Setting Down Roots
Years ago, my wife and I honeymooned in Canada. We took a bus tour across the entire, sprawling country, from East to West. We decided there and then that when our kids were school-aged, we’d leave the UK and settle in Canada.
So when we noticed advertisements by Canadian recruiters on television and in nursing journals (I’m a nurse by trade), we thought we’d give it a go. We found a London agency that could help me find a job and we did tons of research to decide where we’d like to live.
We learnt that Alberta is the sunniest province and, coming from Aberdeen, Scotland, which is often overcast, lots of sunshine sounded great. We also read that the economy was strong and the cost of living was low. When the agency spotted a good nursing job for me in Edmonton, we packed our bags.
Two years later, I’m a unit manager of in-patient cardiology at the Royal Alexandra Hospital. We have a comfortable home in Sherwood Park – a suburb a few minutes from Edmonton’s city limits – which allows us easy access to all that the city offers. Our three daughters – 10-year-old twins and an eight-year-old – go to a great school. After taking time off to get our family settled in a new country, my wife has found a new job as a data analyst.
It’s been a good move for our family. We love exploring the many festivals in town. Our kids are really keen on the great outdoors and our family has just begun to explore the endless trails in the city’s river valley. Last year, we tried skating and this year, we’ll strap on skis for the first time.
There are all kinds of benefits to raising a family in Edmonton. Everything here is more affordable. Gasoline, for instance, is almost half what it costs in the UK. In fact, family members in Scotland tell us that life is only getting more expensive across the pond. In Edmonton, a dollar goes a lot further, so we’re able to have loads of fun as a family. This year, we went to Mexico and took an RV trip, which the girls loved.
Before we moved, we hadn’t heard of Edmonton. But after settling here, there’s no place we’d rather be. It was an excellent choice for our growing family.
Where Next?
Keith Blackie
Keith Blackie and his wife did their homework before moving to Edmonton from the UK. Lots of sunshine was one of the appealing attributes Edmonton had to offer. Working at the Royal Alexandra hospital as unit manager of in-patient cardiology, Keith and his family find moving to Edmonton the best choice for his growing family.
