dboy

I agree with this view. Having spent some time in Toronto, i like it for different reasons over Vancouver. More of the big city vibe, more going on, more people, more established and interesting neighborhoods, better night life....

Vancouver is much prettier and personally I think has much nicer summers. Cost of living is higher if you own, I imagine renting is similar. Lower utility costs in Vancouver due to the milder climate.

JonboyE

As others have said, $1,500 a month is fine for a condo but a bit light for a house in a decent area. The best place to look and get an idea of rental prices is craig's list. http://vancouver.en.craigslist.ca/apa/

$2,000 will get a family home in the suburbs.

Edit: Vancouver area.

Jo&Alex

If you do decide to give Toronto a try, I'd recommend looking into living in the High Park area. There are a few apartment buildings that offer decent condos for a decent price, or you can look into renting a flat in the adjacent Roncesvalles, within one of those huge old victorian houses that people have split into multi-family units. That's what we did, and we really liked it. This is a nice neighbourhood, you get a "small town" feeling where people actually walk to the grocery store, kids walk to school and lake Ontario and High Park are also within walking distance with all they have to offer. On the other hand, you can get on the subway and be downtown in 10 minutes.

I myself prefer small towns to big cities, but I can see how being a chef that's really not an option, so I won't go into describing the beauties of rural life. But for a young family with kids that has to live in Toronto, High Park/Roncesvalles is a great area.

iaink

My little village of <3000 people has at least three restaurants I can think of off the top of my head.

No university though to pursue a law career though... I suppose there are plenty of places like Kingston, K-W etc though that could also support the OPs needs, and thats just Ontario. They do say they would prefer a small town feel after all.
There may be fewer absolute numbers of job opportunities in smaller towns, but then there are fewer people chasing those jobs too, and more opportunity perhaps to get known around the place and network?

dbd33

I'm not sure I follow this. If attending a university is required as part of the NCA certification then finding one for that will be the driving force in selecting a location. If the certification is administrivia then finding a firm that will take you on with only a foreign qualification might be a project and determine the location. I would think that, compared to this, finding a job in some sort of kitchen would be relatively easy, though finding an appropriate position in an appropriate kitchen might also be a challenge.

Jo&Alex

I personally happen to think that Kingston is one of the best places to live. And yes, there are lots of restaurants, and the University, and tons of things to do with the kids. Plus 1500/month for rent will actually take you a long way! And it has the lake, and this amazing vibe....

I love Kingston.... We are talking about Kingston, ON, right?

iaink

I was. The skiing isnt as good as vancouver though.

dbd33

I'm on another, like, planet. Unless the objective is just to admire the university buildings, one needs a place before a school is any use. This typically means getting into the school and moving to it. Thus, physical proximity to a university for which one may not qualify or which may not offer a course of interest, seems of little value.

Oink

From a purely quasi-experimental empirical basis, Vancouver is nice, Toronto is crap.

Jo&Alex

Of course, but this will be the case anywhere OP goes... It seems like this is not what decides the final destination in this case though. Not sure why, since I would think (like you) it's easier to find a job as a chef than a spot teaching at a University. I've never been a chef though...

We always went where our studies took us, that's how we ended up living in Toronto, even though we didn't plan to.

So I think dbd has the best advice: find a place at a Uni and go live there! Maybe you can just open your own restaurant if there aren't enough chef jobs around?

The4BellsLondon

I hear the Yukon is nice!

Londonuck

Cant believe it but its looks like we might be going to Toronto now. Rather excited after 2 years of shyte in Ireland. Wont be supporting the Maple Laughs though

London Mike

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.

On the university front, S Ontario has a collection of excellent universities (arguably world class in one or two instances). Waterloo, Western Ont and UofT are all relatively close to each other geographically and excellent in my area (not law admittedly). Queen's, I think, has a really strong reputation for law . Mcgill in Montreal has one of the best in the country but that's a ways north.

If you head to Vancouver, UBC and Simon Fraser are also really strong universities so you prob can't go wrong there on that front. Check out the 'Maclean's Guide to Canadian Universities' if you come out on a recce trip (maybe you can get online) available in most bookstores. That'll give you the latest lowdown on the good law schools in Canada.