My interview plan of attack ;)

[paul151 0]

Well I finally got my interview date yesterday for Dec 2nd. So in a crazy frenzy of flight searches etc heres a quick breakdown of my plan of attack.

Vaccines taken care of so next Monday book a medical in vancouver ($350) for same day results. Fly from Calgary to Vancouver Monday morning and return Monday night ($248 for flights).

Booked flight for Calgary to Montreal leaving calgary 4pm Dec1st arriving 12.58 am Dec 2nd and returning 8pm December 2nd ($466).

Rental car from airport in montreal ($46 for the day)

This way I minimise my time off work since I am paid by the day and I have no hotel costs, I'll just sleep in the airport, or car, or on the steps of the consulate.

If they only knew the costs and madness associated with this stupid protocol of only using certain physicians for medicals and not having interviews in Calgary. Oh well- just happy the ball is finally rolling. Good luck to all the others waiting for interviews.

[Kathryn41 3,205]

The delights of living in a big country and being treated like a small one! Good luck with your scheduling and the interview - You're almost there!

[kizza 1]

I cant believe you have to have your interview in Montreal when you live in Calgary

[Hugglebuggles 60]

Would it not be cheaper to spend a couple days in Montreal and have your medical done there? You'd save on the flight costs, but I suppose you'd spend a little for hotel rooms...

[paul151 0]

Would it not be cheaper to spend a couple days in Montreal and have your medical done there? You'd save on the flight costs, but I suppose you'd spend a little for hotel rooms...

Actually with the interview being on a Wednesday i would have to have the medical on a Friday (confirmed this with both physicians) which would mean 5 nights in a hotel and 6 days off work in the peak season= big loss of wages!

[Malrothien 6]

I cant believe you have to have your interview in Montreal when you live in Calgary

We live in Vancouver and have to go to Montreal.

[kitjerky 0]

Well I finally got my interview date yesterday for Dec 2nd. So in a crazy frenzy of flight searches etc heres a quick breakdown of my plan of attack.

Vaccines taken care of so next Monday book a medical in vancouver ($350) for same day results. Fly from Calgary to Vancouver Monday morning and return Monday night ($248 for flights).

Booked flight for Calgary to Montreal leaving calgary 4pm Dec1st arriving 12.58 am Dec 2nd and returning 8pm December 2nd ($466).

Rental car from airport in montreal ($46 for the day)

This way I minimise my time off work since I am paid by the day and I have no hotel costs, I'll just sleep in the airport, or car, or on the steps of the consulate.

If they only knew the costs and madness associated with this stupid protocol of only using certain physicians for medicals and not having interviews in Calgary. Oh well- just happy the ball is finally rolling. Good luck to all the others waiting for interviews.

Hey Good Luck!!!..wow thats some trip!!!..i live in saskatoon and thank god i going to Vancouver for the interview and i can do the medical at the same time..i argee i might end sleeping in the airport..i dont think they really care what the costs are..and in the end its worth every penny!!!

I will be starting off in Purcell, ok... not far from OK city and the world famous will roger airport huh!! then to Texas..

Good Luck stay in touch if you what too...

Tony and Carol

[paul151 0]

Well I finally got my interview date yesterday for Dec 2nd. So in a crazy frenzy of flight searches etc heres a quick breakdown of my plan of attack.

Vaccines taken care of so next Monday book a medical in vancouver ($350) for same day results. Fly from Calgary to Vancouver Monday morning and return Monday night ($248 for flights).

Booked flight for Calgary to Montreal leaving calgary 4pm Dec1st arriving 12.58 am Dec 2nd and returning 8pm December 2nd ($466).

Rental car from airport in montreal ($46 for the day)

This way I minimise my time off work since I am paid by the day and I have no hotel costs, I'll just sleep in the airport, or car, or on the steps of the consulate.

If they only knew the costs and madness associated with this stupid protocol of only using certain physicians for medicals and not having interviews in Calgary. Oh well- just happy the ball is finally rolling. Good luck to all the others waiting for interviews.

Hey Good Luck!!!..wow thats some trip!!!..i live in saskatoon and thank god i going to Vancouver for the interview and i can do the medical at the same time..i argee i might end sleeping in the airport..i dont think they really care what the costs are..and in the end its worth every penny!!!

I will be starting off in Purcell, ok... not far from OK city and the world famous will roger airport huh!! then to Texas..

Good Luck stay in touch if you what too...

Tony and Carol

Thats funny I'm actually working in Weyburn sk right now, just down the road! Just got off the phone with my best friend in Saskatoon (lives on Mkercher Drive). Small world!

Anyways plans are changed, new plan for medical. Looked more closely at the Woking medical website and see that they ONLY do medicals on Wednesday and ONLY at 6.30am

Good thing I didnt book plane tickets. Anyhow Greyhound leaves Calgary at 1.15pm and gets to Vancouver at 5.15am which gives me 1 hour 15 to walk the 2.2kms between greyhound and medical office. Sleep on greyhound - no need for hotel greyhound cost 88 bucks. Return to calgary on seat sale flight same day for 69 bucks plus tax........

Wish me luck

[Wyatt's Torch 45]

Well I finally got my interview date yesterday for Dec 2nd. So in a crazy frenzy of flight searches etc heres a quick breakdown of my plan of attack.

Vaccines taken care of so next Monday book a medical in vancouver ($350) for same day results. Fly from Calgary to Vancouver Monday morning and return Monday night ($248 for flights).

Booked flight for Calgary to Montreal leaving calgary 4pm Dec1st arriving 12.58 am Dec 2nd and returning 8pm December 2nd ($466).

Rental car from airport in montreal ($46 for the day)

This way I minimise my time off work since I am paid by the day and I have no hotel costs, I'll just sleep in the airport, or car, or on the steps of the consulate.

If they only knew the costs and madness associated with this stupid protocol of only using certain physicians for medicals and not having interviews in Calgary. Oh well- just happy the ball is finally rolling. Good luck to all the others waiting for interviews.

Hey Good Luck!!!..wow thats some trip!!!..i live in saskatoon and thank god i going to Vancouver for the interview and i can do the medical at the same time..i argee i might end sleeping in the airport..i dont think they really care what the costs are..and in the end its worth every penny!!!

I will be starting off in Purcell, ok... not far from OK city and the world famous will roger airport huh!! then to Texas..

Good Luck stay in touch if you what too...

Tony and Carol

Thats funny I'm actually working in Weyburn sk right now, just down the road! Just got off the phone with my best friend in Saskatoon (lives on Mkercher Drive). Small world!

Anyways plans are changed, new plan for medical. Looked more closely at the Woking medical website and see that they ONLY do medicals on Wednesday and ONLY at 6.30am

Good thing I didnt book plane tickets. Anyhow Greyhound leaves Calgary at 1.15pm and gets to Vancouver at 5.15am which gives me 1 hour 15 to walk the 2.2kms between greyhound and medical office. Sleep on greyhound - no need for hotel greyhound cost 88 bucks. Return to calgary on seat sale flight same day for 69 bucks plus tax........

Wish me luck

Wow...that's cutting things really close. I don't think I'd be trusting Greyhound to get through the snowy Rockies etc. exactly on time. Plus, you're NOT going to want to walk from the Greyhound terminal in Vancouver to the medical office. It is in one of the worst areas of the city. And I don't think you could make it from the terminal to the medical center in an hour, 2km or no. Better to walk a couple blocks to the Skytrain station, then take it to the Burrard station.

I dunno man...it's your call, but for something as important as this I'd want to give myself a lot more "contingency" time, just in case one of the variables goes awry.

For the record, I'm in the Vancouver area, so I'll have to fly to Montreal for the interview too. Fortunately I can have my medical in town though. It really defies logic that there's not at least two participating consulates in a country as big as Canada...

Edited November 4, 2009 by Wyatt's Torch

[SapphireDreams 71]

I agree with Wyatt, you are better to take a day or two off of work then cut things too close. Things like this are not worth taking a risk for.

I wouldn't say I've done that much travelling, but enough on the greyhound and airports to know that things are onyl on time like 50% of the time.

[paul151 0]

Wow...that's cutting things really close. I don't think I'd be trusting Greyhound to get through the snowy Rockies etc. exactly on time. Plus, you're NOT going to want to walk from the Greyhound terminal in Vancouver to the medical office. It is in one of the worst areas of the city. And I don't think you could make it from the terminal to the medical center in an hour, 2km or no. Better to walk a couple blocks to the Skytrain station, then take it to the Burrard station.

I dunno man...it's your call, but for something as important as this I'd want to give myself a lot more "contingency" time, just in case one of the variables goes awry.

For the record, I'm in the Vancouver area, so I'll have to fly to Montreal for the interview too. Fortunately I can have my medical in town though. It really defies logic that there's not at least two participating consulates in a country as big as Canada...

Thanks for the advice. I've never actually been to Vancouver before so I'm not too familiar with the area. Thats good to know about the skytrain. I guess I'll call greyhound today to see what they think about the arrival time. I've not had problems with them in the past but you are right, the weather is very sketchy this time of year. Theres always taxis too I suppose if time becomes tight. I'm just not a huge fan of spending on hotel rooms when chances are I wont sleep anyways.

At the end of the day I have to absolutely minimise my time off work. Its been a long breakup this year and I didnt make any real money for 6 months. I asked NVC if I could have an interview last month when work was quiet. But no, right when work starts up again I get my interview date. I AM HAPPY I GOT MY INTERVIEW but I just wish the process wasn't so impersonal and illogical. Oh well , just gottta keep my head straight over this one last hurdle.

[Peachey 10]

Question for you that you might not have thought about. Do you have a plan B inc ase your flight to MTL gets delayed or canceled because of snow? Would suck to miss your interview because of the weather.

[bowflex 0]

Question for you that you might not have thought about. Do you have a plan B inc ase your flight to MTL gets delayed or canceled because of snow? Would suck to miss your interview because of the weather.

Exactly what I was thinking. For my wife's interview we drove to Toronto from Windsor and then flew from Toronto to Montreal. The way there wasn't too bad but our flight coming back to Toronto was delayed for an hour or two. After we finally arrived in Toronto I began driving back to Windsor and drove right into the stupid storm again so it took FOREVER. I'd definitely book a hotel for at least one day to make sure that you have plenty of time. Imagine waiting at a bus terminal or something nervous that you won't make it in time, that'd be the worst! Good luck!

[Sam and Ben 2]

From experience, I would say to be very, very careful of trusting Greyhound to get you there "on-time". I don't know the route between Calgary and Vancouver, but if you have any transfers whatsoever, be prepared for delays, overbookings, etc etc.

I also found sleep on the Greyhound to be impossible, but like you said, you probably aren't going to be sleeping a whole lot anyhow.

I would try to have a Plan B, just to put your mind at rest should something go wrong.

Good luck with it all.

[lgg 2]

Wow, paul... that is REALLY cutting it close -- I would definitely make accommodations for delays and stuff as you just can't rely on that many modes of transport working in synch...

Good luck though -- I hope it all does work out and let us all know, okay?

Well I finally got my interview date yesterday for Dec 2nd. So in a crazy frenzy of flight searches etc heres a quick breakdown of my plan of attack.

Vaccines taken care of so next Monday book a medical in vancouver ($350) for same day results. Fly from Calgary to Vancouver Monday morning and return Monday night ($248 for flights).

Booked flight for Calgary to Montreal leaving calgary 4pm Dec1st arriving 12.58 am Dec 2nd and returning 8pm December 2nd ($466).

Rental car from airport in montreal ($46 for the day)

This way I minimise my time off work since I am paid by the day and I have no hotel costs, I'll just sleep in the airport, or car, or on the steps of the consulate.

If they only knew the costs and madness associated with this stupid protocol of only using certain physicians for medicals and not having interviews in Calgary. Oh well- just happy the ball is finally rolling. Good luck to all the others waiting for interviews.

Hey Good Luck!!!..wow thats some trip!!!..i live in saskatoon and thank god i going to Vancouver for the interview and i can do the medical at the same time..i argee i might end sleeping in the airport..i dont think they really care what the costs are..and in the end its worth every penny!!!

I will be starting off in Purcell, ok... not far from OK city and the world famous will roger airport huh!! then to Texas..

Good Luck stay in touch if you what too...

Tony and Carol

Thats funny I'm actually working in Weyburn sk right now, just down the road! Just got off the phone with my best friend in Saskatoon (lives on Mkercher Drive). Small world!

Anyways plans are changed, new plan for medical. Looked more closely at the Woking medical website and see that they ONLY do medicals on Wednesday and ONLY at 6.30am

Good thing I didnt book plane tickets. Anyhow Greyhound leaves Calgary at 1.15pm and gets to Vancouver at 5.15am which gives me 1 hour 15 to walk the 2.2kms between greyhound and medical office. Sleep on greyhound - no need for hotel greyhound cost 88 bucks. Return to calgary on seat sale flight same day for 69 bucks plus tax........

Wish me luck

Wow...that's cutting things really close. I don't think I'd be trusting Greyhound to get through the snowy Rockies etc. exactly on time. Plus, you're NOT going to want to walk from the Greyhound terminal in Vancouver to the medical office. It is in one of the worst areas of the city. And I don't think you could make it from the terminal to the medical center in an hour, 2km or no. Better to walk a couple blocks to the Skytrain station, then take it to the Burrard station.

I dunno man...it's your call, but for something as important as this I'd want to give myself a lot more "contingency" time, just in case one of the variables goes awry.

For the record, I'm in the Vancouver area, so I'll have to fly to Montreal for the interview too. Fortunately I can have my medical in town though. It really defies logic that there's not at least two participating consulates in a country as big as Canada...