Monthly Archives: November 2018

Brits making the move to Toronto — Part 3: Life so far

Andy McLachlan island

Andy’s dodgy selfie while working on Toronto Islands during the summer

Back in September 2017 we started a series of posts following the real-life adventures of Brits moving to Toronto. The Brit in question is Andy McLachlan and you can read parts 1 and 2 here.

Andy has sent us part three — a quick update on life so far. Read on and hear how this Brit is getting on with a new life in Toronto …

Part 3: Life so far

Since I last contacted you with my A-Z of Toronto, I have continued to exist. The family is doing fine — we finally secured a full-time daycare place for our youngest son in September, so that has ended my ~9 months of child wrangling.

I’ve also enjoyed doing some volunteering, playing with Raspberry Pi projects and drumming with a band called Tay Sera but alas, it’s now high time for me to find a serious job.

So far I’ve been doing some freelance writing and part-time work for Toronto Bicycle Tours as a tour guide on the Islands. People from all over the world go on these tours and it is mostly seasonal work; things have now slowed down a lot for the winter. Only a handful of people have braved the outdoors in November; mostly hardy folk from the Netherlands and elsewhere in Canada.

Overall, it has been a nice change for me to work outside, and to be paid to improve my fitness.

I’ve been applying for professional jobs and I have had a couple of interviews, but nothing right has come along yet.

Please could you do a shout-out to see if anyone out there could employ a nerdy scientist Brit who likes bikes? My LinkedIn profile can be found here.

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Former Guardian editor Alan Rusbridger in conversation with Toronto Star editor Irene Gentle

Alan Rusbridger

WikiLeaks? Tick. Phone-hacking scandal? Tick. Edward Snowden stuff? Tick.

Brits in Toronto got the heads-up on a forthcoming event that will appeal to those aficionados of the British press who will get the chance to hear former Guardian editor Alan Rusbridger in conversation with Toronto Star editor Irene Gentle.

Over a 20-year career as editor of the British daily The Guardian, Alan Rusbridger oversaw the publication of ground-breaking journalism: the WikiLeaks story, the phone-hacking scandal, the mass government surveillance as disclosed by U.S National Security Agency whistleblower Edward Snowden.

As he managed the transition from national print newspaper to news site with a strong global online readership, he championed free access and strong journalistic standards. But decisions made along the way were not without their challenges and controversies.

Join Rusbridger for this conversation with Irene Gentle, editor of the Toronto Star, and for the Canadian launch of his book Breaking News: The Remaking of Journalism and Why It Matters Now.

Thursday, November 29
6:00 p.m. Doors open | 7:00 p.m. Discussion | 8:30 p.m. Reception (Cash bar)
Isabel Bader Theatre, 93 Charles St. West, Toronto
Tickets = $20-$30

More details here.