Re: Help with Toronto geography?
 

Manitoba Highway Traffic Act

Exceptions to having to take the drivers test....

31 (3) d in the three month period immediately preceding the application, the applicant held a valid driver's licence issued by a competent authority in a province or territory of Canada, and the authority confirms that the applicant is eligible to apply for and hold a driver's licence and to operate a motor vehicle in that province or territory.


http://www.mpi.mb.ca/english/DriverL...DLFAQ.html#QL2
Mentions that Manitoba will exchange a license from Ontario as the OP said, but I think you have to have held the Ontario license (with a permanent address) for at least three months prior to taking up residence in Manitoba. Might be worth checking. :)

Re: Help with Toronto geography?
 

Thanks for highlighting that Drew, it hadn't even ocurred to me. But if I recall from reading others' experiences, the Ontario license gets "backdated" to when your British one began, so I'm not too worried about it. Mr B has had his since he was 17, I on the other hand have only had a license for 9mths, so in my case, it wouldn't matter at all if my "experience" (hah, you should see me park!!) was struck from the record, in fact I expect it to be. Worst case scenario - if we manage to swap our licenses on Saturday and then regret it, we can do what Tiaribbon did and get a replacement British one from the DVLA and turn back in the Ontario ones.

Dingbat, many thanks! I'm not finding a great deal of information about Manitoba licensing on the web. I'm waiting for them to answer an email but it's taking an eternity, so thanks for looking that up. If we do exchange on Saturday, we'll be alright for the 3mth limit as we're not actually moving to Manitoba until May on a temporary basis, beginning of August permanently so we'd have a bit of leeway there and would make sure it was at least 3mths before applying for Manitoba ones. Of course we'd be cheating on the actually-having-lived-in-Ontario-for-3-mths bit but that's something I think my conscience can handle...

Why does this all have to be so complex?! I just don't understand the provinces' different approaches to licensing. Or anything for that matter. How come Scotland and England have managed to keep things similar through the centuries despite different legal systems, currency, their very different histories... yet these young provinces have gone such different directions in a very short time? It really must be horrendous to move from province to province, equally as troublesome as moving halfway across the world it seems!

Thanks again all, will let you know if we swapped or not when we're back next week :D

Biiiiink

Edited to add - just seen this, it may or may not apply to Mr B, will clarify if ever Manitoba licensing get back to me...

If you are a full-time student you may use your valid driver's licence. If you decide to stay in Manitoba after finishing your education, you will need to replace your current licence with a Manitoba licence within three months.


If your licence is not from Canada or the U.S., you will need to go to one of our Driver and Vehicle Licencing Service Outlets. You must produce:


a valid driver's licence;
a letter from your Manitoba school or university confirming your student status; and
your passport or immigration papers.



You will be given an offshore student exemption letter to carry with your licence. This letter authorizes you to drive using your home country licence.

Re: Help with Toronto geography?
 

From my point of view, as a Canadian, the uniqueness of each province in how the run their own show, is normal. I've lived in 2 different provinces and a territory and I've never found the moves horrendous -- but then I've grown up with the understanding of what aspects of life fall under provincial/territorial, federal or municipal/township control and how the various provinces differ.

I can imagine as an immigrant from the UK some things must seem strange because I find a lot of things strange about the UK. In keeping on this topic though, I find the centralised political power in the UK kind of oppressive. Actually that's not quite the word I mean but it's a feeling of knowing you couldn't choose to move to a different region if you didn't like the politics, education system, certain laws, etc. of where you were living. I personally feel freer in Canada in that if I didn't like the health care plan, education system, laws of one province I could just pick up move to another. That sort of thing. Not that picking up and moving is easy but it's an option available. In the UK I think I would feel stuck without that option if something really bothered me.

Anyway, I guess I can understand your frustration but at least you have the brains to work the system suit you - I mean the difference provincial licensing laws might be frustrating but, like you're trying to figure out, you can sometimes find ways to manoever through them in a way that benefits your situation. Good luck!