Moving to Canada.
Canadian Flags at Canada Place, Downtown Vancouver
It’s about time I wrote something on this. On May 10th, 2023, I embarked on my biggest risk/adventure yet. I left the wonderful place I’ll always call home (Ireland) for The Great White North. Emigrating was something that was always on the cards for me at some stage, I guess. I’d lived in various places around Europe over the years and had discussed Canada being on the cards since at least 2019 from what I can remember, but I’d always put it off for a variety of reasons, whether that was previous partners, a desire to explore Ireland more, or things out of my control like the pandemic.
The reality of it was that I felt like I was going nowhere in Ireland. The roll I was on with my photography career pre-pandemic had just dwindled to some odd jobs here and there, with most of my money going towards rent and just surviving when I was living in Galway. An opportunity to own a house fell through, and with that, I didn’t see any other options. I was in the fortunate position where my parents were willing to house me for a few months, which allowed me some time to save money and decide on a destination.
Vancouver, or Raincouver as the locals call it, is a city that has everything a single guy in his early 30s could want. I loved Galway and would have stayed there given the opportunity, and Vancouver seemed like the Galway of Canada. It’s on the west coast with access to the ocean, has a vibrant arts scene with a mix of cultures from all over the world, and is a city where you can be in the mountains on your own within an hour from Downtown. All these scenes make Vancouver a very attractive place to be, not to mention the opportunity for growth as a photographer, as it has a huge commercial, film, and photography industry, which I didn’t fully grasp until my arrival.
So, I gathered my funds and applied for my International Experience Canada Work Holiday Visa, which would allow me 2 years to explore and work in Canada and would give me time to try another place if Vancouver didn’t work out. It was a simple process to submit the application, passport details, work history, and where I’d lived in previous years. Once submitted, the real part was the waiting game. I started my application in November 2022 and received my approval on March 8th, 2023. At that point, it was all go. I booked my flights with Aer Lingus with return flights as a safety for things not working out and as I had a wedding booked for the following October. So, the thing with being approved for IEC is that you get your opportunity to come and interview at the border for a Work Permit, which you have to do at your Point of Entry. I had all my information and a short, friendly conversation with the border security, and I was given my Work Permit and started off my IEC experience. Once I got through my flight delays in Toronto, I was headed to Vancouver.
At this point, it is key to mention that Vancouver is in the midst of its own housing crisis. The term “jumping out of the frying pan and into the fire” comes to mind. I spent my first 10 days in an Airbnb while I was on the hunt for a place to live. The thing about here is, if you are not here, no one is interested in leasing to you. So you have to be here for viewings, so I’d recommend getting a temporary place to stay for the first week at least. I was lucky that I found a place with some new Irish friends over here who helped me massively and sorted me until I found somewhere more permanent. This led me to Ohana and my hunt for work.
This did extend way further than I would have liked it to, but after 7 to 8 weeks of job hunting, spreadsheets of jobs I’d applied for with hundreds of resume revisions, I finally landed a job in the photography industry over here. While I’m not completely set up over here yet, I’m certainly on my way. It’s been a summer of hiking, surfing, and exploring the Canadian wilderness when I can. I’ve got a lot done and a lot more to do. Roll on the winter season!
Right to Left ; Hannah, Miyuki, Jonahan and Me. Bowen Island, British Columbia. 2023
