Re: Moving to Toronto
 

Now, to take things further, when I first moved to Canada I was moving away from the big city (London) and looking for countryside... well, 5 years on I have finally realized I am not a country person... but neither am I a big city person... yet I must be practical; finding decent jobs has been possible, but challenging and a lot of work (isn't it always?), and so far I think I have been lucky, mostly...

My experience of Ontario is limited to business trips in downtown TO, plus some time I spent working in northern Ontario (past Sault St Marie)...

I thought Ontario was great in terms of infrastructure/facilities (libraries, social centres, job centres, DNR, etc) compared to the province where I live now, plus people were optimistic about life in general (I repeat, in general), unlike where I live now (pessimistic, in general). Also, besides recent press woes, there are plenty of jobs in Ontario (particularly if you have already worked in Canada, yes, I hear the horror stories about 'Canadian experience'), steady jobs, and not so much of a boom/bust economy like in Alberta or a "we export people" economy like in Atlantic Canada.

Now, for those of you that live in southern Ontario, perhaps we can start a "what do you like about it and what do you not like about it" ???

As for myself, well, the only place in Canada with a better spring than southern Ontario is Vancouver and surrounding area (there is a lack of spring where I live now, it is "still-winter-season" in mid-May, suddenly by the end of May it is summer), so I am finding the weather appealing in southern Ontario (compared to other places in Canada). Am I wrong thinking southern Ontario has a pretty decent summer, particularly compared to southern England ?

Anyways, I digress, the main reason I started writing was that I want to hear what people think about southern Ontario, good and bad, as I am considering moving there from elsewhere in Canada.

If it was just for work reasons, then there is no doubt I would move to southern Ontario ASAP, but I also want to make sure I am not moving back to London, carboard shoeboxes called luxury homes and the M25/M3/M4/North Circular & the ancient/run-down/crappy yet ridiculously-overpriced underground (with regular strikes) nightmare.

Re: Moving to Toronto
 

Re: lack of ocean in Ontario

As for myself, I find the ocean overrated, unless by ocean you mean the Mediterranean or you are an avid (and wealthy) sailor and have your own sailboat :lol:

Re: Moving to Toronto
 

I like sailing. That doesn't imply wealth.

I don't think Southern Ontario has a spring to speak of, snow, one week of mud and it's summer. Mostly though I agree with you.

Re: Moving to Toronto
 

I like sailing too... used to do the old Optimist, then 4,20 and LASER... back when, in Spain... :ohmy:

I still find a big difference between lakes in Canada, the Mediterranean Sea, and the Atlantic or Pacific Oceans... I really find the Oceans more a realm of the wealthy as opposed to lakes or the Med, but yes, agreed, the Oceans are not exclusively for the rich...:o

Re: Moving to Toronto
 

Re: spring

What do you find spring like around GTA?
When does it arrive?

Re: Moving to Toronto
 

We had spring this weekend. We will have another one sometime in March or April.

Re: Moving to Toronto
 

I am sure you will see another one before the year is over... oh, wait...

Re: Moving to Toronto
 

Hi Guys,

Whats Christmas and New year like in Toronto and in Ontario in general ?

I really like Christmas in London seeing all the houses dressed up with Christmas treess and festive lights. Also, hearing the christmas carols from Kings College Cambridge.
I don't go out as much now on new year's eve, the Christmas/New programmes are quite entertaining.

P.S
happy new year everyone

Re: Moving to Toronto
 

Look at how many people are looking at britishexpats.com at this time of night in TO on New Years Eve (myself included) and that will just about tell you what the social life is like in this part of Canada.

Re: Moving to Toronto
 

Culture can be found in yoghurt ;)

It's not necessarily just about the social life, I don't like large crowds and see no reason to drag myself downtown in very cold weather just to have to drag myself back out again at the same time as thousands of others. We're having a family get together at home.

Re: Moving to Toronto
 

Exactly, stick with family and the rest of the Scottish Presbiterian extracts will ignore you.

Re: Moving to Toronto
 

New Year Eve is not really celebrated here. We went to downtown TO - there was nothing special. Were very amused to see that to buy some alcohol on 31st, one had to wait in a line of 100 people (yes, really) just to get into LCBO store. There was a show near the city hall, by that time we were back home and watched it on TV. I bet that people got lots of frost bites on that show - it was -7 or lower and it started to snow when we took the train. And: no fireworks at all. :confused:

In contrast, Christmas decorations on suburban houses where we live are the most beautiful I ever seen. There were of course some concerts in churches in December but we are not into that.

Re: Moving to Toronto
 

I went to the 2000 celebration in Central London... LOTS and LOTS of people, way too many... and the Greater London people had not deployed one single portaloo... plus people drinking on the streets and not one single bar open anywhere... you can imagine what it turned into...

The fireworks were OK, but I have seen better ones in Spain. When the fireworks were over by 00:15, that was it, nothing else to do. It took me one hour to talk what should have taken 15 minutes, due to the sheer mass of people, then about 1.5 hours just to get into the tube station. When I got to Waterloo, I had to wait 4 trains to be able to get into one, I am surprised no one was killed by being pushed into the railway from the platform.
In all, I finally got on a train at about 4:15am, 4 hours after the fireworks.

Since that event, I only do New Year's eve at home or at friends' houses.

I agree 100% that canadians, in general, put up a good show of Christmas lights.

What I do not get is why half the neighbourhood had their real Christmas trees on their front yard ready for collection by 27th December... and half my neighbours had taken down their lights before New Year's eve.

Cheers

Re: Moving to Toronto
 

I enjoyed Christmas and NYE in Canada immensely. I went and spent Christmas Day at a freinds for dinner and then spent NYE at a house party which was good fun.

My boss at work told me not to bother booking anytime off as there would be nothing to do anyway so just say I was working from home and dissapear.

I seem to recall lots of treks in the snow to bars and having a nice steak at The Keg on Christmas Eve.

The bars, pubs and clubs in Toronto aren't as busy over the festive season in Canada but then they aren't as busy anyway. Canada just doesn't have the booze/ binge drinking culture that we have in the UK.

Re: Moving to Toronto
 

Having lived in a few countries, I agree, there is somewhat of an 'excessive drinking' culture in the UK.

I do like the level of drinking in Toronto... it goes beyond the 'let's have a drink' in the USA (they do literally have one drink), yet does not approach the 'let's get paralytic' attitude in the UK (these days... :sad_smile:)

Then again, there is a drinking culture in northen Ontario, or at least on the failing towns (anywhere that used to be a paper mill or lulmbering town)... it is called visiting the LCBO and getting plastered at home... nightly.

Cheers

Re: Moving to Toronto
 

Is there anybody out there that can give me some info on Toronto? We are a family with 2 boys aged 3 & 7 living in NZ, but looking for an adventure in Canada. We'd like to stay at least 2 years, maybe never go home. We're so over the weather here, very hard with young kids when it rains continutally!! Is Toronto a family-friendly place? Not interested in the nite life/restaurants etc. we like a big city with things to DO, but what do you do with all that snow & seriously, how long does it go on for? Because it is winter for about 8 months of the year in Wellington, NZ. Wld like to move to Australia long term, but we're not ready to settle down just yet. We're not the camping or sky-diving kinda family, we like soccer, BMX racing, sea & sand, family restaurants, picnics at the river, fun parks & shopping - whataya got?? ;)

Re: Moving to Toronto
 

I lived in TO from 1999 until 2006 and just love the city vibe, mind I was young and single.
Now living in the UK thinking to move back again, married, with 2 babies..so we are considering Richmond Hill or Vaughan instead...:wub:

Re: Moving to Toronto
 

Welcome Lindita. If you need local insight on RH or Vaughan, ask away.

Re: Moving to Toronto
 

Thanks a lot...
I have a job offer from a company who is ready to apply for an Arranged Employment Opinion, and once is approved (fingers crossed) I will be aplying for PR in CHC London...so hopefully everything goes well...

Thanks!

Linda

Re: Moving to Toronto
 

OK. Good luck with it all. Out of curiosity, where is the job?

Re: Moving to Toronto
 

Toronto!

Re: Moving to Toronto
 

It's a big place.

Re: Moving to Toronto
 

sorry..Is north of Toronto, Steeles and Dufferin or Bathurst if I am correct...:)

Re: Moving to Toronto
 

Thanks. Easily commutable from Richmond Hill (or Vaughan). I only asked because a couple of other Brits have come to RH but worked downtown. They didn't last very long. :)

Re: Moving to Toronto
 

That is the area we have our sights set on. I dare say I'll be spending a lot of time in Vaughn Mills ;)

Good luck with your move.

Re: Moving to Toronto
 

Absolutely awful place.

Re: Moving to Toronto
 

Yeh we hated it when we went on our reccy!!

Re: Moving to Toronto
 

We were in Vaughan Mills back in October. Lots of Burberry-wearing teenagers in there, and not a mall I'd go back to soon.

Re: Moving to Toronto
 

You spent your reccy in a Mall? Whatever next.

Re: Moving to Toronto
 

Tut don't you know anything? Of course THE most important part of a reccy is to check out the local shops, what on earth else is there to do?

Oh the schools, houses and neighbourhood seemed ok too ...

Re: Moving to Toronto
 

There were a few ... although wasn't Burberry a few years back, don't tell my your chav's are out of fashion?

Re: Moving to Toronto
 

There isn't a single local shop in Vaughan Mills.

I suggest you consider Gateshead. http://www.metrocentre.uk.com/ You don't even need a visa.

Re: Moving to Toronto
 

OK thank you for your helpful comments again, you are such a hoot!

:rofl: :rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl:

Re: Moving to Toronto
 

NYE seemed quite sombre then in Torornto.

Anyone in the phramceutical industry in Toronto ?

I am looking into that area career wise