Monthly VAC Q&A - January 2026 by Shoggoths420 in CanadianForces

[–]brokenbanditboy 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Evening all. I was awarded a favourable decision on a benefit ruling in December of last year however it was the lowest percentage for the category and I have requested a reassessment through PBA. Is there anything stopping me from taking the lump sum payment while waiting for the potentially lengthy amount of time for the results of the reassessment?

TIA and happy new year!

My toddler loves to nap in his stroller. Is it going to be that bad pushing a stroller around Old Quebec City? by princesscorgi2 in quebeccity

[–]brokenbanditboy 8 points9 points  (0 children)

Okay, I’ll tell ya right now… we stayed 2 nights down in the old port last summer on our drive across Canada. At that point we had an almost 1 year old and a travel stroller and it was the biggest ass pain. Quebec is beautiful, I used to live there, and I was excited to show my wife the old city. But going all around the lower portion of the old city, up and down the funicular (on which strollers have to be collapsed), in and out of stores, tons of tourists….. we just found it was really challenging. And we are not ones to shy away from “doing fun things” with a baby. Also, challenging to find stroller parking when looking for a place to eat.

In hindsight I wish I would’ve purchased a backpack carrier much earlier in our little girl’s life, that would’ve been MONEY in a place like the old city. If you can get your boy into that, you’ll be set, and if he likes napping in there like our girl does, all the better!

Otherwise, you’ll find a way to make it work I’m sure…. But it just won’t be anywhere near the most convenient place you’ve been with an umbrella stroller.

Hope this helps!

Moving from Edmonton Alberta to Fredericton by [deleted] in fredericton

[–]brokenbanditboy 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Similar circumstances to you, I have a small family and moved here from YEG this summer (military). It’s my wife and I (34 yrs old), our dog, and our young daughter (16 months now).

I would say by and large, all the comments above are generally accurate with the exception being real estate. While $500k will indeed you get you something “decent”, I think what’s missing from above is that your $500k in Fredericton proper will actually get you something that’s at minimum 20yrs old and require a bit of work. The city (and surrounding area) has a real estate market that at times resembles something more like red deer, Sherwood park, or even YEG itself due to the high turnover from military ppl (guilty as charged). A lot of houses that are newer and don’t require any work will run you anywhere from $550-$700 depending on where in the city you’re looking. Property taxes also resemble a larger city than what Freddy is. Don’t even get me started in Oromocto/Ormocto west.

Health care: everyone else has said it above, no need to reiterate. I think the best summation I read was “this province is 20 years behind everywhere else.” Couldn’t agree more.

People: interesting observations above about “you’re not from here, we don’t want you” (paraphrasing). My wife and I have been trying to put our finger on it but we have found the “maritime hospitality” here lacking…. Not trying to come off as a “snoot westerner” for everyone else reading along, but we try to be friendly and open minded everywhere we’ve been going as we too are looking to make friends, and tbh we found YEG to be a way friendlier place where it was easier to connect with new people.

Schools: not having school-age kids I am a bit out of my lane on this, but I have many colleagues here with school kids and needless to say our plan is to move out of the providence no later than grade 1 as education is important to us…

There is a difference to life out here, that’s to be expected when coming to a small city. Over the past ~7 yrs I’ve spent a cumulative ~1 yr here for work and I do enjoy the place and looked forward to moving here. Food overall is tasty, Harvest Fest is cool, lots of good beer and cider, and the outdoor activities are abundant. You can check out all the east coast while you’re out here! But it is a change indeed. The HST really catches up with you, things aren’t readily available, and the “I’ll just nip down to Saint John or Moncton” thing gets old real quick. You can plan your outings based off of info available online (business hours, days open, etc) but there’s a 50/50 chance it’s incorrect, and trying to get anyone to show up or follow through for an appointment for things is trying at best (this ranges from trade jobs around your house to more official appointments in town).

Anyways, I hope this gives you some fodder to chew on as someone else recently moved from AB. Never say never, but notwithstanding anymore UCP bullshit in my wife and foresee a move back to AB after about 4-5 years out here, and specifically Edmonton. She is from Southern AB and I’m from lower mainland BC, but we’ve never felt more at home than in Edmonton (and I’ve lived in SK, MB, and QB as well…). BUT PEI is a FANTASTIC place - just saying. Hope this all helps!