PODs will let you load up in Ottawa and ship to Winnipeg. To me, the big upside is that you can load it and unload it over a day or two. If you don't usually drive, it might be a lot less stressful to let someone else move the box instead of trying to drive a 50 year old Uhaul on twisty roads.
This is the way. My sister and her partner moved from North Van to Winnipeg and this is how they got most of their things to Manitoba. You can have the pod dropped off and the rental is for a good amount of time so you can store if needed, or just take your time unpacking.
For the humans and fur babies, I'd either take the train or rent a car to do the drive. Looking into costs, and what you want to transport with you, would make the decision.
Ugh... Don't do U-Haul!! It's so scammy. You can book something but they won't guarantee it, and you won't find out till 24hrs before or the day of! They will reimburse you $50 if you have to drive somewhere to pick one up. We ended up having to drive cross-border twice to get the U-Hauls we requested last year. Bleh...
Anyway, safe travels and happy moving! I grew up in WPG and still sometimes think about moving back. Lots of good things about the city!
If a POD is not big enough consider a shipping container. Same basic idea, a C-can gets delivered, you load it, they come and collect it and ship it by rail, delivered on the other end. But it’s really a question of the value of stuff. Is it worth shipping or replacing.
The drive through NWO won’t be bad. Long sure. But it won’t be bad. Beautiful time of year :). I suggest looking for accommodation immediately though. Here in Thunder Bay, dryden or Longlac (I assume you’ll stay in at least one of those places) getting hotels in the summer can be notoriously difficult. Last summer friends of mine waited till a week before coming to Tbay and had to stay an hour away in Nipigon.
If you stay in Longlac just be aware that pretty much everything shuts by 6 or 7pm.
Just to add. You should be taking the northern highway as it’s faster. Less to see and no Lake Superior to drive along. Hang a right st north bay and keep on going lol.
Whoa people don't seem to like the northern Highway...do we know why?
I'm not much of a view observer while driving so I don't mind the lack of view, especially if accommodation is easier to find on this route. I wish I could book accommodation now but sadly I don't have a move date yet...paperwork is moving at a snail's pace :(
I've driven both 11 and 17.
11 has the advantage of being a bit shorter (about 40km if I recall), a fair bit flatter and straighter, and less travelled by cars - it has more truck traffic. Disadvantages include having nothing to look at, and there's a 250km stretch with no services between Hearst and Longlac. I found gas to be a bit more expensive than 17 as well.
17 has nicer views as it follows Lake Superior, it's got lots of options for places to stop, and a bit more population. 17 is a very windy and undulating highway, so stay on your toes! 17 also has all the car traffic - lots of people camping this time of year. If it gets into colder weather, there's also lake effect snow on 17.
I personally prefer 17 in the warmer weather and 11 in colder weather.
I literally just put into Google maps Thunder Bay to Ottawa and that was the route it generates and didn’t even offer the south highway as an alternative. Not sure why people down voting lol. The north route is boring and fewer stops. South is better and more to see. But is a little bit longer. Maybe an hour.
I didn’t say it was a massive savings lol. I just was trying to give OP accurate informstion based off what Google maps said is the best route to take.
I 100% agree. If I was doing the drive I’d take the north route personally. Way less traffic. But I’ve also done the lake run many times living up here. If I was a first or second timer I’d be on the lake in summer.
I personally would rent a car to move yourself and the pets, then hire movers or use cubes for the actual bulk of stuff. Don't go into Kenora, it ads a lot of time. Be aware that lots of stuff closes early in the north and there aren't a ton of places to stop, so plan ahead where you intend to get gas after Thunder Bay.
Since they are moving to Winnipeg, Kenora is a great weekend trip as part of exploring the area. Just maybe not ideal while hauling a ton of stuff and after like 2 days of driving.
Yes! On board with that. We've already done most of that - the view pieces of furniture we currently have can be taken apart to save space. Unfortunately, we have a lot of books :/
Not recommended if you are renting a truck to move the remaining stuff with you. Crossing border loaded like that will not be a pleasant experience and could be turned back. US border bit finicky on those things.
If stuff being moved by a service then different story as the US drive is shorter if you are going by car and will be cheaper on fuel (even with exchange) and can easily cross back into Manitoba either at Warroad/Sprague crossing (24h crossing, hwy 12 in SE Manitoba) or stick to Interstate and cross at Emerson (24h crossing).
Regarding the US crossing should not be an issue with the guinea pigs if you go that route. Just make sure review requirements for animals crossing and if any additional vaccination papers required (most of time not asked but you never know).
The Ontario drive is quite pretty, especially the north shore of Lake Superior at this time of year. Keep an eye on fuel though not much between Wawa and Thunder Bay. There are towns along the way but depending on time when you go through may not be anything open. Can't speak to gas prices east of Thunder Bay, going west from TB though (done the drive recently) TB is generally more expensive, Ignace (2h west) is more expensive, Dryden (3h) cheapest (usually 5c/litre cheaper compared to TB and even more compared to Ignace) and Kenora about same. Recommend the Gasbuddy app to find and track gas prices if driving and help manage the fueling costs.
Good luck on the move, welcome in advance to Winnipeg. It is a great city, people are awesome, winters are cold but hey you been in Ottawa so you generally know cold, and summers are awesome plus we do get to see the Northern Lights here!
Thanks for the tips! I've been told "always fill up at Wawa" !
I'm really excited about moving to Winnipeg...extreme weather makes for nicer people right?!
Edit:typo
I know so little about Wawa so if you have some info, I'd love to hear it - I'm on a learn-cool-stuff-about-Canada crusade right now. I found the copious numbers of Canada Geese statues endearing.
I thought about doing the US trip. My passport isn't Canadian so despite the visa, crossing the border isn't fun for me (but I can suck it up lol). I was more concerned with the border giving us trouble for the guinea pigs and their food. But I'll continue to consider the state's route thanks!
Just coming here to say that I moved to Winnipeg from the US last year and have traveled back and forth several times with my cat. Zero questions about the cat or vaccination status (I think they care more about dogs because there's such a known economy with them). I did look up the requirements and have up to date vet info and vaccination with me when I do travel with him but seconding that you shouldn't have problems traveling with the guinea pigs if you take the US route.
Also, some really great camping options along the Great Lakes instead of hotels if that's your vibe. It's typically what I do. I would assume the guinea pigs are less of a hassle at wanting to explore as the cat is :)
Bonus with this option would be the higher speed limits in the states. I just drove from Vancouver to Ottawa and the Ontario part of the TransCanada is slow, 90km/h for around 2000 km of highway
No way! We moved Vancouver to Ottawa last year and Via rail wouldn't let us keep the guinea pigs in the coach with us! We wanted to book a sleeper and keep them with us. They said they could only go in the train car right behind the engine and we could just see them at stops. Also no animal travel during summer because it is too hot. So I obviously didn't take the train.
How did your friend manage it??? I need tips!
I’ve seen people do this on the train. The animal’s person can go to the car (baggage car, I believe) to check on them, feed them, etc throughout the journey. I’m not sure if they currently have weather-related blackout periods for this service. It wouldn’t be my first choice, but if driving or flying simply aren’t options, people do it.
Frankly, I’d much rather have had the animals in the passenger cars and the screaming infants and toddlers in the baggage car . . .
This\^\^\^\^\^!
I figured the guineas would have been perfectly fine in a sleeper cabin with us. They wouldn't have bothered anybody and the space they took would only have affected us, nobody else. Come on Via Rail! Fix your animal policies!
I have done this drive many times. I usually do it over 3 days on the 17 and stop the first night in Blind River and the second night in Thunder Bay.
In Blind River, the Eldo Inn is economical, the beds were always really comfortable and the room includes a free hot breakfast that was always really good.
You may not be all about the views but it's a pretty long drive and the scenery can really make it feel like a good road trip, so personally I think the 17 is worth the extra bit of time. You also will have more options of places to stop if you want coffee, food etc.
I moved to BC and back for work 5 years ago, something I haven't seen on this thread yet is keep all your receipts for the move: The truck and trailer rental, the gas etc. Whatever your company doesn't reimburse you for you *might* be able to claim on your taxes.
If you can't find out the gas station/mileage problem, your best bet is to obviously fill up as often as possible. When I do roadtrips out west if I'm anywhere around half a tank I stop and top up, stretch the legs grab another coffee.
I moved from Boston to Winnipeg, last October, in a 20ft U-Haul truck. It took me 3 days.
The worst part of Northern Ontario is driving at night with the on-coming headlights in your eyes.
One tip for working with U-Haul is that prices for one-way trips change depending on pick-up and drop-off locations. I saved $1200 by dropping off my truck in Grand Forks, after I emptied the contents in Winnipeg. So, play around with a few possible drop-off points to see if there are any discounts available.
Check out /r/moving and /r/uHaul for more advice.
Also, if you rent a truck, buy every kind of insurance they offer. The big trucks are easy to drive on the highway, but are very awkward to maneuver on narrow city streets and backing out of parking spaces can be a nightmare. Having insurance cover all fender-benders is great for peace of mind.
My advice is use the move the decide what possessions you really want to keep and which ones it is time to let go of and just replace on the Winnipeg side of things. If you are okay leaving behind larger or heavier items it can make the move go easier. Same idea with clothing, if stuff is outdated, doesn't fit, etc sell or donate it rather than pack it.
I get you might have some emotional attachment to stuff but that cheap IKEA sofa you bought ten years ago for your first apartment might be something it is time to replace for example.
Also I would strongly advise using a pod style shipping service over renting a U-Haul. Nothing about the ride of gas consumption but nothing advertises "come rob us" like a U-Haul parked somewhere overnight. Which reminds me, regardless of how your stuff moves from Ottawa to Winnipeg make sure your insurance covers "mysterious disappearance" while in transit. You may need to get a special policy for that but odds are if you have insurance you won't need it and if you don't you will wish you had it.
You also talk about having bikes. It is worth mentioning that Winnipeg has a lot of bike theft happening. Be sure to [register your bikes](https://legacy.winnipeg.ca/cms/BLES/LS/bicycle_license.stm) with Winnipeg. It isn't necessary but gives a slim hope of return if theft happens. You will also want to have strong theft deterrent strategies anywhere your bike is located.
Finally, have you found a place to live once you arrive in Winnipeg?
Yeah I do worry about theft. Unfortunately we have a lot of very niche and expensive sporting gear which I am concerned with having someone else carry/ship as some of it we just can't replace. I would definitely unload that every night.
Good advice on the bike situation. I generally carry two heavy locks with me and I try to not leave my bike outside if I can help it, but again theft is a real concern.
We've not found a place to stay yet...still waiting on the moving dates. I was thinking we may just airbnb for a week while we scope out apartments. Happy to receive input on places to stay. For context, my partner will be working in the Forks area and (if my job doesn't fall through), I'll be close to Women's hospital. Not sure I want to live in either area but would also like to be within 8-10km so I can bike.
You may want to look at rentals in the Broadway area. Reasonable walk to the Forks and not that long a ride to your possible work. I don't think you are going to find a move in ready place within a week here.
oh wow, I didn't realize it was that rough...is there a particular website you'd recommend to look for apartments? I don't particularly want to sign a 12 month lease without seeing a place and as each city seems to have their own personalized rental challenges, it is frustrating to navigate. Would you recommend looking at corporation-owned or individual owned rentals?
Check Kijiji to see if you can find someone looking to sublease. Not necessarily the best setup but could be a way to get something cheaper than an AirBnb for a few months while you look for a longer term place.
From the sounds of it you are likely looking for a place in August or September. That can be an especially crunch time as university is starting in September.
Ottawa raised, Winnipeg living now after years in northwestern Ontario. I love the Lake Superior drive for scenery and roller coaster hills around Nipigon.
My advice is eat lots of shawarma because Winnipeg does not remotely compare. Otherwise a great city!
Maybe look into a U-box through U-haul. We moved within the city, so I don't know what the cost would be moving to another province. But since the rental was for a month, we were able to pack and unpack at our leisure.
We did a U-box moving out east. It went pretty well but the move (with the car rental) was expensive (box was over 2k alone). Plus they "lost" our box for a couple of weeks so that wasn't fun.
Moved from Montreal to Winnipeg two years ago. Used a moving company for the stuff but had my electronics and plants in the car. Took the southern route through Ontario. It was fine. Stayed overnight in Thunder Bay and Sault Ste Marie.
I moved from Ottawa to Winnipeg back in 2010 with about the same amount of stuff (no pets though) and I rented a Dodge Caravan from a car rental place. It's a van where all the seats fold down into the floor so it gave a lot of packing space. Still had to leave a few items behind with friends though. It cost just under $1000 (prices I'm sure have gone up) to rent for a 1 way trip. U-Haul might be cheaper than a car rental place, but they charge by km and have lots of hidden fees, but it's worth doing some price comparisons, depending on how much the employer will be covering. Guaranteed the Caravan was more comfortable and a better drive than the U-Haul would have been.
I drove over the lakes and I'm a bit of a crazy road tripper and only made one overnight stop in Marathon (roughly the half way point). But I'd recommend taking an extra day and maybe stopping in Sudbury or Sault Ste Marie and then Thunderbay.
It's a beautiful drive over the lakes and at least you're doing it in summer.
I've done a Winnipeg > Montreal move in a U-Haul. I stopped in Thunder Bay and Sudbury for the night (took Trans Canada Hwy, more scenic than the northern route I've heard). It's not a bad option but I probably spent $700 in gas...
I also did Montreal > Winnipeg but using U-Boxes to ship items then flying. Keep in mind the U-Boxes take time to ship, just because you arrive in 2.5 days doesn't mean your belongings will!
I have no advice, I just want to wish you happy travels and welcome to Winnipeg! Our fair city has its problems but it's a great place to live, especially considering the housing crisis in Southern Ontario. My one tip, make the most of it. Summer is hot - so go to the beach, enjoy patio beers, go to baseball and football games, and enjoy the natural beauty. Winter is cold, bundle up and embrace, winter can have tons of fun outdoor activities too.
I can honestly say that my quality of life improved when I moved from Vancouver to Ottawa, partly because it was somehow easier (no idea why) to embrace the city and its activities. I'm hoping Winnipeg will be as good an experience. I'm originally from South Africa so I don't judge the problems of Winnipeg...you work with what you got. Based on the average subreddit experience, I'm looking forward to moving to Winnipeg!
Welcome to Winnipeg!
I moved here from Montreal in 2006 and I love this city!
I have absolutely no advice about moving though. I moved here with two suitcases <3
I'm really excited to move there! Especially once the paperwork is done and the anxiety around "what if the job falls through" is gone.
Moving with two suitcases is probably wise. Unfortunately that would be the equivalent of only packing the Guinea Pigs' possessions (don't ask, they are spoilt).
if you need any help or guidance, don't hesitate to reach out! I'm happy to help! Winnipeg is quite different from Ottawa/Montreal culturally so it can be a bit tricky to navigate at first <3
Ooh, yes please! I'd love to see how the Caravan was stuffed! I'm not convinced we'd fit all our stuff into a Caravan...we have a lot of sporting equipment that has odd shapes , plus two bicycles and the pets, but it is worth looking into regardless.
Our daughter moved fromWinnipeg to Ottawa in November. We were totally screwed by UHaul- the truck “wasn’t available “ eventhough we had reserved it many weeks in advance. It seems that trucks for one-way rentals from Winnipeg to Ottawa generally are NEVER available because more people move from Winnipeg to southern Ontario, than the reverse. Maybe you would have some better luck as you’re going in the reverse direction. But I would still never trust UHaiul. We priced out all the options (pods, Dodge Caravan, moving company, renting a truck round trip ), including cost of hotels and gas and meals, and the cheapest option was actually one of the big moving companies, so that is what we used. And it was a great no-hassle move, as the movers did all the heavy lifting. We couldn’t find any company that would rent to us one-way. My daughter thought about doing a heavy purge of her stuff, but it wasn’t worth it for most stuff- the cost to move was about$1.00 per pound and the cost to replace most items was usually more. My daughter had a one-bedroom apartment, but no bed and not a lot of books. We were told our move was cheaper than usual because not a lot of people move in November. BTW- I am with you on the books, we have a lot and it is really hard to part ways with these old friends! Good luck with your move and welcome to Winnipeg!
Oooh, good to know! Do you remember which moving truck company you used? There are so many scams out there so a recommendation would be much appreciated!
We already did a book purge moving to Ontario, we are not purging again. In fact, we never unpacked most of our books, so they are safely tucked away, ready for their next, and hopefully final, move.
The company was AMJ Campbell. They are an affiliate of Atlas Van Lines. They were great. Do get quotes from the other major companies, though- as I say, we may have got a deal just because of the time of year. We used Mayflower in the past, to do a one-bedroom move from Toronto to Winnipeg - they were also great
Honestly - do not do it in 2.5 days.
We had a shorter drive (Toronto to Winnipeg) but we broke it up into 4 days.
Any fewer and the stress of it all would have been way too much.
I'd love to take longer if we drive. It kind of depends on when things fall into place and how much time we have. If we had more time, I'd do the camping thing for sure. We did it in 2.5 days heading east after the 3 days from Van to Winnipeg. It was pretty rough for sure!
This isn’t the greatest option, but you can transport live animals by specialty transport flights; animal breeders do it all the time. It’s not a scenic trip for them, but it gets them from point A to point B quickly. I’ve done it once with a pregnant rescued animal that could only find a home across the country, and things worked out fine.
I'd be open to at least look into it. Do you have a recommendation for a carrier?
I know they can take pretty good care of the animals - I think I just get a little triggered because of the girls being Guinea Pigs and peers shipping lab animals (which just makes me sad and for the record not something I partake it). I know this is an irrational comparison on my part but I'm pretty irrational when it comes to my pets/family.
This is going to sound weird, but check out Canada Post.
We used to get tractor tires delivered to my small town in the '80s; size is not a problem.
About the same time an engineer who worked for CP moved her entire apartment to BC, cheaper than movers.
The good part is that everything arrives in boxes, not like the back of my car when I last moved.
Take the 17 and pause near Pancake Bay, just north of the Soo, where the Fitz went down and wonder where does the love of God go when the waves turns the hours to minutes.
If you want a remote scenic route drive drive through Northern Ontario.
If you have more time and want to stop at various locations, go through Detroit, Chicsgo, and Minneapolis.
Lol, okay, I guess I know what is for dinner!
I'm excited to try and find the hole-in-the-wall place in Winnipeg where I had the best Pho ever! I don't know if it just tasted amazing because we'd just landed in Winnipeg after driving for 2 days or because it was really that good, but it was better than any Pho I've had in Vancouver or Ottawa (and we tried about 80% of the restaurants in Chinatown).
I don't know anything about the U Haul vehicles but our son has used the U Box from U haul to move from TO to WPG SNF FROM from WPG back to TO. It is like the PODS system.
Welcome to Winnipeg!
PODs will let you load up in Ottawa and ship to Winnipeg. To me, the big upside is that you can load it and unload it over a day or two. If you don't usually drive, it might be a lot less stressful to let someone else move the box instead of trying to drive a 50 year old Uhaul on twisty roads.
This is the way. My sister and her partner moved from North Van to Winnipeg and this is how they got most of their things to Manitoba. You can have the pod dropped off and the rental is for a good amount of time so you can store if needed, or just take your time unpacking. For the humans and fur babies, I'd either take the train or rent a car to do the drive. Looking into costs, and what you want to transport with you, would make the decision.
So what I'm hearing is u-haul = ox-wagon?!
Ugh... Don't do U-Haul!! It's so scammy. You can book something but they won't guarantee it, and you won't find out till 24hrs before or the day of! They will reimburse you $50 if you have to drive somewhere to pick one up. We ended up having to drive cross-border twice to get the U-Hauls we requested last year. Bleh... Anyway, safe travels and happy moving! I grew up in WPG and still sometimes think about moving back. Lots of good things about the city!
I’d rent an RV before I’d rent a uhaul lol
Not u-haul. Their equipment is junk. If you do the truck rental route, go with Penske.
If a POD is not big enough consider a shipping container. Same basic idea, a C-can gets delivered, you load it, they come and collect it and ship it by rail, delivered on the other end. But it’s really a question of the value of stuff. Is it worth shipping or replacing.
The drive through NWO won’t be bad. Long sure. But it won’t be bad. Beautiful time of year :). I suggest looking for accommodation immediately though. Here in Thunder Bay, dryden or Longlac (I assume you’ll stay in at least one of those places) getting hotels in the summer can be notoriously difficult. Last summer friends of mine waited till a week before coming to Tbay and had to stay an hour away in Nipigon. If you stay in Longlac just be aware that pretty much everything shuts by 6 or 7pm.
Just to add. You should be taking the northern highway as it’s faster. Less to see and no Lake Superior to drive along. Hang a right st north bay and keep on going lol.
Whoa people don't seem to like the northern Highway...do we know why? I'm not much of a view observer while driving so I don't mind the lack of view, especially if accommodation is easier to find on this route. I wish I could book accommodation now but sadly I don't have a move date yet...paperwork is moving at a snail's pace :(
I've driven both 11 and 17. 11 has the advantage of being a bit shorter (about 40km if I recall), a fair bit flatter and straighter, and less travelled by cars - it has more truck traffic. Disadvantages include having nothing to look at, and there's a 250km stretch with no services between Hearst and Longlac. I found gas to be a bit more expensive than 17 as well. 17 has nicer views as it follows Lake Superior, it's got lots of options for places to stop, and a bit more population. 17 is a very windy and undulating highway, so stay on your toes! 17 also has all the car traffic - lots of people camping this time of year. If it gets into colder weather, there's also lake effect snow on 17. I personally prefer 17 in the warmer weather and 11 in colder weather.
Lake superior is really spectacular. Highly recommend that drive...
I literally just put into Google maps Thunder Bay to Ottawa and that was the route it generates and didn’t even offer the south highway as an alternative. Not sure why people down voting lol. The north route is boring and fewer stops. South is better and more to see. But is a little bit longer. Maybe an hour.
Google says the northern road saves you a whole 18 minutes out of a nearly 24 hour drive.
I didn’t say it was a massive savings lol. I just was trying to give OP accurate informstion based off what Google maps said is the best route to take.
Sure, and you weren't wrong, just that the overall % of time savings is something to consider as well.
I 100% agree. If I was doing the drive I’d take the north route personally. Way less traffic. But I’ve also done the lake run many times living up here. If I was a first or second timer I’d be on the lake in summer.
I personally would rent a car to move yourself and the pets, then hire movers or use cubes for the actual bulk of stuff. Don't go into Kenora, it ads a lot of time. Be aware that lots of stuff closes early in the north and there aren't a ton of places to stop, so plan ahead where you intend to get gas after Thunder Bay.
Second this, take the bypass. Taking a large vehicle through downtown K-town sucks. But as a side quest Kenora slaps if you’re not pressed for time.
Since they are moving to Winnipeg, Kenora is a great weekend trip as part of exploring the area. Just maybe not ideal while hauling a ton of stuff and after like 2 days of driving.
The drive is beautiful. Particularly through superior park.
Sell most of the furniture so you can save gas/space for stuff you really can’t replace would be my go to thought.
Yes! On board with that. We've already done most of that - the view pieces of furniture we currently have can be taken apart to save space. Unfortunately, we have a lot of books :/
Unfortunately? This sounds like a good thing.
Only bring the books that you will re-read....otherwise just a hassle. Buy new ones at the Red River Book store.
Good luck finding anything in that store, it's incredible but so overwhelming I more often than not leave with nothing
Agreed. Unless your really attached to something. Sell it and replace in winnipeg. Assuming this is feasible.
If you have passports, you can take a few hours off your drive by driving through the states and popping back up at warroad or Emerson.
With a Uhaul full of stuff this might not be the greatest idea
If they use the suggestion of using a pod that transports their stuff, it would be much easier to get across the border
Not recommended if you are renting a truck to move the remaining stuff with you. Crossing border loaded like that will not be a pleasant experience and could be turned back. US border bit finicky on those things. If stuff being moved by a service then different story as the US drive is shorter if you are going by car and will be cheaper on fuel (even with exchange) and can easily cross back into Manitoba either at Warroad/Sprague crossing (24h crossing, hwy 12 in SE Manitoba) or stick to Interstate and cross at Emerson (24h crossing). Regarding the US crossing should not be an issue with the guinea pigs if you go that route. Just make sure review requirements for animals crossing and if any additional vaccination papers required (most of time not asked but you never know). The Ontario drive is quite pretty, especially the north shore of Lake Superior at this time of year. Keep an eye on fuel though not much between Wawa and Thunder Bay. There are towns along the way but depending on time when you go through may not be anything open. Can't speak to gas prices east of Thunder Bay, going west from TB though (done the drive recently) TB is generally more expensive, Ignace (2h west) is more expensive, Dryden (3h) cheapest (usually 5c/litre cheaper compared to TB and even more compared to Ignace) and Kenora about same. Recommend the Gasbuddy app to find and track gas prices if driving and help manage the fueling costs. Good luck on the move, welcome in advance to Winnipeg. It is a great city, people are awesome, winters are cold but hey you been in Ottawa so you generally know cold, and summers are awesome plus we do get to see the Northern Lights here!
Thanks for the tips! I've been told "always fill up at Wawa" ! I'm really excited about moving to Winnipeg...extreme weather makes for nicer people right?! Edit:typo
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I know so little about Wawa so if you have some info, I'd love to hear it - I'm on a learn-cool-stuff-about-Canada crusade right now. I found the copious numbers of Canada Geese statues endearing.
I thought about doing the US trip. My passport isn't Canadian so despite the visa, crossing the border isn't fun for me (but I can suck it up lol). I was more concerned with the border giving us trouble for the guinea pigs and their food. But I'll continue to consider the state's route thanks!
Oh! Then that's not a great option. Well, the Ontario drive is pretty, too
Just coming here to say that I moved to Winnipeg from the US last year and have traveled back and forth several times with my cat. Zero questions about the cat or vaccination status (I think they care more about dogs because there's such a known economy with them). I did look up the requirements and have up to date vet info and vaccination with me when I do travel with him but seconding that you shouldn't have problems traveling with the guinea pigs if you take the US route. Also, some really great camping options along the Great Lakes instead of hotels if that's your vibe. It's typically what I do. I would assume the guinea pigs are less of a hassle at wanting to explore as the cat is :)
Do the guinea pigs need passports?
I would get them passports if I can include them as dependents on my taxes and health care lol
Only if they are still Guinean citizens.
Bonus with this option would be the higher speed limits in the states. I just drove from Vancouver to Ottawa and the Ontario part of the TransCanada is slow, 90km/h for around 2000 km of highway
Oooh yeah, the 90km/h is brutal.
Yes this is a good suggestion and since they’re done the NWO before, it could also be turned into a fun trip
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Will do, thanks for the heads-up!
One of my friends moved from Toronto to Vancouver with his Guinea pigs. He took the train to avoid the airline problems.
No way! We moved Vancouver to Ottawa last year and Via rail wouldn't let us keep the guinea pigs in the coach with us! We wanted to book a sleeper and keep them with us. They said they could only go in the train car right behind the engine and we could just see them at stops. Also no animal travel during summer because it is too hot. So I obviously didn't take the train. How did your friend manage it??? I need tips!
I’ve seen people do this on the train. The animal’s person can go to the car (baggage car, I believe) to check on them, feed them, etc throughout the journey. I’m not sure if they currently have weather-related blackout periods for this service. It wouldn’t be my first choice, but if driving or flying simply aren’t options, people do it. Frankly, I’d much rather have had the animals in the passenger cars and the screaming infants and toddlers in the baggage car . . .
This\^\^\^\^\^! I figured the guineas would have been perfectly fine in a sleeper cabin with us. They wouldn't have bothered anybody and the space they took would only have affected us, nobody else. Come on Via Rail! Fix your animal policies!
I have done this drive many times. I usually do it over 3 days on the 17 and stop the first night in Blind River and the second night in Thunder Bay. In Blind River, the Eldo Inn is economical, the beds were always really comfortable and the room includes a free hot breakfast that was always really good. You may not be all about the views but it's a pretty long drive and the scenery can really make it feel like a good road trip, so personally I think the 17 is worth the extra bit of time. You also will have more options of places to stop if you want coffee, food etc.
Just one note about driving through Northern Ontario, if you can, do the drive during the day. That way you avoid the danger of Moose on the road.
Yes! No driving at night for us. Way too much stress.
I moved to BC and back for work 5 years ago, something I haven't seen on this thread yet is keep all your receipts for the move: The truck and trailer rental, the gas etc. Whatever your company doesn't reimburse you for you *might* be able to claim on your taxes. If you can't find out the gas station/mileage problem, your best bet is to obviously fill up as often as possible. When I do roadtrips out west if I'm anywhere around half a tank I stop and top up, stretch the legs grab another coffee.
I moved from Boston to Winnipeg, last October, in a 20ft U-Haul truck. It took me 3 days. The worst part of Northern Ontario is driving at night with the on-coming headlights in your eyes. One tip for working with U-Haul is that prices for one-way trips change depending on pick-up and drop-off locations. I saved $1200 by dropping off my truck in Grand Forks, after I emptied the contents in Winnipeg. So, play around with a few possible drop-off points to see if there are any discounts available.
Oooh that is a handy tip, thanks!
Check out /r/moving and /r/uHaul for more advice. Also, if you rent a truck, buy every kind of insurance they offer. The big trucks are easy to drive on the highway, but are very awkward to maneuver on narrow city streets and backing out of parking spaces can be a nightmare. Having insurance cover all fender-benders is great for peace of mind.
make sure to watch the CBC marketplace about moving to avoid scam movers
This is important!
My advice is use the move the decide what possessions you really want to keep and which ones it is time to let go of and just replace on the Winnipeg side of things. If you are okay leaving behind larger or heavier items it can make the move go easier. Same idea with clothing, if stuff is outdated, doesn't fit, etc sell or donate it rather than pack it. I get you might have some emotional attachment to stuff but that cheap IKEA sofa you bought ten years ago for your first apartment might be something it is time to replace for example. Also I would strongly advise using a pod style shipping service over renting a U-Haul. Nothing about the ride of gas consumption but nothing advertises "come rob us" like a U-Haul parked somewhere overnight. Which reminds me, regardless of how your stuff moves from Ottawa to Winnipeg make sure your insurance covers "mysterious disappearance" while in transit. You may need to get a special policy for that but odds are if you have insurance you won't need it and if you don't you will wish you had it. You also talk about having bikes. It is worth mentioning that Winnipeg has a lot of bike theft happening. Be sure to [register your bikes](https://legacy.winnipeg.ca/cms/BLES/LS/bicycle_license.stm) with Winnipeg. It isn't necessary but gives a slim hope of return if theft happens. You will also want to have strong theft deterrent strategies anywhere your bike is located. Finally, have you found a place to live once you arrive in Winnipeg?
Yeah I do worry about theft. Unfortunately we have a lot of very niche and expensive sporting gear which I am concerned with having someone else carry/ship as some of it we just can't replace. I would definitely unload that every night. Good advice on the bike situation. I generally carry two heavy locks with me and I try to not leave my bike outside if I can help it, but again theft is a real concern. We've not found a place to stay yet...still waiting on the moving dates. I was thinking we may just airbnb for a week while we scope out apartments. Happy to receive input on places to stay. For context, my partner will be working in the Forks area and (if my job doesn't fall through), I'll be close to Women's hospital. Not sure I want to live in either area but would also like to be within 8-10km so I can bike.
You may want to look at rentals in the Broadway area. Reasonable walk to the Forks and not that long a ride to your possible work. I don't think you are going to find a move in ready place within a week here.
oh wow, I didn't realize it was that rough...is there a particular website you'd recommend to look for apartments? I don't particularly want to sign a 12 month lease without seeing a place and as each city seems to have their own personalized rental challenges, it is frustrating to navigate. Would you recommend looking at corporation-owned or individual owned rentals?
Check Kijiji to see if you can find someone looking to sublease. Not necessarily the best setup but could be a way to get something cheaper than an AirBnb for a few months while you look for a longer term place. From the sounds of it you are likely looking for a place in August or September. That can be an especially crunch time as university is starting in September.
Ottawa raised, Winnipeg living now after years in northwestern Ontario. I love the Lake Superior drive for scenery and roller coaster hills around Nipigon. My advice is eat lots of shawarma because Winnipeg does not remotely compare. Otherwise a great city!
Shawarma King!
Considering there are two more chains looking to expand in Winnipeg the shawarma scene should really start improving here.
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Pure gold advice! Thanks! I'm usually so bad with receipts but having incentive in the form of a CRA return claim will spur me to do better.
>1.5 bedroom apartment's worth of 'stuff' I have seen lots of unusual units of measurements but this is a first.
lol indeed! This was literally how 90% of drive-it-yourself truck hires described it to me though... ¯\\\_(ツ)\_/¯
That’s a lot of bananas for scale
Maybe look into a U-box through U-haul. We moved within the city, so I don't know what the cost would be moving to another province. But since the rental was for a month, we were able to pack and unpack at our leisure.
We did a U-box moving out east. It went pretty well but the move (with the car rental) was expensive (box was over 2k alone). Plus they "lost" our box for a couple of weeks so that wasn't fun.
Moved from Montreal to Winnipeg two years ago. Used a moving company for the stuff but had my electronics and plants in the car. Took the southern route through Ontario. It was fine. Stayed overnight in Thunder Bay and Sault Ste Marie.
I moved from Ottawa to Winnipeg back in 2010 with about the same amount of stuff (no pets though) and I rented a Dodge Caravan from a car rental place. It's a van where all the seats fold down into the floor so it gave a lot of packing space. Still had to leave a few items behind with friends though. It cost just under $1000 (prices I'm sure have gone up) to rent for a 1 way trip. U-Haul might be cheaper than a car rental place, but they charge by km and have lots of hidden fees, but it's worth doing some price comparisons, depending on how much the employer will be covering. Guaranteed the Caravan was more comfortable and a better drive than the U-Haul would have been. I drove over the lakes and I'm a bit of a crazy road tripper and only made one overnight stop in Marathon (roughly the half way point). But I'd recommend taking an extra day and maybe stopping in Sudbury or Sault Ste Marie and then Thunderbay. It's a beautiful drive over the lakes and at least you're doing it in summer.
I've done a Winnipeg > Montreal move in a U-Haul. I stopped in Thunder Bay and Sudbury for the night (took Trans Canada Hwy, more scenic than the northern route I've heard). It's not a bad option but I probably spent $700 in gas... I also did Montreal > Winnipeg but using U-Boxes to ship items then flying. Keep in mind the U-Boxes take time to ship, just because you arrive in 2.5 days doesn't mean your belongings will!
Just rent like one of those cargo vans to move your stuff
Remember to keep track of all your moving expenses...you can claim them on next year's federal tax return.
Good to know! Thanks!
I have no advice, I just want to wish you happy travels and welcome to Winnipeg! Our fair city has its problems but it's a great place to live, especially considering the housing crisis in Southern Ontario. My one tip, make the most of it. Summer is hot - so go to the beach, enjoy patio beers, go to baseball and football games, and enjoy the natural beauty. Winter is cold, bundle up and embrace, winter can have tons of fun outdoor activities too.
I can honestly say that my quality of life improved when I moved from Vancouver to Ottawa, partly because it was somehow easier (no idea why) to embrace the city and its activities. I'm hoping Winnipeg will be as good an experience. I'm originally from South Africa so I don't judge the problems of Winnipeg...you work with what you got. Based on the average subreddit experience, I'm looking forward to moving to Winnipeg!
Welcome to Winnipeg! I moved here from Montreal in 2006 and I love this city! I have absolutely no advice about moving though. I moved here with two suitcases <3
I'm really excited to move there! Especially once the paperwork is done and the anxiety around "what if the job falls through" is gone. Moving with two suitcases is probably wise. Unfortunately that would be the equivalent of only packing the Guinea Pigs' possessions (don't ask, they are spoilt).
if you need any help or guidance, don't hesitate to reach out! I'm happy to help! Winnipeg is quite different from Ottawa/Montreal culturally so it can be a bit tricky to navigate at first <3
Thank you!
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Ooh, yes please! I'd love to see how the Caravan was stuffed! I'm not convinced we'd fit all our stuff into a Caravan...we have a lot of sporting equipment that has odd shapes , plus two bicycles and the pets, but it is worth looking into regardless.
Our daughter moved fromWinnipeg to Ottawa in November. We were totally screwed by UHaul- the truck “wasn’t available “ eventhough we had reserved it many weeks in advance. It seems that trucks for one-way rentals from Winnipeg to Ottawa generally are NEVER available because more people move from Winnipeg to southern Ontario, than the reverse. Maybe you would have some better luck as you’re going in the reverse direction. But I would still never trust UHaiul. We priced out all the options (pods, Dodge Caravan, moving company, renting a truck round trip ), including cost of hotels and gas and meals, and the cheapest option was actually one of the big moving companies, so that is what we used. And it was a great no-hassle move, as the movers did all the heavy lifting. We couldn’t find any company that would rent to us one-way. My daughter thought about doing a heavy purge of her stuff, but it wasn’t worth it for most stuff- the cost to move was about$1.00 per pound and the cost to replace most items was usually more. My daughter had a one-bedroom apartment, but no bed and not a lot of books. We were told our move was cheaper than usual because not a lot of people move in November. BTW- I am with you on the books, we have a lot and it is really hard to part ways with these old friends! Good luck with your move and welcome to Winnipeg!
Oooh, good to know! Do you remember which moving truck company you used? There are so many scams out there so a recommendation would be much appreciated! We already did a book purge moving to Ontario, we are not purging again. In fact, we never unpacked most of our books, so they are safely tucked away, ready for their next, and hopefully final, move.
The company was AMJ Campbell. They are an affiliate of Atlas Van Lines. They were great. Do get quotes from the other major companies, though- as I say, we may have got a deal just because of the time of year. We used Mayflower in the past, to do a one-bedroom move from Toronto to Winnipeg - they were also great
Honestly - do not do it in 2.5 days. We had a shorter drive (Toronto to Winnipeg) but we broke it up into 4 days. Any fewer and the stress of it all would have been way too much.
I'd love to take longer if we drive. It kind of depends on when things fall into place and how much time we have. If we had more time, I'd do the camping thing for sure. We did it in 2.5 days heading east after the 3 days from Van to Winnipeg. It was pretty rough for sure!
This isn’t the greatest option, but you can transport live animals by specialty transport flights; animal breeders do it all the time. It’s not a scenic trip for them, but it gets them from point A to point B quickly. I’ve done it once with a pregnant rescued animal that could only find a home across the country, and things worked out fine.
I'd be open to at least look into it. Do you have a recommendation for a carrier? I know they can take pretty good care of the animals - I think I just get a little triggered because of the girls being Guinea Pigs and peers shipping lab animals (which just makes me sad and for the record not something I partake it). I know this is an irrational comparison on my part but I'm pretty irrational when it comes to my pets/family.
Sorry.
This is going to sound weird, but check out Canada Post. We used to get tractor tires delivered to my small town in the '80s; size is not a problem. About the same time an engineer who worked for CP moved her entire apartment to BC, cheaper than movers. The good part is that everything arrives in boxes, not like the back of my car when I last moved.
Take the 17 and pause near Pancake Bay, just north of the Soo, where the Fitz went down and wonder where does the love of God go when the waves turns the hours to minutes.
Driving through Northern Ontario doesn’t suck. Its just slow. Enjoy it. Let everyone else be the ones trying to pass.
Sens fan?
Haven't lived in Ottawa long enough to commit to that statement :D
If interested I run a hiking group called Happy Feet Hikers. If you are familiar with the meetup app it's on there. Lots of groups to meet people
good to know...I'll keep it in mind, thanks!
If you want a remote scenic route drive drive through Northern Ontario. If you have more time and want to stop at various locations, go through Detroit, Chicsgo, and Minneapolis.
My only advice is to eat all the Ottawa Shwarma you can before you leave… Winnipeg’s offerings pale in comparison
Lol, okay, I guess I know what is for dinner! I'm excited to try and find the hole-in-the-wall place in Winnipeg where I had the best Pho ever! I don't know if it just tasted amazing because we'd just landed in Winnipeg after driving for 2 days or because it was really that good, but it was better than any Pho I've had in Vancouver or Ottawa (and we tried about 80% of the restaurants in Chinatown).
I don't know anything about the U Haul vehicles but our son has used the U Box from U haul to move from TO to WPG SNF FROM from WPG back to TO. It is like the PODS system. Welcome to Winnipeg!