Canada/ Vancouver - Experiences/Knowledge!!!

Liverpool8

Hi All,

My partner and I are going to head to Vancouver after Xmas. We got our Visas sorted. We spent a few weeks there in the summer and loved it. Any feedback is much appreciated. I'll have a look through the threads also.

What's the job situation like in Van and the best ways to actually get jobs from your experience/knowledge? We have teaching and finance backgrounds.

What would be OK areas to live in? We have no idea really.

Do you know what the story is for medical insurance in BC? We will arrange our own cover but are temporary residents covered there also for hospital treatments and so on?

Van would be our number one choice really. I hope it 's all going well for the people already there and it really will be a wonderful experience and more! However, we would be willing to look at other areas also but are not too eager on Toronto.

Apologies about the open email but any feedback on your friends experience of moving to and living in Canada/Van would be greatly appreciated, especially in relation to finding apartments and work. Thanks for your time.

Cheers

Liverpool 8

ciaran67

Liverpool8 wrote: »

Hi All,

My partner and I are going to head to Vancouver after Xmas. We got our Visas sorted. We spent a few weeks there in the summer and loved it. Any feedback is much appreciated. I'll have a look through the threads also.

What's the job situation like in Van and the best ways to actually get jobs from your experience/knowledge? We have teaching and finance backgrounds.

What would be OK areas to live in? We have no idea really.

Do you know what the story is for medical insurance in BC? We will arrange our own cover but are temporary residents covered there also for hospital treatments and so on?

Van would be our number one choice really. I hope it 's all going well for the people already there and it really will be a wonderful experience and more! However, we would be willing to look at other areas also but are not too eager on Toronto.

Apologies about the open email but any feedback on your friends experience of moving to and living in Canada/Van would be greatly appreciated, especially in relation to finding apartments and work. Thanks for your time.

Cheers

Liverpool 8

Try this INFO

PS Hope the mods dont mind me redirecting from this site

Liverpool8

Cheers Ciaran. I appreciate that.

galwaygal27

Vancouver is AWESOME! well expect for the rain at the minute! My pennies pumps have been glued for the last time. Time to get some REAL shoes!

OK, where do I start?!! We have been here since June, and we got jobs fairly handy. My husband is a software engineer and got his job through Linkedin. I am an accountant, I have not been successful in landing that role just yet, but I am in AP in a large co, and hope to move up soon. They say you need "Canadian Experience" first, so you'd likely never just walk into the role you want. Best way for finance jobs is through agencies and there are TONS of them. I just used Hays.ca and roberthalf.ca but there are so many. I don't know anything about teaching jobs. Craigslist will be on your browser 24-7. it is a site used for EVERYTHING. Jobs, apartments, furniture for sale etc It's great, but you need to watch for scams.

Now, where to live? I can suggest Westend (pricey but amazing views), Kitsilano, Fairview, Arbutus Ridge, Shaughnessy (pricey), Cambie, Commercial Drive, Kerrisdale, Oakridge, Mount Pleasant, Broadway. All of these are in and around 15/20mins from downtown. Of course you could also choose downtown, but its mega expensive!! The transport sys is BRILL, definitely compared to Ireland anyway! A monthly pass will cost you $80.

Medical insurance - you cover yourself. If you plan on staying in Van for +6months you can apply for a BC care card, I have just done that, so I hope it works!!! It costs min $120 to see the doc + medication.....VERY expensive, you can claim it back from your insurance at the end of the year but still!! If you end up in A&E or something, then ring your insurer, and they'd prob foot the big, if its massive.

We really like it here! There is SO much to do. We have hardly had a free weekend since we came. And I don't mean out drinking all the time! The summer was great. We had super weather from July-1st week in Oct! It was amazing!

Any other questions just ask

Liverpool8 wrote: »

Hi All,

My partner and I are going to head to Vancouver after Xmas. We got our Visas sorted. We spent a few weeks there in the summer and loved it. Any feedback is much appreciated. I'll have a look through the threads also.

What's the job situation like in Van and the best ways to actually get jobs from your experience/knowledge? We have teaching and finance backgrounds.

What would be OK areas to live in? We have no idea really.

Do you know what the story is for medical insurance in BC? We will arrange our own cover but are temporary residents covered there also for hospital treatments and so on?

Van would be our number one choice really. I hope it 's all going well for the people already there and it really will be a wonderful experience and more! However, we would be willing to look at other areas also but are not too eager on Toronto.

Apologies about the open email but any feedback on your friends experience of moving to and living in Canada/Van would be greatly appreciated, especially in relation to finding apartments and work. Thanks for your time.

Cheers

Liverpool 8

sprinkles

Liverpool 8, it's very difficult to get a job in teaching in Vancouver as they teaching union are veryt ighly controlling of the jobs, from what I hear. All the advise given so far is great but have a look at Moving2vancouver.ca (they have a facebook page too) - many Irish people living and working in Vancouver regularly post on it.

As for medical treatments, once you are a resident, be it temporary or permanent, you are entitled to apply for a BC Care Card. This is around $60 per month and I think you can add a spouse or partner to it for an extra $30. It's not too bad as you get all your medical bills paid for. I often avoided going to the doctor in Dublin cause it'd cost me e50 straight up, however here I don't even think about it anymore. Most people can get it through work at no cost or reduced cost. Note: It doesn't cover drugs, you need a seperate pharmacy care plan for that.

Even the rain doesn't dampen the mood in this city. If it's raining here, it's snowing on the north shore mountains and that means skiing/snowboarding!!

Liverpool8

Hi Galwaygal27/Sprinkles,

I really appreciate the time you took to respond and all the information you provided. I am glad that Vancouver is going well for yee, sounds great. I may contact yee with a few questions before we go if that's OK. Thank you.

Cheers

V8_man

Liverpool8 wrote: »

What would be OK areas to live in? We have no idea really.

Live where you work if you can, a lot is happening outside of Van itself and you may end up living in Delta, Surrey, etc. where a lot of jobs are now. much cheaper than living downtown and you'll actually have space to swing your cat.
Everywhere is a 45 minute drive from the city anyway, depending on traffic, which is not much different from trying to get the Dart from the suburbs into the centre of Dublin.
The city is beautiful but terribly expensive. We though about moving to Kits or somewhere but the Mrs works in Surrey so it would be pointless when South Surrey is so nice, and not prohibitively far from downtown.

But then, it all depends on your age and circumstances and what you like to do.....

Liverpool8

V8 man, thanks for the info, much appreciated. Hope all going well there for you. I may contact you again down the line.

ciaran67

Difference here is you can successfully change your career. Im an artworker/graphic designer and have been for 25 years but I cant get any work in that field. Since returning to Van ive worked at the airport, marshalling planes and now im just finishing training for Handy Dart driver. Its a bus cum ambulance cum taxi. My life is getting stranger by the week!

Liverpool8

Cheers Ciaran, it sounds great. Looking foward to it. Glad things are going well. Cheers, I appreciate the feedback.

sprinkles

I know both of them. V nice guys and their website is a wealth of information for people looking for jobs/accomodation etc.

minnow12

Hi guys,

I'm thinking of moving to North Vancouver in Feb/ March 2013, I'm currently in Alberta, and I'm wondering what the accomodation situation is like? My friend will be working in the Liongate area, so someplace around there would be good???

ciaran67

minnow12 wrote: »

Hi guys,

I'm thinking of moving to North Vancouver in Feb/ March 2013, I'm currently in Alberta, and I'm wondering what the accomodation situation is like? My friend will be working in the Liongate area, so someplace around there would be good???

https://www.padmapper.com/search/apartments/British-Columbia/North-Vancouver/

minnow12

Thank you!

ciaran67

minnow12 wrote: »

Thank you!

No prob. I live off Lonsdale mid way up. Its improved beyond belief compared with the first time i lived here in 98.

North Van is expensive but you are very close to downtown and when you do go looking for flats go in thinking that you could find somewhere better and ask for a discount. We got 50 off a month on our place. Wish i'd asked for 100!

minnow12

A bit of local knowledge is a great thing - my friend will be working in the port there, and I'll be searching for office work of some/ any kind.. Thanks again!