Jan & Anja(62)

Anja and I lived in Apeldoorn for 35 years. I was a retired machinist, Anja was a part-time librarian. Our life was quiet and comfortable, but our daughter Marloes had emigrated to Kelowna five years earlier with her Canadian husband. When our grandchildren were born, we wanted to be closer. Marloes offered to sponsor us through the Parents and Grandparents Program (PGP).

The PGP is one of the longest-running immigration programs — the wait time can be up to five years. Marloes had registered early and after three years of waiting we finally received the invitation to submit a full application. She had to prove she earned enough to support us (the LICO — Low Income Cut-Off) and commit to being financially responsible for us for twenty years.

The medical exam was the most nerve-wracking part. At our age, IRCC scrutinizes health risks more closely. Anja had a controlled blood pressure condition and I had a knee replacement. Fortunately both were assessed as manageable. The exam had to be done with an IRCC-designated physician in Amsterdam — not with your own GP.

Kelowna is paradise. The city sits on Okanagan Lake, surrounded by vineyards and orchards. The climate is the warmest and driest in Canada — summers reach 35 degrees, winters are mild with occasional snow. After Dutch weather it felt like a permanent vacation. We rent an apartment within walking distance of the lake and cycle daily.

Adjusting to the Canadian health system was important for us. BC's MSP covers GP visits and hospital care, but dental, optometry and medications need separate insurance. We took supplementary coverage through Pacific Blue Cross. Wait times for specialists are longer than in the Netherlands — that's the reality. But GP care is personal and thorough.

Now we live ten minutes from our grandchildren. We babysit every Wednesday, go to the farmers market on weekends and drink local Okanagan wine on our balcony overlooking the lake. Anja volunteers at the library and I help at a local community garden. It's not the retirement we had planned in the Netherlands — it's better. Much better.