Originally from Brittany, Anne-Charlotte first travelled to Canada when she was 20. And it was love at first sight, although she returned to France after some time. In 2018, she finally relocated to Quebec with her husband and son, who was only 18 months old. She talks to us about her dream come true.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and tell us about your background?
My name is Anne-Charlotte. I am 29 years old, mother of a 4-year-old little boy, and I'm happily expecting another child for the end of this year.
I have been working in cosmetics since I was 16 and am very passionate about it. I was born and grew up in Brittany until I was 11 and then moved to the south of France, to the Var. Since I have a military dad, I don't think moving or relocating has ever scared me.
I first decided to move to Canada when at the dawn of my 20s. It was a wonderful 3-year adventure that I absolutely wanted to repeat. And with family this time.
What attracted you to Canada? How long have you lived there?
The first thing that attracted me to Canada was this feeling of freedom and security. Where I lived in France, honestly, I have often had mishaps. But I have never felt that feeling here. I feel totally safe here.
I had never known the snow, the cold, other cultures and ways of living before moving here. I think Canada really appealed to me for these reasons. It allowed me to start my life from scratch, as I wanted.
It's been three years since I came back here with my little family --my partner and our son, who is now four years old.
What made you want to go back to Canada after returning to France?
When I first came to Canada, I was young. I had my best years here, and it was amazing!
At that time, I wanted to get out of my comfort zone. In my city, everyone knew each other, and there were very few job opportunities. I had nothing to lose because if I didn't like it in Canada, I could always come back. So I got a WHV and came here for a year. I really enjoyed the experience. I then decided to extend my stay with a closed young pro work permit, except that I was not sure what I wanted at the end of this period. I was missing my family a lot. So I decided to return to France, but I immediately regretted it even before boarding the plane, where I found myself with all these French people who were returning home too. But they were arguing and not respecting the queue -- which was clearly a lack of manners. It hit me in the face because I had just spent three years in a country where people queue up to take the bus.
Back in France, I had the disconcerting feeling that I had simply pressed the replay button. Nothing had changed here while I was seeing and experiencing so many beautiful things in Canada. There was always this cashier at the Liddle close to my house, and my friends were in the same places talking about the same things and doing exactly what they were doing before I left. I was shocked. I felt like I was sweeping away everything I had experienced and going back to my previous life as if all that has not even happened.
It was so hard to find a job, and I didn't really have a choice even though the salary didn't match my expectations. From the 1st month, I had made up my mind to leave France as soon as possible.
You finally relocated to Canada with your husband and your son, who is now four. Was it hard to adapt, especially for your son?
My son was only 18 months old when we moved here, so he didn't realise it then. It took us four years to come back to Canada. But I'm glad that the immigration system has changed with the introduction of a pool. Honestly, I was close to giving up.
The good thing is that during these four years, I found my first love, got married, and now have a wonderful child.
As soon as we arrived in Montreal, we found him a daycare centre. Today, he speaks the local language pretty well. So I can say he adapted wonderfully. The smaller they are, the easier it is.
What are your views on the聽Canadian education system?
There has to be a flaw somewhere. My son is four years old, but he is still not going to school. He will turn five at the end of October and will spend one more year in daycare before joining school when he turns six. In my opinion, this is excessively late. I try my best to homeschool him. Still, I believe that this is a considerable delay compared to his cousins 鈥嬧�媜f the same age in France.
So we decided to enrol him in a French school so that he can follow the same school curriculum that we followed, in case we urgently have to return to France. On the other hand, my son speaks better English than us because, at the nursery, he often hears both languages.
Was it hard to find a job in Canada? Did the COVID-19 crisis have an impact on your job?
I had no trouble finding a job when I arrived here, thanks to my experience.
Unfortunately, this crisis has affected workers and jobs globally, but the Canadian government has set up a good system to help all the people who have lost their jobs. Remote working is also quite widespread.
I am fortunate enough to work in a pharmacy which is considered an essential service. I manage the cosmetics department, and since this is an essential service, we did not close. On the other hand, I had to reduce my employees' working hours considerably, and when I could no longer sell cosmetics, I was at the entrance asking the same questions all day to the customers who came. It was a real challenge morally, but we made it. Things are slowly going back to normal.
Your spouse moved to Canada on a WHV. How has the crisis affected working holidayers?
The real issue is not the WHV but the fact that if we want to settle permanently in Quebec, we must apply for a CSQ (Quebec Selection Certificate) for permanent residence and at the same time request the status of a skilled worker. So we need to prove that we have a minimum of hours worked full time for a whole year. Many working holidayers have had reduced hours, and some lost their jobs, which means they are no longer eligible.
My spouse is currently on an open permit since we were lucky enough to obtain our CSQ just before the pandemic. For my part, I am currently on a closed work permit with my company until we get the permanent resident status. We have to wait two more years.
In your opinion, what are the most promising fields for foreign professionals in Canada in these times of crisis?
IT is still a growing industry. Everything is now done online, including shopping and delivery. I hardly go to stores anymore, especially now that I'm pregnant, just to protect us. IT is a vast and resourceful field.
There's also construction, healthcare, grocery stores and all the essential services that have proven to be so important during this pandemic.
Remote work is a good option for those who are seeking a work-life balance, but, unfortunately, not everyone can work from home.
I think that commerce and catering are the fields which have suffered the most from the crisis, and they haven't recovered yet.
Do you have any advice for those who would like to relocate to Canada?
If that's your dream, then go for it! We only have one life, so make sure you don't have to be sorry for the rest of your life.
There is nothing to lose. The only barriers are those that we build ourselves. Of course, it's not easy to be an expatriate, but we have to struggle and overcome the challenges.
My main advice is always to keep your feet on the ground and seek information. Join Facebook groups, see reviews and make your own opinion. Moving abroad needs both mental and material preparation. And once you're there, you'll get the chance to bond with a huge expat community. There are plenty of expats here, and we're lucky to have made a lot of friends.
What if you have to go through all this over again?
There's absolutely nothing I would change because even the challenges were a great experience for us. Looking back, we learned, grew and matured since we moved here. Obviously, there were doubts and fears, but it's included in the package.
Where do you see yourself in the next ten years?
Here, of course! I dream of having our little chalet in the heart of nature and going there on weekends or during the holidays to replenish ourselves. Canada is a fabulous country, and I'm looking to spend the rest of my life here and to make our loved ones discover it when they finally get to visit us.
