Hello House:
I am still begging our seniors to end my punishment of kneeling down and raising my hands for “sneaking” into MapleVille… Abeg make una follow me beg them make I stand up – hopefully our story will garner sufficient support for them to have mercy on a sister
I shall start this story from the day we received our visas and COPRs, as my thinking is that some of the steps we took and choices we made would benefit others who are still in the “planning to depart” phase. We received our documents on 24 Mar 2016, the day before Good Friday. That same night, we purchased our one-way tickets on the Ethiopian Airlines website, with departure scheduled for 13 Jul 2016 – countdown mode was officially activated and we had 111 days to go. From this point I shall refer to our departure date as “D”, and all other dates in reference to that date.
- D – 111 days: purchased one-way airline tickets for family of 4. We chose ET because they had the cheapest flights of the Star Alliance group so we could earn points, and also because we figured being one of the first flights arriving in Toronto Pearson in the morning could not hurt – arrival time was scheduled for 8:30am
- D – 109 days: started seriously researching Toronto neighborhoods to determine the areas we would be checking out once we arrive. We used torontoneighbourhoods.net, walkscore.com, blogto.com/neighbourhoods/, and a number of other resources to get detailed information about the various neighborhoods; padmapper.com to get a sense of rental rates; and compareschoolrankings.org to get a sense of the quality of schools associated with the respective neighbourhoods. I need to add here that we had taken part in CIIP general and MAP sessions in February, so some of the information we worked off of were obtained from those sessions, e.g. you may have noticed that we had already narrowed down to the city of Toronto, as we had decided we will not be owning a vehicle for the first year at least, so convenient walking access to public transit, grocery shopping, banking services, school, etc was extremely important.
- D – 102 days: started compiling an inventory of all the items in the house, and assigning them one of four labels: keep and take along with us to Canada, keep in Lagos to take along with / have sent to us at a later date, sell, donate. Then we tidied up the sell list, assigned prices to each item based on (i) how much we spent to acquire, (ii) how long we had owned them, and (iii) the current condition of the item. When we completed this exercise, we shared our list with our friends and family, some of who in turn shared with their friends and family. The first version of this list was sent out on D – 75 days. We also indicated in the list when each item would be available for pickup, with the latest date being on D – 13 days to allow for any last minute folks. As items were purchased, we would revise the list and share again. We also listed some items on OLX, but the majority were sold to / through family and friends.
- D – 75 days: checked with all registrars and financial institutions about any paperwork that needed to be sorted out, so they don’t send information requesting for one form that has to be filled and submitted in original hard copy after we have left town.
- D – 60 days: requested for letters of no claim /policy subscription confirmation from auto insurance policy providers we had used for the last 3 years; I had read on the forum and other sources that it could help lower our auto insurance premium whenever we decide to get a car. General as we prepared was “it is better to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it.” These are free, so definitely didn’t hurt to have them.
- D – 40 days: finalized our shortlist of neighborhoods to check out once we arrive, and also started researching short-term stay options. We considered renting a short-let for a week or two, but a high school friend insisted that we arrive at hers; thankfully we accepted her invitation, as that not only saved us money, but she and her family provided invaluable support in those first few days. We can never repay them, so we have to make sure we pay it forward.
- D – 35 days: requested for medical case file summary reports from all the medical institutions (including dentists, optometrists, etc) we had been to in Lagos. This is free from most institutions, but a few would request a “processing fee”. For some a request over the phone was sufficient, for most a form needed to be filled, for almost all of them, some follow-up reminders were required. This also included the kids' up-to-date vaccination reports.
- D – 30 days: secured 90-day travel insurance from Axa Mansard to cover our trip, as well as the 90-day waiting period before our Ontario provincial health insurance takes effect. We also applied for international driver licenses, which we received in about a week - for this we needed the photocopy of our 9ja driver license and a passport photograph.
- D – 25 days: formally informed the kids’ school that we would not be returning next session.
- D – 14 days: obtained bank statements documenting POF, and finalized our post-arrival budgets
- D – 5 days: sent CAD to ourselves via MoneyGram in Diamond Bank; limit was N250k per person including transfer fees and VAT. We had to get to the branch before 7:30am so we could get 2 of the 2 / 3 forms that were given out that morning.
- D – 3/4 days: the last of the items that had been sold were picked up by their new owners. Thankfully we were able to raise over 75% of the funds we expected to get from our virtual yard sale. Some of the items that were not bought were thrown in as jara for those who bought stuff.
- D – 2 days: we freighted 194kg of personal effects and food items, including the oils: palm oil and coconut oil via Air France / KLM cargo. Our selection was based on whether an item would be cheaper to freight or replace after we arrive. We used walmart.ca, ikea.ca, and amazon.ca to get ideas of replacement costs at this end. In the evening, the charity organization came to pick up the items we had marked for donation; they have a monthly charity sale, so we figured they could sell them and raise some funds for their activities.
- D day: left home for the airport that morning with our 8 pieces of luggage for checking in, and 9 pieces for carry-on; major thanks to a friend who availed us of her space bus. We had tried to pack each suitcase at exactly 23kg, but we knew some were a few points above. We had no drama checking in, as we had no “non grata” food items in tow, no issues with either checked or carry-on luggage, the flight departed Lagos on time, the ET hostesses were cooperative, and the people that sat next to us were equally understanding, with our many toilet trips with the kids. I had packed their favorite snacks in case they didn't care for the airplane food - which our son didn't, and a number of activities and toys to keep them occupied when they got tired of watching the movies. They generally behaved well, and both slept for most of the Addis - Dublin leg of the flight. Only thing we missed was moisturiser - the cabin air was very dry, and our son's skin on his legs were cracked and hurting by the time we arrived Toronto, and both kids had cracked lips.
- D + 1 day: we arrived Toronto a few minutes ahead of schedule, at 8:28am. We were done with immigration, Service Canada, and customs in about 45mins - we met zero people waiting at each point. At immigration we were asked to confirm how much cash we had in our possession; we did not have up to C$10k, so that was the end of that conversation – no POF was requested. I was also asked about what occupation I applied under and where I had worked just before arriving the country. They then informed us that we should expect our PR cards in the mail in 2 – 3 months. At Service Canada, we were given our SIN information on printouts that we were advised to guard jealously, and we were informed that they no longer issue SIN cards, so that was the last documentation we would receive from them. At customs, we presented our inventory of goods accompanying and goods to follow, which included pictures of all jewelry without any prices/value indicated. We were done in about 30 minutes as there were no queues at each of these points. We got a porter to help with a large cart and our luggage for C$20 (or was it 25? ). Our friend had rented a van on our behalf, which she drove to pick us up - we only had to wait for her for about 10mins. Our air freight had arrived the day before, so we drove straight to the cargo section to pick those up; we paid a little less than C$100 for handling charges, and we were sent on our way in less than 30 minutes. We got to our friends’ house about noon, had a sumptuous lunch, gisted with them small, and then we all slept for over 12hrs! We did not change any currency at the airport as we checked online and saw we could get better rates with the banks: Travelex was quoting C$1.15/US$, while online information was telling us we could get C$1.30/US$; turned out that the online information had advised us correctly.
- D + 2 days: we went to the nearest Canada Post to receive our MoneyGram checks, then our friend took us to the nearest shopping center to get our phone lines: I got Wind Mobile and husby got ChatR so we can compare and decide after the first month which is better. Only documentation required for this was our passports, and we each got the C$40 plans. My Wind plan came with 5GB full speed data, while his ChatR came with 1GB full speed data. Wind Mobile also came with a C$5/month rebate for using my own handset, which will go on for 18 months, and I can use for things like international phone calls (about 90mins to 9ja) or lose it at the end of each month. ChatR came with a free sim for pre-authorising monthly payments on a credit / debit card; Wind Mobile sim cost C$25. Both are ok so far, and work very well where we were and where we are now, although husby has since exhausted his 1GB so his data speed is now rather slow - now that we have home internet, his 1GB high speed internet should be sufficient going forward. For more details about both, check out chatrwireless.com/ and windmobile.ca/. We then went to BMO to set up our bank accounts: documentation required were our passports and COPRs. We then took the train to check out the number one neighbourhood on our list to get a feel for the place. We weren’t feeling the area – not that it was bad, just didn’t fit our vibe. Upon returning to our friend’s area – Oshawa – we had a medical emergency with one of the kids and had to head straight to ER; the bill was almost equal to what we paid in insurance for the four of us – good thing we got it. The lady that registered us said “Welcome to Canada” after we were done, and added that she wished she it wasn’t “under such circumstances.” Thankfully it turned out to be an acute situation that very quickly resolved, and we were able to head home by midnight.
- D + 3 days: I stayed home with the kids while husby went out to check the remaining neighborhoods on our list; by the time he returned, we had narrowed down to one neighborhood, where we would now go apartment-hunting in.
- D + 5 days: we set out first thing in the morning, with a shortlist of apartments we had seen on padmapper.com in hand, to begin our apartment search. We were told at the first apartment we went to that the earliest availability is 1 Sep! We checked the others on the list and were told there were no immediate availabilities either. So, we started walking along the street and calling the numbers when we saw availability signs. Just as we were about to call it a day, we found a place that we didn’t only like, but was also immediately available. Also, they had reduced the rent from what we had seen on padmapper.com because it had been vacant for over 2 months. The requirements were that we fill an application form, provide a security deposit, copies of our passports, and bank statements showing proof of funds since we do not have any credit history. For the security deposit we quickly went to our bank to get a check and submitted to them along with all other requested documents. We returned to our friends’ happy that we had likely found a home. We also paid in our Moneygram checks at the bank, and we were informed a hold would be placed on any check deposits, until we establish credibility with them - it was a 7-day hold for these checks. No holds would be placed on cash deposits or incoming wire transfers. Also, the no-fee waivers for newcomers does not include wire transfer fees for the BMO newcomer accounts, so you may want to confirm with your bank.
- D + 6 days: husby went out for a meeting at Acces Employment, and to also confirm whether our rental application had been approved, and finalise paperwork if so. I was glad to receive his call about noon that our application had not only been improved for a 12-month lease, but that we would be allowed to move in rent-free until the 1st of August when our lease would start; we only had to submit a check covering the last month of the lease, but the check for the first month of August would only be due on the 1st of August.
- D + 7 days: we rented a U-Haul truck using husby’s international driver license and GT mastercard, then headed to Costco and Walmart where we bought some household basics, the largest of which were our mattresses from Costco. The Costco shopping was done with our friends’ Costco card. We returned to our friends’ with the truck, added our items to our shopping already in the truck, and our friends added some cooked items to see us through our first few days: jollof rice, beans & corn, cake, okro soup, and grilled chicken. They also gave us a crate of eggs, toothpaste, body wash, hand wash, hand lotion, and some canned drinks. Can’t even begin to thank them enough; we just finished the last of the cooked items that they sent us off with. Husby drove the truck, while the kids and I chilled for a bit and then took the train.
- D + 8 days: we signed up for rental insurance with Square One Insurance, application and approval was done online; for C$50,000 cover, we are paying C$37.50/month, and they took payment for the first two months upfront, with the next payment due at the beginning of the 3rd month. Information required was our address and credit / debit card information. We also applied for our Mastercard credit cards; our applications have since been approved with 50% of our limit secured by cash which has been placed on hold.
- D + 9 days: we registered at the library, and the kids attended the first of what has become a series of library programs. Documents required for registration were our lease agreement, passports, and the kids' birth certificates.
- D + 11 days: as we were discussing and finalizing our furniture budget before heading out to shop, we received a knock on the door and were informed that an elderly neighbor was moving out to an assisted living facility, and had items we may be interested in – turns out that what was available included almost every item we had planned to buy, from dining set to couch to dresser with mirror, so in less than 2hrs and for less than C$1k, our apartment went from being empty to becoming nearly fully furnished with very high quality antique furniture and electronics! Same day we were connected to home internet - we went with Rogers, and we are getting 125GB per month for about C$50/month - husby has the exact figures. Entire transaction was secured online and over the phone, and only information they required, in addition to address and credit / debit card was SIN - the only institution that has required for our SIN since we arrived; others have requested, but it has been optional to provide. The account was setup two days before the connection was made.
- D + 15 days: we visited ServiceOntario to apply for our Ontario health cards, which will take effect 3 months from the date we arrived; we should receive them in the mail on or about that date. Documents required were our COPRs, passports, and lease agreement.
Whew! It has been a very busy 2+ months, and we are very grateful for all the favour that has come our way. The Canadians we have met so far are very decent and too willing to lend a hand. We have ordered bed frames from
ikea.ca, and we now order the bulk of our grocery and household shopping from
walmart.ca; home delivery is free for once order is C$50 or more. We are now trying to kit up for winter before the last sales of those items end. I have been made to understand that the best sales occur in the middle of the season, so now is the time to shop ahead for next summer, while boxing day to new year’s is the best time to shop for winter sturves, so for now we are focusing on the basics. I will go for my driver license knowledge test before the end of the month – my international driver license is good for 60 days - and then schedule my G road test immediately after; husby was able to simply swap his US driver license straight to an Ontario G license and paid less than C$90 for that process. Everything that matters to us is within a reasonable walking distance, and we are about a 5min walk away from the subway / train station. Our son's school is currently closed for summer, so we will register once they re-open at the end of the month (every address has a school assigned to it, and in Toronto, you can find your school once you have a lease agreement signed by entering the address here:
tdsb.on.ca/Findyour/School/Byaddress.aspx
We feel like we are about 90% settled, and the remaining 10% will be sorted once salary inflows are secured. A number of connections were made before we arrived via introductions by friends and acquaintances, as well as LinkedIn. There have been a number of meetings with those connections that have been quite positive, and we also intend to take advantage of Acces Employment’s bridging programs for people in financial services and leadership positions should nothing happen before the end of this month. We have already attended a professional networking event for Africans in Toronto, and we are on the lookout for anything else that will connect us to more people who may have access to what we are looking for.
I know this has been an epistle, but I hope it has provided some useful tips for those who are making plans as our preparation has significantly paid off! I must thank all the members of this forum, especially our able seniors who provided a lot of the resources and guidance we used in preparing ourselves for this adventure. For all those awaiting one update or the other, it shall all end in praise... Canada needs us about as much as we need them, so they have no reason to "pick on" anyone of us. They do cherish transparency and honesty, so let those be our guiding philosophies in anything that we do.
So, seniors, I fit stand up from kneeling now?
* Apologies for any typos – the story take style long ni…
