Perry Groves

What is Ottawa like? Does anyone have info regarding property prices and employment prospects in the Electrical Engineering industry there? Are there any family orientated areas?

Sean Boxer

I live in Ottawa but seeing as you are an Arsenal supporter I'm afraid I can't help you.




Oh alright then, it's a very family friendly city, very safe, with lots of parks, they close down some roads at the weekend for cyclists. Some good museums but it ain't London so it can get a bit boring, the locals are friendly though.

Sean Boxer

I live in Ottawa but seeing as you are an Arsenal supporter I'm afraid I can't help you.




Oh alright then, it's a very family friendly city, very safe, with lots of parks, they close down some roads at the weekend for cyclists. Some good museums but it ain't London so it can get a bit boring, the locals are friendly though.

Wannabe

Don't pay any attention to Sean, he doesn't really live in Ottawa, but on the other side of the river, in the Province-That-Shall-Not-Be-Named.

For property prices, try MLS, and poke around.

Souvenir

Like Sean, I also live across the Ottawa river on the Dark Side. However, I effectively live in the greater Ott.

It's Canada's 4th largest city, with a population of 1.2M. That population is spread out over a big area (1800 square miles), so it doesn't feel overcrowded. In Ottawa proper, no building can be taller than the parliament clock tower, so it's skyscraper-free. The downtown area contains most of Canada's architecture outside Quebec City. There is lots of greenery.

It does have a reputation for being a bit dull but I think that's a little unfair.

Public transport (bus) is good. It's an easy two-hour drive to Montreal and about five to Toronto. Forget about trains. The airport is very close to town and is user friendly, although direct scheduled flights go only to Canada, a few US hubs and Heathrow. The much more useful Montreal airport is about 90 minutes away.

The terrain on the south bank of the river is flat and uninspiring but cross into Quebec and you are almost immediately into the Gatineau Hills, where you will find lakes with beaches, camping, hiking and cycling trails, and skiing. The pic below is Lake Meech, about 20 minutes from downtown Ottawa, taken in early October. There is lots of that round here.

I'm not sure where the most family-oriented areas are but I'm sure they exist. As a rule, Canada is very family-oriented. In Ottawa proper, the average price for a two-storey detached house is currently about C$400k. In the burbs it's more like C$250-300K. You'd have a job finding much in TO, Calgary or Vancouver for that sort of money.

The climate is fairly extreme. In Summer you're looking at the mid-30s with high humidity. In Winter it can hit -40 (-28 this morning) and it snows a lot most years.

The economy round here is dominated by government, which you can safely forget about. There is also a large high-tech sector. monster.ca and workopolis.com will give you an idea of what's here. You'll need to check if your engineering quals are recognised in Canada. You should also bear in mind that Ottawa is rapidly becoming a bilingual city. French would be a definite asset.

Andy_Jen

We went to Ottawa when we first arrived and stayed six months. We loved the cycling and the Gatineau Hills. My husband also found work quickly (IT). The bus system was brilliant. There are some nice neighborhoods (we particularly enjoyed Westboro) and we met some very nice people who had also immigrated to Ottawa. The only downside was that we found the natives to be reserved and quite insular. We were told over and over again that in Ottawa you need to be a part of a group so as to meet people and develop social circles.... ie, cycling group, sailing club, outdoor club, etc. Also, as Souvenir says, it is fairly bilingual and a lot of employers (not just the government) prefer you to have french as well.

In the end we left and moved to Barrie. It's much smaller (125,000 pop.) but feels much more welcoming and the locals are very friendly. I'm sure there's nothing wrong with Ottawa ... it just didn't suit us in the end.

Sean Boxer

Hey Souvenir, is that your house?
This is my place, nice eh?


My first job was with the government, it was contract based and not full time though.


I'd also say that Ottawans may be a bit colder than other Canadians but compared to London they're are almost freakily friendly.

In fact people are so friendly here I've found that my personality has changed in the past few years to be a lot more trusting and outgoing . . . I even talk to Arsenal supporters.

brit_in_fizroy

Been in Ottawa for nearly 9 years now in Hi-Tech. We decided to live out in the country and found a place in a small village on the Ottawa River. The Commute is about 35 minutes with no traffic until you hit Kanata so don't get too concerned about moving a little out of town where houses are a bit cheaper. As for work, Ottawa has the honoury title of Silicon Valley North so the are many communication and defence companies around. Electrical Engineering doesn't really suffer much from the Canadian content issue so as long as you are current you should be okay. Look for the companies in Ottawa and go to their web sites for carreer opertunities - though you pretty much have to be here to get a job.

And if you enjoy the outdoors the countryside is not far away - water water everywhere - the fishing is great too

Perry Groves

Thanks for all the info, I am now seriously considering Ottawa, especially as there is some nature nearby which is something I am looking for as I have a young family. How about good schools in the area?

BTW it sounds like a move to Canada does wonders for friendliness, I might even start talking to Hammers fans, though Spurs fans, still not sure about that

Sean Boxer

Well nobody talks to Sp*rs fans (can't even bring myself to type the word).

Souvenir

If you're into outdoorsy stuff, I think you'd like it here. The more I think about it, the more I realise how much is on offer year-round.

The Ottawa River has several marinas and yacht clubs, as well as a beach.
Gatineau Park has all sorts, as mentioned earlier. The area is very geared to cyclists and there are many paths/trails. The Rideau Canal is partly drained in Winter to create the world's longest skating rink (right into the centre of the city). Many people skate to work.

Yesterday, my missus knocked off work a bit early to go pick up the Boy from school. Then they nipped 20 minutes up the road to spend a couple of hours on the ski slopes before dinner.

Wannabe

Not only do we have a lot of nature, but the city is full of festivals - jazz, blues, tulip, winterlude and quite a few more - and has a lot of interesting museums as well. Lots of stuff to do all year round!

Sean Boxer

The worst thing about Ottawa is the Norwegian community.

Crime has gone up quite a bit since they arrived.

DKCAN

Norwegian community ?? I dont think sooo .. norway is one of the most safest country in da world .. how could they turn criminal when they migrate ??

Wannabe

Sean is just trying to wind me up, dkcan. The Norwegian community in Ottawa consists more or less of myself and a woman at IKEA.