Best Place to Live in Canada?

[missmymexi]

I should add that I have lived in the prairies and Ontario and despite my dislikes about Vancouver, I have always came back

 

[kaede1977]

I live in Vancouver, its a love hate, you do have almost 6 months of grey skies and rain, which gets most of the city down by spring time but the summers are gorgeous. I like it because the tempatures are mild, it rarely goes below -5, infact that might be the coldest it gets, most of the winter we do not go below zero.

Vancouver itself is hard city to start in, the rents are unbelievably high, cost of living in general is high. We have the highest gas prices in Canada (due to transit taxes added on the gas). Food on the other hand is very reasonable, especially from markets that sell produce and goods made locally.

The job market is also a hard one, its a very popular city and can be quite the task to get employed here, the big secret is it has less to do with what you know then who you know, if make some good contacts then your golden.

Vancouver Island is alot more reasonable regarding housing, much cheaper, there is no real city there, Victoria is a just a big small town, everything closes at 6pm, very much a retirement community. But there are lots of great artisan communities all up and down the island. Again employment is limited as most people use to work in the Natural resource sector which has run dry in BC with Mills and mines closing all over the place.

So basically, its such a beautiful place to live, the ocean at your feel, huge mountains right there to explore, rain forests and wilderness, lakes, great fresh produce, mild tempetures but make sure you try and established a job or some finances before settling or you may be in for some hard months.

Totally agree!! I miss sushi and all the great asian food...if you are a single guy, Vancouver can be heavenly as the dating ratio is 8 girls to every guy but it can be a nightmare dating scene for girls! Miss bikerides around the seawall, yoga classes in the park, hiking the chief in Squamish and the lamplighter pub in gastown...dont miss the high taxes, pricey rent, dating scene...

 

[missmini]

it really depends on what u want for short/long term and how u want to live...if u r single or young couple, want to have fun, want to study then Montreal is the place it is billingual, it has also English universities (very good ones), it still has cheap tuition rates (although that might change soon), u can learn French anywhere at a low cost (why not knowing a 2nd language ) it has great nature, parks, old city, new city, river, Cirque du Soleil, Formula one, botanical garden, parades, restaurants from all the countries, all summer long it's full of festivals and outdoor activities, good metro/bus system, very close to US border also...it is friendly and multicultural, i just love it....yes the winters r harsh like everywhere but u can get used....most places in Ca have harsh weather and if it's nice and warm like in BC then it's rainy....so still a bad side....the downside, high taxes, poor road/bridges infrastructure (if u plan to drive), the economy is not going too great nowadays :

if u want to raise children and b in a quiet place, safe, then why not Ottawa? (not sure abt the house prices there but i think the employment opportunities r good)...

this is interesting topic!!!

 

[mc1234]

Great insight, missmini! We are a young couple, I have already finished my university degree,but we would like my SO to get some additional schooling in Canada. We have considered montreal for a number of those reasons. I love languages and speak English and Spanish so learning the language is not a problem for me, I am just worried about finding a job and living in montreal with basic French! One thing we liked about montreal was the market for housing (very reasonable) as well as the more european feel to it. I also like it because its close to my family here in Ontario which is important to us. How is the job market there for someone who speaks limited french but fleunt in English?

 

[mc1234]

the downside, high taxes, poor road/bridges infrastructure (if u plan to drive), the economy is not going too great nowadays :

Are you talking about Montreal or BC?

 

[missmini]

Are you talking about Montreal or BC?

about Montreal....never lived anywhere else but i do know some things abt Ottawa and Toronto unfortunately i don't have much details abt the job market since we r waiting to move back ourselves as soon as the visa will come but i do know from my own reading and statisics that nowadays QC is still loosing jobs, the unenployment rate is pretty high, maybe the highest from all provinces : and yeah u do need to b billingual when u go to any job interview....even if the company is english and u will not use french at work u still need to know the basics and u will have questions in french...u need to know that french is the official language there and they r very keen in keeping it that way and very language protective....but if ur route is to study there then u could find a job on campus maybe where probably noone will ask u to speak french...of course this type of job will not help u save much for a future mortgage for example....also another way in getting a job is by contacts - so if u have a friend of a friend working somewhere u might have a better chance and the language barrier might b less restrictive....

u can easily live in Montreal with basic French....i don't recommend it and improving ur French will open u many doors not only in Montreal but in places like Ottawa too...as i told u the city is very multicultural, and there r areas with more French spekers, areas with with more English speakers and mixed...so if u just arrive with basic French or no French u will still manage... i talk abt montreal not other cities in quebec

 

[hopetoland]

Hi,

I live in Edmonton and I love it. Live here since August 2011 and everything goes super well. Was able to buy a new house ( house prices very low ), found job in the travel industry after one month. It's all to good to be true.
- gas prices ok due to industry
- lots of jobs
- low taxes
Negative:
- a lot of gangs and criminality
- when warm that means Mosquitos
- not so exciting nightlife

 

[Canada-Girl2012]

I am currently living in Calgary,Alberta ! (been here for 4 years)

It is fairly quiet here, lots of job opportunities (fairly easy to find a job if you have some job experience). Gas prices are okay; they tend to fluctuate for example last week $1.23/Letre this week down to $1.16/Letre. House prices are okay depending on the size of the house;not too cheap and not too expensive, just moderate. The nature is beautiful ! Lots to do in summertime- Vancouver is close by-can plan lots of road trips. Banff is always nice to check out, Lake Louis or driving up to Kelowna,BC. Winter time can be harsh compared to over provinces such as Ontario. However this year we were lucky this winter, barely any snow ! Summertime is great not too warm and not to hot/humid, just perfect Overall I Enjoy living here !!
I was previously living in Mississauga,Ontario. I enjoyed living there as well but Calgary is my preference as it is more quiet to live here.

 

[Steph C]

It really depends what you want and what you like. Many people love Vancouver, others can't stand the rain.

Don't confuse Vancouver with Vancouver Island! There is significantly less rain in Victoria then in Vancouver. I am currently in London Ontario for school and I can't stand it here. There is nothing about the city that I like, and I don't find it to be very livable. I would recommend going either east coast or west coast. I know the west coast is more expensive but you might find more affordable housing in a smaller community like Comox or Courtenay on Vancouver Island.