Comments | world_travel: Living in Canada!?!

a_strange_boy in world_travel

Living in Canada!?!

Mar 18, 2009 12:59

Recently I've considered moving to Canada with a couple of friends for a year or so, however I've got a few concerns about my situation and whether I would be able to sustain myself during that period. Any advice/info would be greatly appreciated.

So the basics of my current situation; I'm just about to turn 20, I live in a flat in Glasgow with my ( Read more... )

canada, living abroad

Comments 8

petard_hoister March 18 2009, 13:32:15 UTC

I don't know what province you are thinking of, but the two provinces I've been to (Alberta and BC) had a drinking age of 19 and 18 so your social life wouldn't be that affected.

a_strange_boy March 18 2009, 13:52:13 UTC

Hmmm we'll we haven't completely decided all the places we want to go yet. We're thinking on possibly using Vancouver as our 'base', so I'm glad to hear that BC's drinking age is 18/19.

We'll probably try and hit all 10 provinces at some point, but the main ones for me are possibly Alberta, BC, Ontario and Saskatchewan.

I imagine that most of the provinces are roughly around the same age? Anything I should be aware of?

tracy_allison March 18 2009, 19:07:59 UTC

Be aware that, from what I understand, Vancouver is a VERY expensive city to live in, especially with the Olympics being held there next year and all.

The legal drinking age in Canada is 19 in all provinces and territories EXCEPT Alberta, Manitoba, and Quebec, where it is 18.

demoness_666 March 18 2009, 14:09:47 UTC

I currently Live in Toronto and a few things you should think about are.. if you are planning to live in a big city it is going to cost more for rent than if you lived in the outskirts ( ... )

tracy_allison March 18 2009, 19:19:48 UTC

Keep in mind that Canada is a very large country, so the cost of living and the job market can vary widely. Also, your travel costs may be more than you might think, if you're flying or taking the train across the country.

It depends on what kind of job you are looking for when you get here, but there are definitely jobs for people without a university education. You may be limited to retail/hospitality/call centre/customer service though...

How much do you pay for your flat in Glasgow? Depending on how much you are accustomed to paying, you may or may not be able to get something bigger/better in Canada. But again that depends on the city.

I've lived in Canada my entire life, and I wouldn't say it's super easy to sustain oneself here. There are a lot of people without jobs and a lot of people struggling to get by. That said, there are certainly lots of opportunities to be had as well. You might get lucky and get a job the first week you arrive, or you might have a harder time. There's no way to be sure.

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a_strange_boy March 19 2009, 14:12:36 UTC

Haha! Surely I could just keep moving around and the novelty of my accent will never wear off?!? :-P

See that's what I'm pretty worried about, I have a good high school education and will be able to go to uni when I decide what the Hell I want to do. And I'm only 19 so you can guess my work experience from that!

Actually, I was just about to convere on this, but do you mind if I add you as a friend? Instead of a whole public conversation!? lol

canadian_turtle March 19 2009, 09:07:49 UTC

Go on a work and holiday visa to Canada for 1 year first. Gives you enough freedom to check out the country to see if it's really what you want without the stress beforehand of finding a job. They'll very unlikely accept anyone without a degree anyway.

I did it, and it's just accepting any job you can get. Bar, retail, handing out newspapers, whatever.

As for the prices for places to stay, it depends how easy going you are. Obviously it's a lot cheaper than the UK, but then again your wage will be a lot less as well.