Moving to Canada

[USC Wuz Robbed! 0]

So my sister is thinking of moving to Canada for better healthcare and education- can anyone who lives/lived in Canada tell me of good cities in which you can get a nice house at an affordable price and in a nice neighborhood?

[Guest Vitamin X]

Vancouver's not the worst place in the world, I've heard. And the weather is more tolerable.

[DrVenkman PhD 0]

The province of Alberta pays great for everything and has low tax, but I'm told they have a high cost of living.

 

As far as I can tell, Toronto is where people go to have their spirits crushed, but results can vary. A friend of mine - about 5 years removed from an experience where he left home to make it on his own but got screwed over by a potential apartment mate backing out of a lease and ended up living in an internet cafe while working at a pornography store before coming home a few months later a defeated man (so I take it - he didn't want to discuss the full story then and I haven't asked since) - is now thinking about moving there AGAIN, so it must have it's big city charms.

[USC Wuz Robbed! 0]

Well she is married with two kids, so I'd assume she'd put in the due diligence in the research on where to go, and there wouldn't be any screwing over by any roommate, since it'd be her husband. Well there'll be some screwing but...

[DrVenkman PhD 0]

Well, the general point was some people love Toronto for it's opportunities and being a major city and all that jazz, but others can lost in the mass of humanity sweeping through. It's not always the glamorous city American's hear about in movies that aren't filmed in NYC but pretend they are.

[Guest Vitamin X]

That would explain why Toronto subs for New York in some movies. It's Canada's NYC!

[Red Baron 0]

Edmonton is a beautiful city and they have some nice area's too. It's not as expensive as Calgary, but there are plenty of jobs around for medical and educational purposes.

[USC Wuz Robbed! 0]

Edmonton is a beautiful city and they have some nice area's too. It's not as expensive as Calgary, but there are plenty of jobs around for medical and educational purposes.

 

Isn't that a good thing?

[Maztinho 0]

Edmonton is a beautiful city and they have some nice area's too. It's not as expensive as Calgary, but there are plenty of jobs around for medical and educational purposes.

 

Isn't that a good thing?

 

Sometimes, take Utah for example, lower cost of living, but with a sudden growth prices are going up, but pay rate is staying the same. So not being as expensive can be bad in the long run if there is potential growth.

[Lord of The Curry 0]

Working in the financial industry I can tell you one certain thing: If you move to Alberta you'll be thrilled about getting a job at McDonalds for 17 bucks an hour but once the bills come in real estate-wise you'll be questioning why you ever moved there in the first place.

[USC Wuz Robbed! 0]

Well christ, does that mean a move to Canada would be a terrible idea?

[Red Baron 0]

Absolutley not. I'm assuming that your sister and brother in law have a good work background. Hell if he has any trades, he can be making like 30-75 an hour at some camp site.

[Red Baron 0]

and for healthcare too?

 

If its not serious, expect to wait for like six hours and they might help you.

[USC Wuz Robbed! 0]

My sister is a rising star in the catering industry and my brother in law is in school to be a CPA. I'd assume they'd be well off if they grabbed jobs in their respective professions in Canada.

[Red Baron 0]

Then they don't need to go to Alberta then. Ottawa is a beautiful city lots of government type jobs and rent is nowhere near as expensive as say Toronto, Vancouver, Montreal or the province of Alberta.

 

Just to give you an idea, a two bedroom apartment in Fort McMurray runs on average about $2,100 a month. Not including anything else.

[Lord of The Curry 0]

In contrast I live in a three bedroom apartment in downtown Toronto for 1350 with utilities included.

[USC Wuz Robbed! 0]

Even though I'd like this continued, I'd like to thank those who participated up to this point. Really helpful, folks.

[Guest Vitamin X]

Then they don't need to go to Alberta then. Ottawa is a beautiful city lots of government type jobs and rent is nowhere near as expensive as say Toronto, Vancouver, Montreal or the province of Alberta.

 

Just to give you an idea, a two bedroom apartment in Fort McMurray runs on average about $2,100 a month. Not including anything else.

In contrast I live in a three bedroom apartment in downtown Toronto for 1350 with utilities included.

 

Jesus Christ! I thought most of Canada was cheaper. I pay $550/month for a studio in downtown Portland. I know two bedrooms in the `burbs that are still under 1k.

 

Maybe Toronto is more worth it than Ft. McMurray. If I'd go anywhere though, I think I'd like B.C. more. Except for that one TSM poster...

[Red Baron 0]

Well to give you a low-down.

 

Fort McMurrary is where the money is. Like someone posted earlier in this thread, you can make 20 bucks an hour pumping gas, but trying to live up here by yourself is near impossible. The best way is to split the rent with some one you know.

 

Other than Alberta and the main cities its pretty tough to find decent paying jobs. You can try a smaller market but jobs are few and far between especially with good pay.

 

Southern Ontario housing prices range dramtically in a 100km area. You can go to my hometown of Port Colborne with a population of 18,000 and a four bedroom, two bathroom house can cost $145,000 and thats with a good size property too. A thirty minute drive to Niagara Falls with a population of 80,000 and the price doubles. Go to Toronto and the same house with property is almost at $700,000.

[Guest Tzar Lysergic]

High rent costs in urban areas never ceases to amaze me. I pay $311 per month for a trailer out in the middle of nowhere on a half acre of land. Cheap and magnificent for a first time homeowner with a dead-end job. The roof leaks and the water smells like brimstone, but I live for four months on land I own for what you pay for one month in a place you don't own. I've rented before. Fuck that.

[Lord of The Curry 0]

Ahhh Port Colborne. Meth capital of Ontario. Classy place. No offense to redbaron, of course.

[ZGangsta 0]

Then they don't need to go to Alberta then. Ottawa is a beautiful city lots of government type jobs and rent is nowhere near as expensive as say Toronto, Vancouver, Montreal or the province of Alberta.

 

Just to give you an idea, a two bedroom apartment in Fort McMurray runs on average about $2,100 a month. Not including anything else.

Yeah but that's fuckin Fort Mac dude. That place exists in it's own world. Sure you can go there and make like $25 an hour at a Burger King but then yeah, you pay THAT in rent. And you're living up in the frozen tundra.

I know so many people who I gradded from engineering with who've gone up there to get rich and none of them are planning on sticking around for more than a few years.

 

So to the person who started this thread, I'd suggest Vancouver, BC. Or if you don't want a big city (though there's a lot of really nice areas around Vancouver) look at Victoria, BC. Housing's starting to get ridiculous in Victoria though.

 

Also, I'd stay the fuck out of Alberta. But that's just me.

[CanadianChris 0]

The joke going around is that B.C. now stands for Bring Cash. Housing prices are skyrocketing across the province. Vancouver has become the most expensive place to buy a house in all of Canada.

 

This is an interesting chart of the best places to live in Canada. I say interesting not just because Ottawa tops the list. There's a lot of good stuff in there.

[Slayer 0]

Everytime I see the city name "Guelph" I always chuckle because the name just makes me think of someone puking

[Lt. Al Giardello 0]

Edmonton is a beautiful city

 

AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

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AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

 

*Catches his breath*

 

AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

 

Northern Alberta is all dirty... Even people from Edmonton will tell you that Calgary is a much more beautiful city. But the costing of living has gone up here in Calgary you're right. My mom and my step dad bought our house back in the summer of 1999 for like $170,000 and now it's worth just a little under half a million.

 

Finding a decent job here in Alberta is no problem at all.

[dubq 0]

Even though I'd like this continued, I'd like to thank those who participated up to this point. Really helpful, folks.

 

Also, I don't know what ideas your sister has about healthcare up here.. but it ain't "free" like so many others like to think or have you believe (*cough*Michael Moore*cough*). She will pay for it. *money motion with fingers*

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

*The finger thing means the taxes... ;P

[Guest Vitamin X]

The taxes aren't much worse than any American pays for health insurance. It's a lot better than most, really.

[Red Baron 0]

Edmonton is a beautiful city

 

AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

 

*Catches his breath*

 

AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

 

Northern Alberta is all dirty... Even people from Edmonton will tell you that Calgary is a much more beautiful city. But the costing of living has gone up here in Calgary you're right. My mom and my step dad bought our house back in the summer of 1999 for like $170,000 and now it's worth just a little under half a million.

 

Finding a decent job here in Alberta is no problem at all.

 

Edmonton is a much nicer city than the majority of Ontario.