dboy

If you live in the forest here, you'd better watch out for the grizzlies and cougars! I'm a wimp by Canadian standards given that I live in Vancouver. I don't own a woolly hat, gloves or a snow shovel. I have never experience the extreme temps.

Dave+Jules

Nothing worse than coming across an Ice Weasel nest while you are clearing the path of 40cms of new snowfall (it came down last night and is still snowing now)

Oz was too far away, and we prefer a mixture of seasons (and boy do we get it here in New Brunswick)

My sister and her husband went to Oz almost the same time as we came here, they love it there and we love it here. Depends what you want in life I guess.

lian

Same reasons as us!

ExKiwilass

Bylaws are widely broken, as you know. Bottom line is, if you don't have a basement, you can't rent it either.

Brisbane has the same amenities as Toronto? mmmkay. Sounds unlikely to me. One of the 'amenities' of Tdot is that it's huge city and the centre of canadian business, film & tv, etc. Same cannot be said for Brisbane.

If the Sydney/GTA fact is true, why is ABC Australia putting out podcasts about the hellacious commute of people in outer Sydney/coast to downtown Sydney? Up to 2 hours one way? Or about how western sydney is completely behind in decent train transit, dealing with gridlock, etc.

Dave+Jules

I cannot imagine living here in NB without woolly hats, gloves, and we have three snow shovels and a snow blower

Today is deep snow day in Fredericton, most of the city is closed down even Canadian Force Base Gagetown is down to essential staffing only.

mohogony

Jellyfish are only in the northern tropical part of OZ where few people live just like polar bears are only in the northern part of Canada, l have lived in OZ for 30 years and go camping and walking in the countryside every month and have never been bitten by any venomous creature except wasps and bees which l beleive have been introduced to OZ from europe.
Regarding the hot weather you only get around 20 really hot
days above 35c degress a year most of the year the weather is cool to mild under 25c degrees.
Most houses have airconditioning if it gets hot. In the French heatwave of 2003 , 14,000 people died of the heat, in the recent OZ heatwave around 150 people died. So OZ is'nt the only country that gets extreme heat in summer.

cdnexpat

Well you haven't lived in Toronto have you? I've lived in both and I can absolutely say that Brisbane has the same amenities, minus the subway.

As for breaking bylaws - doesn't change the fact that it's illegal and if you get caught there's a hefty fine.

How is having a film industry an amenity? I'm talking about things like access to good restaurants/international airport/shopping as amenities. Size of the city doesn't matter if it's scattered around and transport isn't efficient. Most of the people "living" in Toronto actually live in the GTA which makes it almsot impossible to get downtown because of the fact that they are actually seperate cities. Up until recently the last GO train left Toronto at 6pm! So your only way of getting back home was either a series of buses (2-3 changes, each different cities so you'd have to pay different prices) or a cab.

Brisbane also has access to things like the beach, and reasonable weather most of the year which some would class as an amenity.

A 2 hour commute? That's what many people in the GTA spend communiting to Toronto each day - and the worse part is it's more expensive then GTA - Toronto because you have to pay each city their share of the transportation pie...plus that's if your train isn't running late or cancelled because of snow.

I suppose our ideas of what is behind are a little different - yours are mainly academic, mine are from experience.

Ginger3710

I love Australia (was born here lol), I have been to many countries but for some reason Canada just stays on top of the list. I too hate the retched heat, can't stand it! just this year I have recorded 43c, 44c, 45c, and a 47c (new record) and with only having 1mm of rain in over 2 months you can guess what everything looks like....


Ditto!! That's just one of many reasons why we're heading off to Canada, can't wait!

Funnily enough, everyone seems to hate the heat here in Oz, all complaining on those hot days. Yet, as soon as it goes down to a pleasant 18 degrees, everyone complains how "cold" it is!

Dave+Jules

If you want to see what the opposite to hot dry summers are check out my latest blog entry

dbd33

I think you're making an unreasonable assumption about the GTA, that transit is a viable way to get around. It isn't. The GTA is all about cars in the same way as LA is all about cars.

You're slightly wrong about the GO trains though, for twenty odd years there's been one train per hour along the lakeshore, last one leaving Union at around midnight, so if you live next to a station on that one line you have an alternative to multiple buses.

S E A N

Does the French heatwave happen every year?

Australia may not be the only hot country but so? whats your point? Doesn't mean we are not a hot country. And it's just not the air temp, people are always referring to how harsh the Australian sun is, I can't be in the sun to long if its 20c because the sun still cooks you. We have the highest rates of skin cancer in the world...

Canuck2b

This question was asked in Australia part of this site......caused a mighty rumpus on a couple of occasions!

dboy

Yes i found the tone of a number of those from Oz rather condescending which is what prompted me to start this thread.

ExKiwilass

My issue with you is you are deliberately ignoring certain facts that don't fit into your WOOO Australia! bias.

example: You said houses in OZ are cheaper. However, it turns out what you meant was that smaller basement-less houses in OZ are cheaper than bigger, better built and basement containing houses iN canada. Wow, really? No kidding.

You're comparing Brisbane to the Tdot, which is kinda ridic. imo. It just really weakens your argument. Brisbane is not as populated as the GTA, so I dunno...maybe that's why it's easier to get around? I really doubt anyone into culture/the arts/nightlife would agree Brissie has as good amenities as Toronto. Beach bums would love it, I agree.

As you know, skin cancer and harsh sun is a real issue in Australia. I think the climate is a wash between the two.

If you're happy in Brisbane, great! Just stop trying to twist things to make it better than Canada. it's not for many people. It is for YOU.

ExKiwilass

I just read your post again. D'oh! Minus the subway? That's a pretty big amenity right there I'd say.

I'm surprised you found shopping scattered. I found it pretty easy to get around to all the different neighbourhoods/shopping districts on the subway. I liked it, it reminded me of London that way.

Living in the GTA doesn't sound fun, I'd def. live in the city (but I'm the kind of person who is willing to give up space for access to amenities/urban living etc). I saw that the goverment is giving a bunch of money to ontario for the Go train though, so maybe it will be improved.

re: the film industry. Well, for instance, Toronto as the film festival, which is huge, internationally regarded, and a fantastic place to do business. Brisbane doesn't have anything like those sort of opportunities in that industry. So yeah, that counts for something. And again, Toronto is the head office city for much of Canadian business which counts for something career wise, I'd say.

It's really apples and oranges. It's not fair to Brissie because Brissie isn't a true metropolis/international city. That's why i said it would be more fair to compare To. to Sydney or Melbourne, and from that POV, the cities have a lot in common.