A new life in Canada for Sullivan and his family!
Expatriating to Canada as a family: Sullivan's testimonial!
He settled in Montreal in August 2022, accompanied by his wife and two daughters. DevOps, he talks about his adventure with Maplr.
Freshly arrived in Canada, he tells us how he and his family have experienced this change of life!
Can you tell us a bit about yourself?
Hi, I'm Sullivan, 35, from the north of France, not far from Lille.
I've been DevOps for almost 6 years, and arrived on August 1, 2022 with a Young Professionals permit accompanied by my wife and 2 daughters!
We live in a great apartment in Montreal's Rosemont district.
Why did you decide to move to Montreal as a DevOps specialist?
My wife and I used to talk a lot about working abroad one day, without any specific plans. The idea of moving to Canada as a family was in the back of our minds, but we didn't think much about it, and above all, there was no hurry.
Then one day, I received a message from Clara, who is Tech Recruiter at Maplr on LinkedIn, to which I replied. Two months later, the opportunity became a reality and we began the process of moving as a family to Canada.
What was it like to tell your children that you were moving to Canada as a family? ?
My two daughters were six and a year and a half when we left. For the youngest, it was easy enough. For the older one, we explained to her that we were going to live in another country. This meant she wouldn't be seeing her cousins and grandparents as regularly. The same applied to her school friends, but she was going to make new ones. It didn't particularly upset her!
And then, when we told her there would be lots of snow in winter, she was super happy! 😂
What was it like moving to Montreal with your family?
Overall, everything went really well.
The only downside, I'd say, was going through immigration on the day we arrived. We had to wait several hours with our 13 suitcases and two young children. But we quickly forgot about it once we were free of that hurdle!
Even before we left France, we had nothing but luck!
We found tenants for our house who even bought all our furniture. It was a huge weight off our shoulders and saved us a big move before we left.
And on the expatriation side, we were accompanied by Clara at Maplr, with whom we had regular follow-up meetings. So we knew exactly what we needed to do, what papers we needed, when to send them, etc.
Then we decided to arrive in summer:
1️⃣ On the one hand, to arrive in a sunny climate where it would be easier to get around and discover the city, rather than arriving in winter, with all the snow that can make it difficult to get around.
2️⃣ On the other hand, it gave us time to settle in before the girls return to their new school/day nursery in September.
What do you and your family love most about Montreal?
The first thing that comes to mind is the fact that there are real seasons!
Winter is cold and snowy, spring is very short but feels great, summer is hot and there are lots of things to do, and autumn is absolutely gorgeous!
Then there's the open-mindedness of Quebecers. People are much more open, even my daughter notices it at her school. She prefers the educational system here. They leave more room for the child to express himself, it's less focused on grades or performance.
I can also do almost everything in my neighborhood on foot. Although the city is very big, there are lots of nice, lively little neighborhoods.
What kind of reception did you get from the Canadians?
Really top notch! The day we moved into the apartment, our neighbors came right over and introduced themselves. They are extremely nice. We met in August, and they invited us over for New Year's Eve last year, which made our hearts beat faster!
In fact, they have three daughters who immediately became friends with our girls. In fact, they've become inseparable!
It was also our neighbors who gave us this advice that has changed our lives as parents and those of our daughters 👉 To keep your children's feet dry during winter: buy boots with a lining that can be removed for drying! No more wet feet! 😂
What do you think of the cost of living as an expat in Montreal?
The cost of living in Montreal may be a little higher, but salaries are higher. So in the end, it's the same as in France. I'd even say we have better purchasing power!
💡 To help you anticipate your bodget, we've created for you
a white paper on the cost of living in Montreal! 👇
For a DevOps expatriate in Montreal, are there any differences with France?
The big plus point is thework/life balance. They really put family life before work. Office hours are very flexible and no one watches what time you leave.
What do you think of the support offered by Mapl?
My wife and I are really delighted withMaplr's support. Even today, more than 1 year after my arrival at Maplr, we sometimes call on Clara to ask a question or for advice, and she always makes herself available to answer!
Maplr's support has taken a huge mental load off our shoulders.
Do you work in the IT sector and are you planning to move to Canada with your family soon? Don't hesitate to apply for our support program ! Maplr may be able to accompany you and your family in this superb project for life in Canada!
