Dreaming of Canadian Police and Nurse

Hello Pete,

Maybe you should re-think your chosen destination. That might be beneficial to both you and your partner.

First of all, Vancouver is without a doubt the most expensive city in all of Canada to live in. So much so that the Royal Canadian Mounted Police have, for many years now, had to pay a premium to officers that they wish to post to the region. The average wage you quote for a nurse is based on full-time employment, it does not take into consideration that many nurses do not get full-time employment, nor does it take into consideration that since the duties of RNAs (Registered Nursing Assistants) are being constantly upgraded the demand for Registered Nurses decreases accordingly. RNs working outside of the traditional hospital setting also receive considerably less than this amount as well.

Second problem you're going to face is the fact that Canada's top three desired destinations for newcomers, Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver are at saturation levels and finding any kind of jobs in these cities is an extreme challenge for the locals and nearly impossible for newcomers.

I'd really suggest that you think seriously about the Province of Alberta, which is the area of Canada experiencing the greatest period of growth and abundance of jobs all across the spectrum. Edmonton and Calgary have more job vacancies than people to fill them. The cost of living is less than Vancouver too. To be honest I'd say that the only advantage Vancouver would offer is the climate.

Check out the job scene in Alberta (or anywhere else in Canada) using www.monster.ca

As far as being able to get in on your partner's visa that is something only Citizenship and Immigrations Canada could tell you for sure. Given that you've used the term "partner" I presume it's a stable union as opposed to a marriage, right? That might in itself tend to complicate things for you. Certainly much better for you if you both had concrete job offers to go to, at least in terms of obtaining residency.

Your first step in any case would be to navigate to the Citizenship and Immigrations Canada website www.cic.gc.ca/english and complete the online information to see if you qualify.

Regarding finding employment on a police force in Canada, every province has its own Police Act which governs all aspects of policing, including hiring practices. You'd really need to get specific information from the police force in the area you choose to reside to find out about your ability to apply as a constable.

  Cheers, 
  William James Woodward – Brazil Animator, Expat-blog Team

William, that's great advice, thanks very much. In answer to your question, we have been living together for five years and have a baby girl together so yes you could call it a 'stable' union,  not married though.

So how different is the like of Edmonton and Calgary climate wise? I guess Canada can be cold anyway but my thinking was more its a popular city and the weather isn't too extreme...!!! Lol. I didn't think about employment. To be honest I have heard good things about Vancouver and haven't really looked into other parts but would be more than willing to go to most places, just not the wilderness with no one around..!!!!

I will have a look at the websites you provided. Thanks very much for the help.

Well Pete, Vancouver and the entire Lower Mainland of British Columbia is absolutely wonderful. I know because I lived just outside of Vancouver (Richmond) for 28 years. The climate is awesome, winter never intensely cold, if it snows that never lasts long. However, if you can't find a full-time job that's going to pay at least one of you a decent wage then it's certainly not a wise choice.

Calgary and Edmonton will have colder winters for sure and recently Calgary has experienced some serious flooding of the Bow River, but in economic terms Alberta is the hands down winner for growth in Canada. Jobs are available in all sectors, and not just for skilled workers and professionals either, but for manual labor as well.

To my way of thinking there's no question. Calgary or Edmonton are where I'd head - it's a "no brainer". Even if you wanted to make Vancouver your eventual goal, say maybe five or ten years down the road; you're going to have a much better chance of establishing yourself in Canada first in Alberta and then work toward the goal.

It will also give you the chance to visit Vancouver often, so that you can find out what it's like, how much it costs to live there, if it fits you lifestyle that much more than Calgary or Edmonton and thus would justify the much higher cost of living. You might surprise yourself and just decide to stay in Alberta.

For you, the only disadvantage to picking Alberta is the fact that flights to and from the UK (or anywhere abroad) only operate out of Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver, so you're going to have to get used to the idea of a connecting flight either out of Vancouver or Toronto if you plan on vacationing back home once in a while. That's certainly no big deal and wouldn't stop me from making it my choice.

  Cheers, 
  William James Woodward – Brazil Animator, Expat-blog Team

Certainly sounds like a good plan William. I will have a look there first and see how we get on. I currently live in Liverpool and hate it. I really don't want my kids growing up here and I'm desperate to move. Unfortunately the international recruitment freeze by most Police forces in Canada has put a spanner in the works but I am determined not to let it stop me and will just have to find another route. Law enforcement is all I know (other than the military and I don't want to go back to that with a family). I guess I may just have to admit I may be a house 'husband' until I can qualify for applying and if possible, let the missus bring the money in. What a hell of a role reversal that will be.

If she got a full time job, say we all got visas and residency, would a family of three be able to survive on a nurses wage for a while until we get sorted? Really don't know what the cost if living is like out there.

Planning a holiday to Canada next year and may make a road/air trip of it to visit potential places to settle.

Do t suppose you know any ex pat British cops that have moved out there as well?????

Hi Pete,

Not, dispite the fact that I was a constable back in Canada in my younger days, I've been out of the country now for just over eleven years and have lost all contact with any of my cop buddies from back in the early 70s.

Don't worry too much about becoming a househusband.... Hell, I was "Mr. Mom" long before the movie came out and made the term popular enough to catch on. Life does go in, trust me. The only downside is that your friends will all think you've swithched colognes to a brand that smells like peanut butter.

I don't know how many years of police experience you have or the highest rank you held, but have you given some thought about Private Security or Private Investigation if you can't immediately get on with a police force? Something to think about.

  Cheers, 
  William James Woodward – Brazil Animator, Expat-blog Team