A New Province: Moving to Another Province Checklist (Guide)

According to Monster.ca, every year, an average of 300,000 people move from one province to another. That’s approximately 1% of the Canadian population. Many of them migrate for employment reasons, while others want to attend a specific school or even retire in a specific Canadian province.

No matter why you want to relocate, proper planning is essential in a big country like Canada. Moving across a city can be time-consuming and complicated enough; when you’re moving to a different province, a relocation checklist can serve as an action plan and keep you on track.

Below is a list of things to do when moving to another province in Canada. Not all steps may apply to your situation, but it can help you create a relocation blueprint for an easier move.

Finding a Place to Live

If you’re moving for school and plan on living in a residence, this won’t apply to you. Otherwise, you’ll want to have a home or apartment ready on arrival.

Housing costs vary depending on your destination town or city. A one-bedroom apartment in Halifax has an average rental price of $987 while a similar-sized space in Vancouver goes for $2,120. Research the local housing market and compare the results to your budget. You may have to settle for a smaller home or live further away from your workplace or school.

Other costs you want to consider include:

• Transportation costs. This includes gas prices, insurance rates, and transit fees. If you move to a large city, your insurance rate will likely increase, but an increase in the number of kilometres you drive each day can incur the same result
• Prices for groceries, clothing, and other essentials
• Costs for leisure activities that you enjoy, such as movies, dining out, and sports events

When you have this information, it’s easier to decide whether you should live in the city or commute from a town or suburb where the cost of living is more affordable.

Arranging the Move

Once your new address is finalized, the next item on your moving out of province agenda needs to be deciding how your belongings will get there.

• DIY: If you don’t have a lot of possessions, you can move on your own and only incur the cost of a rented van and packing materials. You can also schedule your own move without worrying about mover availability. Just make sure you account for fuel costs and any bad weather that can delay your arrival.
• Hire Professionals: If you have a lot of belongings or don’t have the time or inclination to drive across the country in a U-Haul, you can hire moving professionals to do everything from packing, transportation, and unpacking at your destination. Some companies offer portable shipping containers that you pack yourself, saving money.

Now that you know what the logistics of the move will be, the next step in your moving provinces checklist should be collecting all the information needed to access necessary services at your destination.

Arrange for Healthcare

When you move from one province to another, it affects your healthcare coverage because these services are administered by provincial governments. This means that you will have to apply for coverage in your new province of residence.

According to Blue Cross, you may have to live in your new home for up to three months before you have access to healthcare. Don’t worry; your former province will cover your medical bills during this transition period, but the sooner you arrange to switch over, the better, so give it a high priority on your moving checklist for Canada.

How to Connect with Essential Services

When you arrive, you’re going to want working utilities at the new address, access to healthcare, a good school if you have children, and more. Here are some tips to get you started.

• Contact the Ministry of Transportation for information about obtaining a new driver’s licence, registration, and licence plate.
• Let your utilities, cable, and internet providers know that you are moving and when. Then contact service providers at your destination and set up accounts.
• Contact your family physician and ask about transferring your medical records. If you are taking prescription medication, get large enough refills to tide you over until you find a new doctor.
• Get copies of your children’s school records and research schools in your new city.
• Reach out to all the financial providers you do business with and let them know you are moving. This includes your bank, credit card issuers, and insurance providers.
• If you subscribe to any newspapers or magazines, arrange to have them sent to your new address.
• Notify Elections Canada so that you will be registered to vote in your new province.
• If you are receiving benefits of any kind, such as EI, notify the appropriate provider, such as Service Canada, Canada Pension Plan, or Veterans Affairs.

While you’re at it, send your change of address details to friends and family via email or a notification charge that you can pick up from Canada Post. Speaking of which….

Contact Canada Post

Don’t forget Canada Post in your moving checklist! There is a fee to redirect your mail: For 2018, the cost for forwarding residential mail from one province to another is $67.55 for four months and $104.25 for a year. You can both apply and pay for this service online.

In Conclusion

When you’re moving to another province, a checklist will keep you focused whenever planning becomes too hectic. Every one of Canada’s provinces and territories has strong social, economic, and cultural features that draw newcomers from other countries as well as other regions of the country. We hope that you have all the information you need to make your move as stress-free as possible, so you can immediately enjoy everything your new home has to offer.