Kamloops

Pediatric Critical Care Columnist · Feb 25, 2008

Mmmm, it's fairly high there. My mom and dad have lived there for nearly 30 years and have seen prices rise and rise. For an idea of what's available to buy and what you can expect to pay, you could do a property search at http://www.mls.ca ... I just had a quick peak and was not thrilled with with I was seeing. I was surprised to see that many of the older homes have original kitchens in them. Everything I looked at was pretty dated. Utility costs are moderate... lower than here, but higher than in Saskatcewan and Manitoba. Property taxes are reasonable. http://www.mls.ca/PropertyDetails.aspx?vd=&SearchURL=%3fPage%3d2%26Mode%3d0%26vs%3dResidential%26ret%3d300%26sts%3d0-0%26beds%3d3-0%26baths%3d1-0%26bt%3d1%26atsg%3d3%257c5%257c1%257c9%257c%26clt%3d1%252c%2b6%252c%2b2%252c%2b5%252c%2b3%252c%2b7%252c%2b4%252c%2b8%252c%2b9%26aid%3d1067%252c1072%252c1106%252c1080%252c1081%26MapURL%3d%253fAreaID%253d1065%26mp%3d0-0-0%26mrt%3d0-0-4%26trt%3d2%26of%3d1%26ps%3d10%26o%3dA&Mode=0&PropertyID=6690948 is an example, listed at $359,900. If you own property in the UK and have a good equity built up, you might be okay. You didn't mention a spouse. The main industries around Kamloops are logging, milling and mining. The city is a beautiful one, and has a lot of recreational opportunities nearby. It's also a semiarid area with HOT summers and moderate winters. The weather webcam shows no snow today, in contrast with Edmonton where we have 3 feet. http://www.trappraisals.ca/xSites/Appraisers/TRAppraisals/Content/UploadedFiles/Kamloops.jpg

garcab · Feb 27, 2008

Thank you very much for your help janfrn, yes I do have a spouse, but he works as an electronics design engineer here, maybe I will just have to find a place where there would be prospects for him...

kidneyhelper · Feb 27, 2008

hi garcab, i think we have the same dilema,, I am actually insterested to move to canada, and like you, I want to make sure that am making a right decision.I have check the property site which janfrn posted, and it looks like the houses has a reasonable price, unlike here in england (ulk)..Now I want to ask if you know already the benifits you could get in canadian health service as a nurse ,..er comparing to our NHS ??

or anybody please??? how many annual leave entitlement, maternity leave/pay? and for how long?

Fiona59 · Feb 27, 2008

You need to know which province you are interested in living in and check out the employment contract for the union involved.

Annual vacation is earned yearly and if you are part time you get a % of the yearly allowance. Maternity leave is covered by the federal government, it's a year. Been a long time since I was on it, but you get around 60% of your wages for a certain period of the year. You also have to be employed for a certain number of hours before you are eligible.

You get all statutory holiday (every contract cover the rate and time off if it's worked)

Our vacation allotment isn't as generous as the UK and Europe. It's a very common moan on this site from UK nurses.

So I wouldn't recommend getting pregnant right away or coming over pregnant to start a job.

Childcare is hard to find and very expensive. People put their names down as soon as they get pregnant for some centres.

garcab · Feb 27, 2008

Hello Fiona 59 and kidneyhelper, I do not feel so isolated now with this discussion. Having a lesser annual leave entitlement and maternity leave will not really affect our decision, as we already have an 8 yr. old daughter and a 12 week old son. To us what matters is my husband being able to find a job. Fiona 59, I have a question for you, would you say that Alberta on the whole offers more job opportunities, as compared to other provinces? Thank you very much.

Fiona59 · Feb 27, 2008

Alberta has a booming economy. Much of it is in oil and gas industries and the trades that support them (carpenters, plumbers, welders). If you are a journeyman/tradesman work can be plentiful IF you are in the right part of the province.

I have no clue about electronics design (to tell the truth, I'm not even sure what it is). So I imagine urban areas would probably have more to offer him.

Keeping the spouse happy is a big part of any move. My husband is in the military and we pretty much won't move again as keeping the kids and myself content is more important than him being promoted at this stage of his career. Unhappy spouses can sour any relocation.

Fiona59 · Feb 27, 2008

Bugger!, it wouldn't let me edit.

Work for the spouse is important. I honestly don't know what electronic design is, but I imagine your husband would have a better chance in an urban centre.

Alberta isn't for everyone. It is beautiful here with very long (6 month), expensive to heat, cold winters.

You might not find the house prices bad depending on where in the UK you are coming from but bear in mind that once here you will be dealing with local wages and prices. It all adds up quickly as Jan and I have discussed in other threads. The user fees add up quickly. Heat and light in the winter run at least $350/month. Car insurance on two cars (trust me, you cannot depend on public transit) about $220/month. Bus passes for the kids (many are bussed to school) $38/month, gas for the cars, groceries ($600+, I feed teenagers), mortgage, property taxes ($170+/month), medical dental premiums, they all add up.

We managed when only my husband brought home a paycheque, but it was tight. Now his cheque pays the bills, mine is the gravy/emergency money.

Have you ever been to Canada and what made you select Kamloops? It was a place that people left when I was growing up in BC. Times change but you are looking at about a three hour drive to the lowermainland. (yes, we have a very different concept of distance over here)

kidneyhelper · Feb 28, 2008

Hi fiona ! I do appreciate the info. thank you so much,,yes I would like to move to toronto as most of my relatives were from there,but jobs offer is in edmonton alberta.Now my husband is not keen on my plans coz he's afraid he might not get a job there,(he's inline with IT), and working visa for spouse is not included in the contract.How is the job opportunity there?he doesnt know how to do carpentry nor plumbing ,he's useless in those field.lol and Do yuo know if u could easily get a working permit or they prioritize first the local.

Apollorn · Mar 5, 2008

Rent in Kamloops has skyrocketed in recent years. Consider the rising costs in nearby Kelowna and you will get a general idea of Kamloops.

It's not a bad city to move to though. It has (like pretty much everywhere else) a hospital actively seeking RNs and a very large mental health system that is always recruiting nurses. Great ski hill, too.

Pediatric Critical Care Columnist · Mar 5, 2008

Great ski hill, too.

Sun Peaks has the steepest vertical descent of any slope in North America. They have 115 runs on 5 mountains and it's very reminiscent of a European village. Awesome skiing. When we were there in November 2006, the Austrian National Ski Team was training there... not in Austria, where they have some pretty fine mountains too. The chalet we stayed in, the North Star Chalet, had this view from the balcony.

Apollorn · Mar 5, 2008

They actually trained here this past winter as well, I believe. In fact this year has been quite the year for skiing - the conditions are unbelievable coupled with the immense sunshine the past couple of days.