Moving to Toronto
 

Hi Everyone,

Just joined the forum as myself and my Fiancee will be moving to Toronto in October-November time, as I have been offered a job there and was hoping I may be able to ask for a little advice on things from people n the know?

The company I work for is sponsoring the visa process for us both and I am going to be based, initially in High Park. I have been told this in a decent area to live too, but I was hoping someone maybe be able to give me rough ideas on rental prices around that area for a 1/2 bedroom apartment or recommend other decent areas close by?

We won't have a car initially so will be using public transport. How is the general standard of the public transport in Toronto?

When we arrive we will need to set up bank accounts etc, is this easy enough to do? Will our credit rating start from zero in Canada?

We are both from the UK but currently live in Spain(Barcelona) so going to Canada will be a big change of scene but we are excited and looking forward to it.

Thanks for any help in advance and I hope to be able to help others where possible.

Re: Moving to Toronto
 

Yes your credit rating will start again but will build up very quickly.

Here is a website for rent: www.realtor.ca also check out Apartment Toronto: Find your next Toronto apartment, rent quickly with pictures.

You'd expect to pay $1500 to $2500 depending on size.

Public transport in Toronto is kind of not particularly great but it is functional.

At least by High Park you are on the subway system. That is however a little limited although fine for getting into the Downtown core. You'll figure out the streetcar and it's nuances soon enough. At first there will be a novelty value but it won't last long.

If you don't use Uber you soon will.

High Park is a nice neighbourhood.

Re: Moving to Toronto
 

Thanks a lot, James. Really appreciate your reply.

I will be working in High Park initially but with my job I will be travelling around the City to a few different locations. I will get a car before spring just need to get there and settled first.

I'm not too bothered about building credit up quickly, just as long as we can get an apartment and open a bank account, the other things are not so much of a worry.

How long have you lived in Toronto? Do you like it?

Re: Moving to Toronto
 

My wife and I lived at Yonge/Eglinton for 5 years without a car. Easy walk to shops, restaurants, bars, subway station etc. Subway train goes straight downtown - although it's a lot more crowded in rush hour now than it was when we lived there (but the same goes for everywhere else as well).

We also lived at High Park for a few months near the end of our time in Canada. Nice area and also on a subway line (assuming you're at the north end of the park near Bloor) although you would need to change trains to get downtown.

Toronto definitely does not have the transit system that you would expect from a city of its size. It really should have a much bigger subway system but there are also buses, streetcars, and overground commuter trains (GO).

It was fairly easy for us to open bank accounts. Credit history will basically start from zero. If you have credit cards, contact your credit card companies to see if they can help get you started with a Canadian credit card.

You might find these links useful:

Toronto Neighbourhoods

High Park | Apartments & Condos for Sale or Rent in Toronto (GTA) | Kijiji Classifieds

Re: Moving to Toronto
 

Thanks a lot for your reply and for posting some links for us to look at.

On a personal level, if we lived in High Park and I only had to go to the office, I'd be fine without a car, but as I'll have multiple sites, a car will be inevitable. We don't have any credit cards here in Spain so that won't be an issue; opening bank accounts here wasn't much fun though, hence the question here.

Thanks again.

Re: Moving to Toronto
 

High Park is very nice indeed (although not cheap). If you cross to the east side of Roncevalles prices are cheaper (or were when I lived first just off Parkside and later east of Roncy on Wright Ave.

Just make sure you have a short walk to transit... even 500 m can be brutal on a cold windy day in winter.

Re: Moving to Toronto
 

Depending on how often you have to travel to the other sites, you may find car share programs or rentals preferable to actually purchasing a vehicle. Your firm may also have 'pool' cars that can be used. Since you will be new to Canada (and therefore no Canadian driving history), your insurance rates on a new vehicle will be borderline ridiculous (and in Canada, insurance is mandatory when registering the vehicle)

Re: Moving to Toronto
 

Good idea. And on that note, check out Zip Car : Car Sharing, an alternative to car rental and car ownership – Zipcar

Public transit in Toronto is inadequate but improving at a glacial pace. A subway up to York University will open in 2017, but after that the next major completion of a transit project will be the Eglinton Crosstown (a east-west light-rail through the middle of the city) in 2021.

Re: Moving to Toronto
 

A mere two years late for the Pan-American games in 2015, which was the main motivator for getting the project off (or rather under) the ground in the first place.

Oh, Canada. Oh, Toronto, to paraphrase dear old Mordecai Richler.

Oi wey, as he might have better expressed it.

Re: Moving to Toronto
 

Thanks to everyone for the replies.

I will need to travel to different sites everyday after an initial period. Only one alternative site per day, but it will be everyday.

I don't have a firm, I am a football/Soccer coach, so there are no firm cars unfortunately.

I will be new to driving and Canada and I will do my driving test in Toronto so I will look into insurance in the first instance but also schemes like Zipcar.

I am going to have more of a look at apartments in High Park and the surrounding areas this weekend. That would be the preferred location initially as it's close to the office but once we know Toronto more and have got a car etc, I am open to moving to a different area where we may get more for our money.

Not sure if anyone has used this Tax Calculator before, but was wondering if it's reliable?

2016 Personal tax calculator - EY - Canada - EY - Canada

Thanks again for all the help.

Re: Moving to Toronto
 

I think that's the same one that's recommended in our Wiki article about income tax in Canada, so yes, it's been used before and is known to be fairly accurate. If you want to double check to see if your salary will be enough, then Toronto peeps will be happy to help if you can give an idea of the salary range and any other pertinent info (is it just you and your partner, does s/he plan to work, etc).

Have you got your LMIA already?

HTH.

Re: Moving to Toronto
 

Thanks for your reply.

Glad that the tax calculator is a reliable one.

No i don't have the LMIA yet, I have just sent the paperwork over yesterday so the company's immigration lawyer is dealing with it all now.

Re: Moving to Toronto
 

Fingers crossed it's positive and doesn't take too long. :fingerscrossed:

Re: Moving to Toronto
 

Thanks a lot.

I'm not anticipating an issues as I know a couple for people who have gone across with similar or less experience for similar jobs and the process only took around 10 days.

That being said, my fingers are still crossed!!

Re: Moving to Toronto
 

Interesting. I have soccer coaching licences (highest being NSCAA Premier) and have coached on and off over the past 15 years or so while holding down a full-time job. I have played with the idea of coaching full-time once all the kids have finished college. Is Toronto a place where you can make a good living as a soccer coach? I played amateur indoor and outdoor soccer when I lived in Toronto but I only really got into coaching when my kids started playing in the US. Unless you're a full-time Director of Coaching or Technical Director (some jobs involve both roles), I would imagine that you would have to take on 2-3 teams yourself and also get involved in training sessions for others. I'm assuming there must be a large number of indoor facilities to keep you active over the long winter months.