Is Canada a good country to move to?

Calgary, Alberta
Vancouver, British Columbia
Prince George, British Columbia
Halifax, Nova Scotia
Toronto, Ontario
Edmonton, Alberta
Whitehorse, Yukon

Calgary is a good place, cold in the winter but housing is very affordable

Vancouver - forget it, its too expensive....trust me I live here and if I could move to a cheaper place I would

Prince George - Nice city, cheaper housing but still a little rough. Cold in the winter
Halifax - Nice, housing can be expensive depending on where you live

Toronto - See Vancouver but colder in the winter

Edmonton - Cold, not as nice as Calgary

Whitehorse - Very cold in the winter, affordable, long days in the summer, almost total darkness in the winter

All in all it depends what kind of lifestyle you are looking for. Also immegration is very difficult into Canada unless you do a job that is in high demand here.

Housing prices may also factor into your decision. I suggest this site to look at that

Housing Prices

BC is really nice for climate where as the East coast gets hammered by winter storms.

Are you kidding me, immigration is so easy into Canada. Look at all the multiple cultures, theres like every culture here in Canada. Immigration is easy.

reply to post by Maddogkull


Its not as easy as you think.

Yes we have a diverse culture but a lot of those families came over in the Mulroony immigration for votes years. There are many here also because of humanitarian reasons where they would face persicution in their home countries.

We turn away more than you think. Especially from places like USA, Germany, England etc.

While that doesnt mean we are as strict as most countries, there is still a lot of red tape and hoops to jump through.

I suggest the OP start here.

Immigration Canada

I am from Halifax, Nova Scotia but currently live in Charlottetown, Prince Edward island as my wife is from here. One thing I have noticed is a fairly large amount of Americans coming here to live and work.

My wife for instance works for a Daycare. Of the 13 employees there, three of them are from the US, one from England and the other from Iran!hehe

Many Americans seem to be moving to Eastern Canada and the main reason is the quieter lifestyle. Please remember that things are more laid back here. Even Halifax, with about 400,000 people, is laid back in general, so you might run into a bit of Culture Shock.

The funniest story was while on the Ferry to Nova Scotia a couple years ago. We talked to an American couple from Florida. The guy said they were going to move here as soon as they could afford to retire. The reason he gave was because he loved the party lifestyle and Alexander Keith's beer!haha

On another note, as some have stated PEI is a poor province. I will only live here until the kids finish school and then we are moving back to Nova Scotia. Jobs here pay much less than they do where I am from. When I first moved here 10 years ago, the job I took paid around $17,000 less per year than the same job in Nova Scotia.



[edit on 23-5-2010 by deanorw]

Calgary, Alberta
Vancouver, British Columbia
Prince George, British Columbia
Halifax, Nova Scotia
Toronto, Ontario
Edmonton, Alberta
Whitehorse, Yukon


Allright my turn,

Calgary, Unless your political affliliations match those of the republicans, stay out. It's a nice enough city, however there is a huge "cowboy" culture. Has the Bow river valley which is rather nice. If you like mountains they are only a few miles away, housing has come down, but is still relativly high. Calgary can get very cold in the winter, they do get chinooks that warm up giving you a reprive. Very white collar, find the citizens can be pretty rude. I would give this city a 5 out of 10

Vancouver BC
Beautiful city, ocean and mountains, great culture, However its probably the most expensive city to live in. I can't really say anything poor about vancouver except you get raped for goods and services. Loads to do in the city if you have the financial means. Lots of homelessness, people on the whole are pretty laid back but can be pretentious. Rating 8-10

Prince George ,
PG is more like a small city or town. It is siuated right in the middle of the norther and southern rockies. It is a very picturesque city. For me its more of a destination vacation location rather than a habitating locations. I tire of looking at moutains all the time. Unless you are winter person, not alot to do. Rating 4-10

Halifax Nova Scotia I can't say anything reallybad out it. Beautiful City, infact. Nova Scotia is really beatiful. Housing is pretty inexpensive, loads of culture. The ocean....ahh the ocean, lots of history. Employment is pretty sketchy tho. rating 7-10

Toronto.

Self proclaimed center of the universe. Really expensive, people on the whole in Toronto are pretty pretentious. I was born there and lived for several years , so it does hold a place in my heart, However I would NEVER live there again. Traffic is ridiculous, they think they are the New York of Canada...errrr not really, I mean they have loads of sky scrapers...... Plus they have tons of culture, it is beautiful really, Hamilton (part of the GTA) is really lovely in the summer. Toronto is a very nice city and very liberal. just you need money if you are just starting off there. rating 7-10

Edmonton AB,
Ok well I live here now and I am pretty partial to this city. The Winters here can be very cold, and at times I want to run away, but we have one of the higest amounts of sunshine throughout the winter. In the summer, this city is beautiful. The river valley is the largest is north america, The "ribbon of green" that cuts right through the middle of the city is amazing for hikes , biking , running. We have lots of festivals in the summer. I disagree with the previous poster who said Edmonton is not as nice as Calgary. Quite the opposite. This city is not as "texasy" as Calgary and was the only city in all of Alberta who voted a NDP (socialist) in one of its ridings. Not as much cowboy culture but they are pretty red neck. Not alot of culture but its getting there. Eployment is okay if you are a skilled worker or have a degree .rating 7-10

Whitehorse.

Never been look amazing but lots of winter...can't comment

If you are looking for rural towns/cities that are close to the big city, affordable housing, stable economy then look no further than southern Ontario.

Winters can be cold and they do get alot of snow there but not as much as upstate NY or OH due to "lake effect". You would be close to the US border and can be in upstate PA in a few hours.

Originally posted by MisoirP.S. How Socialized is your economy? Are your natural resources nationalized?

Unfortunately our natural resources are all owned by corporate interests.


Also, consider Ottawa. The weather is bearable, and being a government town, it's economy is more stable than most canadian cities. Whatever you do, steer clear of the prairies, worst weather ever.


[edit on 23-5-2010 by The Cusp]

Canada is a good place to relocate. Ontario is the only province I've been to/lived in. I'm about 1 1/2 hour drive northeast of Toronto. I'm in a city with a population of 70,000 +- with lots of good "outdoorsy" things to do around this area. Cost of living is reasonable here as is the general lifestyle. I plan on moving away from ontario when I retire though ; either to the east coast where property is dirt cheap...or to west coast for the scenery.Hope this helps.

I'm from a little jewel in Canada by the name of Osoyoos, located in the southwestern portion of B.C in the Okanagan Valley. Since most of your other questions regarding income tax and whatnot have been answered already, I will simply let you know a little bit about our area..

We are technically Canada's only desert, and our summer temperatures regularly exceed 38°C, although the humidity is low and nights are generally pleasant. Winters are generally dry and cold, but are far more bearable than most parts of Canada (this winter, for instance, I can only recall snow for 7 days, the rest was dry ). And man, it is beautiful here, orchards as far as the eye can see, vinyards, mountains, lakes, etc. Oh! Also, home of the Iron Man triathlalon, and we are also top notch wine makers!


On a note relating to ATS, our valley is home to the Ogopogo as well.

But...we're no Newfies, truly Canada's friendliest folks (besides Iginla).

reply to post by tothetenthpower


I also live on the east coast of Canada. If you were gonna move somewhere to relax, check out Prince Edward Island. Place is the bomb. Newfoundland's pretty amazing too, so is New Brunswick, and Nova Scotia. Pretty much the entire east coast is relaxing, just stay away from Halifax.

reply to post by tothetenthpower


do you live in northern NB? i have noticed heavy upper atmosphere spraying over the last couple of days! saturday those were the only clouds in the sky! just wondered if u noticed!

Calgary is fine, ignore all the stereotypical cowboy stuff; we're only like that one week of the year.

It's a good place despite the fact the weather is unpredictable.

does Canada seriously have such an open door policy that they'd let OP and his whole extended family immigrate there at once?

hell I want to move there too. I've been there quite a few times and I loved it. and Canadian women are the best

I was so glad when I saw this post, as I feel Canada is always under the radar ( Personally I think its USA's back up plan...)
I live in Ontario, the economic core of Canada, or at least thats what they always say on the radio.I live in a suburb of the biggest city in Canada. Toronto.
Ironically, it is a harder commute to get in to the down town core than new york. but thats just bad city planning.
Where I live, currently it is rather difficult to obtain a job.
More people looking for jobs than there is jobs.
But as said previously,out was there is a big job market, but land value and cost of living is also alot higher.

1. It depends where you are, it differs on location, but relatively yes.
2. I would say yes, Our schools are decent, not the best but decent. and we have an over stressed health care system that some how functions. Any health care is better than no health care.
3.I'm not an expert but, i know the more you make, the more you get taxed.
4.LOL, Come to Brampton and you will understand very quickly how many immigrants are actually here. I am not one, but from what I can tell it cant be that hard.
5.As previously mentioned, we made it through the recession much better than most countries, but everyone knows that an economic collapse is imminent.
6.Location, In my area, we get also as much murder as the city of toronto. Lots of gang violence, though it really gets shoved under the carpet, personally I would never raise my kids in this town as I was raised here and I know I wouldnt want to subject my kids to the degradation of urban living has come too.Go out west, Im sure you find a very very very different story, and same with newfoundland. Just wait until you meet a newfie, funniest drunk you have ever seen.

you showed interest in Alberta....here it goes..

Calgary...little more white collar than Edmonton.....basic house..375,000.

Edmonton..blue collar basic house ...325,000.

Edmonton..nicer city to live in than Calgary...but not as close to the mountains...2 hrs Vs. 5 Hrs

Culture...Edmonton.. Music wise Big-time bands have been choosing Edmonton over Calgary lately.

Edmonton slightly more liberal than Calgary....Both still conservative.

Alberta...north....Fort McMurray...

FT.McMurray...the economic hot-spot...of the entire western world.

housing......Manhattan prices...450,000 for a basic house..1 bedroom apartment..2,500 a month.

but they pay an average fast-food worker $15-18/hrs...plumber working for the city...almost $60/hrs.

winter can be harsh.. but most of the time it can be compared with Chicago.

I live in Edmonton..work here..but also spend alot of time working in fort Mac.

I get to see all the major bands, comics etc....not a bad place.



edit...my mother fell and broke her femur...major surgery...other than paying almost a hundred bucks in parking, and for a TV for her hospital room...I payed nothing..spent 12 hrs at the hospital today.

was just in ft.McMurray.....wrote the city a bill for $5000.00 per day for 3 men..plus materials....and hey thought it was very resonable.

[edit on 23-5-2010 by wrathchild]

[edit on 23-5-2010 by wrathchild]

Originally posted by Misoir


1. Is it affordable to live in Canada(on the outskirts Calgary of Vancouver)?
2. Is the quality of life better than in the USA?
3. How heavy is the tax burden on a person making around $100,000 US Dollars in Canada?
4. How tough is the immigration process and do you have to learn French?
5. Is your economy stable and expected to remain stable?
6. Is your country mostly safe and peaceful?

First off, good sir, I congratulate you on a well made decision to move to Canada. Perhaps I have a little too much nationalistic pride, but like many others here, I do love my country very much. Despite what most people think, there is a large difference between Americans and Canadians. I'm not as knowledgeable as others here, but I can answer your questions with my own experience, but I am just a University student, so my situation is different than others.

1. Like I have said, I am just a student, so I haven't really experienced what it means to live like an adult with a family. However, I do believe that Vancouver and Calgary are probably more of the expensive places to live. If you really want to watch costs, perhaps Saskatchewan or Manitoba is where you want to go. Despite what people say, these are two great provinces with a lot to offer much like the rest of Canada. Also, I believe prices are slightly higher here in general compared to the states.

2. As for the quality of life, I have never lived in the United States, so I cannot compare really, but I find my quality of life is phenomenal, even when I am living off of student loans. I have nothing to complain about.

3. I don't really have experience with a large salary such as yours, but I am guessing the 30% that others are saying is pretty accurate.

4. No idea about the immigration process, but unless you want to live in Quebec, there is no mandatory French. It does however open up more Goverment jobs.

5. I believe our economy and banks are more regulated than that of the states, which breeds a more stable environment. Canadian Banks came out the least harmed during the recent recession of all the world. If you are an advocate of a complete free market, then perhaps our economy isn't for you. But you don't sound like that (that's a good thing)

6. I find that our country is generally peaceful. Like many have said, you can't own firearms unless you hunt (or live on a farm). There is still crime, but I believe the strict ruling on weapons helps cut down on crimes committed with them.

P.S. How Socialized is your economy? Are your natural resources nationalized? Is your health care system very effective?

I am a Socialist myself and my family is mostly Socialist leaning so we have no problem with big government.

You will be very welcome here with that sort of ideology. Many Canadians don't mind paying such high taxes (30% income and 10-15% sales tax on most consumer goods) in return for good social security and health care. You will likely see many billboards advertising government projects with government logo's plastered on them. It gives the country a solid sense of capitalist socialism I suppose, I like it. The health care can be effective, but there are also horror stories as well. Fortunately, I have had nothing but good experiences, but I don't use it that much anyways.

I hope you can make it to our fair country, so all the best to you. I think if more people on ATS were Canadian, they'd have less to complain about!

Go east of Toronto down the 401

After 100 km your set

Originally posted by Misoir
reply to post by tothetenthpower

 

I always wanted to move out of the USA anyways

What's so wrong with US?

Originally posted by Totalstranger
does Canada seriously have such an open door policy that they'd let OP and his whole extended family immigrate there at once?

hell I want to move there too. I've been there quite a few times and I loved it. and Canadian women are the best

Yeah - I hear that when bus loads of Canadian women cross the border for trips they announce it on the PA system at the bar they are stopping at. I got a good belly laugh out of that.

reply to post by Misoir


I will tell you a terrible secret that nobody has ever been told. Canada is cold!


In the winters, Toronto can dip to negative twenty five degrees celcius! But the weather as been so irregular in SW Ontario in recent years that every city can swing from super-hot (around 30-40 degrees in summer) to super-cold (-30!!) in one year, sometimes shifting ten degrees in one day regardless of the season.

I prefer to blame climate change, but for all I know my memory is faulty and it has always been this way.