Thinking about coming to Canada!

[light_sabe_r]

BF and I have our hearts set on working overseas for a year. Canada is the place we both agree on the most.

SOOOOOO... Ladies I need some help and information about living in the maple leaf country.

We're looking at Vancover and Toronto because there the places where the most information is readily availiable- but we're open to suggestions really.

There's a LOT of questions here.

1: Climate - Like how many days a year does the sun rise after 7am??? 8am??? How on earth do you ride in winter?? Does it snow everywhere in winter?? Just how freaking cold does it get there exactly???

2: Living - Rent? How much does a 2 bedroom apartment/house etc go for round there? Food? How much did it cost for a carton of milk, a loaf of bread and block of chocolate last time you bought them??? Can we get by on our bikes and public transport, then by hiring a car to tour around the countryside?

3: TRIATHLONS AND BIKE RACING! BF is adamant to continue bike racing. I would like to continue triathlon (although I know I'll have to invest in a wetsuit) So what are the governing bodies and are "tourists" allowed to compete?? Would you reccommend a particular "annual" ride (road race or just for fun) or particular triathlon to do while we're there??

4: ICE SKATING. As a kid I loved my rollerblades and I've enjoyed watching a whole heap of daytime telemovies about iceskating in northern america - Just how easy is it to find an iceskating rink?

5: If you could name one place to visit in Canada - Where would it be and why?

6: Which Airline would you reccommend? BF and I would probably fly Qantas to get there, but once we're there we'd be on connecting flights - So who do you fly with domestically?

Please help me out with your opinions, BF and I are only in the planing stages and it'll probably well over 18months before we'd get there but the ideas set in our heads now and it's time to research. We'd love to know more about what it's like there.

Huge thanks in Advance!

[kelownagirl]

Weeeeeellll, if you really want to bike year round, you need to go to Vancouver rather than Toronto because although it rains a lot in Vancouver, Toronto is much colder and has a lot of snow.

Here's a link to Vancouver weather and climate info.
http://www.theweathernetwork.com/weather/CABC0308

Vancouver hovers around zero in the dead of winter, probably between 1-10C in the day and below freezing in the night in parts of Dec/Jan. If you have fenders and don't mind rain, you can ride most days.

Vancouver is a big city so there a lots of races around, plus you can always pop into the Okanagan and do the Apple Tri in Kelowna or the IM in Penticton. PM Grog and she can probably tell you lots about cycling races in Vancouver. Plus you can google it too.

Vancouver is also expensive for accommodation - google rental prices to get an idea. Of course, you don't have to live right IN Vancouver, the suburbs are slightly cheaper and often safer. Burnaby, Coquitlam, Surry, North Delta, Richmond... Some are more expensive than others.

What are planning to do for work? That would be a big determinant for where you want to live. There is a pretty good bus system and light rapid transit in much of the greater Van. area too.

There's a starbucks and an indoor ice rink on every corner. :) This IS Canada eh...

I'll go look at my last grocery bill and get back to you on food prices.

[LBTC]

Have you considered Vernon in the Okanagan valley of BC? World class skiing, fabulous road biking, good mountain biking, nice hot summers, reasonable winters....

I have not lived in Vancouver and I've never been to Toronto...but Toronto has brutally cold winters, while Vancouver has a rainy season. I know quite a few people who ride all year in Vancouver, but you have to not mind the rain. I know a few people who ride all year in Vernon, but they don't mind riding in a bit of snow now and again....

How exciting to be making such plans!! Best of luck with your decisions!

Hugs and butterflies,
~T~

[kelownagirl]

From my last bill:

2 litres 1% milk $2.39
1 large loaf wonder bread (brown) $3.29
Fresh tomatoes $4/kg
Extra lean ground beef $7/kg (I think)

Gas: $1.03 / litre

[LBTC]

Wonder bread? :eek:

[light_sabe_r]

So What your saying is Vancover is kinda like London - It rains all the time. Thanks for the heads up on the suburbs list too!

Thanks for the prices Kelownagirl! That's almost what we pay here. PHEW! We were kinda worried about food prices.

As for work: I'll hopefully have my Grad Dip in Education by then. I'd be qualified for High School Science (Biology) BF doesn't quite know what he wants to do yet - He has a biotech degree with honours and is really interested in economics - So who knows what he wants to do. He doesn't know himself.

LBTC - no we haven't considered Vernon - YET. We're in the very early stages so far so I will definatley look into it. BC is Britich Columbia right?

Neither of have ever skiied before so we'll be keen to learn!

I think it'd be fun to ride in the snow! But then again I have no idea just how cold that's going to be! :)

[LBTC]

Vernon is northeast of Vancouver. It's about a 5 hour drive to get here, a one hour flight to the nearest airport, a half hour from here, in Kelowna. It's cooler here in the winter, than in Vancouver, but not really much for rain, and definitely not as cold as Toronto!

There are lots and lots of places in Canada to see and live and work. Most folks I know who have seen all of this great country (and I admit I haven't even come close), say BC (yes, British Columbia) is the most beautiful and fun. And the Okanagan Valley is the most desirable place to live in BC, with many lakes, mountains, a mild climate, great wines, lots of outdoor activities and organized events.

Have fun!
Hugs and butterflies,
~T~

[crazycanuck]

Ok..I'm going to jog a few memory banks as i've not lived in Canada for about 8yrs. I'll also go by what me mama tells me!

I'm from Alberta & it;'s a great province..! Rockies to the west, desert to the south & barren up north. Winters can be a bit harsh but it's not -30C for 6months of the year. Ian survived an Edmonton winter:cool: -40c..which is cold if it's windy.

My mom recently told me winters aren't as bad as they were when i lived in Edmonton
If you want a job & not any job, have a look at Fort McMurray(fort mac), grand prarie, edmonton, calgary etc-oil related jobs BUT again possibly expensive to live.

Most Canuck towns have rinks!

I would also encourage you to look into other cities besides Van & TO as you'll see the real Canuckland. Avoid Winnipeg(aka Winterpeg):eek: Saskatchewan-Regina perhaps.

The praries are worth looking into!

Domestic flights-www.westjet.com

Have you looked at the lonely planet travel board? http://thorntree.lonelyplanet.com/

If Ian can survive Canada, i'm sure you and your dear can too!

c

[kelownagirl]

Wonder bread? :eek:

Yeah, I know :rolleyes: :rolleyes: The little guy insisted and if it means he'll eat his sandwich I figured what the heck. :)

[Trekhawk]

BF and I have our hearts set on working overseas for a year. Canada is the place we both agree on the most.

SOOOOOO... Ladies I need some help and information about living in the maple leaf country.

We're looking at Vancover and Toronto because there the places where the most information is readily availiable- but we're open to suggestions really.


6: Which Airline would you reccommend? BF and I would probably fly Qantas to get there, but once we're there we'd be on connecting flights - So who do you fly with domestically?

Please help me out with your opinions, BF and I are only in the planing stages and it'll probably well over 18months before we'd get there but the ideas set in our heads now and it's time to research. We'd love to know more about what it's like there.

Huge thanks in Advance!

Hey Light - I love Vancouver. My husband and I used JAL when we went from Aust years ago and it was a lot cheaper than Qantas. We flew to Tokyo and then on to Vancouver. Great way to check out Tokyo if you have the time.:)

[kelownagirl]

You HAVE to visit the Rockies and Banff.

[Trekhawk]

You HAVE to visit the Rockies and Banff.

I loved the drive from Banff to Jasper. It really is such a beautiful part of the world.

http://www.canadianrockies.net/icepwy.html

[kelownagirl]

DH rode that route with his brother in one day (12 hours I think?) He wants to do it again but I'm trying to talk him into us doing it in two days. Quite a beautiful ride!

[Trekhawk]

DH rode that route with his brother in one day (12 hours I think?) He wants to do it again but I'm trying to talk him into us doing it in two days. Quite a beautiful ride!

WOW what a ride!! You must post some snaps if you do this ride with your DH so we can all oooh and aaah over the scenery.:)

[kelownagirl]

I'm sure most of it will have me head down, sweating, and cranky. I have a love/hate relationship with hills - these will be mountains. :)

[Grog]

Grog's back! Sorry for not seeing this thread earlier, I've been quite caught up with work recently.

I live in Vancouver currently (and hopefully for a long time).

It does not always rain. I'd dare say the climate is slightly better than London. Summers can be nice but not too hot. However it rains a lot between October and... May. But not every day, and not the whole day. In my environment (I work in academia) people are known not to be around on a sunny day. It may be a bit different in the corporate world...

It really seldom goes under zero in the winter nowadays. Friends have told me of years long gone when they would cross country ski on the beach trails in the middle of the winter, but that's over. I've seen snow about seven times in almost three years here. I'm from Quebec so perhaps it's hard to impress me.... But generally it's really not cold.

Many, many cyclists keep riding in the winter. It takes good fenders, some gear, perhaps a winter bike if you really prize your "summer bike." If it's raining I'd rather be running. Lots of glorious trails...

Relatively busy triathlon scene. Simon Whitfield lives and trains in Victoria (across the Georgia Strait from Vancouver, on Vancouver Island).

Yes, Toronto is cold, but a LOT warmer in the summer. In Vancouver, summers are never quite hot, seldom over 25C, most likely around 20C. If you're a heat bug you may be disappointed in Vancouver.

I assume that you have checked that your teaching qualification will be valid in British Columbia. Education is under provincial jurisdiction so to be really sure you should check with each province's ministry of education.

I think it would probably not be too difficult for your partner to find some work in biotech in Vancouver. The job market is pretty busy here.

But the real estate is really expensive, and the salaries don't quite follow. Have a look at http://vancouver.craigslist.org/apa/ but, if you were to come here, DO NOT arrange anything in advance. There's lots of scam artists out there, and lots of places that don't look too bad on the screen are actually dreadful. If you're just going to be here for a year, I strongly recommend staying in Vancouver, not in a suburb...

PM me if you'd like more detailed information.

[light_sabe_r]

Cool! LBTC Yup. We're gathering more info Vernon now. Thanks for the extra info.

CC thanks for that website. there's a wealth of information there! (even some Aussie teachers trying to get over there) Alberta - Another place to look up... Damn I'm gonna have to get a map and start taking notes.

Trekhawk - JAL? One of the places that's very HIGH on my to do list is Japan. I think I can convince BF to stop over there for at least two weeks! LOL

kelownagirl - OOOOH! That sounds like fun! BF would LOVE to know about that one from your BF or from you when you do it. (he's a hill-o-holic)

Grog - Cool to hear about the Tri scene! ^_^ Haven't checked it out 100% as yet because I haven't even gotten into the course yet. We're delaying packing up and leaving ASAP for me to get the GradDip (which takes a year).

It's one of those things that we'll be finding out when we go to arrange Visas.
Even if the teaching falls through I've a Bachelor of Applied Science and a Diploma of Business to fall back on whilst looking for Jobs - And if all else fails I could alwys go Retail. ^_^

WOW that real estate is expensive!!!

Thanks again for the tips girls!

[Popoki_Nui]

You could always come to Victoria. Mildest climate in Canada. Laid-back island lifestyle. Great cycling. Screaming hot economy. Spectacular scenery.

Did I mention island lifestyle? :rolleyes:

~Sherry.

[shootingstar]

I lived and worked in Toronto for over 25 years, of which last 12 years included cycling.

I have been living in Vancouver since 2002.

If you wish to teach in any public primary or high school, you do need a teacher's certification...certified according to BC or Ontario teacher's professional qualifications. I have several friends who have are qualified and teach at high schools and primary schools.

Of course, teaching experience gives you great skill transfer for other types of jobs...markting, employee training, etc.

Toronto is colder and probability of snow/slush is higher. Their summers are more humid and hotter. However all of this does build up great endurance/conditioning for regular cyclists. The air quality during summer in Toronto is not always good. THere are smog alerts.

Here in Vancouver, I seem to mount hills better and go farther, because it's not as humid and air is generally clearer/cooler. Yes, the rain in winter is a drag, etc. But always remember you are a municipal bus ride (after doing a short 10 min. sea ferry ride) to local mountains for snowshoeing, skiing and snowboarding. It is cool to go from no snow and in less than 1/2 hr. winter wonderland!!! Yes you can cycle on dry pavement and ski/snowshoe/snowboard within 1 afternoon/day.

Right now VAncouver's accommodation is the most expensive in Canada. THere is public transit (Skytrain) which serves it's purpose and there are bike racks on buses. Toronto's subway system is much better, accommodates more and you go farther on less fare.

Food choice/cost...in Vancouver you just need to shop carefully to get deals. I find overall, even during height of summer with local fruits and veggies, it is a wee bit more expensive than Toronto. I know...I was visiting family in Toronto this past summer and did some price comparison myself.

Both cities are cosmopolitan however Toronto is way more diverse since there are very large ethnic neighbourhoods (Greek, Italian, Carribbean, Eastern European, Asian, etc.) whereas Vancouver's diversity is based on people from Pacific Rim countries. I'm speaking with some perspective since I'm a proud Chinese-Canadian myself.