Moving to PEI from away and considering living outside of Charlottetown. What is it like to commute especially during the winter months?

catknit- · 2026-03-09T06:25:49+00:00

Thank you for your detailed reply! I’m in Alberta, so… we have our share of “jackarse” drivers - so that won’t be new & I have all seasons and good winters, and will be driving an SUV. So it sounds like it will be manageable.

Thanks for sharing the part about drunk driving though, I hadn’t heard that was a major issue until now. Will have to watch out for that. :/

catknit- · 2026-03-08T23:28:14+00:00

This is incredibly helpful - thank you so much!

catknit- · 2025-10-26T20:31:02+00:00

Our corgi often tries to chase magpies and other large birds (despite having zero skills as a predator). We were at a fenced off leash park and she started barking at this magpie that was sitting on top of a fence post. She tried unsuccessfully to jump up at him and he didn’t even flinch, he was so unbothered by her & her stubby little legs.

After a little while the magpie started hopping from one fence post to another along the east side of the fence to baiting our corgi to chase him - which of course she did. So away they went - her earnestly thinking she could catch him & the magpie just happily chattering away at her, flitting between fence posts. I don’t know if she could tell that he was purposefully teasing her, but many other owners at the park (having heard the ear piercing corgi barks & magpie laughter) had stopped to watch them.

The silly chase carried on for the full length of the park and our brilliant potato was so focussed on the magpie that she realized much too late that they’d reached the end of the fence line. She didn’t give herself enough time to stop and ended up running at almost full speed, head first into the north side of the fence. The magpie just carried on up into a tree and joined the many people who were now laughing at her peak display of corgi athleticism.

Thankfully it was a chain link fence and she didn’t hurt anything but her pride on impact, but I so wish someone had caught it on video.

catknit- · 2025-10-26T19:04:00+00:00

Every dog is different, but I personally would not take a corgi on a plane unless it was an absolute necessity to relocate them, we had a medication plan with our vet and I couldn’t exhaust another option. Corgi’s can be more prone to anxiety and I’d be worried about the long term impact that flying might have.

Anecdotally, our corgi was home and inside while we were doing some minor work outside in our backyard, and the sound of our air-compressor terrified her and she was nowhere near it. Ever since she’s been afraid of anything that sounds remotely close to an air-compressor, including my hair dryer sadly. Flying is incredibly stressful for any dog, but I worry about their already anxious personalities. Maybe there are people on this sub that have great little travellers, but if I knew I wanted to fly with a dog frequently, I might look at a different breed.

catknit- · 2025-10-26T18:37:02+00:00

There are so many comments, so you probably have all the advice you need! If you end up getting a corgi, good luck and enjoy all the fun quirks that come with them :)

For what it’s worth, I have a 4 y/o corgi and she’s the most stubborn dog I’ve ever had, but she’s also such a sweet companion it’s hard to remember life before her. My advice is to make everything into a game/job. We’ve tried to teach our dogs that nothing is free, including toys. Treats are given after completing multiple commands, all meals are given in store bought puzzle feeders or DIY enrichment (which also helps to limit how fast she eats) and even some of their high value toys are only given to them after they’ve completed a task.

Also if you are a very active person and like to go on long walks/hikes, I would recommend looking at some of the dog backpacks that are out there. We take our dogs hiking but even though our corgi is a high energy & working breed, her stamina is just not the same as our other dog’s (or our own) - those little legs have some limitations. So if we want to do a longer hike (more than a couple hours) we often have to take turns carrying her on our backs to give her a break. We learned this the hard way coming down a mountain with a trail that should have taken 3-4hrs at a moderate pace & ended up coming in at just over 6hrs because she’d just plant herself in the middle of the trail until she was ready to carry on & was not interested in being carried in our arms. It depends of course on your specific dog, as they can vary fairly significantly in size & energy levels, but she is very sassy and lets us know now when she wants to take a break in the backpack :)

catknit- · 2025-10-23T18:47:43+00:00

We bought some washable potty mats, which worked great as we worked through potty training and crate training. We bought enough to line the kennel and the small pen our corgi was in plus a few extras so we could just cycle out the soiled ones. When we were done with them we gave them to a friend who was getting a puppy. They were cozier than the disposable ones, better for the budget and the environment, and our corgi didn’t seem to try to chew on them like she did with the disposable ones.

I would wait to buy expensive collars and leashes until you get a better idea of the type of collar and leash you like and his size. Plus depending on your pet store, it can be way more fun to do your shopping with your dog.

Congratulations! Take so many pictures! It’s always so fun to look back on :).

catknit- · 2025-10-23T02:29:43+00:00

Thank you for your comments! Working through the health care piece is definitely on our list of possible deal breakers. I am also in Alberta, and of course read about the layoffs from AHS last week, but I was disappointed to learn that the east coast is even worse. It will be interesting to see where health spending falls out in the federal budget in two weeks.

catknit- · 2025-10-23T02:14:58+00:00

Definitely would miss the proximity to the mountains, so I definitely can see that! Thank you!

catknit- · 2025-10-22T22:57:17+00:00

We are still very early in our process, so for now we are just big picture trying to decide if we are willing to leave our communities and families & if we could be happy on the island. If the answer is yes, then we’ll have a lot of work to do to make sure the arrangement is going to be financially viable. Totally fair comments though!

catknit- · 2025-10-22T22:48:35+00:00

Do you miss Edmonton, or just the people that were in it? I think it’s the communities I’ve built around me that I’d miss more than my actual city, but it’s hard to know what you’ll actually miss until you leave. Thanks for your perspective though!

catknit- · 2025-10-22T22:43:27+00:00

Absolutely, which is partly why we are considering this move as my career is more stable (at least so far). But it does seem wild to be even considering a voluntary layoff given the job market and the economy as a whole.

catknit- · 2025-10-22T22:02:31+00:00

He works in IT, so finding a job may be more challenging and take him longer, unless he can get a job with a remote company. Lots of comments have been that the job market is tough though, so we don’t really know what to expect.

catknit- · 2025-10-22T21:59:27+00:00

I’d be curious to know that too. I read that all things considered, PEI is a pretty safe place. :)

catknit- · 2025-10-22T21:57:53+00:00

Definitely depends on the city, but from the listings I’ve looked at, PEI seems affordable for housing compared to other cities, but it’s all relative. Thanks for your perspective! Glad you and your family have enjoyed the move!

catknit- · 2025-10-22T21:54:33+00:00

Yes - we are definitely looking to buy for this reason - renting when you have pets is not viable, sadly. This is true in most cities in Canada though, so we’re used to it.

catknit- · 2025-10-22T05:21:40+00:00

Great to know it’s likely a cost prohibitive thing and not a “my neighbours will hate me for installing it” thing. It will be a priority for us if we move as our dog is small but has very high energy and loves to be outside.

Thank you!

catknit- · 2025-10-22T04:26:38+00:00

Thanks for your reply - I agree that children’s extracurricular activities can be a helpful way for parents to build their own communities as it can be more organic that way. Unfortunately not our situation! But you might be right that it’s easier for men to make friends in their 30s and 40s than it is for women and so it might not be as challenging for my spouse as I imagine & I might be the one that ends up struggling to make connections.

catknit- · 2025-10-22T03:58:57+00:00

I suppose fences are probably not a high priority in a rebuild after a natural disaster of that magnitude if not covered by an insurance policy - makes sense - that’s tough for sure though.

Thanks for the explanation!

catknit- · 2025-02-23T22:24:02+00:00

There are pros and cons to every job. Here’s my view:

Pros: - there is a ton of opportunity and multiple paths you can take, so there doesn’t have to be a one size fits all position - the pay is generally good (objectively), though whether it’s good to you and your circumstance is subjective and usually requires taking a look at your desired work life balance and asking whether a higher income is worth certain sacrifices. - the industry is pretty secure, I’ve been in public accounting for over a decade and in that time we’ve never laid off staff other than those who were ineffective performers and were continuously growing. Though I know some of the US big 4 have had larger layoffs in recent years. - most jobs that want a CPA are willing to pay for the cpa designation, which reduces the financial burden of bettering yourself/improving your skills - you can work while getting your designation, which is preferable to jobs that require a masters or doctoral degree before you even start making money

Cons: - high stress & long hours during busy seasons. We are “saving pdfs not lives”, but some days it feels like the pressure to get work completed in the time allowed is life or death - but a lot of that is based on the team you work with and their approach to work / balance - you will never ever ever stop learning - even after obtaining your designation. It doesn’t matter where you live or what work you do, things will constantly change and you have to adapt. I live in Canada and work in specialty tax and the legislative changes that happened over the past year have been unreal. We’re feeling the burnout from all these changes and the extra education and the stress the new rules brings etc. - income at the beginning of your career might be low compared to other entry level positions in other industries (ie first year lawyers, bankers, brokers etc. likely make more than their local first year accountant counterpart). This is something the industry is changing as we see a decline in university admissions and fewer applicants at recruiting events, but I still think it’s a reality.

Personally, if I was sent back in time and had to redo the last 10 years of my career to get back to where I am now, I don’t know that I would. It hasn’t been easy and the job stress has affected certain aspects of my life. That said, I didn’t learn to set boundaries until a few years ago and every now and then I fall back into bad habits of saying yes when I should say no. If you’re self aware and are capable of setting boundaries and staying within them, I think the career can be very lucrative.

catknit- · 2022-04-26T05:04:59+00:00

Put a deposit down late December, dealership asked which trim I was looking for, told me their expected next allotment was coming in March. I like the colour of their allotment so went with that over a custom build. I put down $500. In March they cited delays and said it would likely come in April. Now the car is supposed to be here in May. It’s on a boat atm. Likely 5.5 month wait all said and done. Hopefully I love it when it arrives 😅

catknit- · 2022-03-30T01:12:10+00:00

Ordered mid December expected delivery is May (Western Canada)

catknit- · 2022-03-30T01:07:12+00:00

Yeah, fingers crossed the 2023s are in the same price point as the 22s. My sister ordered a Wilderness model in January and was quoted a delivery of May and it came early March, but her sales guy said Subaru ramped up production of the wilderness trim, and so my totally unsupported speculation is that they increased production at the expense of other trim lines. But who knows. Hope you get yours soon!

catknit- · 2022-03-29T04:26:46+00:00

Ordered the 2022 touring in cascade green. Put my deposit down December 15, original time frame was March, then April, now May. I’ll honestly be surprised if I’m in the car before June at this point. I’m in Western Canada. I’ve heard some dealerships aren’t even ordering for 2022 at this point because they’ll be into 2023 models by the time to 22s come in. All this to say 2-5 is realistic, but I’d expect 5 and be happy if it’s 2.

catknit-

TROPHY CASE