For a better quality of life
Canada and its amazing landscapes should not be overlooked!
The landscape and big skies
Brits can't resist the lure of Canada's landscape and its big skies, but it also offers a spectacularly high quality of life, says Paul Beasley.
When it comes to an unbeatable quality of life, there's no doubting the role that scenery with altitude and a spectacular shoreline play. Whether it's the cleanliness of the air, the eye-pleasing blend of landscape and cityscape, or the easy access to water sports and hiking and skiing trails, one's lifestyle gets a definite lift from being near the mountains' ledge or at the water's edge. Don't just take my word for it: in its annual survey of the cities in the world with the best quality of life, Mercer once again found Vancouver to be in the top three when such factors as the economy, the environment, healthcare and recreation were taken into account.
For anyone who's been lucky enough to visit British Columbia's biggest city, this high ranking will come as no surprise: Vancouver's everyday lifestyle luxuries – surfing in the morning, walking in Stanley Park at lunchtime, skiing in the afternoon, whale watching in the evening – are enough to make one decide to change one's life on the spot. Take Richard and Claire Hodgkinson from Croydon. In 2005 they planned to visit Vancouver and Sydney with a view to choosing which destination they should consider emigrating to, but were so bowled over by the former that they didn't even bother to visit the latter, and are now - as Richard says - "living the dream" in Vancouver.
But British Columbia is just one of Canada's 13 provinces and territories, all of which have something special to offer, be it their own top 20 city (Toronto, Ontario, ranks 14th and Calgary, Alberta ranks 25th) or unique scenic highlights. Indeed, in Emigrate Canada's 2005 reader survey, no matter where Brits were moving to in Canada, it turned out to be the landscape - with 17.9 per cent of the vote - that most influenced their decision. After all, if it's the high life you're after, Canada will spoil you for choice. But if mountain living is not your thing, Canada also boasts a huge variety of landscapes, from the rolling hills and big skies of Alberta (where much of Brokeback Mountain was filmed), to areas so flat (like the prairie provinces) that it is said you can watch your dog run away for two days, to Ontario's sandy lakeside scenes to the beaches and picturesque harbours of Nova Scotia and its neighbours. But these landscapes are no mere backdrops to everyday life - they positively transform it. Just imagine swapping that motorway commute for a daily drive through the mountains. That's exactly what Steve Kennard, who moved to Banff, Alberta, in 1998 with his wife Gill and three sons, now enjoys. "We can honestly say that we have never looked back. We have an interesting life, meet amazing people and the drive to work in the Rocky Mountains is breathtaking", says Steve.
Summer evenings on the shores of Lake Huron
Or how about Jane and Peter Garnham, who moved to southern Ontario in January 2005 with their two daughters? As Jane says, they now spend "summer evenings on the shores of Lake Huron or Erie drinking in the view or swimming".
Not that the coming of winter puts an end to such family-centred enjoyment. Having been able to trade up to a much bigger property than they could have afforded in the UK, the Garnhams' back garden is big enough to contain its own 'ice rink'. "It is lovely just to step out into the garden for a skate", says Jane, whose daughters Kathryn and Rebecca are now proud owners of their own ice skates.
And when it comes to being a parent, Canada scores a good grade, too. It's the kind of country where, in many places, your children can safely walk to school on their own and seem to get much more out of the education system than they ever did back in Britain. No wonder Emigrate Canada readers voted a better upbringing for their children as being the second-most important reason for choosing to move to the land of the blazing skies.
In fact, Brits often feel that moving to Canada is a trip back in time to a safer, less stressful, era where they can leave their back doors unlocked and worry far less about crime and loutish behaviour. And for those tempted by what Canada has to offer, the great news is that its economy needs us. Provinces like BC and Alberta are crying out for people with suitable professional or trade skills, and the country as a whole has vacancies that need filling. It also helps that Canadian skills-based visas can often be easier to qualify for than, say, Australian ones. So, in pursuit of that better quality of life you've promised yourself, Canada and its amazing landscapes should really not be overlooked.
Article from www.outboundpublishing.com
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