Jenny and Neil’s Story
Neither of us expected that a short contract in the Canadian prairies would lead to a life and family in a small Manitoba community. It was the warmth of the community that first caught our attention. We had a local nurse colleague who had become a close friend to both of us during our time here. He genuinely seemed to want us to consider staying longer. During the spring after we arrived, he toured us around the community and really gave us a picture of the life we could build.
Owning a large piece of land had always been a dream – but didn’t seem like a possibility in either of our home provinces. When we started looking at properties in Manitoba, we couldn’t believe how affordable they were. We actually thought there were zeroes missing on real estate listings! We were able to purchase an 85-acre property and create the life we always imagined.
"We want for nothing here and we can’t believe more people haven’t discovered that."
We have been in Manitoba almost 14 years now, and over that time, we have built our dream home, started a family, and run a hobby farm. Our two daughters have opportunities here that wouldn’t have been as accessible to us elsewhere. We have this incredible space all around us, room to keep horses and explore on dirt bikes. We even have easy access to downhill skiing (yes, on the Prairies). Adventure is, quite literally, right outside our door.
The community has been so supportive of us, both personally and professionally. Any time that we’ve decided to take steps to advance our careers – like returning to school or pursuing a management role – we’ve been met with overwhelming support from colleagues and community members. This has allowed us to grow as nurses and given us the chance to develop and implement new programs and services that we believe will meet the needs of our community.
When we first decided to settle in Manitoba, we had a 10-year plan. 10 years came and went, and along the way we asked ourselves, ‘Where else would we go? We have amazing friends, family, and community supports, and our girls are born-and-raised Manitobans.’
We want for nothing here and we can’t believe more people haven’t discovered that.
-Jenny and Neil
