Category: Canada
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Building out the spare bedroom
You’d think that, four months after we’d moved in, that the large renovations and changes were complete. If only. Much of our time the last little while has been spent in the garden, or on work projects. But August is creeping closer to us, and that doesn’t leave much time for us to finish off… Read more
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We visited Jasper National Park
We haven’t travelled much – other than where we’ve had to travel for work – since arriving in Canada more than a year ago. It’s understandable. We’ve had to move houses (three times), get settled into our new house and CF needed to get settled in her new job. After a year of extremely hard… Read more
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A year in Canada
It feels like we left SA for our new home only a few months ago. This Saturday, however, saw us mark a full year in our new home in Canada. Read more
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Turning our garage into a ga-range
Spring has finally sprung in our part of the world. The trees all have their new leaves, the grass (our gardens of sadness/possibility notwithstanding) has greened up and is growing rapidly, and we’re starting to see more insects around. People are getting outdoors again, properly. Naturally this is the perfect time for me to set… Read more
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IKEA? I seeya.
Last week was a week where I didn’t have much to say. So instead of putting out any old blog post, I simply decided to say nothing. This week, however, was more interesting. We took a break away from home, and visited friends of ours in Edmonton for an extra long weekend. Truthfully, we both… Read more
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Food costs in northern Alberta
It’s one of the first questions I get when South Africans hear I live in Canada now, : “What does food cost? Is it more expensive than SA?”. And it’s quickly followed by “do they have decent meat?” Beef and venison The third question is the easiest of the three to answer. Alberta has great… Read more
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It’s DI-Buy time – why I’m replacing my woodworking tools
During COVID, I began woodworking, motivated by the satisfaction of building tangible items and learning useful DIY skills. Read more
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We bought our first house – in rural Canada
A couple happily residing in rural Canada shares their journey of buying a house as new immigrants, detailing the financial hurdles and the steep learning curve faced in understanding the real estate market. Despite a tough housing crisis, stringent bank requirements, and a scarcity of rural listings, they navigated the complexity of mortgage approval and… Read more
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Cats on a plane – emigrating with cats
Moving two cats across continents is an expensive, complex, and emotionally challenging process, as experienced by pet owners who recently emigrated to Canada. Through the assistance of an agent, they completed essential steps, including vaccinations, microchipping, and documentation. Despite the stress and logistics involved, reuniting with their pets in the new country was invaluable. Read more
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Hey Alberta, nice to meet ya
The author recounts how their move to northern Alberta, near Grande Prairie, was influenced by the opportunity for South African GPs to become licensed in Alberta, due to its simpler process. The decision was eased by a South African friend who had followed a similar route, providing a small but crucial local network. The author’s… Read more