With 5 children in tow, all school age, and a husband eager to find a decent job I can't speak for Toronto, as I've only visited there, but I am currently job-searching in the Vancouver area. I think Vancouver is a beautiful, gorgeous city. And I agree with a lot of things that the other posters have posted, but I'm going to offer you some of the "other side"....
Vancouver is EXPENSIVE. Very expensive. The vacancy rate for rental suites is low right now, so finding a quality apartment for a family with kids may be a challenge. I'm not saying impossible.. just a challenge. Be aware of locations that you are looking in for homes. While the price might be right, you will want to ensure that the area isn't rough and you aren't buying into a problem.
There are a lot of job postings, but from my experience the vast majority of the postings are for the entry level, lower paying positions.
Vancouver does have a high crime rate. It doesn't affect everyone, but certainly you and your family will need street smarts - more so in some areas than in others.
But.. Vancouver IS beautiful. there is a wide variety of ethnic communities, so if you, your husband or your kids feel home-sick, there's plenty of ways to meet up with people with similar ethnic backgrounds - and experiences when it comes to immigrating. My understanding is that Toronto is equally diverse.
Good luck with your decision. I'm sure it can't be an easy one! Vancouver has every thing The Olympics are comming lots of work. The suburbs are cheaper to live in, Burnaby New Westminster,Surrey Delta Langley. Our climate is better. Medicare for all Hospital is free Monthly buss passes are tax deductable..Its very Clean. If you like the outdoors.start packing..BC housing has housing for low income . See hellobc tourismvancouver i loved vancouver. my family moved there in 2005 but then again, the kids (me and my sis) were already adults by then. i'm now living in the US since i married an american but everytime we go to visit my parents, i become giddy and really cheerful. hahahah! i totally love that place. i feel more for this place that i only lived in for almost 2 years than i feel for my home country. i can't explain why but it's weird.
if my husband and i can move to vancouver, we would move there. our old neighborhood in north vancouver is really a nice place to raise kids. even though my family moved to vancouver, we still go and visit a strip mall there... to see our friends and use the establishments that we have forged relationships with the owners. it's really such a nice big neighborhood feel.
it all depends on what you feel like, actually. vancouver is the california of canada and toronto is the new york. well, that's how i see it... in terms of climate, look and feel of the city. i've never been to toronto out of all 4 of those places... but my sis's bf said he doesn't like it. he had moved to vancouver from there a year ago and he hasn't been back there to visit his family coz he loves vancouver a lot.
if you're from the philippines, contact me. i can get my parents to welcome you and such. don't worry, my mom loves that whole thing and she has the gift of making fast friends with just about anyone. if you're not filipino but you still want to make friends, contact me still. =) oh, i mean, if you end up choosing vancouver, that is =p I wish you and your family luck when coming to Canada. There are plenty of jobs, and very well-paying ones too. The USA is crap compared to Canada. I say move to Vancouver. Toronto doesn't have such a great economy while Vancouver and Calgary are booming. It's very safe and there are some of the best schools on earth right in Canada. The health care system sucks, but is still better than that of the US.
But there is a downside to Canada. The larger Canadian cities are very expensive to live in. There is a lack of social housing, especially in Vancouver resulting in a growing homeless problem. The weather is very cold, much colder than where you're from. In some parts (way up north) you can actually flash-freeze in under a minute if you're not properly dressed for the weather. Other than that, Canada is a great place to live. you dont wannna go to vancouver????unless your coming from a country thats 3rdworld???or from the us!!! they you will love it!!!!!well maybe even the americans might not like the needles that are all over the streets,sidewalks,parks,buses.batrhrooms... etc etc etc!!!!!VANCOUVER IS A CESSPOOL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!COMON YOU HAVE A PC TYPE UP ANYTHING THATS NEGATIVE AND ADD VANCOUVER U WILL SEE!!!!!!TYPE THIS UP!!!VANCOUVER HAS THE HIGHEST HIV HEP C RATE IN THE DEVELOPED WORLD!!!!!!!!!!!!HIGHEST CRIME IN CANADA AND IN SOMECASES HIGHEST CRIME IN NORTH AMERICA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!YA THATS RIGHT INCLUDING THE US!!!!!!!!!! I would HIGHLY suggest considering Edmonton, or another city in Alberta. I have not lived in Toronto, although my sister did and said it was OK- but she has moved back to Alberta... Here's what I think of Vancouver:
I'll get blasted for this, but sorry, gang- Van licks.
I lived there for thirteen years, left for five years because of the following reasons, recently returned a month ago to give it another look, and now I can't wait to leave again! I watched it slide from a cool place into a vulgar, self-indulgent, arrogant, money-and-sports-and hiphop obsessed cliquey rat-race. There is SO much crime, and the drug thing is COMPLETELY out of control- (hey dooods- let's get stoned...)- people shooting up and smoking crack EVERYWHERE out in the open and nobody does anything about it. It's got one of the worst heroin problems anywhere in the world. There are needles all over the streets and parks. And now the bike gangs are setting up meth labs to go along with all the other drug problems. There have been thirteen killings since early October. There is currently an all-out gang war over drug turf. There are TONS of gangs, and they are doing killings every week. It's got air pollution like LA because of the mountains around it. The traffic is horrible. It's gotten SO expensive since the Olympics were announced. For entertainment, walk down Granville street on a weekend night and watch the bar brawls. There is garbage strewn everywhere. There is no vacancy anyplace. Theft and vandalism is rampant, and it's not just the hordes of roaming junkies that do it. It's got the poorest postal code in North America. 97 percent of the prostitutes in the DT Eastside are HIV positive and Hepatitis is out of control- the health system can't cope and there are MASSIVE waiting times for medical services. It's FULL of flakes and nuts and new/age conspiracy freaks- you can't walk ten feet without somebody aggressively panhandling you or having someone's radical empowerment agenda shoved in your face. The medical system in BC has been cannibalised- there is no longer even a healthcare office here- you have to call Victoria! All the scummy streetpunks from the rest of Canada come here to live on the sidewalks and beg for drug change with their dogs ( poor animals- they deserve a real home!!) because it is warmer here. People say how great Vancouver is- I'm sorry to sound so negative, but they are just not looking at it objectively- they are blinded by the myth of the West Coast lifestyle, and by the beauty of the natural surroundings. It's an abhorrent zoo full of smug, self-absorbed people. I'm leaving in a month, good riddance, and I don't care what anyone says about my opinion. If you are rich, then you'll probably love it.This city has great nature around it, a lot of music, good location, but the city itself has lost so much quality of life, in my opinion. Everybody I know has been robbed at some point- my car was broken into three times in a year. Do some research online about the crime, gangs, drugs, etc in Vancouver. I am from Edmonton, a FAR better city IMHO, and now I'm moving to Europe. I would say neither. Actually, Calgary in Alberta is booming right now and they are paying people double (in some cases) the amount of money, to do similar jobs in other areas of the country, as an inceptive to keep employees (because there鈥檚 so many jobs available). Unfortunately, Calgary has a low vacancy rate so you鈥檇 want to have an apartment or house lined up before you move there. Vancouver, the people are a lot friendlier. Heck, I moved to Ontario from across the country once, and even the teachers occasionally called me an 'outsider' when referring to people who weren't born in Ontario.
And Vancouver is right on the cost and is really pretty. Well, I've lived in both and they both have their upsides and downsides.
I personally have a preference for Vancouver, but I can understand why many would choose Toronto.
Vancouver is a fast growing place [the 2010 olympics!] and there is a lot of opportunity here. The job market is booming [esp, in the development and tourism sector, but really, the market is hot] and the education system here is great. There are many decent public high schools as well as a great top-ranked University [UBC] nearby. Also, the people here seem to be generally laid-back and friendly.
There's a lot to do in Vancouver and it's really a beautiful city. There's also a lot of variety. There's the bustling and metropolitan downtown Vancouver, as well as more suburb-y areas and even further [but still convienient] are more agriculturally developed places and smaller neighborhoods.
However, the excessive rain can be embraced by some and despised by others. Also, the crime rate is unfortunatelly rising and the transit system can sometimes be quite annoying. Also, the housing prices in Vancouver are ridiculous, and are probably even higher than Toronto's.
But Vancouver is worth the hassle and quite a charming city, I suggest you look at www.discovervancouver.com for more of the local attractions.
Toronto:
Toronto is larger than Vancouver and is quite a busy and lively place. It is probably more glamorous than Vancouver, and the school system there is also quite good, and the University of Toronto is also top ranked. I believe that the job marked is also going very strong there, with a lot of opportunity. There's also a lot of culture.
However, Toronto is also quite an expensive city in Canada, and the people there don't seem to be as inviting and open [and it is often quoted as being the "most hated city in Canada", although probably unfairly.] The crime rate is also not that great and the transit system can be infuriating.
I suggest you visit www.toronto.ca for more information on Canada's largest city!
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However, it is entirely your choice. There's good things on both sides, as well as other things to take into consideration. But, at the end of the day, I just want to invite you to Canada, and I hope that you enjoy it! Well where are you coming from. My friends from the U.K. tried to live in Toronto and had a hard time of it. The wife had to drive 2 hours to her job in a casino and was given the chance to be the manager as she was in England. The husband had to work really long hours so there was no time for his family and the oldest boy (14) was bullied at school - his clothes and accent. They gave up and went back home - it wasn't worth it. In terms of weather, beauty etc. Vancouver is your place. In terms of more jobs opportunities the Toronto is your place. Weather atrotious! www.notcanada.net it has all the answers. |
