Moving to Kamloops
Not long ago I met a girl who moved to Canada a couple of months ago. She had to face some difficulties with the move, such as finding a place to live, a good currency exchange, and other necessary things. I had heard a lot of the same stories before, but in this one there was something unusual: a girl travelling with a cat!
“When we arrived in Kamloops, we had no idea what to do or where to go”.
It was with this phrase that she began her story. Julia, that’s her name, told me about getting to know Canada why she decided to move, and how she coped with the challenges.
Julia first visited Canada in 2017. She was studying at a language school. After a month, she returned home with a clear goal to go back there again. And now, four years later, all the documents were ready, the suitcases packed, cat’s stuff prepared and tickets bought. A dream come true, she was enrolled in Thompson Rivers University and finally returned to Canada, taking furry friend with her.
Everything was fine at the beginning: She checked into the temporary accommodation with a cat. The administration had advised her that food can be ordered using apps like DoorDash or SkipTheDishes, that currency can be exchanged handsomely at Money Mart, that the nearby Real Canadian Superstore was good for groceries, and that a local SIM card can be obtained at Telus. The journey had started well, but more difficulties were on the horizon.
The tenancy was coming to the end. Julia thought that two weeks would be enough time to find a place to stay with her pet, but this proved to be a huge mistake. Finding a room or flat to rent turned out to be more difficult, and there was no way to extend the lease. She looked at all kinds of options on: Marketplace on Facebook, Kijiji, The View Apartments, but the search was unsuccessful. And then the day of the eviction came. Julia decided to try her luck again and went on Facebook. She found out that one girl posted an advertisement saying that she is looking for a flatmate who would like to rent an apartment with her. Julia found the offer very tempting: Legacy Square apartment building is located right on the campus, just steps away from the Old Main building, a furry friend is also welcome in this house (only cats allowed) and the big pros is that she doesn’t need to carry all her heavy suitcases far away.
Having written to this girl, they agreed to meet the manager on the same day and sort out all the check-in and paperwork. It turned out to be quite simple and quick, and Julia was able to move into her new home. On the evening of the same day, she and her new flatmate moved all of her things into the flat. Her cat had already settled in there.
“That day we felt that we were at home, that it was our new cozy, warm home and not a dorm room.”
Nastia, Julia’s flatmate, helped her with the paperwork. She told her that she had to apply for a Social insurance number and a Health insurance number, and how and where she can do it. Nastia also said that she can get UPASS and save money on transport. From now, the next story begins.
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So, I have recently talked to Julia. We had a nice conversation about her life in Kamloops. She said that now everything is fine. She and her fluffy friend are feeling well. Also, I have taken an interview where she told a short story about getting the UPASS. Now you can listen the interview below.
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In this video, I walked around Kamloops with Julia. She showed to me her favorite stores and explained her way to manage budget.
Julia liked the idea of the website, where all the helpful information for moving in students to Kamloops, would be collected. She shared her experience and gave several useful links and addresses, which would be added to the appropriate sections.
I hope this story and all mentioned information will help a lot of new students with their moving process.