![]() The best way to get from one city to the next is definitely by car, however, there are also coach buses that are relatively inexpensive. The main issue with travelling within Canada is the magnitude of the country and transportation costs. It has buses, SkyTrains, SeaBuses, bike/scooter share services, and a network of trails and cycling lanes. Out of all the places I’ve been, Vancouver is probably the easiest city to get around without a car. When I’m in Calgary, that can mean biking for 20km to get to the city centre… I usually manage to borrow one from my family, get a ride from a friend, or hop on a bike to get where I need to go. Unless you’re in one of the major cities or staying somewhere central, Canada is very car reliant. The view from my brother’s window in Pemberton, BC. For me, it’s a pretty manageable difference and I sometimes wish I could always work 7-3. I’ll start at 7 am and finish at 3 pm, the perfect time for a swim, bike ride, or a nap before my family gets back from their own jobs. Sticking to a few key remote work communication techniques makes this overlap more than enough, and has the added bonus of finishing up my workday early enough to enjoy some afternoon sunshine. I’m usually in the PST (UTC-8) or MST (UTC-7) zones, so I prefer to get an early start on the day, which gives me about 3-4 hours of overlap with colleagues in Europe. That can be a lot harder in some places than others, especially in a country like Canada that spans 6 time zones. Given that much of our work at Akepa is set to Central European Time (UTC +1), managing the time difference is important to keep things moving along. Photographer: Dealing with the time change ![]() Both Calgary and Vancouver have great central libraries with the bonus of having nice city walks nearby for when you need to stretch your legs. The bigger cities have large libraries that are well located and have a bit of a buzz around them without having to buy something. When a change of scene is needed away from cafes, there are also some great public libraries that offer calmer spaces to work. It still isn’t generally appreciated if you sit for hours on a busy weekend but I’ve never had any trouble during the week and am always conscious to buy a few things throughout my stay. There’s usually plenty of room, I’m rarely consigned to designated laptop tables, and there’s almost always wifi. Given that I’m often staying with family or friends when I come back to the homeland, I’ve found it a big help to have places outside of the house to go to in order to create a consistent routine.Ī nice thing about remote work in Canadian cities vs when I’m in Barcelona is that the cafés are a bit more spacious. Finding places to work, time-change, transportation, costs, and entertainment are all important to figure out to make the most of your time working remotely in Canada. Photographer: might sound like sunshine and rainbows, but it does still take planning and accountability to make this sort of work model effective and enjoyable. ![]() Looking across Jackfish Lake 2h from Saskatoon, SK. ![]() Akepa’s remote model has helped to simplify that part of things, letting me head home for family events or holidays and keeping me connected with my overseas friends. Note: I make a point of saying Western Canada because it is a massive country and I spend most of my time on the Pacific coast and in the prairie provinces!Īfter being in Barcelona for just over a year, it’s starting to feel like home, but I still feel pulled back to Canada to see friends and family, which can be a tough trip to make while balancing the demands of a 9-5. The biggest difference for me, and the main reason I began searching for remote opportunities, is that it allows me the flexibility to return to my roots in Western Canada while being primarily based in Europe. And I have to say, that isn’t far off my day-to-day living in Barcelona. Remote work is often associated with venturing away from home base to new places, morning yoga, the search for laptop-friendly cafés, and evenings spent watching tropical sunsets. Here, Eric Sandstrom, originally from Canada and now based in Barcelona, discusses how working remotely impacts his professional and personal life when he’s back home. This not only allows us to bring on talented people from anywhere in the world but also helps our international team find balance in their own lives. Akepa thrives on a fully-remote model, giving our team the freedom to work where and however they like.
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