Howdy! I'm a Scot (posh variety, so constantly asked what part of England I'm from
) and I lived in Canada for 2 years and plan to head back since I married a Canuck! I'm waiting for CIC to notice that we're married...
Anyhoo, I dropped in salary by about 30% when I moved from Edinburgh to Edmonton, yet had a higher standard of living in Alberta. That would be less the case now thanks to house price inflation. I bought a house in Jan '06 for $292,500 and sold it in June '06 (when I left Canada - I had a job to go to in Dubai and didn't realise I'd marry my Canuck at that point) for $350,000. The buyers have just sold it a year on for $524,000!!!!
House prices vary enormously and that'll have a huge impact on your lifestyle. Alberta is racing up in price, Vancouver and lower BC were already expensive as was Toronto though some decent suburbs of Toronto are pretty affordable. The Maritimes are much less expensive but have fewer jobs too.
Cars and gas are less expensive but remember that prices quoted in the press and online do NOT include sales tax (which varies between 6% and about 17% depending on the province). Electronics are slightly less expensive too, and most sporting opportunites are less expensive and more accessable.
Canadians are generally more helpful than Brits! That doesn't mean they'll automatically become good friends though. The national character seems to involve having a small group of good friends and a wide group of aquaintances. It's easy for a Brit to assume they're in the former catagory when they're actually in the latter. Just don't be too presumptious and you'll be fine. A lot of expat Brits, Aussies and Kiwis tend to band together, and it's your choice how far you take that. I made a conscious choice to stay at arms length from that side of things and make Canadian friends instead, but to do that you have to be open to the differences between us and them.
The biggest difference I can see between Scotland and Canada is that Canadians from all walks of life take pride in their communites. Sometimes it can seem a bit much, with kids being even more pampered than they are in the UK now for example, but it means cleaner, safer parks and streets, more community activities and less petty crime. Just watch out for the soccer moms in their minivans at 3pm. They're watching the kids, not the road!
In terms of physical appreance, you'd be hard pressed to tell the difference between Canadian and American cities (at least those of similar age), and of course the accent is similar to that farther south but there are differences! Attitudes in Canada are usually quite mid-Atlantic with much more room for debate than in the US. The accent really IS different, especially in the Maritimes. For all the differences though, the lifestyle is similar to that in the US but with the advantage of public health care, less crime and less jingoistic attitudes.
Okay, this post is longer than I meant it to be! Good luck, and do tell what you decide.... Useful websites below!
www.mls.ca for real estate
www.monster.ca for jobs
www.shaw.ca for TV/phone in the west
www.telus.com for TV/Phone in lots of places
www.rogers.com for cellphones everywhere, TV in some places
www.emdacars.com for new and used cars/trucks in Edmonton, and it'll give you a clue as to what they'll cost elsewhere.
