OK! The question is not about our beloved MINI.

I've been doing my research then thought it's a good idea to get some information from the people who THINK in the same direction. I am planning to move to Canada with my wife and two daughters (from California). None of us speaks in French yet, will learn. I am a highly skilled Graphic and Web designer currently working for an educational institution. My wife is a psychologist, both with BA. Looking for a quite friendly place, where finding a job for newly emigrated is not very tough. Where do you think, is the most appropriate location to start from. Of-course it is preferable if there is a MINI dealer nearby.

Thank you in advance!

 

Hello, MINyegor. I am a Canadian who has lived all over Canada and the USA. We currently reside in Windsor, Ontario, right across the border from Detroit, where I work. It is a small (pop. about 200,000), friendly, safe community with large Italian, French and Oriental groups. My daughters both go to a French Immersion school (there are several) and there is the added benefit of living across the river from the metro Detroit area and all of it's culture, entertainment, sports teams and MINI club (MMMC). Windsor also has a MINI dealer where I purchased mine. If you have questions or want more info about Windsor and the surrounding area, feel free to PM me at any time. Cheers.

Don C aka Big Daddy

 

G'Day MINIyegor,

I live in the Ottawa, On, area the extreme East end of the Province from Big Dady small be friendly club in Ottawa and a couple bigger ones in Montreal - 100 Miles East and another in Toronto 230 Miles West.

Ottaw is the Capitol, on the edge of the Gatineau Hills, Lakes, skiing 25 minutes out of town... not to big 1,000,000 Pop in a 50 Mile radius, depends what you want...

http://s2.excoboard.com/exco/index.php?boardid=5019

http://ottawaminiclub.ca/
check us out

 

Windsor? Sounds interesting. I'll do my research.
Thank you very much, guys!

 

Unless you're going to live in Quebec, or work in the government, you don't really need to know french... lol~ But of course, if you are good with french, it gives you a bit more opportunity in your career~
I am in Toronto, Ontario. Just like any other big cities here .

 

How about the weather? We like winter, four seasons, when you can feel the life is changing. However, where is the mildest weather in Canada?

 

Windsor! Of course I'm a bit biased (I moved from Orlando to Detroit 6 years ago). We wanted a big city and I'm particularily proud to say that Canada is actually south of Detroit, the only part of the US that is so.

Show up in Windsor and you can get both the Michiganmini.org royal treatment, and our peeps in Canada. Canadians rock!

Actually, I think that the far west of Canada is pretty mild too...rainy, but mild. Cool people out there as well. It'll sure be a change from Cali!

 

It will definitely be a big difference comparing with Cali. I have to visit before the final arraignments. In general, I think I'm doing a correct move.

 

Well, if you decide to visit us, be sure to let us know in advance and we will give you the "royal" tour, including an introduction to Chad of Detroit Tuned and, of course, her majesty, the Future Queen of Nebraska. Thanks for the kind words, Ron. Have we met yet (thru MMMC?). You're right about the west coast, British Columbia. It only really has 2 seasons, tho...summer and the rainy season!. It is very beautiful but also a very expensive place to live.

 

How about this Summer? Please, reserve the Royal cortège now.

 

You're on!

 

I live in the Vancouver BC area. It snows maybe one day a year. It rains in the winter and spring. Summers don't get too hot and the graphics industry is pretty big here. Also, the computer games design industry is pretty big with Electronic Arts and Radical being based in Vancouver.

However, Vancouver is also the most expensive city to live in, in Canada with housing prices going through the er...roof.

You don't have to speak French here, though my daughter is in French Immersion school.

Where in Canada are you planning on moving? Ontario is three timezones away and the climate is quite different than on the west coast.

Vancouver's climate is similar to Portland Oregon or Seattle's weather.

 

I live in Victoria on Vancouver Island which is the western most point of Canada. The weather is great here although we do get our share of rain in the winter. There seems to be quite a few people moving here from the US, in fact a young couple from Cali just move in a few doors down this week. There are lots of jobs available in British Columbia and your skill sets would probably fit in quite well so if you were interested just start researching. The Lower Mainland and Southern Interior of BC are some pretty nice areas with the Southern Interior being the cheaper and less populated.

Cheers
Dennis

 

Someone has to pipe in for Toronto!

I'm in the GTA (Greater Toronto Area). There are around 5 Million people surrounding the actual city. Lots of lovely homes and neigbourhoods. You can commute to downtown in about 40 minutes.

Toronto = Sports, Theatre, Restaurants, Nightlife, Culture, Museums, Airports. The world revolves around TO for the most part. LOL.

I have been to San Francisco and I thought it felt a little like Toronto. Nice people with many different districts. We have a China Town, Greek Town, Little Italy, the list goes on. Each has it's own assortment of culture and food. You don;t need to speak French here.

I say two thumbs for the Toronto area!

 

i would say vancouver! we both drive minis, and maybe vancouver can't really compare to cali's weather, but it's quite moderate compare to the east coast (no offense there). it's good motoring at the 1st place. and i think vancouver is quite friendly in my opinion, i've been to toronto few times, and i do find the place is alittle older and more american atmosphere. maybe it's just me in a new enviorment which cause me to have that feeling. and moving from cali to toronto is quite a big difference, especially the weather. i'm not saying toronto aint no good for living, it has much better job opputunities, and it is a bigger city than vancouver. but you gota love the more mild seasons here in van. just living prespective you may consider.

for the jobs part, i can't really put in much opinions. since i'm still a student. but i definitely recommend the east coast, since the design there is alot more develope than vancouver. i wanted to go to the east coast to study design, but it's just too harsh for me to move to a new place by myself.

don't know if my stupidly long post will give you any help or idea to consider. but definitely what i feel about the differences here in the west and the east.

 

Ummm...folks in Toronto would forgive me if I told you Toronto is not on the east coast. The east coast is still 2 time zones away. If opportunity to earn money is what you're looking for, Toronto is a good place to be. So is Calgary, for that matter.

If you want a city with European flare and sophistication, Montreal is nice. Still one of my favorite cities to visit.

Can't help you much with the east coast though. I would like to visit Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Newfoundland one day but have not had the opportunity. My neighbor, upon retirement, took 3 months to drive across the country. He didn't like the roads as they were full of potholes. He went too early in the year before the various highway departments got around to fixing them from the winter.

Anyways, Canada, by land mass is BIG, and the population and culture is diverse.

 

If you truly want 4 seasons, come to Calgary. Winters can get down to -25 Celcius, and summers can hit +30 Celcius, along with everything in between. Springtime in the Rockies is amazing, and the indian summer (in the fall) is nice too. But I think Ontario has the nicest fall colours.
Don't know how much design work there is in town though.

But like Vancouver, Calgary's housing market has gone berserk, partially due to the influx of people moving here.

(Oh, and only people from Toronto think that the world revolves around them )

 

wow, is that really? i never took notice of that 2 time zone difference. it's on the east side of half the canada map, so i will take it as the east coast.. haha

 

Thank you very much for all your feedback, guys. I am thinking to visit this Summer, if I have a chance, then make the final decision.

In case I move, Montreal sounds good.

 

I like central Ontario. close to the big smoke (TO) ( I can say that, used to live there) small town life has its advantages, 1 hour to the mini dealer. Great scenery and gateway to the 30,000 islands, some of the best (if the best) freshwater boating in the world.

As far as mild winter... Vancouver, but it is wet a lot. I like to visit there and ski in the mountains at Whistler.

J

just my $0.02 worth, with the exchange $0.03cdn.

but the dollar is gettin better...