Malcstevens

Hi we are sick of living in the Uk and are looking at the possibility of moving to Canada. We have friends over there in Calgary but feel that it is too cold there and are looking at the province of Ontario, west of Toronto. We have been considering it for a while now and in fact we are taking a trip out there soon to see what its like. We are looking at the towns & cities around a 50 mile radius of Cambridge. Can anyone give us any advice on what its like so we have some idea of what to expect. We know that the climate is seasonal with quite warms summers and a cold winter but would be good to know what people that live there think about it as we feel thats its one of the most important factors for leaving dull, damp UK. Also be intersted to know about employment, I am a professional (should be able to get in on my points total) I have a degree in architecture and over 20 years experience. Housing is another obvious one, are there any cities/areas that should be avoided?
Anyway I could go on but this is only a thread...

rodeo star

Hi
With regards to the weather in Toronto, it actually has more snow than Calgary. It has a very similar climate to New York, very hot summers and cold winters. So you will get proper seasons, unlike England.
We are in the process of moving to Calgary in the next month. However we did seriously look into Toronto, as the house prices are less and I thought we would get more for our money, when buying a house.
We took a trip to Toronto in April this year, when we had to land. Whilst their we drove around and looked at different areas. There are some really nice looking areas on the outskirts of the city along the lake, For example we really liked the look of a place called Oakville. I also have distant family in London, who have been there for years and are really happy living there. It depends, what you are looking for? I would strongly recommend going over there and getting a feel for different Neighbourhoods. Good luck, I'm sorry I couldn't be more helpfull

joelsa

With regard to calgary being too cold, we get warm winds here in the winter called Chinooks. It warms everything and melts the snow so i don't find the Winters too harsh.

Ontario winters have been reported to be brutal in some areas (lake effect snow) and not so bad in others. Biiink (the moderator) lives near Windsor and she says the Winters are quite mild. I can't speak from experience as i've never had an Ontario winter but i'm sure there have been plenty of discussions on here about them, if you do a search.

Also don't be surprised if you have to re-sit exams for your profession once in Canada, as a lot of British quals aren't recognized.

Rich_007

ON and Calgary too cold ?

BC is where it's at.

Best of everything, and the weather is the bees knackers

R.

johnh009

Watch the house prices in Calgary. If the oil price goes down, then house prices could go south.

Malcstevens

Hi
No you have been more than helpful, its the little bits & pieces that you pick up from different peoples opinions, so thanks for that. Yes we are looking for a more seasonal climate, somewhere where you know it will snow at some point in the winter and where the summers are reasonably warm and longer than in the UK! Plus the fall & spring of course. We are looking at a radious around Cambridge, just outside the Toronto area, hopefully house prices won`t be too high. We are visiting London also for one day so thats good to know. We have some friends in Calgary who love it so hopefully it will work out for you too. Have you emigrated from the UK then?

Malcstevens

Thanks for your reply, very helpful and great to know how many other people there are out there that feel in similar situations. Yes we have friends in Calgary and its a lovely place but unfortunately my wife reckons the overall climate is too cold, with the summers being too short and the winters too long. Anyway many thanks for your feedback.

dbd33

If you scroll back through our blog you can see the conditions 75 miles north-west of the CN Tower at various times of the year. Take good note of the winter posts, such as the one entitled "All the roads ... are closed".

Malcstevens

We have been led to believe its pretty wet over there, with similar weather to southern UK...isn`t that right then?
The climate statistics show it being pretty similar anyway..

Malcstevens

Thanks but we are on about the Ontario region, aroud Toronto not Calgary. We have friends in Calgary though.

Biiiiink

I have said that, but it's relative. It was heaven after Manitoba

Steve_P

There's a lot more to B.C. than Vancouver and the lower mainland.

NessieOggy

Actually, a part of BC is classified as semi-arid, with Osoyoos having a desert classification. The valley welcomes the rain when we get it!

Some coastal areas of BC can get a far amount of rain but then that tends to happen at sea level....


Oggy

Paul Wildy

Have you thought about Nova Scotia? Much milder in the winter than places like Toronto and Calgary though still colder in the winter than BC. But BC is really wet (rain) and really expensive.

Nova Scotia is a really friendly, pleasant place with very affordable house prices. Wages are lower than Toronto etc but its just a nice place to live and very laid-back. Just a thought.

Londonuck

Osoyoos was one of the weirdest places ive been. You're in Canada but it was like Mexico. God i could do with some of that sun now after our Irish 'summer'.