Olderman

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.)

GRiM

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

Tableland

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).

Olderman

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

Howard1944

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.

dbd33

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

Biiiiink

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.

Paul Wildy

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.

Member123

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!

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?

Olderman

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

Howard1944

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.

Howard1944

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.

Judy in Calgary

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.

Member123

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.

Member123

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.