All the news from Moose Jaw
Tuesday 21st July 2009, 7:59PM BST.
Rebecca Lawrence at the Calgary Observation Tower
I can’t believe I’m sitting here in a typical North American house, with a swing on the front porch. I’ve actually moved to Canada and this is going to be my home for the next three years, writes expat Rebecca Lawrence.
Moving across the world is a strange experience. My fiance and I knew for about a year that we were going to Canada but June came round remarkably quickly and it was still a rush to pack everything up.
My fiance, a pilot in the RAF, was given the opportunity to take part in a three-year placement with the Canadian Airforce, in Moose Jaw, and so we decided to experience life in another country. We will be coming back to Shrewsbury in September, for our wedding, and already I can’t wait to see all my friends and family.
I don’t think it hit me until I got here that I would be away from everyone I loved with the notable exception, of course, of my fiance.
We’re planning to be here for three years and I shall miss my friends and family. Technology, however, is helping me to maintain contact with people, Facebook and Skype are proving to be my most reliable aids. We’ve even got ourselves a decent phone package in Canada with 1,000 free international calls a month – that’s quite a lot of talking!
Moose Jaw is very different to Shrewsbury. I miss my home town’s beautiful Tudor buildings, but my new home has its own historic downtown. It is famous for its murals on the walls of the city, as well as a series of tunnels under the streets which were used by Al Capone. There are also several beautiful city parks and a provincial park called Buffalo Pound, which has bison roaming across the plains.
We’re beginning to meet a few people and enjoyed a night out at Bobby’s Place, an Irish/Scottish bar. I’m getting more used to driving on the right hand side of the road and also using an automatic car, although I’m afraid I have to admit to running over one of the many gophers which seem to be everywhere.
Now I want to find a job but there are things I need to consider, such as how far I’m willing to travel in the harsh winter snow. As I write, I’ve just seen an advertisement for a feature writer’s post on my local paper, the Regina Leader-Post.
My friends back at the Shropshire Star have sent me a cuttings file of my previous stories and they’ll also be sending me a copy of this feature, which I’ll forward to my prospective new editors. Who knows, it could help me get my first job in Canada.
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Good for you Rebecca!
Hope it all goes well for you out there, and the best of luck in job hunting!
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Looking forward to hearing more about Moose Jaw. Having recently found an ancestor in my family tree who upped sticks with his young family in 1871 to move to Canada, one of his children moved to Moose Jaw where he died in 1937. Obviously life there has changed somewhat since then!
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Rebecca…. one thing you will have to get used to is the distances we travel. I live about the same distance from Calgary (west) as you do (east) – though it is a more difficult drive, winding roads over several high mountain passes. It usually takes about 8 hours to get to Calgary airport but we think nothing of picking somebody up there and driving back the same day. My mother-in-law lives in Halifax NS – 5600ks from my home and roughly 5-6 days drive – Mexico City is nearer at 2900ks.
The other thing is of course the weather – your climate in Moose Jaw is very different to ours. You will likely find the summer short, sunny, not overly hot and quite dry with not much spring or autumn (fall as we say). Winter is long and very cold – but dry and sunny without too much snow.The snow there is crisp and crunches when you walk or drive.
Our summers are longer and much hotter, today it is 37c going up to 40c by weekend. We have a beautiful spring and autumn, and winter of usually 4 months with lots of snow but not overly cold – minus 20c. One of the problems with the hot weather is the forest fires – at the moment there is one near Kelowna with some 11,000 people evacuated from their homes. A few years ago almost the entire town I live in was evacuated because of a wildfire. It was quite the job to get everybody out – including the hospital and the old peoples homes. Luckily the fire was brought under control after millions of gallons of fire retardant and millions of dollars were spent.
If you get chance this summer visit Lake Louise, Moraine Lake, Takaka Falls just west of Banff or hike at Lake O’Hara (my favourite place in the Rockies)… about 8 hours from Moose Jaw. Accommodation is hard to find there and expensive but you could maybe stay in Canmore and take day trips from there.
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Great to see you having a great time when our service men are risking death every minute in Iraq and Afganistan. Hope you enjoy the taxpayers overseas allowance to enjoy your time in Canada.
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So, Ianformby, I take it you’re spending all day and every day wearning a hairshirt and birching yourself to honour our troops overseas.
Why must people continually put the mockers on people who make something with their lives?
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Mark… You don’t see it. The story is about her nice little jolly to Canada and being a girlfriend (fiancée) to a pilot. Why the story? When girlfriends, wives and mothers dread the un-planned knock on the door. There are hundreds of people “who do more with their lives” without publicising it in a newspaper?
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Totally agree with the point raised by Ian Formby, as a pilot if he wants to see proper action why does he not go to Irag or Afghanistan, though I suppose his wife to be would not be able to go – shame
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I have to say I’m really ashamed at the attitude you both display. Still, they’ve gone now, and I sincerely hope they are surrounded by nicer and more caring people. Good luck to them both.
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Why on earth should she be made to feel guilty about taking an opportunity to go and experience life in Canada? Why should her fiance be criticised, just because he’s not in Iraq or Afghanistan? So what? Millions of people aren’t- does that mean they should all be feeling ashamed and guilty about it?
Soldiers in Iraq or Afghanistan are there to do their jobs- they joined the armed forces BY CHOICE, or have we gone back to conscription without me realising? While their deaths are tragic, why should anyone else have to feel any guilt over them for doing what THEY want to do with their lives?
Ian Formby and Richard Breeze- you’re pathetic.
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I still maintain PATHETIC story about a “RAF WAG” who is happy not be in the UK and two fingers to rest of the service families sitting and waiting!
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What is wrong with some good news? Mr Formby and Mr Breeze are clearly misguided and do not realise that some pilots may have already completed 10 tours in Iraq or Afghanistan. They may also have been to war three or four times. If an opportunity like this came along whilst I was serving Her Majesty, then I would have taken it too. Good luck to the Lawrences.
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Glad to see that there are people like Stuart and Hannah about. I’m with them. It’s the attitude of people like Mr Formby and Mr Breeze that makes me want to leave the country too.
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I totally agree with Mark, Stuart and Hannah. When people choose to sign up to the armed forces, they are choosing the possibility they might have to go to war one day and, perhaps, give their lives as a result. But that is their choice and I can’t believe some people are criticising the two of you for having such a wonderful opportunity.
Rebecca, matey, all the best to you and your hubby-to-be. It seems some people don’t realise that this is a blog about life overseas, sometime a lot of people find interesting to hear about, and not a news “story”. It’s supposed to be read for enjoyment, not for information. Don’t let a few people like one or two above stop you keeping us up to date about your awesome new lives over there!
I’ll openly admit to being slightly jealous as I would love to emigrate somewhere as beautiful as Canada. I truly hope you love every single moment of your three years out there.
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Oh, Ian and Richard? You don’t have to read about Rebecca’s story if you don’t want to and it offends you that much. You’ve chosen to read this blog, you could always choose not to.
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Afraid I too can’t really see Ian’s problem. I mean, perish the thought, but it’s almost as if he is jealous and trying to hide it behind all that other self-righteous waffle.
But like I say – perish the thought that he is just jealous…. :-)
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Amen. Good luck to them. I expect both have worked very hard to be able to take the opportunity to taste life in another country. For all we know rebecca’s boyfriend has already flown in Iraq and Afghanistan so it’s churlish to suggest their move is a jolly with lavish taxpayer-funded allowances thrown in. Come on ian formby, can’t you see the only pathetic thing about this story, which by the way appeared as a feature and not a news item, is your take on it? Rebecca might still have the knock at the door one day and let’s hope she doesn’t.
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Well said Stuart, Hannah and Mark. If people cannot share the joy of Rebecca’s adventure over here then butt out. Armed forces bases in Canada, especially on the prairies are training grounds for British army and air-force. They also take part in exercises in the mountains here which offer the terrain and space that doesn’t exist in the UK. On a per capita basis Canadians have lost more young men and women in Afghanistan than any other nation – and don’t forget that Canada’s support of Great Britain has always been second to none.
Indeed, if people took the time they would learn something about this lovely country … kinda sad but it is their own loss after all!
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So Ian, how many years have you/are you serving then?
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I have been a member of the RAF for 19 years now and still don’t understand how the officers are treated so differently. They are not married and yet the taxpayer picks up the bill for their accommodation. I was not allowed to shack up in quarters until I was married, so how do these justify it. Reminds me of the politicians expenses and the lads in the warzones haven’t got the equipment for the job, disgraceful.
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Rebecca – you’ll likely find that most Canadians will say “good for you” if you are doing a little better or are successful in what you do — they are not envious of a person’s good fortune. I have friends who live in log cabins, trailers (caravans) and 8000 square ft mansions – it is just not Canadian to boast about your success or complain about your lot in life. We accept people for who they are – not what they have.
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Ian? Ian? Where are you Ian?!?
Hmmm. Gone again……
:-)
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Who is this “Stuart” at No 11. It certainly isn’t me and I have been on this for a year or two. Someone is either taking my name in vain or the “system” has allowed two bloggers with the same username. Can it be corrected please. The Stuart at 11 is new to the game on this paper.
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Just a comment though. Good for you Rebecca, what have our troops in Afghanistan got to do with you going to Canada. Absolutely nothing. Thousands of others would join you if they were able, it’ the Ian Formby’s and Richard Breeze’s of this world who are responsible for the fact that many of us want to leave this dump but are unable to for want of age, illness etc.
Both of you enjoy yourselves and when it is “time” to come back, do another letter here and we will tell you if this country has improved enough to make you want to come back.
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