Question for Canadians

[sewingmama]

So my DH is bugging me to move back to Canada :glare:

 

I've lived there before and all I remember is the cold and the snow which did not agree with me (SAD) so I'm really reluctant to agree.

 

DH is happy to move anywhere if it gets me to agree.

 

So two questions

 

Which place has the least snow?

 

and what are your homeschooling requirements like?

 

We lived mostly in Alberta (Edmonton) and a little time in Kelowna BC when last we were there.

 

Alberta has a lot of snow :glare: more then I can handle and I also think they have quite restrictive homeschooling requirements (from my research).

 

So anyone care to try and convince me why I should move from my warm golden beaches to a land of ice and snow :bigear:

[AHASRADA]

Whatever you do, don't move to Quebec. It is homeschooling hell (sorry to be blunt, but that's how it is). Most of the rest of Canada should be fine. HSLDA in Canada should have the most accurate information on the HSing climate in different provinces.

 

Good luck on the "avoid snow" thing. BC is the only place I can think of.

[WishboneDawn]

Victoria, BC rarely has snow but it's ridiculously expensive. Southern Ontario has a relatively good climate. You still get snowy winters but you get beautiful (and hot) summers. Nova Scotia isn't so bad either. We get snow from December to March or April but rarely like they do in Edmonton or Kelowna I think and we're oftenthe cheapest option in terms of real estate. The amount of snow in a winter varies a lot here too. Our snowblower got a workout last year but a couple of years before that we only had to shovel the driveway once.

[Impish]

I live in AB, and don't find it restrictive at all.

 

Plus, you can receive funding to boot.

 

BC has no snow, but rain? Oy.

[southernm]

I live in Ontario. Weather here is on par with Detroit which is almost parallel. I'm about 2 hours or so from Syracuse. As for hs laws. I informed the school board I was pulling my kids out with the intent to hs and that was that!

[catholicmommy]

I live in calgary (alberta) and the weather is much nicer than edmonton as we get the warm chinook winds through the winter time. I don't find the hs laws to be restrictive at all, and we get funding from the government, which is a treat. it depends on which school board you sign up with and whether you take more money (and agree to follow the alberta curriculum) or take less, and have essentially no requirements, except to follow your own program that you set yourself (and you can change it at any time).

 

We receive just over $800 per kid per year (the least amount of funding)

[Sarah CB]

I live in AB, and don't find it restrictive at all.

 

Plus, you can receive funding to boot.

 

BC has no snow, but rain? Oy.

 

The rain is in Vancouver and Victoria. I live in Kelowna and we have tons of blue sky and very little rain. We get snow in the winter, but not a crazy amount of it.

 

I grew up in Calgary and spent my teen years in Victoria and a couple of my early 20's years in Vancouver. I also lived in southern Ontario. I *love* Kelowna. You can't beat the hot weather and beautiful beaches in the summer and the skiing in the winter.

 

The homeschool community is very active here. There's a meet-up group for Central Okanagan Homeschoolers and there is something going on just about every day of the week. Things like field trips, beach days, skiing lessons, ice skating, gymnastics, dramatic productions, dance classes, sculpting, etc. I'm part of a co-op that uses Tapestry of Grace.

 

Homeschooling can be as free as you'd like - you can register as a homeschooler and have no accountability or you can enroll in a distributed learning program and receive funding but have some accountability. In our DL program we receive a budget of $1000 per student (I just got iPads for all of my kids with some of my funding). We're classical homeschoolers so we don't cover the grade level outcomes in order, but our DL program just tracks whatever we do in other grade levels. I've been able to homeschool exactly the way I've wanted to without having to compromise.

[LidiyaDawn]

Yeah don't worry about Alberta and homeschooling ~ if you sign up with the right board(s), you'll never even know there ARE any regulations. ;)

 

[i'm afraid that doesn't work for the snow though]

[Canadianmumof5]

How 'bout we trade for 6 months and you try it out? Starting next week :tongue_smilie:

No issues with homeschooling in Ontario (but no funding like they have in AB), the weather is your typical 4 seasons. Right now the leaves are just gorgeous browns, golds, reds and orange. There is lots to do and frankly, the economy is pretty darn good. The housing market is great - the prices continue to increase, in spite of what is happening in the US. There are lots of jobs, crime rates are low, multiculturalism is embraced and life is generally pretty good here.

 

And Ontario does have the best hockey team (go leafs go) :D

[pamela&claire]

I'm currently in Ontario and have lived in BC and Alberta as well. Weather wise, BC is the least mild. In Ontario homeschool is fairly easy. If your children have never been registered with a school in Ontario you don't really have to do anything. Just homeschool

[veggiegal]

Quebec has by far the most restrictive homeschooling laws in Canada. And a lot of snow. Strike it from your list.

 

I think the place that would best suit you would be BC, anywhere near the coast, or southern Vancouver Island (Nanaimo south to Victoria, for example). Parts of the southern interior might also work. Each has advantages and disadvantages; BC's homeschool laws are the same throughout the province (and it is easy to homeschool there); the coast or island would have less snow than the interior, but greyer and rainier winters, and be far less hot in summer. The interior gets more snow, and is VERY hot in summer--35C or even 40C is not unheard of. There's a reason they grow peaches and grapes and things there. :D

 

As for Alberta, where I live, it is a mistaken belief (by HSLDA, among perhaps others) that Alberta has restrictive laws. They say this because we must register with a 'homeschool board' and meet with a 'homeschool facilitator' twice per year. Now, I get that this seems intimidating for many people, because homeschooling doesn't work like this anywhere else that I know of. But what does it mean in practice? You register with your choice of boards. There's more than a dozen to choose from in my city of Calgary, for example; I need not register with the "Calgary Board of Ed.". Some boards are more 'unschool-friendly', some more 'school at home', some more 'religious', etc. You will have no difficulty finding a board that is a good fit for you.

 

Now what about those 'facilitator meetings?' Well, again it depends on the board, but my meetings with our facilitator are a friendly visit over a cup of tea. My kids yap about things they are learning, they might show off some writing, or an art project, or talk about their karate class, or the homeschooler day at the zoo, or whatever. And what we get in return is a visit from someone who has BTDT--most boards here only employ folks who have homeschooled their own kids. They are a 'facilitator' in the true sense of the word: they can help advise on anything from curricula choices to classes for homeschoolers to how to connect into the homeschool community and find friends for your kids. They understand when you ask them about what to say to nosy / unsupportive relatives. :D My kids love their facilitator, and look forward to our visits, as do I. (And in the interest of full disclosure, I will add that I am starting back to work this year as a homeschool facilitator myself. We're there to help our families make their homeschooling what THEY want it to be, and to listen.)

 

I'd like to also point out what restrictions Alberta does not have, that some of my friends in the US do--and often in states that HSLDA rates as "less restrictive" than Alberta. There is no requirement you teach certain subjects. There is no requirement to track hours--either overall or per subject. There is no requirement to write any kind of standardized exam as public school kids do here in grades 3, 6, 9, 12. There is no different requirements if the parents lack a B.Ed, or a college degree, or any of that nonsense. You are free to homeschool as you feel is best for your family, and--to top it all off--you get about $800 per kid per year to spend on "homeschool supplies". Anything from classes to curricula, educational games to educational equipment (microscope, anyone?), traditional school supplies (pens, paper, books) or classroom supplies (wall maps, educational posters) counts. Some boards even accept receipts for things like Lego and K'nex kits. And there is a HUGE and active/supportive homeschool community here, with so many homeschool classes / workshops / one day offerings / park days and other get-togethers we literally cannot attend them all. Alberta is a fantastic place to homeschool, period.

 

If you were to consider Alberta, you'd want to focus on Calgary and south to avoid the worst of the snow. (Edmonton averages 144 days per year with snow on the ground; Calgary only 88--that's less than 3 months and frankly less than most of Canada). Though Calgary gets colder overnight than Toronto, for example, daytime winter highs are similar, we get less snow than Toronto in winter, we get chinooks which are warm winds which give you 'spring-like days' in the middle of winter, and we get way more sun. A recent Environment Canada study which looked at all kinds of weather factors actually assesses southern Alberta as having the most comfortable weather in the country. (Link here). Like I said our winters compare fairly to southern Ontario, but our summers are far more comfortable (unless high humidity and smog days is your thing). :tongue_smilie:

 

If you can't cope with winters here or in Toronto, I think the only real option for you in Canada is the areas of BC I began with. HTH.

[WishboneDawn]

 

I'd like to also point out what restrictions Alberta does not have, that some of my friends in the US do--and often in states that HSLDA rates as "less restrictive" than Alberta.

 

My sceptical side thinks the HSLDA comes down harder on Alberta because it perceives there are more homeschoolers there that are more likely to pay HSLDA membership dues - more conservative Christians. It has little to do with how restrictive Alberta actually is.

 

That said, here in NS I just send a letter of registration once a year with a half-page summary of what programs we'll be using and then a 1 or 2 page report at the end of the school year that pretty much just consists of me writing, "English - Satisfactory. Math - Exceeded Expectations."

 

I think PEI is the least restrictive. You send a one time letter and that's it.

[Audrey]

Only Quebec is a bugger on homeschoolers, but Quebec is ... different... on everything. AB and BC offer subsidies for hs'ers. Maybe other provinces do, but those are the 2 I know that do for sure. In my province, you sent a letter of intent and curriculum each year, then a one-page, check the box progress report in January, then a one-pager report in June. That's it. No subsidy, but they aren't up your butt about anything either.

 

The snow is everywhere here, but it's irrelevant. Bottom line: this is the most family-friendly, working class friendly and compassionate country in this hemisphere. If that's not worth a bit of snow to you, well... good luck to you.

Edited October 16, 2011 by Audrey

[momofmiracles]

I am assuming, of course, that the funding is only for Canadian citizens, correct?

 

This thread is certainly making me consider a look at Canada as our next possible move.

[WishboneDawn]

I am assuming, of course, that the funding is only for Canadian citizens, correct?

 

This thread is certainly making me consider a look at Canada as our next possible move.

 

In my province there is no funding. It's a province by province thing. But I don't mind because the regulations are so easy to deal with.

[veggiegal]

 

That said, here in NS I just send a letter of registration once a year with a half-page summary of what programs we'll be using and then a 1 or 2 page report at the end of the school year that pretty much just consists of me writing, "English - Satisfactory. Math - Exceeded Expectations."

 

 

That's pretty much what we do here too; just your facilitator generally writes up the report for the government file. Some boards have the parents do it though and the facilitator simply signs off. There is a huge unschooling community out here, including Judy Arnall who gets quoted in the paper / on TV a lot (and has written a parenting book you might know). That alone should speak for the freedom HSers have in AB.

 

And the money is awfully nice. :D

[veggiegal]

I am assuming, of course, that the funding is only for Canadian citizens, correct?

 

This thread is certainly making me consider a look at Canada as our next possible move.

 

I am not sure if any province other than AB offers funding. Funding does not depend on citizenship; it depends on residency. If you are a resident here, and hence would pay taxes to your local schoolboard, you are essentially getting part of that money back.

 

Canadians living abroad who do not meet the residency requirement cannot get funding. (A friend of mine is doing a 3 year stint in Taiwan, so I know this from experience).

[veggiegal]

In my province, you sent a letter of intent and curriculum each year, then a one-page, check the box progress report in January, then a one-pager report in June. That's it. No subsidy, but they aren't up your butt about anything either.

 

 

They aren't up my butt either, and we get funding. I know it is very hard for folks to believe this, but we pretty much do what you do. We send in a form to our board, who sends it to the government--the 'we're homeschooling and not putting our kid in public school form'; write up a 'program plan' which can be pretty much anything you want--some folks mention curricula and subject areas; my unschooling friends don't at all and talk about "learning from life." Program plans range from 1 page point form to multipage detailed affairs; it's up to you. The only thing we do that you don't is have a cup of tea and a pleasant chat twice per year with someone who is a help to you. And get $800. Per kid.

[Sarah CB]

I am not sure if any province other than AB offers funding. Funding does not depend on citizenship; it depends on residency. If you are a resident here, and hence would pay taxes to your local schoolboard, you are essentially getting part of that money back.

 

Canadians living abroad who do not meet the residency requirement cannot get funding. (A friend of mine is doing a 3 year stint in Taiwan, so I know this from experience).

 

Although, if their primary residence is in Canada and they're not claiming residency in the country they are living in, then they can receive funding. There are lots of missionary families from BC who receive funding while living abroad.

[veggiegal]

Although, if their primary residence is in Canada and they're not claiming residency in the country they are living in, then they can receive funding. There are lots of missionary families from BC who receive funding while living abroad.

 

Yes, but there are specific residency requirements that are still being met, like having a home here in Canada (rented out to someone else), a bank account here, and so on.

[sewingmama]

The interior gets more snow, and is VERY hot in summer--35C or even 40C is not unheard of.

I had to LOL at that one. Last summer we had weeks on end of days that were 40C-45C - so 35C is our spring weather. I remember a few times watching people swimming when I was in BC and thinking they were crazy - I was standing on the shore still wearing a sweater LOL. I can stand a lot of heat - before we lived here we lived in Cental Australia - probably one of the hottest places on earth.

 

As for Alberta, where I live, it is a mistaken belief (by HSLDA, among perhaps others) that Alberta has restrictive laws. They say this because we must register with a 'homeschool board' and meet with a 'homeschool facilitator' twice per year. Now, I get that this seems intimidating for many people, because homeschooling doesn't work like this anywhere else that I know of. But what does it mean in practice? You register with your choice of boards. There's more than a dozen to choose from in my city of Calgary, for example; I need not register with the "Calgary Board of Ed.". Some boards are more 'unschool-friendly', some more 'school at home', some more 'religious', etc. You will have no difficulty finding a board that is a good fit for you.

 

Now what about those 'facilitator meetings?' Well, again it depends on the board, but my meetings with our facilitator are a friendly visit over a cup of tea. My kids yap about things they are learning, they might show off some writing, or an art project, or talk about their karate class, or the homeschooler day at the zoo, or whatever. And what we get in return is a visit from someone who has BTDT--most boards here only employ folks who have homeschooled their own kids. They are a 'facilitator' in the true sense of the word: they can help advise on anything from curricula choices to classes for homeschoolers to how to connect into the homeschool community and find friends for your kids. They understand when you ask them about what to say to nosy / unsupportive relatives. :D My kids love their facilitator, and look forward to our visits, as do I. (And in the interest of full disclosure, I will add that I am starting back to work this year as a homeschool facilitator myself. We're there to help our families make their homeschooling what THEY want it to be, and to listen.)

 

Thanks for explaining this. It's almost exactly how we do it here in Australia except that our facilitator only comes to visit once a year so I am used to having someone come visit and don't find it threatening at all.

Edited October 16, 2011 by sewingmama

[Melissa in Australia]

have you thought of sending your DH on a holiday to Canada? It cures my Canadian husband of homesickness.

The Canada of his memories doesn't really exist anymore.

All homesickness for Canada is completely cured.