People & Places
Our move to New Brunswick
In August 2005 Mark and Lorraine Elton and their two children moved to New Brunswick, Canada's only officially bilingual province
But, as Paul Beasley discovered, Mark and Lorraine talk with one excited voice about their magical new life
When I first spoke to Mark and Lorraine Elton in July 2005 about their plans to move to New Brunswick on Canada's eastern coastline, it was all stations go at their Portsmouth home. After a stop-start attempt to emigrate caused by an essential part of Lorraine's application for a temporary work permit going missing in the post, the Eltons were frantically attempting to pull everything together at the last minute so they could get to New Brunswick in time for Lorraine to start her pre-arranged job in Canada. The plan was to ultimately apply for permanent residence through New Brunswick's Provincial Nominee Programme, a way of emigrating that first requires acceptance from the provincial immigration department in question and can drastically reduce the time it takes to obtain a visa. As is often the case with nominations, the first step is securing a job offer, and Lorraine had really hit it off with a lady who ran a day care service for children. But then, once you get to know Lorraine a little, this ability to get along with people comes as no surprise. Lorraine is, in short, one of the jolliest people you could ever hope to come into contact with. Here's a case in point: "My new boss asked me if I followed a religion", Lorraine told me last year. "My answer was 'Optimism'," she said, laughing. But there are dangers in being too jolly, it seems. Beside herself with excitement in July 2005 at the prospect that everything was finally coming together and they'd be off to Canada soon, Lorraine "got a little overexcited" skipping with her son Mathew, now 11, and Megan, now 6, and landed awkwardly on her ankle.
So, now that they've had the chance to find their feet in New Brunswick (Lorraine and the children made the move in August last year and Mark joined them for good in December after finally managing to sell their UK home), would things be a little calmer in the Elton household? In a word, yes, although I was calling on a Sunday. Mark answers the phone, and I ask him if I've caught him at a good time to chat? "Oh yes. It's a typical Sunday for us", says Mark cheerfully. "We bum around like we did in the UK – it's just that New Brunswick is much prettier to look at." While we talk Mark tells me he is looking out of the window of the property the Elton's have rented. He can see a picture-postcard view of snow and trees, which, he says, is "Just like a Christmas scene, really". The house is in Quispamsis, a 'bedroom community' – a sort of Canadian version of a commuter town – on Saint John River. "It's a lovely place to live," Mark enthuses. "Just over the hill in front of our house is the river with its fantastic, beaches, boats tied up and expensive properties – well, expensive for Canada, anyway," Mark corrects himself. And the correction is well worth making: compared to the UK average property price of £191,000, New Brunswick's is an enticingly low CDN$123,695 (about £65,000). And with such attractive prices it's no surprise to learn that the Eltons are now closing in on buying their own property. Lorraine takes over conversational duties to explain that they've got their eye firmly fixed on a property with a pool and an acre of grounds that would also mean she could run a childcare business from home. "It's definitely bigger and better than we could afford in the UK," she says, excitedly. Then Mark remembers something he forgot to mention but really wants to say, so he interrupts Lorraine to prompt her to tell me "about the deer". In mock annoyance, she replies: "I didn't interrupt you when you were on the phone, did I, Mark Elton". Not that there's any real problem in the Elton household, you understand: only that they are both so keen to talk enthusiastically about their new life but only have one telephone handset!
Now thinking about the deer, Lorraine says "Did you ever see Northern Exposure, with the moose wandering everywhere? It's just like that here, but with deer. They wander out of nowhere at any moment. Their footprints are everywhere in the snow. It's a tiny thing, really, but it adds to the magic of the place. It's like living in a Christmas carol." Warming to the subject, Lorraine recalls that at Christmas children in the neighbourhood came to give them presents, which starts me wondering about how Mathew and Megan have adapted to their new surroundings – a question their dad wants to answer. "The kids are loving school. Absolutely thriving," says Mark emphatically. "Mat has gone from being an average school kid in the UK to a straight A student." What's the reason behind this, I ask? "There's just more interest in kids here. Teachers give more feedback. As a result, Mat finds it really easy to motivate himself." But it sounds as if Megan is the one facing the bigger challenges. "Megan's having French immersion classes, which means all of her lessons are in French – and she's getting there," says Mark brightly. "Our daughter is losing her English accent," Lorraine interrupts. "Suddenly she speaks with a French-Canadian accent and I was like, wow, what's happened to her accent!" Besides now being called 'Mom' by Mathew – which drives her to "distraction" – Lorraine, has had other, trickier, issues to grapple with. "There have been a few pitfalls – but it's mostly to do with the laid-back attitude. I need to get a new NVQ-equivalent qualification. Had I known this six months ago when I was asking about it I could have requalified by now."
At this point she offers some sound advice for all would-be Canadians out there. "Retraining is often an essential step along the way, so make sure you really get to know what qualifications will be required from you in the place you plan to go." Lorraine also had to contend with a bad case of tonsillitis shortly after her arrival in New Brunswick, and with no medicare coverage ended up paying CDN$150 for a consultation with a doctor and CDN$45 for medication. But in general she feels that the cost of living is about the same as in the UK. "It's swings and roundabouts. Food does seem expensive compared to wages, but it does even out with other things, although when I see the food bill I think 'oh my goodness'," she gabbles, before asking herself "But would we still do this rather than stay in the UK? One hundred times more. It's one hundred times better." There goes that famous enthusiasm again! "Everyone's just so nice. You don't feel like you're rushing. It's stress free. "We have a family night every week. We found it hard to have time for this in the UK because it's such a rat race. Here, we watch a movie, play a game, talk, hang out – it's quality family time."
Not that the Eltons are short of social options, either. "We've got well-connected through Mat and Megan. They've made some great friends, so we socialise with people who live in big houses", she laughs. Mark adds, "It's all about who you know in Canada. It's all very connected here. If you know people you'll get along. To make it work you've got to get out of your cocoon and meet people. It all takes a while – but that's all part of the life you buy into." Indeed, unable to find suitable employment immediately, Mark was about to start working as a security guard at the port in nearby Saint John, but in the nick of time landed a job with a software company called Dealermind that helps car dealerships stay in touch with clients. How? Because through the children Lorraine met someone who knew someone who might just have a job for Mark.
Not that Mark had been lazing around waiting for a job to simply land in his lap. "I play more football here than I ever did in Britain," Mark explains, "and I coach Mat's football team several times a week – and it's on the verge of getting into the national league." Wondering if Mat's success is Mark's highlight of living in New Brunswick so far, I ask him to pick his favourite Canadian memory to date, but he can't contain his answer to just one. "Getting the kids' school reports back… the trails through the snowy woods… sitting by the river… the fantastic people…" Mark's voice tails off contentedly, before he remembers what life was like in the UK: "We are not going back!" he declares.
Lorraine takes over again. "To use a Canadian word, it's 'awesome' here." But it's not quite the last word on the subject of the Elton's magical new life. In the background, Megan can be heard parroting her mother: "It's awesome," she says, her voice carrying a gentle French-Canadian twang. And when the whole family is singing off the same hymn sheet so enthusiastically, you know that something is going very right, even if one of them is singing in a French-Canadian accent.
Read another Canadian emigration case history:
Life on the Prairie
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