Lifestyle and Leisure
Life in rural Manitoba
Growing sick of the UK late in the last century, pig production controller Neil Booth started to look further afield for happiness
Neil ended up in Manitoba, via its Provincial Nominee Programme. Emigrate Canada asks why and how Neil and family made the move to Tourond.
What are the names and ages of the Booth family members who emigrated with you?
Neil Booth: We emigrated in 1998, when I was 35, my wife Jacky was 29 and our daughters Emma and Samantha were five and one respectively.
Where did you live in the UK and what occupations did you have?
NB: We lived near Selby, Yorkshire, in the North East of England. I was a pig production coordinator, Jacky was a Grocery Store Clerk.
When did you first decide you wanted to emigrate to Canada?
NB: We responded to an advertisement for Hog Barn Managers for my current company, Elite Swine Inc. We were selected for an interview here in Manitoba, and fell completely in love with the province during the five-day tour we took at the time of the interview.
Did you choose Manitoba, or did it choose you?
NB: This was where the opportunity arose, with the increase in hog production that was in full swing in 1998, when we arrived. We were very taken with the space available, the lack of the 'rat race' that was common in the UK, the low cost of living, the opportunities for our children both now and in the future, but above all, the open and friendly people we met, and continue to meet, in Manitoba.
You emigrated via the Provincial Nominee Programme (PNP). How did it enable you to emigrate and how helpful were the personnel running the programme?
NB: The programme really seemed to help, as we were identified early in the immigration process as people that Manitoba wanted to bring in. I feel this helped when it came to obtaining Employment Authorisation, enabling me to work and live here while applying for residency, and also later in the process as we went through the federal application processes for permanent residency. We completed all the paperwork ourselves, and did not need to contact anyone at the PNP or federally, so cannot comment on their helpfulness I'm afraid.
How long did the process take from start to finish?
NB: The PNP process took about 11 months, I think (this seems a long time ago) and the whole process took about 18 months from landing in Manitoba to becoming permanent residents.
Where in Manitoba do you now live, and have you managed to jump up a few rungs of the property ladder by emigrating?
NB: We live in Tourond, about 20 minutes south-east of Winnipeg, in a four-bedroom, three-bathroom bungalow on five acres of land. We left behind a three-bedroom semi in the UK, which was about 60 per cent of the size of this house, with a tiny garden. My salary fell by about 10 per cent when first landing here, but our costs fell by at least 40 per cent. The big ticket items such as real estate and vehicles are much better value here, making up a lot of this difference.
So what you like about living in Canada? Is it better than the life you left behind in the UK?
NB: The pace of life is slower, in terms of traffic and the number of people. There is far less crime, and people in general are more open, trusting and honest, I find. The country is cleaner and there is more pride taken in keeping towns well maintained and welcoming. There is a huge array of organised activities, sporting and social, for all the family, but especially the children. We live in the North American marketplace, so we get major benefits from living close to the United States, without some of the social issues that affect that country. Our family loves to travel, and we have taken road trips to the Rockies in Alberta, the Calgary Stampede, some of the US states (we live about 35 minutes from the border) and have watched polar bears on the Tundra of Northern Manitoba. There are amazing opportunities for having fun in this country, and after seven years we are still just scratching the surface!
Would you recommend Manitoba and its PNP to other Brits hoping to emigrate to Canada?
NB: Absolutely!
Read other articles about Manitoba:
Keeping warm in Winnipeg
Job spotlight: Manitoba
Learn more about the PNP route into Canada
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