Thanks for all the good feedback guys, it's really appreciated.
Air Canada wants to go the Jetstar-Qantas route, our CEO has even told us that is the model he admires and wants to emulate.We are in nasty contract talks now but what is being offered by the company is essentially the end of AC as we know it as well as the bottom 1000-1500 jobs.
I have been to Dubai on vacation before with my wife and I believe we could make a go of it.(we liked it for 10 days as tourists....I know it's not the same as living there...)
I look forward to command but a 330 command at AC is still 15 years away (30 years seniority) so even 10 years at EK will still be a step up.
I have read the many threads and basically I just want to do another 10-15 years and retire around 55 hopefully still married and my health intact.
Of all the overseas jobs, Emirates seems to be the one where a foreigner is not that foreign...because of all the expats and the closest to my current lifestyle.
I will ride it out a bit but AC seems headed the way of our Qantas friends.
Again thanks for all the replies!