International removals from West London to Canada
Canada moves divide east and west much like the States. Toronto, Ottawa and Montreal are served through the eastern ports; Vancouver and the west take a longer sailing or an overland leg. The West London households we move to Canada are often chasing space and a permanent-residence route — and, quietly, bracing for a proper winter after years of mild London Januarys.
Sea freight
Container to Halifax or Montreal for the east; through to Vancouver for the west.
Air freight
A small allowance for the essentials you need before the container clears.
Storage in between
Not ready at the far end? We can hold your things in secure storage at our West London base and ship when the timing works.
The shipping is by sea almost every time. What makes a Canadian move run smoothly is the customs list they call the B4 — your "goods to follow" declaration — and being straight about what is used, what is new, and what is coming later.
The B4 list and Canadian customs
When you enter Canada as a new or returning resident, you present a list of everything you are importing, including a "goods to follow" list — the B4 (BSF186) — for the container that arrives after you. Getting that list right at the border matters: it is what lets your household effects clear duty- and tax-free later. We help you build the inventory so the list you hand the border officer matches the container we ship.
Used personal and household effects generally enter free of duty and tax. New goods, and anything you have owned for a short time, can be assessed — Canada looks at how long you have owned an item. Alcohol and tobacco have limits and can attract duty. As always, we flag the awkward items before they are loaded in Acton.
- B4 / BSF186 "goods to follow" list built to match your shipment
- Used household effects generally clear duty- and tax-free
- Alcohol and tobacco limits flagged before loading
- Firearms and certain foods checked against Canadian rules
East and west: the routing
For Toronto, Ottawa and Montreal we sail to Halifax or up the St Lawrence to Montreal, then road or rail to your door. For Vancouver, Calgary and the west, the container either takes the longer sea route or lands east and crosses the country — so a BC move needs earlier planning than an Ontario one.
We collect across west and south-west London, consolidate at Acton, and hand the far end to a Canadian agent who clears the shipment and delivers it. Tell us whether you are heading for a downtown Toronto condo or a house in the Vancouver suburbs — the access is very different.
Packing for a Canadian winter
If your container arrives in January, it has crossed the North Atlantic in winter and your goods will be cold and dry on delivery. We pack for that — proper protection for wood that hates sudden humidity swings, and sensible handling for anything electronic that has been sitting near freezing. And we will say the obvious thing everyone forgets: pack the warm coats where you can reach them, not at the bottom of a container that lands in a Toronto February.
We collect right across west London — Acton, Chiswick, Ealing, Shepherd’s Bush and out to Brentford — as well as the wider west, south-west and north-west London catchment. Everything is packed and consolidated at our Acton base before it leaves the country.
Moving from West London to Canada
What is the B4 list?
The B4 (form BSF186) is the list of goods you declare at the Canadian border, including a "goods to follow" list for a container that arrives after you. It is what allows your used household effects to clear duty- and tax-free. We help you build an inventory that matches the shipment so the border declaration is clean.
Do used belongings attract duty in Canada?
Used personal and household effects you have owned and used generally enter free of duty and tax. Canada does look at how long you have owned an item, so recently bought goods can be assessed, and alcohol and tobacco have limits. We flag anything questionable before loading.
Is Vancouver a longer move than Toronto?
Usually, yes. Eastern cities are served through Halifax or Montreal; Vancouver and the west take a longer sailing or an overland crossing. A BC move needs earlier planning, so tell us your destination when we first scope the job.
Can you ship in the middle of winter?
We do it regularly. Winter shipping is fine with the right packing — we protect against cold and humidity swings and advise you to keep winter clothing in your hand luggage or an air allowance rather than at the bottom of the container.
Do you cover Montreal and French-speaking Quebec?
Yes. Montreal is one of the main eastern entry points, and we deliver across Quebec as well as Ontario and the west. The paperwork is the same federal process wherever in Canada you land.
Other destinations we run from West London
Get a quote for your move to Canada
Tell us what you’re moving and where from and to. We’ll come back with a written quote and the paperwork it needs — no obligation.