Where to live?
 

I need some advice from people living in Canada. I am a single parent with a small child. We am looking for a place to live, maybe Canada. It must be very near to a very good school, hopefully walking distance.
It must be near other families with small children.
But – I want a place green enough that my child can go outside to play without having to deal with cars on busy streets nearby. I hate row houses with a street in front.
I need to travel abroad occasionally so it would be nice to be near a major airport, and at the moment I am looking mostly in the area of Vancouver, though I would consider anywhere (and cost is not a big problem if all else is right). I would like to rent at first, later buy or build. ( I think we would prefer all the way east, Montreal, Toronto, Quebec, or all the way west, BC)

Finding a community that is both big enough to have good facilities, and rural enough to have lots of green space has been difficult.
We need a suburban community where people are close, but cars are kept at a distance. Can anyone out there make any suggestions?
Thanks,
Dale
You may write me directly at quedx at clovermail 'dot' net. (I write it that way to keep the spam bots from picking it up.)

Re: Where to live?
 

First off just to let you know a majority of Canada (that I have been to) the row houses is standard in all large suburbs. THe problem with moving to a smaller community ilke Brandon Manitoba or Prince Albert British Columbia is that job prospect are not as high as they are in larger cities. Around Toronto and Vancouver there are loads of suburbs but look at Google Maps it is rows of houses.

Your expectations of a quiet life might work in the eastern parts of Canada such as Halifax where life is a little more laid back but jobs are hard to find. Also there are major flights out of this area.

Hope this helps.

GRiM

Re: Where to live?
 

Yes - take a look on Google Earth at the Canadian grid system across the countries. Rows upon rows upon rows. Even insome of the smaller towns they really seem to go for these grids. The OP would be all right in a more rural location, or on the edge of town though (for as long as it remains the edge of town of course).

Re: Where to live?
 

Thanks for the info.
A job is not an issue for me, so in that respect, I can live anywhere.

A good school is an important issue. We want to be near schools that are academically orientated.
Dale

Re: Where to live?
 

I would suggest you look at two areas within TO if housing price is not an issue.

Leaside and Lawrence Park are essentially like small villages within the city, tree lined streets, minimal traffic within, EXCELLENT SCHOOLS, safe walking.

BUT, it will cost you at least 250,000 Pounds to buy in there, but the values continue to climb.

Ethnic diversity does not exist in these areas, if that is a concern, they are both very traditional with Upper Middle Class Parents.

My Sons both Graduated from Leaside, and as the one said, it was never a question of whether you went to University, but which one.

Bonnie Byford R.E could give you insight, rentals, if they become available, are at least 1,000 Pounds per month.

Crescent Private School is in the area, Annual Fees are about 10,000 pounds per month.

20 minutes by Limo to airport.

Neighbours would be Lawyers Professional Athletes, company Senior executives, Entrepreneurs.

Bayview, SE of Eglinton, South Leasdie is the preferable area.

Similar areas exist in most major cities, Mount Royal in Calgary springs to mind, Shaughnessy in Vancouver, but others may be more familiar.

Re: Where to live?
 

You aint got Upper Middle Class darkies in Canada yet? How about Irish?

Re: Where to live?
 

If money's important in that, I'd urge you to consider proximity to a good US airport - you'll save big on ticket prices and treble your flight options.

Re: Where to live?
 

Is it just me or does this reply sound more like Howard1944 is just blowing hi own trumpet rather than attempting to help the original poster?! What a snob!

Olderman didn't say he/she was a professional athlete or senior company executive wanting to spend $20k per month on school fees and take limos everywhere - just a single parent looking for somewhere nice and green to live!

Olderman - try areas around Halifax. Halifax airport is great because its small enough you can just park right outside, walk accross into the terminal and you are at the check-in desk. No buses or monorails from long-stay car parks.
Its a very green area and you can get 1 to 2 acre lots and a nice house at a reasonable price. Really good schools. Sadly I cant promise all your neighbours will be professional athletes or CEOs but great freindly people and family-oriented lifestyle.

Re: Where to live?
 

Howard.....were you born with a silver spoon in your mouth......whats wrong with living in a neighbourhood with ethnic diversity. Hope to God yours isnt a neighbourhood full of Howards!:frown:

Olderman....have you thought of Saskatchewan....I know the two major airports may not be quite international enough for you but apparently that is going to change in the future. It is a lovely province with lots of wide open green spaces, nice neighbourhoods, lower cost of living and good schools? It's not hard to tell I'm going eh?

Re: Where to live?
 

First let me say 'Thanks', to all of you who have answered my query. Howard 1944 may or may not have been 'blowing his trumpet', but it was a very useful and detailed reply and I appreciate it.

It's true I would prefer friendly Irish neighbors to most British CEOs, but one advantage of a very expensive neighbourhood is that the state schools are likely to be better and one doesn't necessarily need to pay for a private (British 'public') school. In any case I don't think any school can cost $ 20K / month. I think there must have been a mistype there as he say 'Annual fees' are 10 pounds per 'month' (I assume he did not mean to add the 'per month'.)
But I take he didn't send his kid to that place anyway, but rather to the Leaside high school which I assume is state run.

In any case 1K pounds per month rent while higher than I would like is not unthinkable for us, especially if I did not have to pay for a private school.

But I would rather have a place in a smaller suburban area, rather than in the center of a big city.
Does anyone out there know anything about BC. I spent one summer on Vancouver island and found it quite nice. I would prefer to be on the mainland, but I like the somewhat milder climate.

Saskatchewan? Well I did consider Siberia too, but ... Really, it just seems to far from anywhere. I looked on a map for Saskatchewan and the first town I saw was called Moose Jaw... Perhaps Yakutsk. That's somewhat east of Novosibirsk...

One nice thing about Howard's info is that it was very specific. I think it is the individual neighbourhood that will really matter. I would consider a small house or a nice condo apartment if it had nice green space around it, but I hate row houses with a busy street out front.
It's friendly neighbours and a little green space that matters most, after good schools.

Anyway, keep talking,
Thanks,
Dale

Re: Where to live?
 

Alvic, I was pointing out that many of us, myself included since I am partially Asian, prefer neighbourhoods with a mix of groups, others do not.

I am always amused at those who like to jump on someone with no idea who the person is?

I am an Immigrant, I did well, some of you can take that as a message, I would hope most of you also have high aspirations.

Re: Where to live?
 

Oh Yeah Alvic, one of 8 boys , one girl, Dad worked for the city, grew up in 3 bedroom 1 bathroom house in Scarborough, by my own level of incompetence rose to the top, preferred buying nice homes to expensive cars and frequent holidays, and I have never been to a Starbucks.

Re: Where to live?
 

I don't know what you mean by a "good" school. When most people use that term, they mean a school with high academic standards.

Dbd33 often has said, and I agree with him, that the existence of the International Baccalaureate program at a high school is an indication that that school is academically focused. If you want a school with high academic standards, one of the simplest ways to identify such a school is to find out whether or not it offers the IB program.

If you child is not yet in high school, find out which elementary schools or junior high schools feed into the relevant high school. If you are not familiar with this terminology, read the BE Wiki article on Canadian schooling. Actually it would be a good idea to read that Wiki article anyway, just to get an overview.

I have never lived in BC. I love visiting it as a tourist, and in fact I would like to retire there eventually. However, I have heard (but don't know from personal experience) that the BC school system is not the most academically focused one in the country. I think you are more likely to find a school with an ambitious culture (if that's what you're looking for) in the Greater Toronto Area.

I think you're fixating on the housing issue too much. If I were you, I first would find a municipality that is relatively close to an international airport, that has good schools and that is not in one of the coldest parts of Canada (given that you have expressed a desire to stay away from the coldest parts). Once you have nailed down those elements, it usually is possible to find housing that meets the criteria you've stipulated. You can find houses on quiet streets. It's even possible to find townhouses (row houses) that are surrounded by green space, if you look carefully.

But one thing you need to be aware of is that each public (state) school draws its students from a specific geographic area. If you want your child to attend a given school, you pretty much have to live in that school's catchment area.

As I'm sure you're already aware, an issue you'll need to think about is child care while you're away from home. I don't know about Toronto, but here in Calgary that would be a challenge.

Re: Where to live?
 

Howard I am only making assumptions based on the tone of your threads...just like everyone else on here. It's not the first time your posts have rubbed people up the wrong way and you have received negative replies from other members.
Congratulations btw on all your achievements...they were well earned.

Re: Where to live?
 

Didn't think Saskatchewan was that hard to find on a map, as it is the middle province of Canada. If you ask Lizwil98 on here she will tell you it is not Siberia...its actually 40 degrees at the moment in Regina...which is the capital city. There are many members on here who live in Sask and thoroughly enjoy it. Relatively speaking it is no farther away from anywhere than anyother place. The world is a small place nowadays, even Canada. We are going to live in a twon called Indian Head which imho, ticks all the boxes you mention.

Re: Where to live?
 

Opportunities in Sk are limited to certain areas, it has less than 1,000,000 people of whom almost 30% are Aboriginal,and the population is decling, that is why many of the Grads move to Alberta, for work opportunities.

Sk people are different, basic, solid, hard working, not overly caught up in the material world, but the weather can be crappy.

Cold in Sk is when you step on the snow and you can hear it squeak, so be prepared.

Learn to love winter Sports, Hockey, Curling, else you will get Cabin Fever, can drive a person mad.

Re: Where to live?
 

According to people in Sk a lot of families are moving back to Sk for the exact reasons you point out that the people are basic, solid and hard working and think a lot of their communities.

The weather in Northern Ireland is crappy too it rains the greatest percentage of the year, esp the winter when you have no choice but to stay indoors suffering from cabin fever. We dont have such things as winter sports unless you call wathcing TV everyevening a sport:rofl: This will be an exciting new oppourtunity for us and we cant wait to experience the snow. We are not under any illusions that it will be very cold and something we have never before experienced, but I'm sure we will get used to it.

Re: Where to live?
 

I fail to see why ethnic diversity, or lack thereof, should trigger such a response. I would imagine most here would pick their neighbourhoods very carefully after taking into account ones financial means. I always have.

One usually doesn't have any choice in the workplace but then again one doesn't live at work. Seven hours a day is plenty. Just because Canada is known as a multicultural country, whatever that means, it doesn't imply that one doesn't have a choice as to ones residence.

As to snobbism, frankly I see none. All I do see is an honest attempt to help someone. Don't be to quick to judge.

Re: Where to live?
 

This:

"Ethnic diversity does not exist in these areas, if that is a concern, they are both very traditional with Upper Middle Class Parents.

My Sons both Graduated from Leaside, and as the one said, it was never a question of whether you went to University, but which one."

is text book snobery. It's explicit in suggesting that the author's neighbourhood is better than others because the people there are white and Upper Middle Class (whatever that is).

Re: Where to live?
 

Because racism is frowned up in Canada and immigrants are rightly particularly sensitive about it. It's particularly offensive to claim that an area of Toronto is better because it's where the white people live because Toronto's main (perhaps only) claim to fame is that it has a reasonably diverse population.

Re: Where to live?
 

Thanks for pointing this out DBD...I was beginning to think that i had picked Howard up wrong. If from my replies anyone out there thinks I am a racist you are all wrong...that is why I asked the question "What is wrong with ethnic diversity"?

Re: Where to live?
 

Looks like you need an extra pair of glasses because I see no mention of white people. Put diplomatically, you have an overactive imagination. Just the sort of poster a forum such as this needs.

Indeed there was mention of Upper Middle Class. Reality check: There are such neighbourhoods in every city and if one can afford to live there well that is plus.

Re: Where to live?
 

And while you are it I suggest you pay attention to what others have to say. DBD is not the final authority on the subject.

Re: Where to live?
 

Mike - I think its you who needs the glasses as Im quite sure the word "white" appears two words before "Upper Middle Class". At least this si the way we spell it in Northern Ireland - perhaps that is not the case in Montreal. I happen to think DBD is a great asset to this forum as he is funny/witty and very helpful and unlike others has a good sense of humour.

Re: Where to live?
 

Did you get out of bed on the wrong side today my dear?
I do pay attention to what others say on this site. No one ever said DBD was the final authority - this forum is free to all to express their own opinions - I think we still live in a democratic world. Hence the fact that we disagree with Howard should not annoy you so much in the same way as you disagreeing with me does not annoy me - I think you are funny and too uptight. If you look though most of Howards posts he gets everyones backs up and alternatively his post in "Whats bad about Canada" - i completely agree with.

Are you Howards brother?

Re: Where to live?
 

Is this the thread that I started? It seems to have wandered off in another direction.
Would those people that want to argue about racism please start their own thread.
I just want to talk about good places to live and especially very specific places with a bit of green and academically good schools.

Everyone will have their own feeing about why a particular place is good or not. They are welcome to express their views whether I or anyone else likes it or not. Jews, Wops, kikes, wasps, niggers, wetbacks, are all welcome. Me, I'm part English which part oppressed and starved another part of me which is Irish, both being driven by oppression from their homelands where they came to America and got knocked up by some dirty little native, a third part of me, and they all got together and discriminated against the jews who proceeded to marry into the family, a forth part of me.

I will not be insulted by someone who thinks I should live in an all white or an all indian community. Lets just talk about the communities and the schools and the traffic, and the green space, and take the racism discussions somewhere else.
Thanks,
Dale

Re: Where to live?
 

Hi Dale

I have read your original post and it sems that what you want is an academically strong school, and for arguments sake I will state that this may not mean an overall good school as we all have ideas about what a good school is or isn't and academic acheivement may only be one category.

You also say you have a small child. How small may be quite critical, as some schools may be oversubscribed.

For you I think the Frasercard reports are ideal - these are publsihed for some but not all provinces. Calgary Board of Education publishes its own performance tests as well. Even given the premise of frasercard, they still need some scrutiny as KG-grade 3s are missed out and also some schools (for instance in calgary) are gifted and talented schools and therefore produce much better results at grade 6 than they would naturally do. In other words these schools are highly selective and their results mirror this- but it is not taken into acount in their frasercard.

You don't say you want state or private. I will say, as it amazed me when I first started looking, that the private schooling system is subsidised by the state- they get something like 60-70% of the state subsidy- this means they are much cheaper.

I have done some research into Calgary elementary schools. You can also have a choice as to style as well and it sounds like you may like the traditional learning schools and/or the charter schools. The private schools can get pretty oversubscibed in Calgary early years. Private schools seemed not as well endowed as in UK, in other words because they are a relatively new thing they are not rolling around rich like some private schools in the UK so the facilities are not as good. I looked around 4 state and 1 private elementary school, and the private school maybe fared the least well in terms of facilities.

I agree with Judy about you actually choosing where you would like to be in terms of your international flights and then you should be able to find the type of area you like/ with schools you like within the zones. As she says childcare may be an issue.

Best wishes

gryph

Re: Where to live?
 

ps

I have noticed on this forum that people in BC have an increased tendancy to moan about the early years education. This could be because it isn't quite as good or could be down to the individual personalities - I have no idea.

Also the getting away from car thing may be tricky as to me canadains love their cars!

Re: Where to live?
 

That would seem to rule out Leaside as a destination.

If you don't want to be dependent on a car then you're limited to the downtown core of Toronto, Montreal and perhaps Vancouver and Calgary.

If you want good schools then look for those that offer the bac: http://www.ibo.org/

If you don't have a lot of money then it has to be a state school. Voila, move to the Beach, send any and all children to Monarch Park.

Re: Where to live?
 

1. "ethnic diversity" describes people of various colours. Thus touting a neighbourhood as lacking it implies that neighbourhood is populated by white people. It's quite simple really, no imagination required.

2. Canada lacks class. There are richer and poorer neighbourhoods but Upper Middle Class is a reference to a system that doesn't quite apply; who are the aristocracy (save Conrad Black) in Canada?

The whole Howard claim for Leaside is bonkers in conflating affluence and social status and doubly so because Leaside aint that white anyway; I even know a Newfie who lives there.

Re: Where to live?
 

This is really pathetic. There is no mention of Whites.

So your assignment today is to sit in the back of the class and write out 10,000 times 'I need to pay attention to what Howard writes, not what I think he writes'.

Re: Where to live?
 

Could you please deconstruct the following phrase for us:

"Ethnic diversity does not exist in these areas"

?

Re: Where to live?
 

Well dbd that is your interpretation. At least to your credit, and unlike your buddy alvic, you are not putting words in Howard's mouth.

Re: Where to live?
 

I though Newfies were White, and if any of you were even vaguely conscious of TO, Leaside is often referred to IN THE NEWSPAPERS as Lily White
Leaside, their words , not mine.

We know that Newfie, he has over 100 Gnome Lawn ornaments.

Ethic Diversity does not exist in China Town, or Little Italy, or Little Portugal, or Greek Town, or, or , or.:eek:

Re: Where to live?
 

"White" is a cultural construct, refer "How The Irish Became White" by Noel Ignatiev.

I've never seen the term Lily White Leaside, have you a citation?

I think all the areas mentioned are culturally diverse though, of course, they are areas where people of one ethnicity dominate. Am I being unfair in characterising your position as being that Leaside is mainly populated by white people and so it's better than places that are not?

Re: Where to live?
 

Sorry:o please forgive us...this actually happens a lot on here...we wander off from the main topic. So have you came up with any ideas yet as where to settle.

Re: Where to live?
 

As the tone of this thread is getting worse I dedided to re read and see why we are all getting so hot headed. I see it is actually dbd that has added the word white to Howards post and was not in the original post so I apologise for reading this incorrectly.

At the start I thought Howard meant that it was a bad thing to have ethnic diversity but perhaps this is also incorrect - I am not afraid to admit I was wrong and apologise if this was the case.

Sorry Olderman for going back on to this topic again but I dont like people to think I am a racist or just being argumentative as i am not like that at all.

Re: Where to live?
 

good ole Howard didn't state a preference one way or the other. If he has any firm views on the topic well he ain't saying. dbd made a few appearances with predictable results. I didn't for a moment think you, alvic, were racist. I don't see how anybody could. I luv this forum. Great place to get all excited all over nothing!

;)

Re: Where to live?
 

Fact is that good ole Howard didn't state a preference one way or the other. If he has any firm views on the topic well, guess what, he ain't saying.

dbd made a few appearances with predictable results.

I didn't for a moment think you, alvic, were racist. I don't see how anybody could. I luv this forum. Great place to get excited all over nothing!

;)

Re: Where to live?
 

Did you post this twice just to make sure I got the picture??:rofl: