Hello,

I don't know anything about the company... I'm not even sure I have heard of it before. I did a Google search... is it WestCan Bulk Transport (www.westcanbulktransport.com) ?

If you decide to move, you'll need to find a place to live. Two good real estate sites are: Sask Houses (www.saskhouses.com), which are properties for sale by owner; and MLS (Multiple Listing Service, www.mls.ca), which compiles most properties for sale by real estate agents. There are certain subdivisions of Saskatoon's west side that you probably want to avoid because of the poverty and crime. The north-central and east sides are generally fine. If you're not sure about a certain neighbourhood, post it here and I can give you some more info.

Once you have found somewhere to live, you'll want to find the nearest school. There are two school systems - the public (www.sbe.saskatoon.sk.ca) and the Catholic (www.scs.sk.ca). These sites should help you find where the nearest schools are.

The winters are pretty long and cold in western Canada. If you do move, prepare for about five months (beginning of November to the end of March) where the temperature is below freezing. I think nothing of it since I was born here, but it can be a shock to someone moving here!

Hope this has helped...

Hi Rosie and Jim,

I have family in Saskatoon and have lived in Calgary, so can appreciate both regions. Saskatoon is a lovely university city but the winter weather would be a definite drawback, particularly coming from England.

Even though Calgary has a higher cost of living, the city itself has much to offer, especially its proximity to the Rocky Mountains. The setting is spectacular! The winters can be harsh, but there is a moderating effect too, and overall you wouldn't see as much snow as in Saskatoon.

Alberta is the only province without provincial sales tax, and when you add another 8% onto goods purchased in other provinces, it really accumulates. But housing in Calgary is at an all time high right now so buying property might be prohibitive. From the little I know of UK real estate, your prices seem quite high as well so it might not be too much of a shock. But, you always have the option of living in a smaller town just outside of Calgary, especially if your husband will be on the road with work.

On this forum, a website ~britishexpats.com~ is often recommended to give someone a realistic view of the whole "moving full kit and caboodle" decision. Judy_In_Calgary is a wonderful source of information for that experience, and for the city if you address any concerns or questions to her on this forum.

Good luck!

hello, WestCan is located in the north area of saskatoon 71street and #11/12 highway. Just past westcan you either continue north on #12 or go abit to your right and take #11. #12 takes you through the towns of Martensville, a bedroom community of over 5000 people. Has 2 elementary schools, and I high school. It is about 8 kg from where Westcan is located. Martensville also has somewhat cheaper housing than saskatoon. Contains a "shop easy " grocery store, dr., dentist, family resturantes, hotel, gas stations,mechantic,churches etc. All the basic needs.I find it convient to live here and work in the city. Most of the population here work in the city. And there is parking for rigs in open areas or bring the tractor home. Where as in some of the neighbourhoods in saskatoon you can't.

Westcan I have heard has govenors on there trucks, and will fine drivers if they go over what the truck is governored for. I have heard that the fine can be time off, or cash.When westcan came into saskatoon, they bought out Matchett trucking.They were started by a farm family. There were some news paper items about people being brought in to drive by them, didn't meet what westcan wanted after awhile and were let go...I don't know the end result. I do remember one driver in the paper, had to fine employment or face going back to England I think. Most of westcan's trucks are owned by the company. What they pay a mile I do not know. But you can be sure you will be gone alot, hauling hydrus amonia in season, grain, fertilzer, among other things.

If you take #11 highway, the first town is Warman. about 15 kg from westcan's yard, a quickly growing town of 5000 people or so. It has afew people living there from outside canada. It too has lower housing pricethan sakatoon, a high school and elementary school. And many people drive into saskatoon from there also. Good luck.

Hello Rosie and Jim,

Tobie already has pointed you to the British Expats Forum, and you've received other detailed advice about Westcan and towns around Saskatoon.

As you've heard, Calgary and Saskatoon both have pros and cons. Since you've heard more about the Saskatoon area so far, I'll fill in some blanks about the Calgary area.

Calgary is near the beautiful Rocky Mountains, so you can get out there and hike on weekends. There's the warm Chinook wind that comes along and eats up the snow for a day or two or three, several times a winter. There's the "Alberta Advantage" (meaning lower taxes than in many other parts of Canada). Calgary also has non-stop flights to the UK, which I believe Saskatoon lacks.

If you're a geologist, an engineer, a lawyer or a business owner, I think Alberta provides you with a favourable environment in which to set up shop.

However, if you have a job in which you're more prone to injury than you would be if you were sitting at a desk, I believe other provinces are more attractive than Alberta is. The "Alberta Advantage" evaporates if you get injured on the job and discover that Alberta's health, safety and environmental laws are lax by Canadian standards and its workers' compensation scheme is less generous than equivalent schemes in several other provinces.

If you do choose Calgary as your destination, a residential community that may work well for you is Chestermere. It has a population of 2,000, but is growing fast. It's on the banks of Chestermere Lake, which is an irrigation dam to the east of Calgary. Chestermere has both public and Catholic schools. (There is not that great a difference between the two. They're both government funded.)

The reason that I mention Chestermere is that it would provide easy access to Westcan's Calgary base, which is located in the southeast industrial area. If you want to see the route from Chestermere to Westcan's facilities, go to:

http://maps.google.ca/

In the Start Address box, type:

Chestermere, AB, Canada

In the End Address box, type:

3780 - 76 Ave SE, Calgary, AB, Canada

If you're interested in living in Calgary itself, neighbourhoods that might work well for you are those in the far southeast, e.g., Douglasdale, McKenzie, etc. They too would give you quick access to Westcan's location.

You might be tempted to live in areas that are close to the industrial area, e.g., Lynnwood Ridge and Riverbend. I would hesitate to move there. There used to be an Esso refinery there years ago, and rumours abound that the soil is contaminated with lead and hydrocarbons.

You can get an idea of house prices by looking at the web site of the Multiple Listing Service at:

http://www.mls.ca

If one partner is on the road a lot, the other partner needs to build up a support network and stay busy. The "at home" partner either needs to work outside the home or get involved with the community, e.g., by doing volunteer work at the local school. If you don't make a concerted effort to make contact with other people, the winters can feel lonely.

You're welcome to look at the Relocation page of my personal web site:

…msn.com/CalgaryandCanadianRockiesTravelTips…

Hope that helps.

Thanks Judy. Hoping you would jump in on this one!

hi ya rosie and jim

just a few lines to say i am doing the same as you guys,me and my family arrive in canada on 21 oct....working for kindersley transport..(hq in saskatoon)..we were there in may,saskatoon is a nice little city,houses are cheaper than calgary and edmonton..(where we are going to live)..my wife was not to hot on saskatoon,but shes a country girl anyway...only thing once out of the city theres not much around..where as calgary is only 1 hour from the rockies,and the countryside is alot nicer...ref WESTCAN..i have heard a few bad rumours about it from a canadian relation in the transport buz....but nothing really bad about it...the other good thing about calgary is flights in and out....(airtransat and zoom airways are cheap and direct to uk)..anyway good luck...richie

Hi, I have just stumbled across this site and am just wanting to know how you are getting on.

My husband has also been offered a position with WestCan, and like yourselves we have two children and a house to sell!!

My husband is in Saskatoon as I write this and is going to visit the WestCan site in Saskatoon and hopefully get to speak to a few of the drivers. He is also going to be checking out the schools and the best places to live.

Are you any further forward?

If you would like to correspond directly with us please post a reply and I will let you have our e-mail address.

I am curious... WestCan seems to be recruiting quite aggressively in the UK. I've seen several users on this and other travel web sites mentioning they were considering a move. Are a lot of North American companies recruiting in the UK these days, or is it just this one in particular?

Hi Rosie and Jim,

This is a long shot, but did you relocate and take up the opportunity with Westcan?

Myself and a friend are also going through the same exercise over the next couple of months; attending interviews/presentations here in the UK with Yanke and Westcan. We are also travelling to Saskatoon and Winnipeg on 21 Feb for a week long recce and factfinding trip.

I wonder if we could tie up with you (or indeed any other ex pats still visiting this web site) via email and/or on the ground to compare notes on your experiences and your view of your resettlement in Canada.

Your advice, assistance would be greatly appreciated by both of us.

Regards

Hello lancashirelads,

There has been some recent and active discussion on the British Expats forum about this very issue:

www.britishexpats.com

There are quite a few Brits who have come over to Western Canada as truck drivers, and several who now are in the process of applying for work permits, getting their household contents packed up for the move, etc.

In addition to that, the British Expats forum has a strong contingent of Winnipeg residents, and a much smaller number of Saskatoon residents.

I strongly suggest you do your homework on this one. It seems to work out for some and not for others.

There is one woman who recently has posted messages about a very negative experience, so much so that she and her husband have relocated back to the UK. If you visit the British Expats forum, I suggest you visit the Canada forum as well as the Moving Back To The UK forum. That way you can read accounts that fall on both sides of the ledger.

All the best.