Rodge9

Based on these couple of sentences I'd say you'd be better suited to Toronto than Vancouver (maybe Calgary & Edmonton too, but can't comment first hand), there was a TO Vs Van discussion here recently in which I expressed my opinions on the subject.

In saying that, skiing may not be your 'thing' - but does that mean you've tried it and didn't like it or just never thought/had the opportunity to try it? I ask because I wouldn't have thought it was my sort of thing either the first time I came over through BUNAC, but ended up living in Whistler for a season and learning to snowboard (so yeah, skiing wasn't really my thing ), now I love it . So you might want to use the trip to learn new skills...on the other hand if you're interested in living a more 'serious' lifestyle when you come over (by which I mean stay relatively fixed in location, look for a career job, etc) and you wanted to look into temporary work permits, residency etc, get reading this site's wiki, some excellent articles on there

JamesM

Summer really winds down after September 8th...Labour day. It's not that the jobs become available again but as the winter comes in all the outdoor patio's close and less people go out because it starts to get cold- the reality is that the seasonal bar staff and servers go back to uni or wherever and the jobs disappear.

A lot of Bunac-ers head west, after Labour Day, to work on the ski resorts because there is lots of jobs and they are able to do snow sports and continue to party.

You can also probably hold your job in Toronto or if you do get laid off just find another one- there will be less jobs but also less people looking.

Flyingscottie

Hi,

PR has been a 3 year process, and has been granted on the basis of my husband's career!

I tried everything to extend my BUNAC visa in 2001/2002, it was impossible as I had no work experience that was in demand, and hadn't yet even graduated....please don't get your hopes up on staying longer than 12 months.

You can however apply for a second year long visa as a non-student through BUNAC......

NewLifeAbroad

I've been in Toronto for six weeks now, also on a BUNAC visa (non-student), and have had a great time so far. I have a part-time job giving out newspapers at the subway stations, which I found within a week of arriving (on Craigslist), but I'm struggling to find another part-time job. I guess I'm being a bit too fussy though - I've done supermarket work and coffee shop jobs for too long in the past and I'm kinda hoping to do something different. That said, if it comes to it, I will look at the bar/restaurant industry to get something. A lot of my friends have also struggled to find work, but others have found it easy. There are a lot of jobs in retail though. Areas to look at include the Eaton Centre, Queen St. West, the underground Path, plus maybe Dufferin Mall or Dundas St. West (I live in the west so can't comment on the east).

I'm struggling to make the transition from being in a hostel to living in a house - the day-to-day things are easy, but getting that second job or meeting Canadians is proving difficult. I had an awesome time in the hostel (was there for three weeks), but now that myself and all my friends have moved out, it's a bit different. It's only been six weeks though, but it feels like I've been here a lot longer and I can't be too negative. Part of me wishes I'd gone to Vancouver, or Montreal if I could speak French, and have spoken to loads of people who've said that they're both better than Toronto - Montreal for the nightlife and generally more laid back, and Vancouver for the milder climate, incredible scenery and friendlier people. It's more difficult to get jobs in those two cities though - fluent French for Montreal (which is a different style to standard, Parisian French that's taught around the world), and the only jobs available in Vancouver are minimum wage and are quite difficult to get (the minimum wage is $2 higher in Toronto). I'll be going to the west coast next spring/summer and will probably stay in Toronto to save money to then spend in Vancouver. It'll give me a chance to explore New York, Boston, Chicago, Montreal, etc.

Let me know if you want anymore info on my time here.

NewLifeAbroad