Moving to Canada, still want to blow glass but where to, and etc...?

[chewy]

Hello folks

Ive been thinking about moving to Canada next year, and would like some of your input.

I would like to continue my lampworking career making functional art, but do not know where to go.
I will be moving from the east coast of US, and have had BC, Ontario, and Montreal in mind so far
Montreal might be easier for now since its north of the coast, but im sure i will relocate depending on how things go.

I had few questions if anyone could help..

- I would like to have other people to work with, I like working by myself, but wouldnt mind company either.
Having somebody push your boundary is always a plus.
Where are some spots that are saturated with blowers? Any recommended studios or people to visit?

- How about shops? Would I have to make an occasional cross country trip with some stock depending on the region?
Any specific spots I should hit up, if not popular in the glass game.

- last but not least, raw material suppliers. I guess it'll depend on where I settle, but Im assuming it will be scarce in terms of availability compared to the States.
Do some of them carry tools, or should I stock up while im down here.

I may have more questions, but these are the first things on my mind.
if any other inputs you have in mind would be appreciated.
Thanks ahead for those who can give me some clues.

[HeartBurnGlass]

BC is where its at for sure! from what I hear Ontario has a pretty good glass scene too. I live In Nelson BC its a small town (about 10000 people) but we have a good group of lampworkers here, there are about 12 of us in the area and 6-8 of us are working on getting warehouse space to set up a large studio. If you prefer a bigger city, Vancouver has alot of lampworkers around and a few good shops too. As far as selling your glass goes making a road trip will help but after you have some clients established you should be kept pretty busy. I get the majority of my tools and material from http://www.puffpipes.ca and they are also my distributor. They have great service, fast shipping and usually always have what I need. you can also get glass from http://www.andrighetti.com I've never dealt with them personally but I know some who do regularly. Both of them are located in Vancouver.

[sasch74]

You should coontact OneofaKind Glass in Toronto, people are really cool and they are always open to quality glass!

[hashmasta-kut]

its really weird for me, i live in B.C. always have, but 95% of my Canadian sales are in Ontario. I haven't sold an order to any shop in B.C. As for OneofaKind, they have taken lots of stuff, they are pretty easy to deal with for sure.

[Logan]

Would being a self employed artist make it easy to get canadian citizenship?

[Din]

Not really, not for getting a work visa at least. The residency process is sort of complex. Like HMK mentioned, nice as BC is the glass scene is pretty washed out, and you need to do a lot of footwork to make sufficient sales. Even in a reasonably saturated area it's fairly insular. I'm not really familliar with the scene in Montreal, but I've heard that it's decent. If you have accounts in the US that you can keep, I'd highly recommend that you do.

[Role]

Have you actually looked into the process of getting citizenship or a work visa ???

It is not as simple as saying "I want to move to Canada"...

[MastahGlass]

I am from Toronto.
I use nortel mfg and Artistry in glass for my raw glass orders, google either of them.
I find the cost to be about 30% more then american sites, however shipping is less then 50%.

[chewy]

Thanks for taking your time to answer my question everyone, gave me some idea for canada. My residency in US is going to expire next year, and im debating to stick around this continent, or if i should go back to Japan. there are some sick lamp worker on that island, but the pipe market is terrible. unfortunately its my trade so im kinda screwed, i need to start learning marbles while im here.