My family and I have decided to explore the move to Canada. Initially for a period of 2 years with a view to a permenant move longer term.

We are both in our early 30's witKh two young children aged 8 & 5. She works within the Catering industry as a chef and I as a Police Officer with 11 years service in the UK although prior to that was a qualified chef myself. She would have to be the main applicant in terms of Visa due to her job and its inclusion on the 'list' whilst I seek a spouse permit.

Ideally I would like to locate to the Ontario area within 1.5 hours of Toronto. Obviously this would be dependent on work but having looked at websites there appears to be a good spread of jobs. Initially I'd probably look for a role within Security of sorts as there is no lateral transfer opportunities open within any of the Police Forces I have looked at.

I order for us to be able to undertake a reccy visit of locations I'd be interested to get suggestions and views on potential locations to setup home? Ice Hockey is a big part of our lives already with my son playing so ideally I want him to be able to play at a location close to home. I have this vision of ice rinks being everywhere but this might just be imagination running wild.

It is still very early days for us and I appreciate the information I have given is limited but I'd be grateful for any advice forthcoming. Thanks.

There's a bar in Orangeville called "The Deck". It's, er, not very upmarket and cash only. A regular has a security company and recruits there. I don't know his name but the bar itself is short and he sits at it. He has the look of a bodyguard. Voila, you can see a place within 90 minutes of Toronto and fish around for word on the security business all at one time.

Ice rinks are everywhere.

Security guard jobs pay between $10-$14 an hour, usually the former.
Peterborough is 90mins from Toronto and people with children seem to like the place. There are also many many independent restaurants

To be honest there are countless perfectly nice places within 90 mins of TO, some more expensive than others. Jumping straight into a police job is as you suspect not really an option, even security people take "police foundation" courses and the like now!

Go where you can find a job is my best advice. Life as a newcomer in Canada worrying when your funds will run out cant be much fun, and work will introduce you to a readymade pool of potential friends and acquaintances.

Wherever you choose bear in mind rentals are almost all a 1 year lease and btw 1000-1600 mth for a 3 bed house. We were in Mississauga, good 4 transit, lots of houses being built. Now in Georgetown, Halton Hills, nice town close to countryside. But check out transit as some town have very little except at peaktimes to the city. Burlington is a good mix of people including lots of Brits and good rail to T.O. too, not too pricey either.

Kitchener/Waterloo is also popular, lived there for 2 years and quite good, half way between Toronto and Niagara.

I would recommend Oakville, Halton or Burlington all nice places within the distance from T.O you are looking for.

I am job too recently returned to UK after 6 years in ottawa police and now back with my old force. have lots of info on Canada if you want to email me direct. Good and bad!

gooner4200000---

i was also thinking of moving to burlington/hamilton, as i want somewhere that is within one hour drive of an airport and not a major city, as am fedup with london at the moment.. also the benefit of being on the lake...

ive heard good and bad things about hamilton... if you can pm me your advice also will be much appreciated.. i got 3 kids oldest 3.5 youngest about a month old... so interested in things with kids activites, i know burlington has the lil monkeys place plus the wild water park in hamilton...

hamazz

why not think about 40 minutes north of Toronto. It's beautiful, peaceful, so much for the kids to do--actually the possibilities are endless: winter--sledding, skating, snowboarding, skiing and the list goes on... summer: swimming, so many conservation areas for picnics, hikes, gorges for natural swimming holes, camping.....

pm me for more info. I could just keep going on. It really is the most spectacular place to live in Ontario, with an upscale feel to it.

In the Vaughan Mills Mall?

One wouldn't move to the Vaughan Mills Mall, but the area I am referring to is very close by.

check out whitby about 30 mins outside toronto lots of new houses being built and a good price range ie not as expensive as oakville there are lots of shopping centres fab college in oshawa and the go train gets you to city centre in approx 30 mins we havent relocated yet but we checked out a lot of areas andthis one just seemed perfect...

Mile upon mile of identical project housing? Liveable, I suppose, but "spectacular" is the kind of stretch only a real estate agent could come up with.

As a matter of fact, Caledon, is a spectacular area, very near to Vaughan Mills, and does not have row upon row of identical housing as you refer to. In fact it has many country estates and low density subdivisions

Ah, Caledon I know. As a commuter through there for a bit I know it's not 40 minutes from Toronto (by road), that's why I didn't guess it. Brampton is 45 minutes (at night out of rush hour) so Caledon, lovely as it is, is two hours with the traffic.

And, hold on a minute, Vaughan Mills is north of Toronto, up the 400. Caledon is northwest, up the 410. They're not near each other.