ivywmn ivywmn:
Could anyone recommend web sites where I could read up on life in British Columbia, preferably Victoria? I'm an American mulling over the idea of moving there. What is the job market like there, for people in editing (copyediting, writing, proofreading)?
I'm a Californian who's owned a home in the Oak Bay neighborhood of Victoria my advice is to buy something that you can rent out if things don't work out. We sold the house in Oak Bay to an over-eager buyer and then we turned around and parlayed the proceeds into two new condos in downtown Victoria. One we rent out and the other is our get-a-way when we can take some time. The taxes on the condos are not bad compared to the house and the rent on the one condo covers costs and a tidy profit for both as we owe no mortgage (we bought them with the net proceeds of the sale of the Oak Bay house).
For an American you'll find employment in Canada to be problematic and you'll also find filing taxes in both countries to be an extraordinary pain in the tookus because both sides have conflicting laws on what's taxable, deductible, and what ends up constituting net and gross income. You need one CPA who's conversant and licensed in both countries to effectively do your taxes. That ain't cheap, but it's worth it.
You're far better off living in Washington and working in Canada (for tax reasons) or, become a Canadian citizen. That's always an option.