I was hoping to settle in a small city/town in Canada, away from Toronto. Leaving Dhaka and don't want to land in another crazy big city. I really miss a simple laid back life. But relatives are discouraging saying my child would be discriminated in schools and everywhere. Is it the case? I am ready to face some diversity and intolerance but is it that bad?
Around the core city of Toronto, there are smaller cities. While it is advisable to avoid some of those, such as Brampton, Malton, you could choose among the other ones, and, among those other ones, I would put Mississauga at the top. In Mississauga, you will have the laid back life you said you wished for. And, that city is NOT boring. That's a fine blend of urban life and nature. One can enjoy all the urban features and switch in minutes to be lost in nature and seek tranquility therein.
Speaking of feeling bored, kindly ignore talks that claim Ottawa is a boring city. I don't know who said it but I read it somewhere on this thread. Whoever said it could not be more wrong.
If, for some reason you do need to travel to the city of Toronto from any nearby city, you could avail the public transportation facilities that link all cities around Toronto and Toronto itself. In other words, the entire GTA (Greater Toronto Area) is served by a strong network named the Go-network which has both bus and train routes. That network also connects with the local transport networks in the cities. A lot of people travel on a daily basis from one point to another in GTA in order to go to work, schools, etc.
Some new immigrants cannot help but look for a comfort zone once they arrive in Canada. They prefer being among Bangladeshis in a place inhibited by none other than Bangladeshis. Before they arrive, they envision living in a place where the pedestrians walking by speak in Bangla, the bus drivers are Bangladeshis, the shop-keepers greet in Bangla, Bangladeshi restaurants on either side of the road emit the smell of Bangladeshi food, etc. If that is the intention one has, then the best place for such an individual would be the Danforth area in Toronto.
Otherwise, if anyone asks me, I say Mississauga, above all.
Lastly, about, intolerance, discrimination, etc, here is one thing to remember to ease the worries: Canada is not USA.