Hey just got my conditional approval letter from the Canadian consulate, was just wondering if anyone else has done the move up north and if they have any tips. I've just gotta do the CIC thing and then I'm done.. I think :/
It means no more OzBargain tho.. Sad Face
Thanks for the info!
If I find any deals ill be sure to post em :D
Yep went for 2011-2012 winter season and worked at a resort in BC (no, not Whistler!). Was Awesome. Pay was pretty crap ($9.50 per hour), but free season pass was a fantastic perk. They also had reciprocal arrangements with several other resorts - some for free (limited days) or discounted tickets. If you're into snow, I highly recommend it. Even if not, like 1 guy I was working with from UK - not really into snow but just decided to come. He only tried skiing once the whole season - but reckons he still had a good time.
But you could work at any place on the working holiday visa. (well, a few exceptions like teaching or something if i remember) And Canada would be good in summer too - although I didn't stay that long. Wish i had stayed a bit longer actually. And depending on if you plan to be based in one spot or move around, I would recommend looking at buying a car over there so that you can explore more places. I hired one for the last 3 weeks, but would have been nice to have one earlier to just 'go' places, not have to plan it around Greyhound.
Oh - and beware of shipping anything in from US. Canada has a wicked customs/gst collection - on any item over $20 (or $60 if from a family member/friend) I found this out when a $250 Braun 7 shaver i ordered didn't arrive at my friends place where i was staying in the US, - 1 day late!! Anyhow so i had to pay him $30 to ship it to Canada, then to my surprise got stung at the PO when i went to pick it up - about $40 GST and processing fee! Turns out the expedited shipping wasn't the expensive option! D'oh! (luckily it was still cheaper than available in AUS at the time)
And while on tax expect 'and plus tax' on most of the prices of things. And prices in pounds (like for fruit and veg) Well, can't tell you too much more - you'll have to discover it for yourself! Enjoy the planning!
PS - i still checked OZB fairly regularly while over there. (Hi, my name's Danyool and i'm an Ozbargainer…) Not as often as here, but had to keep up on the bargains! I didn't find the site mentioned above, but came across http://smartcanucks.ca/ while there which gave me a bit of local hit, but the resort i was at was a long way from main city and shops so wasn't able to use a lot of the deals. Supermarket coupons are a bit of a thing over there.
I went over in 2005 and did a year working/living in Vancouver. Best time of my life! I only really have tips for Vancouver, the #1 being make sure you get shared accommodation or else the rent will be so high you will be heading home in 3 months broke. Try to get a flexible job that gives you 3 and 4 day breaks so you can do some exploring… one of my best trips was to Vancouver Island… awesome place. And of course depending where you are in Canada you are only a short distance to the US border… great way to see lots of the USA… look out for flight specials too from Seattle to other parts of the USA cause Seattle is only a couple hours south of Vancouver… and there is a shuttle bus between the 2. (Of course Seattle is a great city to check out on its own). Otherwise, all the customs and immigration parts were super easy… nothing to stress about :)
Feel free to continue to contribute here or maybe spot some Canadian deals that can be shipped here :) Otherwise the Canadian equivalent of OzBargain is Red Flag Deals.