for it's climate. The winters are only as cold as -15c (only for a few days a year), and the summers are long and HOT!!! (the last time I was there it was +41c!!!! Las Vegas temperatures). The valley runs south into the US and there are some areas (like Oliver, Penticton, Osoyoos) that regularly make the "hottest spot in Canada" news. The "main" cities are Kelowna and Kamloops...both with booming economies and both are in DESPIRATE NEED of skilled workers ESPECIALLY ELECTRICIANS (the best paid are the Electrician-Plumbers...SERIOUS CASH going on there!!!).

As for wages, experience plus someone an employer can count on the show up more than once a week, are the main ingredients. But as a guesstimate I would go with $30-60 PER HOUR in some areas (a "years" worth of work is a bit more than 2100hrs...so double your wage and add three zeros on the end...$60,000-120,000 per year) And if you go out on your own you can set your own prices and people will pay it because the wait can be several weeks for private (read: non-commercial) jobs.

Vancouver is VERY EXPENSIVE!!!! And the winters are gray and wet! But if you are from GB then you would have no problem with that sort of stuff.

I always tell people to RENT in a city/area before buying. Month-to-month rental agreements are the norm in BC/Canada and can be negotiated for someone who appears responsible and has a good job. Give yourself 6months to a year before buying and remember...house prices are dropping right now. The economists predict that after the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, there will be a slump in housing prices!

Hope this helps.
racygirl

 

[ingegarcia]

Thanks BCGuys, Leon for your replies... Winter seems to be veeeeery cold )
BTW is this temperature during the night or is it that cold also during the day?
Just checking because I live in NH, USA and it gets -20s @night... and I have never experienced that wether during the day..

Hows -30 Celsisus in some parts of Alberta,Is this Cold enough Seiously Alberta is Cold

 

[Leon]

The difference between night and day can be 20C so yeah, in the very early morning, maybe it's -40 and by afternoon it's -20.

http://www.weatherbase.com/ is a good website. It shows you weather averages for many different cities. You can look for cities in Canada and compare.

 

[craig53]

Hey Spark did you ever think about living on an island? (UK doesn't count-- that's too big to be called an island.)We need electricians here in PEI, housing costs about as good as they get in Canada, and the only warmer area would be BC. Check out www.gov.pe.ca. Provincial nominee program has opened up quite a bit too. Btw Island is only about 5% French so no worries there mate. Good luck wherever you go.