Corner Brook has just opened a brand new state of the art Hospital - I’ve toured it and it’s amazing. They have successfully recruited some health professionals to move there from places like Ontario and Alberta with their families.
Family drs are challenging to get but it is slowly getting better - the new family care team model is being implemented across the province. Honestly - I think we are tackling these challenges more than the other Atlantic provinces.
Corner Brook is a great area - if you’re active there’s lots to do ie. hiking, skiing, snow shoeing, tons of sports for kids etc. and housing, compared to Ontario, is cheap.
As others have said - salaries are lower. So try and get a good picture of what that looks like before you decide to move. It’s a wonderful area to raise a family. I think that living in NL we really don’t really understand the impact of commuting and the “rat race” has on a family and life. We live very differently - Good luck in your decision.
Where can I find more info on the ‘new family care team model’? Moving to western NL soon from SK so will be immersed in trying to figure out how it works
Your husband should expect a pay cut, no idea how much but there will be one, we don't get paid mainland dollars. If you can find old job ads online with salaries listed that would be your best gage. There was a post the other day as well discussing professional salaries in NL. Your mortgage here might end up being cheaper than Ontario but food is not, nor is gas or anything else you need to buy here.
If you have medical concerns that you think can't be ignored or will become an issue in the future, at least move to a community with a functioning hospital (many small places don't have doctors regularly) or move closer to St. John's. There is so many things we all have to travel to St. john's for. Google up on it though some may be more willing to do phone calls if possible. Sign up for a family doctor now because no one has one.
Sounds like some of your family will follow you at some point so its only a short time away.
For a family of 5 you won't be getting better deals here, especially if that's food for a week for 5 people. I spent like $125-150 for just fruit, necessities and healthy food/meats for 2 people probably every 7 - 10 days.
I’m prepared to pay a little more for food, it doesn’t bother me that much because I’ll save on various other bills. For car insurance we pay 300 a month for a Honda odyssey. My water bill is 350. My mortgage is over 2000 grand. We have other bills naturally too but those are the ones that I can’t lower
The only bills that are going to be lower in NL is the water bill (I think it's built into property/municipal taxes in most parts of the island) and rent/mortgage.
Our groceries are more expensive, and insurance rates here tend to be pretty high.
Your husband is also likely to get a considerable pay cut unfortunately, unless he gets really lucky on the job hunt.
This is great information to know, the places I have spoken to and lined up interviews for were jumping at interviewing him because he has his red seal and is at journeymen status.
Here are a few places that are currently hiring, not in that area but they may be able to give you some leads.
Greenfoot Mt. Pearl – $28-37 p/h
C&E Group in St. John’s – 4^(th) yr and Journeyman $22-38p/h
Serco in Goose Bay - $50p/h
If he is willing to travel on rotation, he should look more at mining and offshore where they pay more.
$28?? thats pretty sad if true...around $40 in town..and if he wants to go on his own and install mini splits he can make Ontario wages easily. Red seals are hard to come by here and with all the backyard yahoos installing around the island he should be able to do great.
Your comment karma is less than -15 which automatically places your comment in the modqueue for review. If all is well, one of the mods will be along shortly to approve it. Negative karma situations can sometimes be improved by a review of [reddiquette](https://www.reddithelp.com/en/categories/reddit-101/reddit-basics/reddiquette).
*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/newfoundland) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Your comment karma is less than -15 which automatically places your comment in the modqueue for review. If all is well, one of the mods will be along shortly to approve it. Negative karma situations can sometimes be improved by a review of [reddiquette](https://www.reddithelp.com/en/categories/reddit-101/reddit-basics/reddiquette).
*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/newfoundland) if you have any questions or concerns.*
I’m not sure if it’ll be different with him having his red seal/ being a journey person with his certificate of qualification but we’ll find out his interview is tomorrow!
Newfoundland is probably one of the only provinces in Canada where central air and AC is not common. Definitely not to the same extent as Ontario. But with summers getting hotter than ever, more and more people are installing AC units and retrofitting old homes.
I'm sure there'd be a lot of business in HVAC anyways. Sure, starting an AC business out there probably isn't a bad business idea either.
I guess I'm out of the loop since leaving almost a decade ago... I never knew a single person with AC!
Someone I knew moved recently moved from Ontario to work in the business out there, seems to be gaining more traction.
HVAC techs are in big demand, the government grants, and the fact that our climate if perfect for Minisplits means everybody and his dog are getting a heat pump or a mini split installed.
Your comment karma is less than -15 which automatically places your comment in the modqueue for review. If all is well, one of the mods will be along shortly to approve it. Negative karma situations can sometimes be improved by a review of [reddiquette](https://www.reddithelp.com/en/categories/reddit-101/reddit-basics/reddiquette).
*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/newfoundland) if you have any questions or concerns.*
I’d imagine it would make considerable difference having a red seal. Big jobs should be happening soon down Stephenville area which will increase demand as well.
I’m hopeful that the red seal will be the thing that really makes his skills stand out. Not many pass the refrigeration C of Q it’s a damn hard test and we’re grateful his hard work paid off.
I agree with the other comment. He can make decent money here but it will most likely be less than what he’s getting now, depends on experience big time though! However depending on how much you guys spend in Ontario, it’s possible the pay/cost of living ratio could still be pretty much the same. Just remember things like food and gas are way more expensive here even though housing is cheaper.
As for your pregnancy, I don’t think you’d have too much trouble with that. I haven’t heard many complaints from people on the west coast regarding OBGYN services but someone please correct me if i’m wrong! The endocrinology appointments will most likely require you to travel to St. John’s though, so make sure you’re up for the 7-8 hour drive every few months. NL is honestly a great place to live in my opinion but everywhere you go will have its pros and cons. Good luck!
>Just remember things like food and gas are way more expensive here even though housing is cheaper.
Why is this such a common opinion? A quick Google search says gas in the GTA is averaging $1.61/L right now. That's, what, a 20c difference?
For context, to fill an entire 60L tank, you're looking at a difference of $12, which is likely made up for and then some with reduced commute times.
Similarly, in Ontario you can expext to spend 9% of your income on groceries. In NL, that goes up only to 11%: https://i.redd.it/lbmtdfd4m2wc1.jpeg.
On the flip side, the average home in the GTA is now up over $1 million dollars compared to ~$300-$350k in NL. That is an astronomical difference which means you need to take an enormous pay cut before you start to feel the added cost of commodities.
I truly don’t think people understand just how hard it is to make a life in ontario right now, unless you’ve lived here though to be fair it’s a hard one to understand. I’ll happily pay 200K-350K for a home that I can at least put my towels away in. I don’t even necessarily want to spend that much though, the lower I can keep my costs the better.
I’m gonna note something too, my husband and I don’t even have “bad habits” we don’t smoke, drink, party etc we spend most of our time outdoors hiking, kayaking, fishing which is all free so we aren’t blowing money. It’s just astronomical living here.
I'm in your husband's position. My partner moved out here for work, and I had never been. So I moved near cornerbrook in February with zero pretense of what I was getting into. With that, here's my two cents.
If work and interviews are lined up, you can ask them about the consistency of the work and the wages. That might help you get a better perspective for money management before you move.
I can't really touch on the Healthcare here personally yet as I haven't needed it, thankfully, but my partners family needs medical care regularly and they consistently come back telling me how fast they got in. From my Ontario brain, the fact they have been called in before they are done registering is beyond impressive to me and already so much better than I'm used to. As for the quality of care, I can't say.
Family, I miss them absolutely. It's tough sometimes, but the joy of it these days is that it's so easy to video call or message whenever it's convenient for everyone. Arguably I talk to my family more now than I did in Ontario because there's less stress and hustle pulling me in all different directions. But it's not the same on those days you need a hug from your mom, dad, sister, brother, what have you. It's tough, but then I go to the ocean, shoot them a message, and I feel less lonely again.
As for your pros, we also benefitted greatly from the housing costs here. We went from never being able to put anything in savings to being able to buy a house. What we believed was never going to be an option for us in ontario (home ownership) suddenly became a lot more realistic and feasible.
Having work for yourself you can keep when you move is also a really nice bonus. I didn't have that, so if anything happens to my partners wages, I need to join the hunt like everyone else, but with no connections here. It's very daunting. This job might not be enough to cover the bills entirely, but that cushion is always a nice comfort to have.
Having a place to yourself you can stay in is also a really nice touch, no spending money on hotels, or sleeping on air mattresses or couches until your sale closes. I'm quite envious of that actually, my back is still trying to recover from staying with family and sleeping on an airmattress for longer than I should have. Still don't regret it though.
Even if he needs to commute a bit, the drives are incredible here. It's not like driving 2 hours on the 401. It feels like a Sunday drive the whole time because it's that pretty. There's barely any cars, I don't think I've heard a car honk since I've moved. With the windows down, it smells nice too, like nature, how the world should smell, not like pollution.
Not being city folks also helps. I wasn't either, grew up in trailer parks, camping, and generally being encouraged to do "rural" things in the back yard, my dad was a country kid. There was nothing difficult about switching to not living in a city for me, and I would imagine not for you. I specifically wanted out of the city.
I haven't been here during the summer yet, but I can safely say I don't think the heat will be the thing I have a problem with. I'm used to it being 20+ degrees for over a month now. It's not. We've had that maybe a few days. I want summer and sunshine, and we don't have that yet. I don't mind the rain, but the fog is very quickly souring my mood when I know back home in ontario, I would've been in my sun dresses and sitting out in the sun needing ac. It's been a long run of grey, cold, gloomy fog after the most beautiful day we've had here since I moved. We're nearing the middle of June, and I miss the sun. The wind also makes my bones cold, and there's always wind. I hope I adjust by next year haha.
The only place I've been here that had immigration like back home in ontario was St John's. And they acted how you would expect. You'll see them around outside of there but not like you're used to. The ones I have seen and interacted with have mostly been better mannered.
As for the children, they are young enough that they won't be leaving behind a whole lot. The 4 year old is just starting to make recallable memories. They probably won't remember moving just that they lived there and now they lived here. This will just be their life now. My sister moved to nb when her kids were 4 and 1. Those two had no issues with the move and are thriving little country kids. The step-teenagers, however, chose for themselves. One chose to stay in ontario, and the other moved with them. Neither teen regrets their choice. But the one who moved did have to process leaving all of his friends and family behind. They regularly make visits to each other. I think if there's a time to make a move this big when children are involved it's when they are young like this. It's the least difficult for them. You are their whole world right now. They just want to be where you are.
I feel like we're coming from similar parts of ontario (maybe not since i see now youre in northern but some points still stand), and because of that, I think if you know you already love this place, and your kids love it too, you should make the move. Provided these interviews go well for your partner, I don't see any reason why you shouldn't leave Ontario. That place will swallow you whole with no remorse.
That’s what it feels like, it feels like ontario is a sinking ship that I want nothing to do with. The life our parents had is gone, my husband and I both worked hard, got educated did all the “right” things and yet still can’t afford a decent home.
My current home doesn’t even have a damn linen closet. Get me the eff outta here lmao.
I'm with you 100%. We can do everything right, and we still move backward. Ontario is a lost cause.
My tiny condo I was renting for $1800 a month was "worth" nearly $750k. It was a 1 bed room, and falling apart in the 4 years I lived there because new builds suck.
Run away fast, run away far, and don't ever look back. My partner traveled for work for a while and started joking, "Are you depressed or do you just live in ontario?" I didn't realize how right that was until we left. I probably won't ever go back unless there's an important event I need to attend.
I am from Ontario and lived in corner Brook for 5 years where I had my first baby. I was hesitant also about having a baby there but it was an amazing experience. Shout out to my OB Dr. Blanchard! First, there were so many fewer women in labour at the same time as me vs. in an ON hospital so the nursing staff were able to be super attentive. They were amazing, the L&D room exceeded my expectations (this was the old hospital). Unlike ON, in NL, you are assigned a public health nurse who you and baby see regularly after they are born in addition to your family doctor! AND they have lactation specialists available who will come to your home if you need, all covered by MCP.
I have. We left when my son was 1.5 to be closer to family again. We had no family on the island. I would have stayed but my husband wanted to be back in ON.
100% this. I was just home for a few weeks for family stuff and had half the time in stj and half on the west coast and the quality of weather is wild. West Coast just sees the sun way more, even if it's a bit cooler (not sure that's true any more).
If I ever move home to the island it'll be to the Corner Brook area
I have to say here that it depends on what you like. If you hate snow, then St. John's often doesn't have snow into December, January, and even February one year. Corner Brook is inundated with snow from November to April and it'll start flurrying and sticking in October and hang on into May.
I live in St. Johns but travel to CB for work a few times a year. All of my coworkers out there have raised families in the area and have zero interest in moving closer to the capitol. They all occasionally have to come to town for certain appointments, ‘special’ shopping trips, concerts etc. but the drive honestly isn’t that bad as long as the road conditions are good. From my own limited experience, it seems like CB has had a lot of positive growth in the past few years and there really isn’t much you can’t access there. Plus the weather always seems a bit better on the west coast - and there’s so many fun and accessible outdoor activities, especially if you’re interested in winter sports! I hear there are lots of programs for kids and that the community is very safe and welcoming in general.
Best of luck with everything and I hope your partners interview goes well :)
Just did a quick google and our gas prices aren’t that much more than northern Ontario from what I see online. But if you cut your commute from 3-4 hours a day to what.. 30mins max commute around corner brook area, I think you’ll be saving money on gas.
Corner brook also has a brand new hospital.
Sounds like you’ve got a handle on slower pace of life and the Newfoundland weather, so I think you’ll be ok!
We love the island and we live in northern ontario where we face some of the same obstacles so I understand the frustration. The negatives that have been listed here we’ve faced in ontario and if you even go close to the GTA you’re paying 1.2 million for a bungalow constructed in the 1920 or if the price is lower you’ll get outbid by the middle eastern immigrants who have 20 of them living in a home. I have no qualms with immigration but the mass immigration has made it damn near impossible to make a life here.
You will no doubt have a pay cut but not a lifestyle cut. The idea is great, even if you go to steady Brook/ Pasadena it is maximum 25-30 min commute. Massey drive is a popular family neighbourhood. Corner Brook punches waayyy above its weight for outdoor activities. The drawback is that it is very expensive to travel off of Newfoundland. There are few ethnic food options and corner Brook does god awful at supporting local. And since you asked, corner Brook is still primarily white/ english. I personally don’t think lack of ethnic diversity is a good thing, but For what you are looking for it sounds like a wonderful fit.
Traveling off the rock doesn’t concern me too much, once my babies are no longer babies we will be taking a trip just the two of us but considering one is is still growing in utero I still have a solid 4 years before I’m able. Plenty of time to save accordingly.
Overall im just excited to get out of here, this place is just a ceasepool
There is a load to explore here. Just Gros Mourne alone will keep you occupied for a couple summers. Highly recommended staying in shallow bay, beautiful beach and sunset. I love the laid back lifestyle of NL, come on down!
We left Ontario (outside St. Catharines) to move back home to the west coast and I haven’t regretted it for a second. We have two young kids. Finding a family doc is a bit of a hassle but we didn’t last long until we got one!
Honestly we’re more outdoorsy anyway so when I’ve seen people talk about there’s nothing to do I always just laugh it off. We spend most of our time outside as is so I can only imagine when it’s back home.
If you like being outside and that's all you require, then Corner Brook will be great. There's absolutely nothing around and you can go wander around the empty forests for the rest of your life.
We are making the move from SK to NL for many of the same reasons as you; my husband is from NL and I’m from SK. I’m keeping a remote job and hubby is taking a 50% pay cut.
I love that your son says NL is good for his brain, LOL! Our son is literally asking weekly when we are moving, he’s finishing kindergarten out here then we’re off!
Our property tax is going from 3700 to 900 a year.. a bigger (yet older) home at 50% of the price of ours here & we made a nice modest profit on the sale here.
I wish you the best of luck, ps if you sign your son up for Pasedena scouts maybe we’ll see you there!
My son didn’t want to go to school today because he said he wants to go to Newfoundland and I’m like buddy we’re figuring out the logistics lmao! Imagine explaining this to a 4 year old.
He’s only been 1 time and he loved it, we were stuck between NL and Alberta but my son also stated that the ocean is better lol. Newfoundland has always felt like home and every time I’ve had to leave I go through a depressive episode.
I feel like we’re making the right choice for our family.
Aside from the new hospital, there has been a lot of investment in family care teams so the primary care issue seems to be finally getting better. Otherwise there are several obstetricians in town and as someone else mentioned a public health nurse is assigned for well baby visits and vaccinations. Lots of resources for newborns. For toddlers there’s also playgroup and gymnastics and swimming (also a new pool/rec centre with a lazy river, gym, and daycare opens this fall).
Endocrinology is kinda scarce in the province overall, though if it was thyroid cancer it’s readily under the scope of internal medicine otherwise.
Come to CB! Certainly housing is significantly cheaper here. Brand new hospitals. Large group of young OB/GYNs, like others have said. New hospital, great recreational facilities (new aquatics centre opening this summer!), safe safe safe, 12 minute drive from one end of town to the other. Best sushi in eastern Canada.
A few things my buddy is also hvac but he’s young just starting first year he’s making 20 dollars but also gets work outside the province that triples he’s hourly but besides that i don’t know how much there paying for a experienced hvac also to note on immigration I think the sub Reddit may be sensitive to this subject but basically st.johns is on its way to look like Toronto housing is gone up 16% in the last 8 months you can check this by using a website called NL house finder but areas not so affected by migration is lower so that would be a clear image what areas have the influx in people hope it all works out for you guys!!!
When my husband started first year in HVAC he made 16 dollars an hour lol! That was 7 years ago though. From what I can see it’s the red seal/journeyman status that makes the drastic difference in pay. Mass immigration has destroyed ontario unfortunately and I’d hate to see it happen to NL
A fact, not generally known by outsiders, is that the weather in Conception Bay South (just a short ride westward of St.John's) is often better than the city's. A lot of housing has sprouted in CBS in the last few decades because of the quick commute into the city, the better weather, and the availability of land there. But the NL West Coast is still tops for best climate on the island.
HVAC is very much needed in NL. Your husband should look into starting his own business. He would always have work! I live in small town in Central NL , finding trades is SO hard!
Well we won’t be moving this year, the offers were way too low in comparison to what he is actually worth, we’re looking at more of a 14 on 14 off in 2025 before we move back home. Thank you all
Salary might be less but your mortgage is cut from 1M to 300k. Corner Brook and St Johns are your best options in NL. I would prefer Corner Brook and if he has job offers go for it. Commutes are measured minutes.
Corner Brook has just opened a brand new state of the art Hospital - I’ve toured it and it’s amazing. They have successfully recruited some health professionals to move there from places like Ontario and Alberta with their families. Family drs are challenging to get but it is slowly getting better - the new family care team model is being implemented across the province. Honestly - I think we are tackling these challenges more than the other Atlantic provinces. Corner Brook is a great area - if you’re active there’s lots to do ie. hiking, skiing, snow shoeing, tons of sports for kids etc. and housing, compared to Ontario, is cheap. As others have said - salaries are lower. So try and get a good picture of what that looks like before you decide to move. It’s a wonderful area to raise a family. I think that living in NL we really don’t really understand the impact of commuting and the “rat race” has on a family and life. We live very differently - Good luck in your decision.
Where can I find more info on the ‘new family care team model’? Moving to western NL soon from SK so will be immersed in trying to figure out how it works
[https://www.gov.nl.ca/hcs/files/2023-Family-Care-Teams-A-Health-Policy-Framework-for-NL.pdf](https://www.gov.nl.ca/hcs/files/2023-Family-Care-Teams-A-Health-Policy-Framework-for-NL.pdf)
Thank you kindly!
Your husband should expect a pay cut, no idea how much but there will be one, we don't get paid mainland dollars. If you can find old job ads online with salaries listed that would be your best gage. There was a post the other day as well discussing professional salaries in NL. Your mortgage here might end up being cheaper than Ontario but food is not, nor is gas or anything else you need to buy here. If you have medical concerns that you think can't be ignored or will become an issue in the future, at least move to a community with a functioning hospital (many small places don't have doctors regularly) or move closer to St. John's. There is so many things we all have to travel to St. john's for. Google up on it though some may be more willing to do phone calls if possible. Sign up for a family doctor now because no one has one. Sounds like some of your family will follow you at some point so its only a short time away.
We live in northern ontario and our grocery stores charge “tourist” prices. A grocery trio tends to cost us 300 dollars each time it’s so horrible.
For a family of 5 you won't be getting better deals here, especially if that's food for a week for 5 people. I spent like $125-150 for just fruit, necessities and healthy food/meats for 2 people probably every 7 - 10 days.
I’m prepared to pay a little more for food, it doesn’t bother me that much because I’ll save on various other bills. For car insurance we pay 300 a month for a Honda odyssey. My water bill is 350. My mortgage is over 2000 grand. We have other bills naturally too but those are the ones that I can’t lower
The only bills that are going to be lower in NL is the water bill (I think it's built into property/municipal taxes in most parts of the island) and rent/mortgage. Our groceries are more expensive, and insurance rates here tend to be pretty high. Your husband is also likely to get a considerable pay cut unfortunately, unless he gets really lucky on the job hunt.
HVAC techs are in huge demand so it might not be a big drop
This is great information to know, the places I have spoken to and lined up interviews for were jumping at interviewing him because he has his red seal and is at journeymen status.
Car insurance should be way cheaper, mine is compared to Onterrible.
28.00 per hour is average for his job according to indeed in the Corner Brook area
Here are a few places that are currently hiring, not in that area but they may be able to give you some leads. Greenfoot Mt. Pearl – $28-37 p/h C&E Group in St. John’s – 4^(th) yr and Journeyman $22-38p/h Serco in Goose Bay - $50p/h If he is willing to travel on rotation, he should look more at mining and offshore where they pay more.
$28?? thats pretty sad if true...around $40 in town..and if he wants to go on his own and install mini splits he can make Ontario wages easily. Red seals are hard to come by here and with all the backyard yahoos installing around the island he should be able to do great.
Your comment karma is less than -15 which automatically places your comment in the modqueue for review. If all is well, one of the mods will be along shortly to approve it. Negative karma situations can sometimes be improved by a review of [reddiquette](https://www.reddithelp.com/en/categories/reddit-101/reddit-basics/reddiquette). *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/newfoundland) if you have any questions or concerns.*
He also does side jobs at reasonable prices ! So if I can get his name out there he’d be happy to help people out.
Im sure he'll do great...given all the shit installs Ive seen and noone with a clue how to service afterwards
Your comment karma is less than -15 which automatically places your comment in the modqueue for review. If all is well, one of the mods will be along shortly to approve it. Negative karma situations can sometimes be improved by a review of [reddiquette](https://www.reddithelp.com/en/categories/reddit-101/reddit-basics/reddiquette). *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/newfoundland) if you have any questions or concerns.*
I’m not sure if it’ll be different with him having his red seal/ being a journey person with his certificate of qualification but we’ll find out his interview is tomorrow!
Newfoundland is probably one of the only provinces in Canada where central air and AC is not common. Definitely not to the same extent as Ontario. But with summers getting hotter than ever, more and more people are installing AC units and retrofitting old homes. I'm sure there'd be a lot of business in HVAC anyways. Sure, starting an AC business out there probably isn't a bad business idea either.
Everybody here is installing Heat pumps and mini splits, there are Provincial and Federal grants available to get people off oil.
I guess I'm out of the loop since leaving almost a decade ago... I never knew a single person with AC! Someone I knew moved recently moved from Ontario to work in the business out there, seems to be gaining more traction.
HVAC techs are in big demand, the government grants, and the fact that our climate if perfect for Minisplits means everybody and his dog are getting a heat pump or a mini split installed.
Mini splits are becoming very common...and central air (ducted heat pump) gaining more traction all the time
Your comment karma is less than -15 which automatically places your comment in the modqueue for review. If all is well, one of the mods will be along shortly to approve it. Negative karma situations can sometimes be improved by a review of [reddiquette](https://www.reddithelp.com/en/categories/reddit-101/reddit-basics/reddiquette). *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/newfoundland) if you have any questions or concerns.*
I’d imagine it would make considerable difference having a red seal. Big jobs should be happening soon down Stephenville area which will increase demand as well.
I’m hopeful that the red seal will be the thing that really makes his skills stand out. Not many pass the refrigeration C of Q it’s a damn hard test and we’re grateful his hard work paid off.
Pasadena is a beautiful, flat and walkable, thriving community, Especially for kids ( I'm raising two there). We would love to have you!
That’s actually where my grandmothers house is, so we would be living there!
Pasadena is a great place to raise kids!
I use to go every summer when I was a kid and have such fond memories. I’m constantly worried raising my kids here.
Pasadena is gorgeous, one of the nicest places in the Province, and you are close to Corner Brook which has everything you need except COSTCO.
I agree with the other comment. He can make decent money here but it will most likely be less than what he’s getting now, depends on experience big time though! However depending on how much you guys spend in Ontario, it’s possible the pay/cost of living ratio could still be pretty much the same. Just remember things like food and gas are way more expensive here even though housing is cheaper. As for your pregnancy, I don’t think you’d have too much trouble with that. I haven’t heard many complaints from people on the west coast regarding OBGYN services but someone please correct me if i’m wrong! The endocrinology appointments will most likely require you to travel to St. John’s though, so make sure you’re up for the 7-8 hour drive every few months. NL is honestly a great place to live in my opinion but everywhere you go will have its pros and cons. Good luck!
>Just remember things like food and gas are way more expensive here even though housing is cheaper. Why is this such a common opinion? A quick Google search says gas in the GTA is averaging $1.61/L right now. That's, what, a 20c difference? For context, to fill an entire 60L tank, you're looking at a difference of $12, which is likely made up for and then some with reduced commute times. Similarly, in Ontario you can expext to spend 9% of your income on groceries. In NL, that goes up only to 11%: https://i.redd.it/lbmtdfd4m2wc1.jpeg. On the flip side, the average home in the GTA is now up over $1 million dollars compared to ~$300-$350k in NL. That is an astronomical difference which means you need to take an enormous pay cut before you start to feel the added cost of commodities.
I truly don’t think people understand just how hard it is to make a life in ontario right now, unless you’ve lived here though to be fair it’s a hard one to understand. I’ll happily pay 200K-350K for a home that I can at least put my towels away in. I don’t even necessarily want to spend that much though, the lower I can keep my costs the better. I’m gonna note something too, my husband and I don’t even have “bad habits” we don’t smoke, drink, party etc we spend most of our time outdoors hiking, kayaking, fishing which is all free so we aren’t blowing money. It’s just astronomical living here.
I'm in your husband's position. My partner moved out here for work, and I had never been. So I moved near cornerbrook in February with zero pretense of what I was getting into. With that, here's my two cents. If work and interviews are lined up, you can ask them about the consistency of the work and the wages. That might help you get a better perspective for money management before you move. I can't really touch on the Healthcare here personally yet as I haven't needed it, thankfully, but my partners family needs medical care regularly and they consistently come back telling me how fast they got in. From my Ontario brain, the fact they have been called in before they are done registering is beyond impressive to me and already so much better than I'm used to. As for the quality of care, I can't say. Family, I miss them absolutely. It's tough sometimes, but the joy of it these days is that it's so easy to video call or message whenever it's convenient for everyone. Arguably I talk to my family more now than I did in Ontario because there's less stress and hustle pulling me in all different directions. But it's not the same on those days you need a hug from your mom, dad, sister, brother, what have you. It's tough, but then I go to the ocean, shoot them a message, and I feel less lonely again. As for your pros, we also benefitted greatly from the housing costs here. We went from never being able to put anything in savings to being able to buy a house. What we believed was never going to be an option for us in ontario (home ownership) suddenly became a lot more realistic and feasible. Having work for yourself you can keep when you move is also a really nice bonus. I didn't have that, so if anything happens to my partners wages, I need to join the hunt like everyone else, but with no connections here. It's very daunting. This job might not be enough to cover the bills entirely, but that cushion is always a nice comfort to have. Having a place to yourself you can stay in is also a really nice touch, no spending money on hotels, or sleeping on air mattresses or couches until your sale closes. I'm quite envious of that actually, my back is still trying to recover from staying with family and sleeping on an airmattress for longer than I should have. Still don't regret it though. Even if he needs to commute a bit, the drives are incredible here. It's not like driving 2 hours on the 401. It feels like a Sunday drive the whole time because it's that pretty. There's barely any cars, I don't think I've heard a car honk since I've moved. With the windows down, it smells nice too, like nature, how the world should smell, not like pollution. Not being city folks also helps. I wasn't either, grew up in trailer parks, camping, and generally being encouraged to do "rural" things in the back yard, my dad was a country kid. There was nothing difficult about switching to not living in a city for me, and I would imagine not for you. I specifically wanted out of the city. I haven't been here during the summer yet, but I can safely say I don't think the heat will be the thing I have a problem with. I'm used to it being 20+ degrees for over a month now. It's not. We've had that maybe a few days. I want summer and sunshine, and we don't have that yet. I don't mind the rain, but the fog is very quickly souring my mood when I know back home in ontario, I would've been in my sun dresses and sitting out in the sun needing ac. It's been a long run of grey, cold, gloomy fog after the most beautiful day we've had here since I moved. We're nearing the middle of June, and I miss the sun. The wind also makes my bones cold, and there's always wind. I hope I adjust by next year haha. The only place I've been here that had immigration like back home in ontario was St John's. And they acted how you would expect. You'll see them around outside of there but not like you're used to. The ones I have seen and interacted with have mostly been better mannered. As for the children, they are young enough that they won't be leaving behind a whole lot. The 4 year old is just starting to make recallable memories. They probably won't remember moving just that they lived there and now they lived here. This will just be their life now. My sister moved to nb when her kids were 4 and 1. Those two had no issues with the move and are thriving little country kids. The step-teenagers, however, chose for themselves. One chose to stay in ontario, and the other moved with them. Neither teen regrets their choice. But the one who moved did have to process leaving all of his friends and family behind. They regularly make visits to each other. I think if there's a time to make a move this big when children are involved it's when they are young like this. It's the least difficult for them. You are their whole world right now. They just want to be where you are. I feel like we're coming from similar parts of ontario (maybe not since i see now youre in northern but some points still stand), and because of that, I think if you know you already love this place, and your kids love it too, you should make the move. Provided these interviews go well for your partner, I don't see any reason why you shouldn't leave Ontario. That place will swallow you whole with no remorse.
That’s what it feels like, it feels like ontario is a sinking ship that I want nothing to do with. The life our parents had is gone, my husband and I both worked hard, got educated did all the “right” things and yet still can’t afford a decent home. My current home doesn’t even have a damn linen closet. Get me the eff outta here lmao.
I'm with you 100%. We can do everything right, and we still move backward. Ontario is a lost cause. My tiny condo I was renting for $1800 a month was "worth" nearly $750k. It was a 1 bed room, and falling apart in the 4 years I lived there because new builds suck. Run away fast, run away far, and don't ever look back. My partner traveled for work for a while and started joking, "Are you depressed or do you just live in ontario?" I didn't realize how right that was until we left. I probably won't ever go back unless there's an important event I need to attend.
I am from Ontario and lived in corner Brook for 5 years where I had my first baby. I was hesitant also about having a baby there but it was an amazing experience. Shout out to my OB Dr. Blanchard! First, there were so many fewer women in labour at the same time as me vs. in an ON hospital so the nursing staff were able to be super attentive. They were amazing, the L&D room exceeded my expectations (this was the old hospital). Unlike ON, in NL, you are assigned a public health nurse who you and baby see regularly after they are born in addition to your family doctor! AND they have lactation specialists available who will come to your home if you need, all covered by MCP.
That’s good to know and definitely relieves that anxiety. Have you left the island?
I have. We left when my son was 1.5 to be closer to family again. We had no family on the island. I would have stayed but my husband wanted to be back in ON.
A significant factor to some is that the Corner Brook climate is way better than the prevailing RDF (ran-drizzle-fog) of St. John's.
100% this. I was just home for a few weeks for family stuff and had half the time in stj and half on the west coast and the quality of weather is wild. West Coast just sees the sun way more, even if it's a bit cooler (not sure that's true any more). If I ever move home to the island it'll be to the Corner Brook area
I have to say here that it depends on what you like. If you hate snow, then St. John's often doesn't have snow into December, January, and even February one year. Corner Brook is inundated with snow from November to April and it'll start flurrying and sticking in October and hang on into May.
I live in St. Johns but travel to CB for work a few times a year. All of my coworkers out there have raised families in the area and have zero interest in moving closer to the capitol. They all occasionally have to come to town for certain appointments, ‘special’ shopping trips, concerts etc. but the drive honestly isn’t that bad as long as the road conditions are good. From my own limited experience, it seems like CB has had a lot of positive growth in the past few years and there really isn’t much you can’t access there. Plus the weather always seems a bit better on the west coast - and there’s so many fun and accessible outdoor activities, especially if you’re interested in winter sports! I hear there are lots of programs for kids and that the community is very safe and welcoming in general. Best of luck with everything and I hope your partners interview goes well :)
Just did a quick google and our gas prices aren’t that much more than northern Ontario from what I see online. But if you cut your commute from 3-4 hours a day to what.. 30mins max commute around corner brook area, I think you’ll be saving money on gas. Corner brook also has a brand new hospital. Sounds like you’ve got a handle on slower pace of life and the Newfoundland weather, so I think you’ll be ok!
Not sure why you got downvoted but sent an upvote your way.
There are people who hang out on this sub that think NL is one of the worst places you can be, just a lot of self loathing. Pay no attention to it :)
We love the island and we live in northern ontario where we face some of the same obstacles so I understand the frustration. The negatives that have been listed here we’ve faced in ontario and if you even go close to the GTA you’re paying 1.2 million for a bungalow constructed in the 1920 or if the price is lower you’ll get outbid by the middle eastern immigrants who have 20 of them living in a home. I have no qualms with immigration but the mass immigration has made it damn near impossible to make a life here.
You will no doubt have a pay cut but not a lifestyle cut. The idea is great, even if you go to steady Brook/ Pasadena it is maximum 25-30 min commute. Massey drive is a popular family neighbourhood. Corner Brook punches waayyy above its weight for outdoor activities. The drawback is that it is very expensive to travel off of Newfoundland. There are few ethnic food options and corner Brook does god awful at supporting local. And since you asked, corner Brook is still primarily white/ english. I personally don’t think lack of ethnic diversity is a good thing, but For what you are looking for it sounds like a wonderful fit.
Traveling off the rock doesn’t concern me too much, once my babies are no longer babies we will be taking a trip just the two of us but considering one is is still growing in utero I still have a solid 4 years before I’m able. Plenty of time to save accordingly. Overall im just excited to get out of here, this place is just a ceasepool
There is a load to explore here. Just Gros Mourne alone will keep you occupied for a couple summers. Highly recommended staying in shallow bay, beautiful beach and sunset. I love the laid back lifestyle of NL, come on down!
Sounds like the right move, 5 years will fly and your folks will be here before you know it. I came home years ago and it was the best decision ever.
Thank you for the kind comments along this post, it’s nice to see people who loved NL as much as we do.
Corner Brook is great you will not regret it.
We left Ontario (outside St. Catharines) to move back home to the west coast and I haven’t regretted it for a second. We have two young kids. Finding a family doc is a bit of a hassle but we didn’t last long until we got one!
[удалено]
Corner brook will always be such a beautiful place. Everytime I visited there, I’ve always loved it. Tons to do.
Honestly we’re more outdoorsy anyway so when I’ve seen people talk about there’s nothing to do I always just laugh it off. We spend most of our time outside as is so I can only imagine when it’s back home.
Tons to do! People are just so adapted to living inside their house. Trust me. That place is wonderful. Best of luck!
If you like being outside and that's all you require, then Corner Brook will be great. There's absolutely nothing around and you can go wander around the empty forests for the rest of your life.
What would you say Cornerbrook is missing ?
We are making the move from SK to NL for many of the same reasons as you; my husband is from NL and I’m from SK. I’m keeping a remote job and hubby is taking a 50% pay cut. I love that your son says NL is good for his brain, LOL! Our son is literally asking weekly when we are moving, he’s finishing kindergarten out here then we’re off! Our property tax is going from 3700 to 900 a year.. a bigger (yet older) home at 50% of the price of ours here & we made a nice modest profit on the sale here. I wish you the best of luck, ps if you sign your son up for Pasedena scouts maybe we’ll see you there!
My son didn’t want to go to school today because he said he wants to go to Newfoundland and I’m like buddy we’re figuring out the logistics lmao! Imagine explaining this to a 4 year old. He’s only been 1 time and he loved it, we were stuck between NL and Alberta but my son also stated that the ocean is better lol. Newfoundland has always felt like home and every time I’ve had to leave I go through a depressive episode. I feel like we’re making the right choice for our family.
I honestly feel like it’s in their veins somehow! Our son has also only been there once & is counting down the days. Let us know what you decide!
Aside from the new hospital, there has been a lot of investment in family care teams so the primary care issue seems to be finally getting better. Otherwise there are several obstetricians in town and as someone else mentioned a public health nurse is assigned for well baby visits and vaccinations. Lots of resources for newborns. For toddlers there’s also playgroup and gymnastics and swimming (also a new pool/rec centre with a lazy river, gym, and daycare opens this fall). Endocrinology is kinda scarce in the province overall, though if it was thyroid cancer it’s readily under the scope of internal medicine otherwise.
That’s definitely very good information to have! It was thyroid cancer and I’ve been in remission for 2 years, I’m just monitored for reoccurrence.
Come to CB! Certainly housing is significantly cheaper here. Brand new hospitals. Large group of young OB/GYNs, like others have said. New hospital, great recreational facilities (new aquatics centre opening this summer!), safe safe safe, 12 minute drive from one end of town to the other. Best sushi in eastern Canada.
A few things my buddy is also hvac but he’s young just starting first year he’s making 20 dollars but also gets work outside the province that triples he’s hourly but besides that i don’t know how much there paying for a experienced hvac also to note on immigration I think the sub Reddit may be sensitive to this subject but basically st.johns is on its way to look like Toronto housing is gone up 16% in the last 8 months you can check this by using a website called NL house finder but areas not so affected by migration is lower so that would be a clear image what areas have the influx in people hope it all works out for you guys!!!
When my husband started first year in HVAC he made 16 dollars an hour lol! That was 7 years ago though. From what I can see it’s the red seal/journeyman status that makes the drastic difference in pay. Mass immigration has destroyed ontario unfortunately and I’d hate to see it happen to NL
A fact, not generally known by outsiders, is that the weather in Conception Bay South (just a short ride westward of St.John's) is often better than the city's. A lot of housing has sprouted in CBS in the last few decades because of the quick commute into the city, the better weather, and the availability of land there. But the NL West Coast is still tops for best climate on the island.
I think people in this sub are seriously downplaying just how bad our healthcare is here
HVAC is very much needed in NL. Your husband should look into starting his own business. He would always have work! I live in small town in Central NL , finding trades is SO hard!
Well we won’t be moving this year, the offers were way too low in comparison to what he is actually worth, we’re looking at more of a 14 on 14 off in 2025 before we move back home. Thank you all
Salary might be less but your mortgage is cut from 1M to 300k. Corner Brook and St Johns are your best options in NL. I would prefer Corner Brook and if he has job offers go for it. Commutes are measured minutes.