joanna2467

Hi guys,

myself,my husband and two young children are looking at moving to canada from the UK on a skilled worker visa which my husband will apply for, he is a chef with 15 years experience. we will probably rent first with a budget of around 1500 dollars.

We have looked into both areas and thought that they would have the best job opportunities for his industry with them being such big areas but i wanted more of a community feel not a city so any advice as to areas around toronto and vancouver would be appreciated as would any advice on housing, schools etc etc.

I am currently studying for a law degree which i am hoping to get certified by the NCA in Canada and take the bar there so the universities in both areas were also a factor as are the jobs available after qualification.

anyways, any comments on these areas would be much appreciated

Joanna

el_richo

Vancouver.

And no doubt you'll get lots of subjective opinions on both but the real fact is, Toronto is shit. If you search for posts from MagnumPI on here, he's provided many videos showing the every day life within Toronto. Enough to turn even the hardest of gypsys away.

With regards to your budget. $1500 a month on rent will certainly have you outside the downtown area of Vancouver, assuming you'd need 3 bedrooms, in a nice-ish area and a decent apartment/house.

Do you have any specific area in mind?

iaink

I hope you have something more substantive than that...

Having said that, if I could afford either TO or Vancouver, and had job prospects in either then I would go for Vancouver, even is only for something as superficial as proximity to mountains and ocean.

The only problem really is I suspect most people think the same way, so there perhaps is a higher incidence of newcomers chasing the available jobs there, and the housing cost to typical income ratio is not as favourable as Toronto, not that Toronto is all that great in that respect either.

el_richo

Alas, i don't. But it's compelling watching and offers a real taste of living there*







*According to MagnumPI

christmasoompa

Can you visit both before moving? Some people love Toronto, some love Vancouver (personally, I'm not a fan of Toronto, but that's just my personal opinion). Vancouver will be tighter financially on your budget, but you may find that it suits you and the lifestyle you want better. Depends on what you're after really i.e. if you want to ski every weekend in the winter then Vancouver would be the obvious choice.

Once you've got your SW application in (preferably asap so you don't miss out with the quota of 1000 applications per occupation) then perhaps you could visit both of them whilst it's processed?

Lots of people on here will be able to give you their opinions, but it's really no substitute for seeing it yourself and deciding which will suit you and your family. And a quick search will bring up loads of previous threads on both cities for info too.

Welcome to the forum.

joanna2467

Thanks for the quick replies.
I will check out those videos :-)
We are hoping to get our applications filed in Sept although we have no idea at the moment on timescales, a lot of websites have totally different info.

We feel more swayed by Vancouver at the moment due to the activities available whereas there doesnt seem to be as much in Toronto. My husband has an aunt and uncle in Toronto so we can get a lot of info from them as well as crashing at theirs if we go over which we do plan to do. When is the best time of year to go or is it recommended that we go in summer as well as winter to get an idea of the weather, also with regard to schools will they be open over the summer?

With regard to budget, if anyone does read this from those areas, where would I get a decent place without being in the middle of nowhere?

Thanks again
Joanna

Auld Yin

If you search for posts from MagnumPI on here, he's provided many videos showing the every day life within Toronto. Enough to turn even the hardest of gypsys away.

If you believe for one minute that magnumpi's videos are representative of everyday life in Toronto your head is up your you know where. I can come to Vancouver and take equally stupid videos, show them to potential immigrants with the same asinine comments as yours.

iaink

Dont pay too much attention to them! There is plenty to do in Toronto, its a huge city on a lake lets not forget, sort of "New York Lite", Museums, Major league Sports, Theater, Shopping, Decent transportation links, Cottage Country and Niagara Falls nearby . What it doesnt have is the mountains. Or 6 months of grey english style weather.

lmartin999

This demonstrates exactly why the videos should never have been posted in the first place. Also, NumpyPI doesn't live in Toronto.

I've lived in both places. Both are fine and I'm not sure the differences are really that great. Vancouver is smaller, more outdoors stuff, not really a city in lots of ways. I lived in Kits which was very pleasant. Where you can afford to live makes a big difference I think. Toronto is bigger, more city stuff going on. Lots of nice neighbourhoods, good shopping, restaurants etc. Subway makes getting around relatively easy. Easier to get to UK if that matters.
If you do a recce and the weather is nice you will love Vancouver as opposed to Toronto. Just remember a visit is not the same as living there though. Probably more work opportunities in TO for a chef?

Aviator

This is all very subjective. I could not get a decent place without being in the middle of nowhere, I hate cities and urban areas. A lot depends on if you like urban or rural.

paolosmythe

To the OP..... it is up to you.

I could make a case for the pros and cons of both (more Van than TOR) but really that would be based upon my preferences and a wealth of generalisations based on my tiny number of experiences.

I guess the only true (and tragically dull) comparative variable that can be stated with universal confidence is what kind of weather do your prefer?

If skating outdoors is part of yoru Canadian dream, then forget VAN. If 30C+ summer and -30C winter is tolerable, then TOR is still a possibility.

Otherwise, if a concrete city vibe is good for you then TOR wins over VAN; but if you like to view ocean and mountain at the same time, VAN is the obvious choice.

Both have jobs, both have small condos for the rent price you mentioned, or bigger places available further out from the 'downtown cores'. Both seem to have good public transit systems and both have traffic jams. Both have a large proportion of 'visible minorities' and both have their issues with drugs and crime........

To be honest, you need to expose yourself to both. the opinions of other people in here aren't really gonna help you. think about what matters to you and research it. take notes from a Lonely Planet book at least.

Have fun finding out which you would prefer and good luck.

el_richo

You'd be able to rent in most places in Metro Vancouver that aren't in the middle of nowhere. I'd be surprised if you could get a decent pick of 3 bed houses in a nice area for $1500 though, if that's what you'd be looking for since you have kids.

From the top of my head, i would have thought you may get lucky in areas such as Pitt Meadows, Delta, Maple Ridge, and as far out as Mission or Chilliwack.

If you could up your budget, you'd have a much easier selection of places and areas.

el_richo

<Removes tongue from cheek>

Only kidding, Auld Yin

<Inserts tongue firmly back in cheek>

JonboyE

And fortunately neither does Vancouver.

el_richo

Neither does England