There are an estimated 230 sunny days in Dallas-Fort Worth every year. For most people, that’s a fun piece of trivia. For Jamie Hall, it was key to his family’s future.

“I’ve been working with Canadian Solar since 2013. I’m probably the longest serving employee in Dallas,” said Hall.

Canadian Solar, one of the world’s largest solar technology and renewable energy companies, moved into a 91-acre industrial park in Mesquite in 2022, the company’s first U.S. manufacturing facility. Hall was asked to help launch it in North Texas, but while others on the advanced team returned to Canada, he came with the intention of staying.

“We decided to uproot the whole family and not just go on a visa with the idea of returning home,” said Hall. “But set roots down and make a life of it in Dallas. And it’s been great so far. We’re absolutely in love with Dallas.”

The Hall family — Jamie, his wife, and their 13-year-old daughter — found Dallas to be an easy transition. Texas actually reminded him of his childhood.

“We went to Billy Bob’s at the Stockyards; we love country music and cowboy culture. And for me, coming from the prairies of Canada, DFW felt homey immediately.”

They liked it so much that, to them, the Stockyards quickly became the Niagara Falls of Dallas.

“By that I mean every time somebody comes to visit, we take them to the Stockyards — like we used to do in Canada — take them to Niagara.”

The best parts of Toronto in North Texas

They found it easy to fit in with friendly neighbors and local culture. Especially their daughter, who’s an equestrian.

“Where better to be if you love horses,” said Hall.

When they bought their very own horse, Hall and his wife knew they were “signing the contract” to be in Dallas for the foreseeable future.

The cost of living was also a selling point. It’s so much lower than Toronto that his wife can take a break from working full-time and focus on being a mom.

“I mean, our daughter is 13 now, so we know, in a couple of years, she may not want anything to do with us,” Hall said, laughing. “So we’ll take it when we can get it.”

Some of that family time is spent exploring on road trips, something they discovered a love for during the pandemic.

“And we’re running the exact same play here. We went to Paris, Texas, where they have an Eiffel Tower with a cowboy hat on top of it.”

Hall and his family love learning the local history, from JFK to Bonnie & Clyde, and he describes people as “Texas friendly.”

“It’s like a base level of friendliness combined with good manners. I hear a lot of ‘yes ma’am’ and ‘Mr. Jamie.’ And I’m like, thank you, but you know you’re just talking to me. I’m just a guy walking into a store.”

Yes, you read that right. North Texas friendliness gets the stamp of approval from a Canadian. Pretty impressive.

Bringing the heat

The biggest difference the Halls see, and the thing that took some getting used to, is the temperature.

“We moved at the end of July 2022, and it finally dawned on us that while you’re out in the summer and batten down the hatches in the winter in Canada, here, it’s the opposite. We didn’t meet our neighbors until summer was over.”

They settled in a community just east of Dallas, where the “old timers” have lived for a couple of years, and construction is ongoing.

He said, though, he never would have predicted it. Dallas has been easy to say yes to, partly because, from the start, it felt like an area they already knew.

“Toronto is a melting pot of a bunch of different cultures, and you can smell amazing foods from all over the world just by walking down Yonge St. We get the same thing from Dallas, you know. You can find whatever you’re looking for.”