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Ray of hope - FSW - 1

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Mandeepchadha85

Star Member
Apr 15, 2020
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Same here. I’d by far prefer to settle down in Montreal. If one can converse in French, it's illogical to prefer an overpriced city like Toronto ahead of Montreal, whether you are Indian or Asian or whatever.
Is it really important to know French to consider settling in Montreal?
 

ns317

Hero Member
Aug 29, 2019
264
262
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I MUCH prefered Toronto to Montreal hence why i moved from the latter to the former. Everyone’s situation is different.
Yeah I don’t disagree at all to that. For all I know, once I get to Canada, I might find something in Toronto that attracts me a lot and convinces me to settle down there. On paper though, the vastly different costs of living seem illogical right now, that’s all. And Montréal as a city seems very attractive with that slice of Europe in North America feel.

Is it really important to know French to consider settling in Montreal?
Yes in most cases. It’s a francophone city; even if many people can speak English, they’d rather speak French. To live and work there, knowing French is essential.
 

jrossi

Hero Member
Jan 13, 2020
506
699
There are other reasons why more people usually prefer to live in Greater Toronto Area. High availability of basic/standard jobs and cheaper public transport. Though most of the immigrants are skilled, it usually takes few months or sometimes atleast an year to land in the specific job of their interest. Remember it's not easy to get a job without Canadian experience. So they end up doing basic or standard wage jobs temporarily.
The second reason: GTA has the best transport system in North America which is much cheaper and reliable than any other cities in Canada including Vancouver and Montreal. Finally immigrants prefer living in suburbs like Scarborough & North York. The cost of living in these areas are considerably cheaper when compared to living in downtown.
Well, each one has their priorities. I don't see the point of migrating to Canada to pursue a higher standard of living, and then accepting living in the suburbs and expect a 3h commute as something that is normal.
Regarding your opinion about jobs, I see it in the exact opposite way: when it comes to entry level jobs, you are good to go anywhere in this country. You'll find Walmarts, and Subways, and Tim Hortons in every single Canadian city you go. It's once you get really qualified (I mean like, REALLY qualified) for the Canadian market that Toronto/Vancouver might become interesting places for a very specific job, that pays a lot, and that you might not find anywhere else in the country (exemple: if you're a movie special effects specialist, you're most likely to only get a good job offer from either Vancouver or Toronto).

I don't intend on landing in Toronto, at all. But, if at a certain point I receive a job offer from Toronto that could keep my standards of living (that means, for example, being able to afford a house relatively close to my job), than for sure I'll do it. But landing in Toronto to live on minimum wage, spending 100% of my salary only to pay the rent and nothing more? Gosh, never.
 
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aj534160

Hero Member
Apr 13, 2019
494
487
Well, each one has their priorities. I don't see the point of migrating to Canada to pursue a higher standard of living, and then accepting living in the suburbs and expect a 3h commute as something that is normal.
Regarding your opinion about jobs, I see it in the exact opposite way: when it comes to entry level jobs, you are good to go anywhere in this country. You'll find Walmarts, and Subways, and Tim Hortons in every single Canadian city you go. It's once you get really qualified (I mean like, REALLY qualified) for the Canadian market that Toronto/Vancouver might become interesting places for a very specific job, that pays a lot, and that you might not find anywhere else in the country (exemple: if you're a movie special effects specialist, you're most likely to only get a good job offer from either Vancouver or Toronto).

I don't intend on landing in Toronto, at all. But, if at a certain point I receive a job offer from Toronto that could keep my standards of living (that means, for example, being able to afford a house relatively close to my job), then for sure I'll do it. But landing in Toronto to live on minimum wage, spending 100% of my salary only to pay the rent and nothing more? Gosh, never.
Very well said. It is not true that just Toronto has tons of jobs and other cities lack jobs
If you ask anyone as to why they are moving to Toronto, the default answer is that their family/friends/relatives/acquaintances live there and even they blindly wanna head to Toronto.

Secondly, some people do not even have any reason but wanna settle down in Toronto by default. So yes, they can enjoy the insanely high cost of living in an excessively overcrowded place.

Regarding jobs, let me give my theory (firsthand experience) here.

Two of my friends work in Vancouver (exact location is Burnaby) as IT admins and although they live at one of the most highly rated cities, they are surprisingly able to save more bucks than their Toronto counterparts.

My sister lives in Montreal and has zero French knowledge. Neither her room companions. Even during this recession, they were able to quickly get back those jobs that they lost and they are really really faring well compared to Torontonians

My uncle's son works at Wipro Calgary and he is just overjoyed by the number of bucks he is able to save in the gorgeous city. Each day has been so heavenly in Calgary according to him. Recently got nominated through the Alberta PNP program.

My other cousin is studying at the University Of Winnipeg and trust me, he is able to save close to an IT engineer in Toronto by just working PT. In Winnipeg, one can save more than 4 times than a dude that strictly wanna go to Toronto

My colleague (who used to work with me during 2016) has gone to Saskatoon through the SINP with the intention to move to Ontario after a year or two. He was awestruck and surprised to see the variety of jobs in such large numbers and he has decided to settle down in Saskatoon. I guess he even bought a house and married an Indian girl too there.

My friend's brother, a Senior Marine Engineer at MAERSK, has got a harbour admin job (intracompany transfer from Mumbai) at Halifax, NS and he tells me the sheer amount of jobs available in that city but still clueless to why no one is really to live in such cities. This is one reason why Nova Scotia too has a successful PNP running and placing people comfortably in Halifax and other cities

So from all my acquaintances, I can say that none of them complained about lack of jobs, none of them had to grapple with Canadian Experience (of course they were strong in their domain, very strong), none of them had to wait for months to grab a job and most importantly, none of them had to commute 2 to 3 hours to work. Every one of them paid very low insurance, low housing/renting cost, more exploring Canada, More high quality shopping, Frequent trips to the US (except my sister) and tons of other benefits

Never say other cities have very limited opportunities. If no one is interested to explore Canada (other than the GTA), it is their wish but never complain that there are less jobs outside Toronto.

Still not sure why Canada is equal to just Toronto for many and not the whole of Canada. :confused:
 

RoverMover

Hero Member
Jul 21, 2020
229
196
Are you working for TTC?
The best transport system LMAO
Lol. Apparently they received best transit award in North America. They showcased it by printing on all TTC vehicles.I used to hate TTC but after travelling to Vancouver and Montréal, I can say TTC is far better than the transit systems in those cities.
 
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ZAtoCD

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Nov 3, 2019
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South Africa
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I hope you are well. Is it okay to have more funds than required? E.g. I have a USD account having 25 k. More than I mentioned for 3 members funds I'll be bringing to Canada I.e 20,000 CAD. Maintaining this account for more than a year
Yes, it's fine if you have more.
Is it really important to know French to consider settling in Montreal?
A lot of jobs require bilingualism. This is also true of Ottawa.
 
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Mandeepchadha85

Star Member
Apr 15, 2020
102
53
For those living in GTA area, which is the best area around if one wants to avoid too many people from one community? One of the reasons I'm moving to Canada is to experience s new culture and lifestyle. Don't want to be feeling too cosy around my community and restrict myself to the same things. Hope there are no judgements, I'm just saying it the easy I feel.
 
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Banana woman

Hero Member
Dec 10, 2019
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For those living in GTA area, which is the best area around if one wants to avoid too many people from one community? One of the reasons I'm moving to Canada is to experience s new culture and lifestyle. Don't want to be feeling too cosy around my community and restrict myself to the same things. Hope there are no judgements, I'm just saying it the easy I feel.
I stay around Vaughan/Richmond Hill area and I love it. It’s very quiet
 

zagcollins

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Sep 9, 2017
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Very well said. It is not true that just Toronto has tons of jobs and other cities lack jobs
If you ask anyone as to why they are moving to Toronto, the default answer is that their family/friends/relatives/acquaintances live there and even they blindly wanna head to Toronto.

Secondly, some people do not even have any reason but wanna settle down in Toronto by default. So yes, they can enjoy the insanely high cost of living in an excessively overcrowded place.

Regarding jobs, let me give my theory (firsthand experience) here.

Two of my friends work in Vancouver (exact location is Burnaby) as IT admins and although they live at one of the most highly rated cities, they are surprisingly able to save more bucks than their Toronto counterparts.

My sister lives in Montreal and has zero French knowledge. Neither her room companions. Even during this recession, they were able to quickly get back those jobs that they lost and they are really really faring well compared to Torontonians

My uncle's son works at Wipro Calgary and he is just overjoyed by the number of bucks he is able to save in the gorgeous city. Each day has been so heavenly in Calgary according to him. Recently got nominated through the Alberta PNP program.

My other cousin is studying at the University Of Winnipeg and trust me, he is able to save close to an IT engineer in Toronto by just working PT. In Winnipeg, one can save more than 4 times than a dude that strictly wanna go to Toronto

My colleague (who used to work with me during 2016) has gone to Saskatoon through the SINP with the intention to move to Ontario after a year or two. He was awestruck and surprised to see the variety of jobs in such large numbers and he has decided to settle down in Saskatoon. I guess he even bought a house and married an Indian girl too there.

My friend's brother, a Senior Marine Engineer at MAERSK, has got a harbour admin job (intracompany transfer from Mumbai) at Halifax, NS and he tells me the sheer amount of jobs available in that city but still clueless to why no one is really to live in such cities. This is one reason why Nova Scotia too has a successful PNP running and placing people comfortably in Halifax and other cities

So from all my acquaintances, I can say that none of them complained about lack of jobs, none of them had to grapple with Canadian Experience (of course they were strong in their domain, very strong), none of them had to wait for months to grab a job and most importantly, none of them had to commute 2 to 3 hours to work. Every one of them paid very low insurance, low housing/renting cost, more exploring Canada, More high quality shopping, Frequent trips to the US (except my sister) and tons of other benefits

Never say other cities have very limited opportunities. If no one is interested to explore Canada (other than the GTA), it is their wish but never complain that there are less jobs outside Toronto.

Still not sure why Canada is equal to just Toronto for many and not the whole of Canada. :confused:
honestly, no one gave me or the missus any BS about Canadian experience here in Toronto. Living Downtown is more expensive compared to the burbs, but we make enough to afford it pretty easily (remember, no need to buy a car when living and working DT; rent one when you need it), and save a good amount each year. All depends on your situation.

On the subject of Winni and Saska, again personal preference. Didn't like either when I visited em.
 

cansha

VIP Member
Aug 1, 2018
6,676
5,855
Very well said. It is not true that just Toronto has tons of jobs and other cities lack jobs
If you ask anyone as to why they are moving to Toronto, the default answer is that their family/friends/relatives/acquaintances live there and even they blindly wanna head to Toronto.

Secondly, some people do not even have any reason but wanna settle down in Toronto by default. So yes, they can enjoy the insanely high cost of living in an excessively overcrowded place.

Regarding jobs, let me give my theory (firsthand experience) here.

Two of my friends work in Vancouver (exact location is Burnaby) as IT admins and although they live at one of the most highly rated cities, they are surprisingly able to save more bucks than their Toronto counterparts.

My sister lives in Montreal and has zero French knowledge. Neither her room companions. Even during this recession, they were able to quickly get back those jobs that they lost and they are really really faring well compared to Torontonians

My uncle's son works at Wipro Calgary and he is just overjoyed by the number of bucks he is able to save in the gorgeous city. Each day has been so heavenly in Calgary according to him. Recently got nominated through the Alberta PNP program.

My other cousin is studying at the University Of Winnipeg and trust me, he is able to save close to an IT engineer in Toronto by just working PT. In Winnipeg, one can save more than 4 times than a dude that strictly wanna go to Toronto

My colleague (who used to work with me during 2016) has gone to Saskatoon through the SINP with the intention to move to Ontario after a year or two. He was awestruck and surprised to see the variety of jobs in such large numbers and he has decided to settle down in Saskatoon. I guess he even bought a house and married an Indian girl too there.

My friend's brother, a Senior Marine Engineer at MAERSK, has got a harbour admin job (intracompany transfer from Mumbai) at Halifax, NS and he tells me the sheer amount of jobs available in that city but still clueless to why no one is really to live in such cities. This is one reason why Nova Scotia too has a successful PNP running and placing people comfortably in Halifax and other cities

So from all my acquaintances, I can say that none of them complained about lack of jobs, none of them had to grapple with Canadian Experience (of course they were strong in their domain, very strong), none of them had to wait for months to grab a job and most importantly, none of them had to commute 2 to 3 hours to work. Every one of them paid very low insurance, low housing/renting cost, more exploring Canada, More high quality shopping, Frequent trips to the US (except my sister) and tons of other benefits

Never say other cities have very limited opportunities. If no one is interested to explore Canada (other than the GTA), it is their wish but never complain that there are less jobs outside Toronto.

Still not sure why Canada is equal to just Toronto for many and not the whole of Canada. :confused:
This post is full of observation bias. If you know 5 people who live in different cities of Canada and got jobs and are happy that doesn't mean those cities are better than GTA.

There are numerous examples where people have left those very cities and moved to GTA. It doesn't prove anything. Whether a city is a good choice or not depends on a number of factors and personal preferences.

And for people who want to make a decision do not depend on anecdotal evidence. It is easy to research for jobs in your field. Go to Linkedin or Indeed or any other job portal and filter on location and kind of job and you can compare the number of jobs in a particular field.

At the end of the day any city in Canada is good if you have means to sustain yourself.
 

Timbuktu_14

Champion Member
Feb 5, 2020
1,452
1,142
This post is full of observation bias. If you know 5 people who live in different cities of Canada and got jobs and are happy that doesn't mean those cities are better than GTA.

There are numerous examples where people have left those very cities and moved to GTA. It doesn't prove anything. Whether a city is a good choice or not depends on a number of factors and personal preferences.

And for people who want to make a decision do not depend on anecdotal evidence. It is easy to research for jobs in your field. Go to Linkedin or Indeed or any other job portal and filter on location and kind of job and you can compare the number of jobs in a particular field.

At the end of the day any city in Canada is good if you have means to sustain yourself.
My thoughts exactly. I know about 5 people doing so well in Ontario and I also have a friend in Manitoba that hasn't gotten a job since he got there last year. Different strokes for different folks.
 

akmh1b

Hero Member
Mar 6, 2018
278
85
My thoughts exactly. I know about 5 people doing so well in Ontario and I also have a friend in Manitoba that hasn't gotten a job since he got there last year. Different strokes for different folks.
Before landing in 2019 I had looked up all the major cities in Ontario (I am a Ontario PNP). I had visited Toronto while working on a project in Montreal in 2013 and didn't like it. So I was looking at London, Windsor and worst case Guelph area. Having worked in auto industry in Detroit 2015-2018 I thought I might find something in Windsor. I applied every where in Ontario. During my 8 weeks of job search I interviewed every week including some weeks with multiple interviews I only two interviews got outside Toronto. So finally looking at the entire picture I had a reluctantly accept and offer in Toronto. I live in Pickering and now commute to Toronto for work (30 mins drive). Now having lived for a year Toronto has its perks that's why people move here. Weather is tolerable for most of the year, job mobility is easier, if you are South Asian there is very large contingent so you have easier time assimilating. Brampton and Mississauga are crowded with Desi's if you want more diversity easier commute and look eastwards Durham region (Pickering, ajax, Oshawa)
 
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