JamesM

A month simply isn't enough. Moving to another country is always tough at the beginning.

Your observations are fair. Canada (and Toronto even more so) is expensive and you've arrived at a time when rents have gone up 10% a year for the last 3 or 4 years:

https://www.theglobeandmail.com/real...ticle37692158/

My advice is find a decent house share of the subway line and go from there. Give yourself extra disposable income for hobbies and social so you can meet people and settle.

If you still feel the same way in 9 months you've given it a shot and it's time to go home. Manchester will still be kicking arse!

Danny B

That is hilarious!

Partially discharged

Which small town outside of Ottawa are you in ? Carp? Almonte? those are small towns outside of Ottawa that come to mind with pubs worth walking to.

Shakyuk

I love this!

BristolUK

I've been thinking about this a bit more. It was, perhaps, a bit different for me in that when I moved to Canada for the first 9 months I was living with my wife at her parents' apartment.

Initially, the only 'authorities' I was having anything to do with were those to do with getting married, HMRC, CIC and house hunting.

Only later were CRA, Provincial government, municipal government, banking added.

So it was all a gradual process rather than one of cultural shock.

I do go along with that idea of not fretting about things you can't change, so I agree in that respect it's quite liberating when you don't make the comparisons.

But that doesn't mean I'm still not appalled at some of the systems/methods/practices in place.

LeesaRouz

Thank you all for your responses and encouraging words. I realise being here for a month isn't enough to make a fair judgement, especially when comparing it with Manchester instead of for example London. Some of you have spoken of going out of their way to use vouchers to save money in order to stay in Canada. For those of you that did decide to stay in Canada, what are your objective reasons for being here? Please do let me know if you're outside of Toronto as well.

Hurlabrick

Manotick. And yes, easy walking distance of The Mill Tavern.

dbd33

Inertia. My children grew up in Toronto and moved on to places with a higher cost of living (Vancouver, London, Switzerland) but what they perceived to be intangible benefits. Essentially we may say that they moved for the scenery.

Atlantic Xpat

It's largely about money & quality of life isn't it? If you are earning that salary that has been discussed then life in a big and expensive city isn't going to be terribly brilliant is it? Only you can compare it with your lot back home of course.

I came to Canada because my wife is Canadian & stayed for much the same reason - although 6 years in we came close to moving back to the UK. There was a point, ohhh 4 years in when I had a job I hated, felt that I was being substantially underpaid & trapped in a place that is expensive & in which you need disposable income to either enjoy yourself or leave. Life worked out for me with a better job & decent salary & my Mrs in a similar position. I'm in a fairly unique position of knowing exactly what I could make doing my job in London & exactly what my Mrs would make. We'd be doing OK but quality of life - or at least the things we've come to value around space & access to the outdoors as well as having no appreciable commute - would be much worse.

HGerchikov

When we came we lived in Oakville and worked in Toronto. It wasn't a planned move for us. OH was offered a company transfer to Toronto, all expenses paid and because I also worked for the same industry they offered me a job too, on my terms (ie 3 days a week, and flexible). Kids were still young and it was a 3 year work permit, so we came for the adventure. I think having that attitude stopped me comparing to the UK (also Manchester area btw) because the differences, even the annoying ones were part of the adventure. By the time the work permit expired, our boys considered themselves Canadian, and it had become our home so we stayed.

I found that having to make a new life for ourselves allowed us to do things that we wouldn't have done in England (not that we couldn't have, but with a different mindset and other obligations we wouldn't). For example our youngest played hockey at a high level, it meant a huge financial and time commitment, we could do that because we didn't have other commitments, and it helped us meet a lot of people and develop a social life.

Now, still in the spirit of adventure, and with boys at University, we sold our house in Oakville and bought a small farm about an hour and a half from Toronto. We most definitely would not have bought a farm in the UK. However, while trying to open the iced up duck house this morning with 8 hungry and very vocal ducks inside, I did start to question my decision!

Almost Canadian

We have a similar thought process every time we need trades at our place. In the city, trades would happily spend 50 minutes travelling to come to our place in the city. We are now 20 minutes south of the city travelling on a highway that is almost free flowing. When asking trades to come to our place it is like we are asking them to travel to the end of the earth, as a result of which, we are now able to do things we would never have thought of attempting ourselves when we lived in the city.

Paul_Shepherd

I think thats great advice James, personally I think you have to give it at least a year.

Aviator

Month is like a long vacation. Many will take 3+years to settle in. Twenty+years later, could not imagine living anywhere else. Like many, life had its ups and downs. Likely better off than we would be in the UK, although we stopped comparing 20 years ago. It is what it is.

Paul_Shepherd

Great explanation of how someone has made the most of what is different about Canada, as a result you find yourself doing different things and taking on different challenges you would never have contemplated in the UK. And thats coming from me.... a person who doesn't like stepping out side their comfort zone...

Ever since I have lived in Canada, I have done nothing but step outside my comfort zone, by taking on different challenges, and I have been rewarded for doing so... I have learnt so much about Canadian life, and now enjoy it, I I think it helped that I didn't live in a big city, cities are cities really, it doesnt give you a true taste of Canada, I used to think that was a disadvantage....but as I have got a little older I have recently come to realise that it was actually an advantage for the kind of lifestyle I want.
It can take some time and sometimes certain life events need to happen before you realise what you want from life.

That said, after visiting Canada on vacation a few times I knew its where I wanted to live, so my only challenge was accepting the very different lifestyle from the UK once I had moved here, you cant help comparing, its natural to do so, but that will only hold you back, and you will never settle in, I found it easier to focus on things that I could only do in Canada and not in the UK, it was the only way for me, I think it worked.

Novocastrian

^^ Paul, could you possibly edit your "location". It really >snip< up your posts and makes them difficult to read, although I've no idea why I want to, except we did meet once at the Yard.