westcountrywandering

Wednesday’s Weekly Update No.3

This week’s update is a day late, partly because I had hoped that waiting until the 16th would mean there was more concrete information to share on whether Canada will be opening their boarders. Here is last week’s update Wednesday’s Weekly Update No.2 if you need to catch up!

1. Update on Canada opening. To be frank, it’s not looking good. No official announcements have been made yet about the Canada/USA boarder which is currently closed until ‘at least the 21st July’. On Monday it was announced that talks were ‘ongoing’. Every news outlet google offers me, starts with a discouraging headline like ‘Reopen the Canada-U.S. border? Canadians say sorry, but no thanks’ and goes on to claim that their ‘sources’ tell them the border will be closed for a while yet. This, of course, does not mean the same will apply to Europe. But, as before, it seems fairly likely. When the boarder closure was extended last time I was in utter disbelief, now it’s like I’m in a nightmare I can’t wake up from. You know the sort where you’re running but never make it to your destination. So once again, I’m keeping everything crossed that some concessions will be made and we’ll be able to go.

2. Becoming a teacher in Canada. Do a PGCE they said, you’ll be able to teach anywhere in the world they said. Ha! Getting certified as a teacher in British Columbia is proving to be tough! Thankfully, other than cross stitching and crocheting I don’t have anything else to do, so collecting and sending evidence is now my full time job. And what a lot of evidence I’m having to collect to prove I am who I say I am, have the degrees I say I have and have been teaching for five years! 18 separate pieces in total. Most of which they are happy for me to send, but getting universities – that are out of office due to coronavirus – to send in my transcripts is proving impossible. So watch the space, I’m expecting to be certified to teach in BC around 2040.

3. We have a house in Canada! Who knows when we’ll be able to get there but we have signed a contract and we now have a house in Prince George!

What’s Bothering Babs?

Babs’ questions: What’s the house like?

It has three bedrooms, three bathrooms, a garage, lovely kitchen ect ect. So plenty of space for friends and family to come and have a Canadian adventure with us. But the best thing is it has a laundry shoot!

First impressions of life in Northern BC, Canada, in 3 photos

Today I thought I’d change the tone a little. Rather than focusing on not being able to get there, I thought I would focus on Canada and life in Prince George, BC.

If you’re keeping up, you’ll know that Jacob – my husband – moved to Prince George, in February ahead of me (and our Greyhound) to begin work. He then had to return when the crisis hit.

I thought I’d share a little of his experience through three photographs which he sent me while he was living there, waiting for me to arrive. As they are things that Jacob was keen I see and knew I’d be excited by, they are perfect to share with you, to show his first impressions.

1. Snow

Jacob sent me this on the 8th March. Just look at all that snow. He took this walking from where he was staying, to the university where he works. That winter wonderland was his commute. His commute!! Now, full disclosure: I hate the cold. So as he sent me heaps of beautiful photographs of snow dripping from evergreens, piled high on pavements and silently falling onto an unbroken field of white; he also constantly assured me that, ‘it’s not actually that cold’. Hum, I’m not convinced, but I can’t deny it’s beautiful.

2. Outdoor living

This photograph made me very excited about the lifestyle in Prince George. On a walk one day, Jacob came across this adorable outdoor cooking area which is complete with blankets, heaters and stoves for the public to use. Firstly, why haven’t those blankets been stolen? Secondly, why don’t they charge people? This wholesome outdoor set-up is surely too good to be true said my cynical British brain. It must be a haunt for kids with White Lightening setting fire each others trainers. But apparently not, as Jacob’s accompanying text said there were families having a BBQ and sledging! What is this outdoor paradise, get me there!

4. Wildlife

On Jacob’s first night in Prince George he was informed that he didn’t need to worry about the bears for the moment as they were hibernating. But that he would need to give the Moose a wide berth, especially when walking along the trail, through the woods, to get to work. Moose are, well, huge and when startled, are not necessary the safest partner for a ramble. Jacob was advised that, should he meet one on the path, he must turn around and walk away calmly. He hadn’t even made it onto the path the day he first encountered a Moose, this chap came right up to the back gate for Jacob to snap this photograph. Look at him, what a beast. I can’t wait to meet him and his bear buddies. From a distance, a very large distance.

So there we have it. Three photos which share an insight into Jacob’s first impressions of life in Prince George and the things he knew I would be excited to see. I hope you enjoyed seeing them, it’s definitely reminded me that living in limbo right now will be worth it in the long run.

Wednesday’s Weekly Update No.2

If you missed last week’s update, you can catch up here: Wednesday’s weekly update No.1. But to recap, we found out that Canada were extending their boarder closure until at least the 30th July. Here’s the latest from limbo land…

1. Jacob does not need to be in Canada immediately. In an online team meeting at the end of last week Jacob found out that they are unlikely to be able to do field work this year. Let me dial it back a little and explain. Jacob is a Glaciologist and a postdoctoral researcher at University of Northern British Columbia. We have been expecting to hear that his team are able to do field work again, thus meaning Jacob would have to make the difficult choice between a glacier and his wife (since, as you may have picked up by now, I can’t go to Canada presently but Jacob can!). However, Jacob has been saved from admitting he loves rocks and ice more than me, because their fieldwork is unlikely to be taking place this summer. This is partly due to the fact that the area they would be working is Native land and the community are, very understandably, nervous about people bringing them Coronavirus. So this puts Jacob under less pressure to get to Canada asap.

2. Our house in Canada is secure for the moment. ‘If this house is the only sure thing about your move (and hopefully it isn’t) so be it, but it’s a sure thing’ was the response from our prospective landlady in Canada. Thus proving that it’s true what they say about Canadian’s being lovely. So for the moment, I’m not giving up on this lovely house with the understanding landlady. But the contract is due to start in seven days so I’m realistic about how long this situation can go on.

3. We may know more by the 16th July. If you’ve read Part two: How Coronavirus derailed our plans for moving to Canada you’ll know that we had decided to wait until the boarders opened at the end of June. On the 16th June we discovered that Canada had extended their boarder closure with the USA, which had been due to end on the 21st June, to the 21st July. This is complete speculation, but going on how it happened last month, we may know whether Canada and the USA are going to extend their boarder closure again around the 16th July. At this point (8th July) this doesn’t seem likely given the mess the USA are in, so I’m hoping for some extension to the current exemption which would allow me to enter. For example, if they allowed people who have a work visa but no job I’d be good to go and packing like a maniac!

What’s Bothering Babs?

(If you’re wondering what on earth this feature is and who on earth Babs is, let me direct you to…Wednesday’s weekly update No.1)

Babs’ question: What’s the Coronavirus situation like in Canada?

Here’s a great map which shows how Canada are fairing in the battle against Coronavirus and why they are not taking any chances with opening their boarder with the USA…