By Bob Hughes

Some people dream dreams. And some people live their dreams. When you are the parents of three young girls living in one of the most storied countries in the world, you might think the future for your children is the yellow brick road you’ve been raised on. But when it hits you that the opportunities awaiting them are truly limited, you have two choices. You stick it out, as you did, as your parents did, as their parents did and as the parents before them did. Or, you look far beyond.   

The story that brought the Bruce and Claudia Cooper and their three girls to, of all places, Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada is one wrapped in hope, promise and the sudden dramatic reality that became a dream come true. Because they came from England, armed only with a genuine belief that they had found a home for themselves and a future for their children in a land of opportunity. And it is a story that became wrapped in little but joy.   

They found nothing but happiness. That’s it, happiness.       

On a Friday night dinner party, on the eastern skirts of Regina in a place called Emerald Park, the Cooper family from a place north of England entertained my wife and I. We savoured beautifully done roast beef, succulent potatoes, vegetables, but no Yorkshire pudding.    

Lives lived affect the lives of others.   

Here we have a family that has rooted itself from one land to another and made it work so well it is so astounding. Bruce and Claudia were born and raised in England. They lived about 90 miles north of London. Bruce was a machinist, Claudia a day care worker. They have three girls – Tracie, 19, Emily 14 and Bethany 10. And, of course, a Yorkshire Terrier named Megan.   

How did it all come about? Much easier than you would think. The Coopers found England becoming too heavily populated and an increasingly expensive place to live. And, they worried about the opportunities for their three children. So, they went looking for a land of opportunity, and they found Saskatchewan.   
They had heard of Canada, but they had never heard of Saskatchewan and certainly not Regina. All they knew was that it is the middle of nowhere. But, by chance, a friend of theirs had left England and moved to Regina.   

To make a long story short, the Coopers ended up deciding on making a bold move. They sold their home and bought a beautiful house on a large lot in Emerald Park, a family type village located just outside of Regina. Bruce easily found a job as a machinist. They moved to Saskatchewan in January of 2006, and knew it was the right thing. It didn’t not cost as much to live there, and they were able to buy more, and still save money every month.

“It’s easily the best thing we ever did,” Bruce said. “We have never had any doubts, or problems. It’s more than we could ever have expected.”     And the children love it as, settling into their new life with ease. Not only that, they love the school they are attending.    
More and more people will be making the move to Saskatchewan. It’s highly affordable. It’s in a booming economy. There are jobs galore, available for anyone – from doctors and nurses to trades people. And it is not over-populated. The population of Saskatchewan is about 1,000,000 people. The two largest cities are Saskatoon (200,000) and Regina (180,000).

And moving here is not as difficult as you might think. Regina real estate agent Loretta Sernowski can let you know just how easy it it is. You can contact her on the Life In Canada web site, and you’ll be starting a new, exciting and prosperous life before you know it.