Moving to Canada (BC) in August, can anyone help answer some questions?

[Ekka]

We are due to relocate to Victoria, BC in August and I'm trying to get my head around how the healthcare system works.

Despite dh being Canadian he has no idea (he's not lived there since he was about 22 so there is some excuse) and one of our dc (age 4) has multiple food allergies and has annual paediatric appts here in the uk and regular allergy testing so I'm trying to understand what the set up is in bc and what we'll need to do to keep him under review.

Also, more generally, does anyone have any tips from when they moved eg things you wish you'd brought/ left behind or any tips to make settling in easier when we arrive?

Thanks!

As soon as you get to BC, you can apply for MSP (provincial healthcare). It takes 3 months before it will start and you cannot apply until you are in BC.

Depending on your / dh's job, you may have additional medical insurance. Visits to the gp are free and perscriptions vary depending on the meds.

You need private health insurance for the 3 months you are not covered.

Hi Alligatorpie is correct about the MSP situation, plus it is add to find a family doctor here, so you may need to go to walkin clinics until you find one taking on new patients.

I live in Victoria, and there are two other mumsnetters that I know of who live here too, feel free to private message me.

We have a western canada mumsnetters Facebook page, again pm if you wish to join.

Hi Ekka. I'm another of the Victoria MNers. Finding a doctor here is going to be the tricky part. It's hard to get one. I have a nurse practitioner instead, through my midwifery practice.

The healthcare system is weird. It isn't at all like the British system but people here think it is so it gets very confusing. How you pay for it is the confusing part. Do you and your DH have a job here?

Hi Ekka. I think we are coming over about the same time and despite being Canadian I have been in the UK for 15 years and so I am completely at sea as well. Everyone keeps telling me how hard it is to find a doctor. I have to say I am already missing the NHS! I have absolutely no complaints about the medical system in the UK. I am sure it will be fine but stressful initially. Perhaps we can meet up? Our only dilemma is whether we can get everything done here in time ( I am loathe to make my oldest daughter have to start school anytime other than at the beginning of the school year when at least there might be other new starters). Are you planning to live in Victoria itself? We are all going over in a few weeks to house hunt.... Probably Fairfield area or James Bay or Oak Bay.

Hi, sorry for not replying to you all earlier, dh came back to the uk for a couple of weeks and we've been busy trying to sort stuff out.

Thanks for all the feedback. I'll try and answer all the questions...

Dh is working out there now but is currently a contractor so no private health insurance, but is on the provincial healthcare system and will get the kids registered (also Canadian citizens) when we get there. Will definitely get private insurance for them and me at first thanks!

Not sure what the deal will be for me, we applied for permanent residency for me but as yet they haven't finished reviewing the paperwork, so am hoping that everything comes through before we leave!

I'm slightly worried about the not getting a doctor, the walk-in clinics don't bother me for most of us, but ds1 has allergies and is currently under regular review by a paediatrician here, so I was hoping we could get something similar set up when we get to Victoria - eek....

I'd love to join the Facebook group. I'm just about to get the kids up and ready for school but will try and work out how to pm you after that!

Pocketandsweet, our stuff is being shipped mid-July and we are flying out early August and will stay with my inlaws in North Saanich initially while we try and find a place in Victoria. We're looking at oak bay as the kids are registered in a school there.

It would be lovely to meet up with people when we arrive and have got over the jet lag...

Hi Ekka. We are all going over next week for 10 days or so to try and find schools, a house etc. Can ask where you are going to get private medical insurance from...I haven't looked into this at all . How old are your children? I have only been in touch with the principal at one school so far ( in Fairfield) she said that we needed to have a house before we could "secure" a place for our daughter. Im sure it will all be great in the end but sometimes I wish I could just climb under a duvet and forget that we have so much to do. Anyway fingers crossed we find a house and then we can come back and figure out how much of our stuff to send over.

Hmmm, haven't actually looked into it yet!!! I'll let you know if I find anything useful.

We are lucky in that dh is Canadian (and so the kids have dual nationality) and his parents live locally so we are using their address for now and are waiting till we get to Canada in August to look for a place of our own. Though I'm enjoying browsing on realtor.ca for properties even so!

As for schools we have sidestepped the issue and registered the dc in an independent school for the moment. It makes life easier but obviously way more expensive! We have 3dc, dd is 6, ds1 nearly 5 and ds2 nearly 2.

I know what you mean about having a lot to do. Dh is out in Victoria for the next few weeks and I feel much like you do - too much to do and nowhere near enough time to do it in. I've resigned myself to taking too much stuff, I just don't have time to sort properly before we leave.

Can I ask which school you have chosen? I am looking forward to seeing the houses as well

We have our extended medical through Great West Life

Also this might help the both of you... www.bcaa.com/insurance/travel/for-visitors-to-canada/for-visitors-to-canada

I am not 100% positive but you may want to check if your PR doesn't come through before you move that is okay for you to be in Canada whilst your PR is being processed.

I seem to remember having to wait for the process to be completed before I was able to go. It took about 6 months from initial submission of the paperwork until I heard. This was about 8 years ago so things may have changed.

Excuse my ignorance what is a PR?

Is PR permanent residency ? We all have Canadian passports.

Pr is permanent residency. I think that was probably directed at me! Dh and the dc are Canadian, but I have applied for permanent residency (family class). I can't see there being an issue, but if necessary I can stay 6 months under visitor rules and then enter on my pr visa next time... [Keeps fingers firmly crossed so as not to tempt fate!]

We are off house hunting/school hunting tomorrow.

Ooh, enjoy.... Just don't buy any houses that I want . I think the biggest thing for me to get used to is the size of houses generally in Canada, compared to the UK!

I will let you know how it goes