Best Canada city to live in?

[Seraghot]

Hello everyone,

So I'm doing my research into finding the English city I should aim and look for a job in and I'm having a hard time. Mainly because of conflicted answers or answers that are all matching.

Anyway I'm looking for a city where I can study IT and most importantly for my father to find a job. He worked as a manager in many food industry companies. It would be nice if the city is also technologically advanced with fast internet speeds (doesn't have to be the top/best) because it will be my main career path. Just a calm city with nice people and community (Hopefully nothing less 500k population. We don't want a quiet rural area)

Lastly we prefer wind, rain, dryness, cold-warm but not sunny and hot. After all that, I saw Calgary as a nice fitting city but few people said it's mainly oil business. Is that true? If so what's your suggestions?

I'm sorry if I gave too many certain specifications needed but I hope you guide me to right path.

Thank you very much and looking forward to your answers !

 

[foodie69]

These are the cities with more than 500'000 people

1 Toronto
2 Montreal
3 Calgary
4 Ottawa
5 Edmonton
6 Mississauga
7 Winnipeg
8 Vancouver
9 Brampton
10 Hamilton
11 Quebec C

As to the weather, Vancouver would be the place to be, warm, but certainly not dry.

 

[research-scientist]

There is no hot city in Canada. Everywhere gets cold or very very cold in Winter. Canada is a first world country so no problem with internet speed but it also depends on how much monthly you are willing to pay for internet service. Immigrants are everywhere, 20% of Canadian population were born abroad, so there is not such a city as having less immigrant unless you settle in the country in small towns which are less welcoming to immigrants and foreigners.

 

[ttrajan]

Edmonton, Calgary, Toronto and Vancouver.

 

[steaky]

Calgary is hot, sunny and dry in summer. You wouldn't like it.

 

[Seraghot]

Thanks everyone for your answers but again.. really conflicting answers. Okay forget everything else. But is it true that calgary is only good for oil business or not?

 

[foodie69]

There is no way anyone here can tell you where to live. I came to Canada several times on vacation to different places to feel the vibe..

Finally we settled in Vancouver and it is just perfect. There are no guarantees or which are better places than others, only opinions. Unfortunately you have to make a choice and go from there.

 

[next2015]

I don't understand when you say you've been given "conflicting answers".

You asked for a list of options, and that's what you've been given. I think you simply need to make up your mind on where your going to settle/land.

You won't find a city that meets your criteria, to the dot. Every city has its pros and cons. You just have to identify the best fit for you, the one that comes closest to your preferences. There is no perfect match - not in the real world, at least.

About Calgary, it is true, it is home to many oil companies. In fact, oil is the biggest chunk of Alberta's economy, generally speaking. The current oil prices have made it harder for oil companies to conduct their business. So there's a lot of layoffs in the industry. However, hiring still goes on in non-technical areas. If you check the job sites, you'll see a few postings by oil companies.

You say your an IT person; Toronto meets that criteria a lot better. I'd add Montreal too, but there's a language issue there, and for that very reason, there's a slow migration of tech companies to Toronto, especially video game publishers. Generally, Edmonton and Calgary are industrial cities, Toronto and Ottawa are service-based - home to finance, IT etc.

Canada's weather is, generally, not the kind you experience in most parts of the world - it can get really cold. As other posters mentioned, Vancouver is the best option for warm weather, but it's also the most expensive.

Choosing a city to settle in is no easy decision, but you won't find any different answers from those you've got already. Note that the list given to you by one poster is really a list of the big cities. So options outside that are likely to meet YOUR definition of a rural area. Make up your mind, otherwise, your losing time. That list won't change, regardless who you ask. In fact Quebec City may not qualify coz it may not be English enough for you.

All the best.

 

[Seraghot]

Thank you very much ! Really what I was looking for. After some research. I have decided to aim for Ottawa.

Thanks again =)

 

[zoya_99]

Thank you very much ! Really what I was looking for. After some research. I have decided to aim for Ottawa.

Thanks again =)

Look for Waterloo as well. It's good and close to Toronto

 

[Seraghot]

Look for Waterloo as well. It's good and close to Toronto

Will do, thanks !

 

[abstalks]

There is no way anyone here can tell you where to live. I came to Canada several times on vacation to different places to feel the vibe..

Finally we settled in Vancouver and it is just perfect. There are no guarantees or which are better places than others, only opinions. Unfortunately you have to make a choice and go from there.

How are the housing prices treating you in Vancouver? From what I have read, it seems like housing is a nightmare in Vancouver. You mainly have million dollar homes...buying one would mean you have a ball and chain for a long period of your life...

 

[steaky]

ere
How are the housing prices treating you in Vancouver? From what I have read, it seems like housing is a nightmare in Vancouver. You mainly have million dollar homes...buying one would mean you have a ball and chain for a long period of your life...

No, there are other options - you can buy a condo for about half a million like in Flushing NY.

Even if you buy million dollar home, it doesn't necessarily mean you have a ball chain for a long period of your life. With this hot market, you can flip for a gain if you live or hold that home even for a few months.

 

[abstalks]

No, there are other options - you can buy a condo for about half a million like in Flushing NY.

Even if you buy million dollar home, it doesn't necessarily mean you have a ball chain for a long period of your life. With this hot market, you can flip for a gain if you live or hold that home even for a few months.

Well...I should not be complaining as a 3 bedroom condo here in Singapore costs upward of a million! Still, I would have thought half a million would get you a landed family home in a nice suburb. I guess it is all about accepting what the new normal is why you love to a new country...

Thanks for your reply steaky!

 

[ommehta]

Where can you do this ?

Outside Vancouver ? Like in Surrey or Richmond or Burnaby ? Or any places inside Vancouver as well ?

thanks

Om

No, there are other options - you can buy a condo for about half a million like in Flushing NY.

Even if you buy million dollar home, it doesn't necessarily mean you have a ball chain for a long period of your life. With this hot market, you can flip for a gain if you live or hold that home even for a few months.