Military family moving to Canada - urgent advice

[Underit]

Hi everyone,
I’m stuck, I’m panicking and I really need some wise advice from the people on mumsnet! We are a military family, very settled in North of England but are due a posting and an opportunity has arisen for us to move to Canada. Sounds amazing right?! But I don’t know the first thing, I’ve never settled within the military community I don’t get involved with military wives on the whole as I don’t like the cliques. I work where I am but will have to give my job up anyway, my job has saved my mental health but I’m aware I will be unable to work in Canada as easily. I’ve got 2 dc who would be coming with us aged 11 and 3. I don’t have FB so I’m stuck as to where I can get any information people wish they would have known beforehand.
Just to be open - we did Germany a few years ago and I ended up so poorly as I was unprepared and homesick, plus had PND on top of! I feel in a much better place mentally but I am so scared to take the leap. Any advice would be appreciated. We have been given days to make our decision. I don’t want to miss out on an amazing opportunity but need more information to help make the decision! Help please!

Which part of Canada?

Medicine Hat? My brain is on fire, I think that’s what my husband said.

A smallish town with plenty of churches. Quite Colonial.

It's in Alberta, I think.

I've been in Canada 12 years and I cannot praise it enough. We're in Québec though

Do you get a relocation package, or is that not necessary as military?

I lived out West for a year and it was spectacular, very beautiful.

Oooih funny place suffield. Massive and empty (that’s the point). Medicine Hat has a love hate relationship with the brits. How long would you have to be there?

Nobody has ever accused suffield of being beautiful

Post in the Forces Sweethearts talk topic.

It might also be a good idea to post in the living overseas section.
I'm in the USA so can't help with specifics but know how hard being a trailing spouse is.

I'm Canadian though a bit west of Medicine Hat. My best friend was raised there though. Are there any questions I can ask her for you? She visits every change she can get so can't be that bad of a place.

There may be a lot of other things but two things jump out immediately, if these will affect you.

1. Can you drive? If not, you’ll be very isolated. It’s not a place with any public transport to the “big city” like UK or Germany might be. Calgary is 3 hours away and it’s driving or nothing.

1. How are you at weather changes? It’s “claimed” an average of -3 in January and 27 in August, but that’s the “claimed” average. It was huge blizzards of snow last November and heat waves are now the norm, bringing temps in the 30s starting in June (you’ll probably have air con? It’s getting to the 40s there now). Climate change is VERY real in Alberta.

Blizzard in November 2020: chatnewstoday.ca/2020/11/09/alberta-and-saskatchewan-digging-out-from-blizzard/ The heat wave starting June 2021: medicinehatnews.com/news/local-news/2021/06/02/first-heat-wave-of-2021-hitting-this-week/

You lucky, lucky things!!!!! Canada is the most beautiful country in the world (in my personal opinion) and I'm incredibly jealous!

Very, very chilled out pace of life. Like a more beautiful and relaxed version of America

I’m Canadian and I would move to Medicine Hat. Yes driving is necessary.

Make a SM account for the purpose-you can make it non identifiable to you by searches. Don't need to add UK people. Might help with info and getting to know people.

Oh wow thankyou for the responses. In answer to some of the questions. Yes I drive (although it would take a bit to build up the courage to drive over there). The posting is for 3yrs, so even if it’s not great it’s not permanent is it! That’s what I keep telling myself. It’s not a package as such that is set up but accommodation and schools etc are already sorted for us.

Well for three years, with kids that age (ie back before GCSEs start for DC1, with accom and schools sorted and a ready made community, I would say definitely go for it for the adventure. Explore the country, ski, learn to love maple syrup for breakfast - 3 years will go by in a flash and life is all about experiences.

Sometimes I wish we didn’t have to make these decisions and the army just said this is where you are going. I hate being responsible for something which could turn out to be bad for the kids. I want to do it - I just don’t know if I’m strong enough or brave enough! I’m really close to my family. In Germany they came out every other week but that won’t be the case in Canada will it!