I think it is the arrogance that really gets the goat of the native people. Most people especially we brits, think we could just go to a certain non-english speaking country, and expect them to just bow to us.

When people actually make an effort to speak the language, the natives appreciate it. I found this out on my travels, and it seems to work all the time for me.

You think things are bad here, go to switzerland where 3 different lingos are spoken in different parts of the country. I don't think people should think they have a divine right to be served in english, if english is not the local language, that is just damn right liberty taking.

Oakville would have much higher property values than Peterborough.

I'm not sure that I would avoid Vancouver just because of the crime stats - but I would think about it. In general, the fastest growing parts of the country will have more problems with crime than slower growing cities like Peterborough. If you don't mind living in a smaller city, then Peterborough might be a reasonable choice. Remember that Vancouver's housing is the most expense in Canada.

Quebec immigrants poorer than average, solutions needed: expert:


MONTREAL (CP) - Quebec immigrants, on average, earn lower-than-average income and more must be done to integrate them into society, a population expert said Friday.

Jack Jedwab, head of the Association for Canadian Studies, said an analysis of Statistics Canada figures from 2000 indicates more than one in four Quebec immigrants, or 26.9 per cent, earn less than the Canadian average.

In neighbouring Ontario, 16.4 per cent of immigrants earn lower-than-average income.

Jedwab told a news conference poor economic prospects in Quebec are driving immigrants away.

"A large proportion of immigrants who come to Quebec left for other provinces because they didn't find any attractive opportunities," said Jedwab, who noted nearly one-quarter of new arrivals in Quebec eventually move elsewhere.

"The question of economic integration of immigrants must be looked at very closely. The assessment leads one to conclude that economic integration policies in Quebec have failed."

Jedwab said 40.4 per cent of visible minorities in Quebec are also earning less than the national average.

The Quebec numbers compared unfavourably with Nova Scotia (30.7 per cent), Ontario (24.9) and British Columbia (28.4).

Jedwab suggested Quebec invest more time in training and manpower programs for immigrants, although he said progress is being made in providing incentives to immigrant investors and entrepreneurs.

But a non-scientific observation suggests ethnic Quebecers aren't being hired for top-level jobs in banks and other large corporations, said Jedwab.

He also noted a scarcity of immigrants in the public service.

http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/Canada/2...380146-cp.html

My wife, a Quebecker and fully bilingual, smiled when I read this out to her. She thinks you've been lucky.

Hear, hear - we lived in Switzerland and it was blooming hard work getting on with the locals though. And this was NOT because we weren't trying to speak the language but more because they have a language all of their own. Y'see I started to learn high German before we got there and found out later that the Swiss DESPISE the Germans and refuse to speak their language even though it's the official language in parts around Bern. The written language MUST be in high German but locals speak in Bern Deutsch which is undecipherable even to Germans, and there's no books to learn the language as it's unofficial. I managed to learn about 3 words of Bern Deutsch after 2 years! We did get by with high German but many people advised us that they would rather speak to you in English than to speak high German so it was well confusing - you couldn't even buy German wine in the region even though Germany was just over the border. Getting work there is also hard as they prefer people who are fluent in French, Italian, German AND English and the Swiss are very clever at speaking all those languages - darn it!! Still, beautiful country.

Great choice!!!!!! I am from Quebec City myself which means JE PARLE FRANCAIS... but still think Toronto is the BEST place in this country. Toronto makes everyone feel right at home. No one feels left out in Toronto!
Good luck in your new chosen city.
Chantale
PS Which part of the city do you want to settle in?