Would you be willing to sell your house and uproot your life to start afresh in a foreign land? For a growing number of Brits, the response is a resounding ‘yes’.

Since 2023, there has been a nearly 10% surge in Brits moving overseas for a new lifestyle, with an estimated 639,000 individuals reportedly departing the UK last year, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS). One family did just that, seeking a fresh beginning, they relocated to a region across the Atlantic known for its British expat community and ‘insane’ cost of living.

Jack Masterson, 36, and his wife Natalie, 35, swapped their home in Huddersfield, Yorkshire, for a bustling city in Canada. “For years, Natalie and I both had this nagging question in the back of our minds, ‘what if we moved elsewhere?’ Then the conversation quite quickly became ‘where and when,'” videographer Jack said.

“We just wanted something new from old England for our two children, and that’s when we came across the Canadian Express Entry visa.” Given Natalie’s background as an NHS nurse, the Yorkshire couple, along with their two children, successfully relocated to Canada within six months by using the category-based Express Entry visa.

This visa scheme encompasses six categories, with healthcare professionals forming the majority. Introduced in 2023, it aims to tackle Canada’s national shortage of healthcare workers, attracting thousands of Brits to move to Canada over the past two years.

Jack explained: “With this option available to our family, Canada became a no-brainer. They’re short on nurses over here. So, Natalie came across in March, followed by the kids and me a month later – if you can do it and want an adventure, look no further.

“Life here is such a drastic change from Yorkshire. I used to run a videography business in England; so, since the move, I’ve been slowly building up a Canadian client base. On the flip side, it’s given me the opportunity to explore, ski, and hike around Lynn Canyon Park with the family. But what has really surprised us is the number of Brits we’ve encountered in the area.”

Having made the move to North Vancouver, situated south of Grouse Mountain in British Columbia, Jack found that it’s become a hot spot for other Brits seeking a fresh start. Indeed, a popular saying among locals is, ‘There’s a reason it’s called British Columbia, it’s because there are so many Brits here’.

Brits residing in the Great White North even have their own nickname – ‘limey’. This term dates back to the 19th century when sailors were given lime or lemon juice to prevent scurvy, but it has since evolved into a colloquial term for a British person.

“We’ve got quite the limey community here in Lynn Valley,” Jack said. “But while there are a lot of Brits here, we’re missing one thing: English drinking culture and pubs. They’ve got a lot of microbreweries here, which is ace, but the pub is a British institution; I mean, they don’t even sell beer in the supermarkets in British Columbia – you must go to these special government liquor stores. Some Brits and I have been joking around about eventually opening a pub out here and staking our own claim on Lynn.”

Yet when considering the stark contrasts, despite grocery costs soaring across the UK due to inflation, Jack highlighted that a simple loaf of bread comes with a hefty price tag in Canada. “While the taxes tend to be lower out here than back home, it’s the prices of everyday items that are insane. A loaf of bread can cost you about CA$5, so about £2.50 – which is a hell of a lot more than it costs in a Tesco or Sainsbury’s,” he revealed.

Nevertheless, the relocation has proved absolutely worthwhile as Jack explained: “Life in Vancouver has certainly been an adjustment, but one I wouldn’t change for the world. In comparison to Yorkshire, you’re just in a prettier place in Canada. People are more welcoming, and the kids love it.

“While the strange culture around tipping is something I’m still not used to, you can’t beat just hopping in the car and going for a hike with the family in one of the most beautiful regions in the world.”

Simon Hood, relocation expert and Executive Director of the company the pair used to move to Canada, John Mason International, added: “What Jack says is certainly true. Questions around affordability and a general cost-of-living crisis are rife in Canada since COVID. They’re experiencing many of the same issues we are here in the UK.

“But at John Mason International, clients are telling us they’re relocating to Canada not for affordability, but because they feel it offers something more: sometimes the intangible is a bigger push than the economics.”

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