I've had enough of Calgary ... PM me for reasons if you've missed the discussion.

Edmonton is out too ... see OceanDMX's comments.

BC is probably a no-no too ... we've just been wtaching Global from BC and can't believe the number of anti-drug adverts.

Regina and Winnipeg are out ... they're smaller than Calgary, case closed.

So we're back to Ontario and all points east.

Why the change of heart on Calgary? It's a tad worrying for someone who is on the verge of making the big step to go there to see someone becoming disollusioned with the place

So its off to Torornto and life in the GTA. Its not all that bad..

Gee Glas you really are an unhappy camper!
Perhaps you should check out Ottawa or places further east of Toronto. I thought you said somewhere a few episodes back, that you didn't like TO?
I suppose you have to go where the work is.

I fear that my comments about the fence are what really pushed Mr G to a decision.

Personally, having stayed in both the GTA and Montreal, I can't really see what's so bad about the GTA. Sure it's built up, but the density is no where near as bad as Greater London. You can still afford a pretty decent place to live, and benefit from the outdoor stuff that Canada has to offer.

I'm currently seriously considering buying a place in Burlington. I'll be doing the same commute into downtown Toronto that I currently do to work in London, but on a much nicer rail system, and with the compensation of having a whacking fantastic house to make up for it. Personally for me it also means that I can go diving in Niagra, and still be able to sink a couple of beers after work in Toronto if I want to.

Other plus points include the measly 2 or so hours it takes to drive to a really nice lake for the weekend and that my pseudo family are also fairly close by.

All that and being able to afford a four bedroom house with very little mortgage look like being pretty good plus points for me. Your mileage may vary though (and lets face it, it probably will).

Fed up with the school and job situations ...

I'm in IT ... my experiences shouldn't make a difference unless you are.

If the buggers had been nicer in 2001, that's where I would be now ... somewhere in the golden horseshoe.

It looks SO appealing right now ...

TO itself I'm not keen on, the GTA maybe.

Ottawa is a possibility ... Halifax has a lot of IT jobs right now, but I don't want to land myself in the next Calgary.

GTA ... yes, London/Kitchener ... maybe, I've only just started looking to move.

I always chose not to live in Greater London ... we lived on the edge of Leicester, less than a mile from the city boundary and green fields

One of the things that really got me badly is thinking about my kids' education:
1) Can I afford it - not right now I can't - no private school and no money in the RESP
2) Do I want them to go to the University of Calgary? Sorry AMC, but not really ...

Right now I can't even cover the cost of the orthodontist ... maybe I'm wrong, but I think nice white straight teeth are a career enhancing step here ... anyone care to disagree?

TO ... no, GTA ... yes.

work in T.O. live in the GTA............. use the GO trains

advantages:

1. our Airport really is international
2. we really do have the best shops in Canada
3. no shortage of lakes
4. you have choice of Ikeas
5. when it snows hard we “can� call the army in and they will come
6. The rest of Canada does revolve around us and they know it
7. On real T.O. wages you can afford to visit the other parts of Canada.

We live in Cornwall which is about 100k from both Ottawa and Montreal. We really like the area and travelling by road seems pretty easy and pleasant compared to the UK. Houses are good value here but I'm not sure about jobs though. We've not had any snow settle yet either!

Open water that you don't have to pay for ... bliss.

That's the biggie ... working in Calgary meant that we couldn't afford to go anywhere else in canada, never mind back to the UK for a visit

Personally, I like Calgary - except for its cool short summers. Calgary has lots of advantages, but it is a small market with limited opportunities. The "extended Golden Horseshoe" now has a population of 8 million, so it's a bigger market than all of Alberta and BC combined. On the other hand, this area has a higher unemployment rate than Calgary.

You may want to read this document about the expected future growth of the extended Golden Horseshoe. Note that the K/W area, and Barrie are going to see huge future growth. Understand that this part of Canada is big into manufacturing, and the soaring Canadian dollar won't help economic growth.

http://www.pir.gov.on.ca/userfiles/p...row.pdf?N_ID=4

By the way, Ontario recieves around 53% of all of Canada's immigrants. So if you have a problem with immigrants in Calgary, you could be moving from the frying pan into the fire - especially in parts of Toronto. I would imagine that places like Waterloo (my hometown), Guelph and especially the Niagara Region would not be as 'bad' that way. The Niagara Region gets very few immigrants, and as a consequence is growing more slowly than other parts of the extended GH.

You may want to check this source out for some info on the different regions in Ontario:
http://www.ontario-canada.com/ontcan...d_waterloo.jsp

Let's clarify this point before anyone roasts me for being a potential member of the KKK.

I don't have a problem with anyone's ethnic background - you can't do much about where you were born.

My only issue with ESL kids in the local school system is that they take additional resources ... with every increase in the number of ESL kids, my kids' school slips further down the provincial league table.

Sure immigrants are welcome to Canada and if we need a good ESL program, that's fine ... I'm just being a NIMBY and looking after my own kids' futures ... higher social purposes are fine at the level of society, but I want my kids to have the best future they can have ... we're in Canada to achieve that, just like every other immigrant.

What surprised me was how quickly the local demographics changed ... the area still looks the same, but almost 20% of the local families with kids in the school obviously don't speak English ... it's the biggest topic of conversation in the school playground, it's a surprise for everyone else too.

What I'm hoping to achieve by a move to the GTA is a better job that pays better ... the aim is to get my kids into a private school.

You've never answered the question ... have you got kids?

It changes your outlook on life ....