Anyone has experience with moving to another province (Ontario)?
38 replies, posted
So since I know there's a very diverse culture of people of various backgrounds and what not on Facepunch, I'm sure someone has experience with moving to another province/state/country and could probably help me with some clarifications. I'm looking to move to another province mid-2014, I'm currently residing in Quebec and I want to move to Ontario, more precisely, Toronto and so I would like to know of the process to do such a thing, I have no clue where to start as I am totally unfamiliar with this.
For example, how do I get a job? Find a place to live? So on and so on, I would also be interested in possible organizations or links that might be helpful on the subject, I've only ever moved once in my life from Montreal to slightly north of it, so moving from Quebec to Ontario is a very big jump to me.
With that being said, I'm also wondering if anyone from Toronto in this forum could maybe help me more personally, maybe help me find job offers in the area or maybe you know someone that has a job to offer and what not. I would really appreciate the help.
I practically never make threads so hope I posted this one in the right place, I don't seem to be in the wrong according to the rules.
Here's a tip.
Storage companies can often move your stuff then store it (for a fee of course) so when you arrive, you can stay in a hotel while you look for an apartment to rent then go get the stuff delivered to your door from storage.
I've not moved myself independently, but I've helped friends and each time they just saved up enough money to cover about 3 months of rent for a room in a shared apartment and a hotel to stay in while looking for a place to live then did what I said above.
3 months was to cover the worst case scenario for if they can't find a job for ages.
Call up your parents
[QUOTE=Roll_Program;43213143]Here's a tip.
Storage companies can often move your stuff then store it (for a fee of course) so when you arrive, you can stay in a hotel while you look for an apartment to rent then go get the stuff delivered to your door from storage.
I've not moved myself independently, but I've helped friends and each time they just saved up enough money to cover about 3 months of rent for a room in a shared apartment and a hotel to stay in while looking for a place to live then did what I said above.
3 months was to cover the worst case scenario for if they can't find a job for ages.[/QUOTE]
Many thanks, I'll keep that in mind, that will come in very handy for sure.
[QUOTE=Ol' McDonald;43213146]Call up your parents[/QUOTE]
I'm afraid that I do not have the luxury to receive help from my parents.
I'm from London which is a couple hours' drive outside Toronto, hmu if you have questions
I've added you on Steam if you use it.
since you're moving to Ontario you should go check out some CANDU reactors.
[editline]17th December 2013[/editline]
no I have nothing helpful to contribute
Get your budgets in order and save up for a bit of financial security. I know that I spend $330 every week on my expenses (rent, groceries, petrol etc). Ideally save up enough to give you that security for at least 2 months security.
First order of business though is getting a job. I don't know about Canada. But to be approved for a rental here I needed to prove that I earned three times as much per week than I'd pay in rent (so I needed to prove I earned $540 per week), so if you don't have a job it will be hard to get a rental (by yourself at least). Apply for absolutely anything, apprenticeships and traineeship a have good job security, but if you can't find anything else even a temporary job as a process worker is good for the moment; when I was 17 I was getting paid $25 an hour to make enchiladas at a chicken processing plant. But if you have a temporary job, you should obviously keep on searching for other jobs because its obviously a temporary.
About the rentals, if you don't mind living with others (I can't stand living with other people) you should go to a nearby university and look at notice boards around the place for advertisements for people who want co-tenants. As the rent is shared it's cheaper, and I know with my university there's always tonnes of places going at any time. If you want to rent by yourself, make sure you turn up to the inspection and sell yourself to the real estate agent. I was only 18 and had only 6 months renting experience by the time I moved in to my current place, but after the inspection i chatted with the agent and pretty much said I have a stable job, experience with looking after a rental and I study business and commerce at uni full-time and just things like that. I applied for the rental that day, and the very next day they asked me when I would like to move in haha. Oh yeah, with moving in with other people's you may not need to prove you have a job as long as you have that money saved up for security.
Make sure you have a car. Employers love people who can be called up and be asked to come in, then show up ready to work the next hour (as has happened to me numerous times). Public transport is good, but being available at a minute's notice is even better. And with a car, especially wagons, you can place a mattress in the back of that if you dont have a place to sleep. Also, go to your nearby welfare office and see the requirements for receiving rent assistance. I get assistance because I study full-time at uni.
Yeah, been looking at about how much the cost of living is over there, I've sent a few emails around hoping maybe someone will get interested even though I'm probably not doing the move until mid-late 2014.
[editline]18th December 2013[/editline]
I'm finishing my studies here first, hoping to land a job real soon to get some income going right now to provide me some financial security once I decide to make the move, I currently have next to no money saved up.
Depending on your skills there are a TON ([U]ton[/U] [B][I]TON[/I][/B]) of jobs in Toronto. They aren't all the best but if you're serious and desperate it shouldn't be tough.
Try [url]www.indeed.ca[/url] and kajiji for job listings, as well as the newspaper. Or just print resumes and bring them to businesses. You seem to type fine so language shouldnt be an issue, in fact you will probably want to demonstrate that you are bi-lingual.
You WILL want to have at least an extra month's worth of money saved up (rent, food, cell phone, etc) just in case - moving out will be expensive because of the extra costs, and you might get ripped off and not know it till later - all part of the experience. Also, make sure you pay attention to which part of Toronto you are moving to - some places are just fine, some I wouldn't want to walk through in broad daylight.
[QUOTE=Heigou;43217499]Yeah, been looking at about how much the cost of living is over there, I've sent a few emails around hoping maybe someone will get interested even though I'm probably not doing the move until mid-late 2014.
[editline]18th December 2013[/editline]
I'm finishing my studies here first, hoping to land a job real soon to get some income going right now to provide me some financial security once I decide to make the move, I currently have next to no money saved up.[/QUOTE]
What do you mean sending a few emails? To who?
And don't forget the initial cost of moving in. Fridge, washing machine, microwave, vacuum cleaner, plates, cutlery etc. also try to organise utilities before you move in so when you do, you'll have hot water, electricity and Internet.
[QUOTE=the420DEWD;43217608]Depending on your skills there are a TON ([U]ton[/U] [B][I]TON[/I][/B]) of jobs in Toronto. They aren't all the best but if you're serious and desperate it shouldn't be tough.
Try [url]www.indeed.ca[/url] and kajiji for job listings, as well as the newspaper. Or just print resumes and bring them to businesses. You seem to type fine so language shouldnt be an issue, in fact you will probably want to demonstrate that you are bi-lingual.
You WILL want to have at least an extra month's worth of money saved up (rent, food, cell phone, etc) just in case - moving out will be expensive because of the extra costs, and you might get ripped off and not know it till later - all part of the experience. Also, make sure you pay attention to which part of Toronto you are moving to - some places are just fine, some I wouldn't want to walk through in broad daylight.[/QUOTE]
Yeah, French is my native language but I'm fluent in English. Any area that I should be cautious of in particular?
[QUOTE=Antdawg;43217632]What do you mean sending a few emails? To who?
And don't forget the initial cost of moving in. Fridge, washing machine, microwave, vacuum cleaner, plates, cutlery etc. also try to organise utilities before you move in so when you do, you'll have hot water, electricity and Internet.[/QUOTE]
I've been looking around on places like Kijiji or Craigslist to see the general cost of living there if I wanted to rent an appartment and what not so I also sent a few emails to places offering jobs.
[QUOTE=Heigou;43217745]Yeah, French is my native language but I'm fluent in English. Any area that I should be cautious of in particular?
I'm not from Toronto but I've spent time there. Jane & Bloor, stay away from it.
If you're in the subway, stand with your back to a wall. In my experience, people are friendly but malicious, as opposed to being unfriendly but not wanting to hurt you.
Lots of fucking hobos.
I've been looking around on places like Kijiji or Craigslist to see the general cost of living there if I wanted to rent an appartment and what not so I also sent a few emails to places offering jobs.[/QUOTE]
I'm living downtown Toronto for school (UToronto), moved here from Vancouver BC in 2012.
Full time Computer Engineering student, so don't have time for a part time job, although I'm currently looking for a summer internship.
Currently my rent (roughly 1/3 split between me and 2 roommates) is just under $900, all inclusive. Other living expenses add up to about ~$300 by a conservative estimate.
So depending where I end up moving, 1000-1500$ a month would be reasonable? I'm not very familiar with the average pay and cost of life in Toronto.
[QUOTE=Heigou;43219084]So depending where I end up moving, 1000-1500$ a month would be reasonable? I'm not very familiar with the average pay and cost of life in Toronto.[/QUOTE]
Cost of life depends heavily on where you plan to live...Downtown, or a suburb?
Pay...depends on your resume.
More Downtown, looking to live near University of Toronto possibly.
[QUOTE=Heigou;43213051]how do I get a job? Find a place to live?[/QUOTE]
You do these before you move unless you have the money to support yourself in a hotel until you find both. Check online, or (if you're lucky and work at a company that has a presence in both provices) internal job postings. Knowing some people in Toronto would help a lot too, but seriously, don't just up and move unless you have a place to stay and a way to support yourself when you get there.
[QUOTE=Zeke129;43219541]You do these before you move unless you have the money to support yourself in a hotel until you find both. Check online, or (if you're lucky and work at a company that has a presence in both provices) internal job postings. Knowing some people in Toronto would help a lot too, but seriously, don't just up and move unless you have a place to stay and a way to support yourself when you get there.[/QUOTE]
Yeah don't worry, I have full intention of planning this well and not just moving like an idiot like that and end up stuck not knowing what to do over there.
I welcome you to my humble home in Ontario.
I've heard from a couple of friends that OHIP, the ontario health card, and the associated heath system can get a bit dicey when you are from out of the province, just a word of warning.
I'm in the Hamilton region. My ex had moved from here to Newfoundland for school. I'm sure I could find out something in particular from her if you need to know. But I'm not too much help myself. I went and visited there once. I can tell you that for jobs, in on Ontario, you're heading toward your best bet. Most jobs are located in Toronto. Maybe send out your apps a while before the move, with a clear statement of when you may start working. If you're concerned about living expenses, perhaps make some friends and have a roommate or two to carry the load.
If you live in a suburb you can get a GO transit monthly pass and commute to UofT.
My brother does it but he's living with the family right now, I do know that rent downtown is significantly higher than renting out a finished basement in a suburban home here. I think I've seen some places go for as little as 500 a month near york U.
Also the GTA is a nice place to live so if you decide to come here welcome :>
[QUOTE=Heigou;43213051]So since I know there's a very diverse culture of people of various backgrounds and what not on Facepunch, I'm sure someone has experience with moving to another province/state/country and could probably help me with some clarifications. I'm looking to move to another province mid-2014, I'm currently residing in Quebec and I want to move to Ontario, more precisely, Toronto and so I would like to know of the process to do such a thing, I have no clue where to start as I am totally unfamiliar with this.
For example, how do I get a job? Find a place to live? So on and so on, I would also be interested in possible organizations or links that might be helpful on the subject, I've only ever moved once in my life from Montreal to slightly north of it, so moving from Quebec to Ontario is a very big jump to me.
With that being said, I'm also wondering if anyone from Toronto in this forum could maybe help me more personally, maybe help me find job offers in the area or maybe you know someone that has a job to offer and what not. I would really appreciate the help.
I practically never make threads so hope I posted this one in the right place, I don't seem to be in the wrong according to the rules.[/QUOTE]
Couple of things you want to do first is go a head and plan early, apply for jobs early and try to land one early. As for housing, get a list of apartments you wish to see (But don't waste to much time looking at too many). Find one that suits your needs and then secure it, because the likelyhood of that appt being filled while you're looking around is likely.
As for moving, you could rent a storage unit/pod that is delivered to your house and you fill it up. Then they pick it up and move it to a holding area in the new place you want to live. Or you can rent a truck (If you're comfortable driving one) and move the stuff yourself.
I've been moving from different states and countries for 22 years. The longest I've ever stayed in one place was 4 years. Its all about careful preparation, planning and a bit of budgeting. Just try not to over complicate it.
I live in Toronto, downtown near UofT to be exact. I can help you if you have any specific questions.
Thanks for all the help, you've all been pretty helpful. Since I'm about to finish my studies and have more time for a job, I've sent my resume to like 8 places today hoping to get a call back from one so that I can get myself some financial security once I do the move, I've added you people from Toronto on Steam, if I have questions I'll contact you guys.
Bit less scared to do the move now, it was just such an alien idea to me since I've only moved once in my life and it was like 20 minutes away from where I lived that going to a whole different province sounded like a huge step, ready to do it though, it's something I really want to do.
[QUOTE=sloppy_joes;43225701]I live in Toronto, downtown near UofT to be exact. I can help you if you have any specific questions.[/QUOTE]
Ditto, I've lived in a few different parts of the city before, just moving to the Yonge and Eglinton neighborhood at the end of this month. I'd suggest it as it's full of young people and the rent isn't bad. I'm online a lot and know a fair bit about the cityscape.
I don't have a lot to say about work - I can say that if you're being choosy, it can be pretty hard to find a job. I've been unemployed the past few months because I've been trying to find something I can maintain my sanity with.
As far as places to stay away from, it's fairly easy to figure out. Try and avoid areas with a lot of public housing; largely around the Ryerson Campus. Obviously there are a few legitimate slums to avoid - St. James Town, Parkdale, the Dixon Rd. and Jane/Finch areas of Etobicoke, Regent Park and Moss Park are places you just don't want to go at all, but there are a few spots people usually don't think of as well that are kind of sketchy. The Yonge and Dundas Square area often has all kinds of crazies and I can't say I'm a huge fan of Bloor between Ossington and Dufferin at night. The thing is, the city's laid out as such that basically every nice neighborhood is not far from a kind of crummy or run-down neighborhood.
I've found it's more a general "I wouldn't want to live/work here" as opposed to a "this place is incredibly dangerous to walk through". As a general rule Downtown and Midtown are the nicer parts, where it gets pretty awful northwest and northeast in Etobicoke and Scarborough. There's not really much to do in most of those places anyhow, though. That being said, Toronto is statistically safer than Montreal and Vancouver, as well as most US Cities. It's a damn nice city to live in, and I hate cities myself. If you have any street smarts you should get by just fine. This:
[quote]If you're in the subway, stand with your back to a wall. In my experience, people are friendly but malicious, as opposed to being unfriendly but not wanting to hurt you.
[/quote]
...is blatantly untrue.
Honestly it's more worth living just outside of the downtown core as people generally tend to be nicer and rent is cheaper (which is still relative, as rent here is completely ridiculous). Also, if you're renting a place make sure to Google the address. Chances are people have reviews and there will be info you likely won't have a landlord being too forthcoming about. Renting is cutthroat here though, you've got to really be on the ball with it.
I personally haven't moved, but I've helped friends move, and my wife also...
BTW, my Wife studied in Paris, so she speaks French, English, and Mandarin, but looking for a job has been hard for her too.
[B]Living[/B] Minimum: $500 (you probably don't want to room in a $300/mth place)
- Rooming houses near Colleges/Universities: $300-$800/mth on average ($300 typically is a really poor conditioned basement room etc...)
- Bachelor/1 Bedroom Apartments: $800-$1500/mth (Downtown: $1200-$1800 average, Uptown: $1100-$1600 average, Other areas in Toronto: $800-$1300)
[B]Other Expenses[/B] Minimum: $1,105
- Metro Pass: ~$150
- Cell Phone: $25-$80 depending on plan
- Internet: ~$30
- Food: ~$300/mth (More or less typically more if you plan on eating out every now and then)
- Recreation/Socializing Expenses: $100/mth
- Savings: $500/mth (at least, if you want to maximize your tax free savings account each year)
- Car Insurance: $120-$500/mth (depends on your age, accidents, etc...) *If you get a car (I hate the TTC)*
- Car Payments: $0-$500/mth (varies again)
- Car Maintenance: $50-$150/mth (depending on your car's age, etc...)
- Gas: $50-$500/mth (depends on usage, I spend ~$300/mth on gas commuting Scarborough to Mississauga everyday for work)
[B]Job[/B]
- It really depends what job you are looking for. A good job is hard to find, and may take you 6 months or longer... These would be paying at least $40,000+
- It is REALLY easy to find shit jobs... You are looking at ~$12-$15/hr with terrible hours in a factory/assembly line, or minimum wage at a retail outlet/fast food chain.
- My wife is unfortunately still here on a visa *can't apply for Air Canada or government jobs where she can take advantage of knowing French, you might have better luck there*, and can't work now, but when she had a work permit, it was impossible for her to get any decent job in the private sector...
IMO, you want to aim to make AT LEAST $40,000 before tax, but the reality is, I know too many people who make between the $26,000 - $36,000 range after finishing university/college... Honestly, most probably wouldn't survive if they didn't have their parents or some kind of support helping them.
*It would help if you can tell us what you graduated with, what kind of job you are looking for, etc...*
[url]http://incometax.calculatorscanada.ca/ontario[/url] *To get a guideline of what the minimum you think you should need to make*
[B]Moving[/B]
- Find a college/uni student at McGill or Carleton (and surrounding areas) who is travelling back to Toronto. If they have space, you can pay them a bit to bring stuff, and even hitch a ride with them.
- Obtain skids, load them up yourself/wrap them, call a trucking company. Since you aren't a business, you need to let them know you need a tailgate at both ends at residential addresses (usually there's an extra charge because of that)
- Rent a Uhaul, would be pricier.
- Call a moving company (this would cost the most though)
If you go the skid route, you can try the following carriers:
- Sameday (1-2 days transit)
[url]https://beta-sameday.dayrossgroup.com/Forms/Home.aspx[/url]
- Rydex (Should be overnight)
These guys do Montreal-Toronto everyday expedited, maybe you can get a deal off them? They have regular cargo vans too, so you might not even need to *skid* everything.
[url]http://www.rydexfreight.com/[/url]
- C.M.W. Express (Ph: 418-390-5718)
I've used these guys before for *work*, they are reliable, you might need to pre-pay. A bit of effort needed to communicate with them probably because they mainly speak French though, shouldn't be an issue for you.
[B]Other Stuff you might want to check up on[/B]
- Ontario Health Card
- Ontario Income Taxes (speak to one of those tax consultants when you arrive to see if there's any forms, etc... you need to do)
- Ontario Driver's License (After a certain amount of time, I think you probably can't use your Quebec one if that's not your primary residence)
[B]Parts of Toronto[/B]
I disagree with some posts above where they generalize good/bad areas as there are really good and bad areas in each. You'll find that every street/block will almost be a different neighbourhood, one street can be a REALLY nice place, while the next one is a so-so area.
I'm just not familiar with Scarborough East End, Beaches, Etobicoke, and Downtown (other than Harbourfront/Skydome area).
I'm also generalizing but, trying to give a better rough idea of some areas.
- North York West End (West of Dufferin): Cheaper rent, but more crime (still safe at night if you're a guy though, I used to go to York University, and would be out there late at 4 AM, and never had an issue.) Rent is like $800-$1200.
- North York South Central: Yonge Eglinton area is higher rent, lots of Young Professionals live there. Rent is like $1200-$1600 here. Near Subway line, really fast to get downtown.
- North York North Central: It is like another Korea town, very hip IMO. Tons of 24/7 Asian restaurants and stuff, rent is lower than Yonge and Eglinton area, but not much. Rent is like $1100-$1500 here. Almost as fast as South, also near subway line.
- North York East End (Bayview/Willowdale Area): Rich people's land lol... But rent isn't too bad, you'll find some rooming places here. You can find rooms for $500, easier if you're a girl though.
- North York East End (East of Leslie): Here there's a mix of affluent and poor, but generally I like this area, really busy. Places near Seneca College, you can find rooms for $250-$600. You can find rental apartments for $700-$1200. Great to commute downtown since you're still near the subway line, but gotta make a switch when you get to North York North Central area.
- Scarborough West End (where I live): Mix of affluent and poor depending on which street/block you're on. (My house is worth $700k+, but then not far away you will find $500k ones). It used to be mostly Italian/Armenian/Oriental Mix, nowadays it's Chinese dominant. This area you will find a ton of Asian restaurants though. 5 minutes drive from my place = 6 Chinese supermarkets (3 Higher end ones), 3 regular supermarkets, tons of Chinese bakeries, restaurants, etc...
- Scarborough Central (Near STC): Nice busy place, another mix, but it is a great place to commute to downtown from due to the the Rapid Transit (Like a mini subway/streetcar) that connects to the main subway line.
- Scarborough East End (East of Middlefield): It's supposed to be a worse area due to crime, but I've gone there too, and never had issues. In general, you probably wouldn't need to worry TOO much about crime/bad areas in Toronto especially since you're a guy.
*I never go Downtown except to go to friends' places, since I am biased against Downtown though :D. Hate one-way streets, hate tons of traffic, etc... I am more into driving myself instead of being crunched up with a billion other people who may be sick or something, and prefer big open shopping complexes as well as living area haha.*
You can also consider Mississauga, Markham, Richmond Hill, Vaughan, and Brampton, but once you leave Toronto, you have to pay double transit fares if you need to commute into Toronto, and a car would almost be a must IMO. I only go to Mississauga to work, it's grown a ton, I still remember cows/farms where their downtown was back when I was a kid haha. I love going to Markham and Richmond Hill because of all the stuff on Highway 7, but without a car it's less convenient (not impossible though).
[QUOTE=Kaiu;43250023]
[B]Living[/B] Minimum: $500 (you probably don't want to room in a $300/mth place)
- Rooming houses near Colleges/Universities: $300-$800/mth on average ($300 typically is a really poor conditioned basement room etc...)
- Bachelor/1 Bedroom Apartments: $800-$1500/mth (Downtown: $1200-$1800 average, Uptown: $1100-$1600 average, Other areas in Toronto: $800-$1300)
[B]Other Expenses[/B] Minimum: $1,105
- Metro Pass: ~$150
- Cell Phone: $25-$80 depending on plan
- Internet: ~$30
- Food: ~$300/mth (More or less typically more if you plan on eating out every now and then)
- Recreation/Socializing Expenses: $100/mth
- Savings: $500/mth (at least, if you want to maximize your tax free savings account each year)
- Car Insurance: $120-$500/mth (depends on your age, accidents, etc...) *If you get a car (I hate the TTC)*
- Car Payments: $0-$500/mth (varies again)
- Car Maintenance: $50-$150/mth (depending on your car's age, etc...)
- Gas: $50-$500/mth (depends on usage, I spend ~$300/mth on gas commuting Scarborough to Mississauga everyday for work)
[/QUOTE]
Good luck finding a place for $300, they might exist but you probably don't want to live there. The cheapest you can realistically expect is $500-600 for somewhere near UofT.
If you're talking about cheap phone plans, mobilicity/wind are like $40 dollars a month for unlimited everything, only downside is the coverage is really limited. You aren't going to get data for less than 30 dollars a month realistically.
The internet will cost you more. $50 dollars is reasonable if you want to torrent/game and not have to worry about caps and such.
Remember other misc expenses, like toilet paper and shaving cream. That can run you a fair bit.
[editline]20th December 2013[/editline]
Also:
- Recreation/Socializing Expenses: $100/mth
Is really cutting it short, I guess it depends what you consider recreation, but 100 dollars is easily what some of my friends spend a night. You might not spend that much but I would probably budget for more. A movie with popcorn will run you 20 dollars at most movie theatres. Video games are also pretty expensive these days.
When I put Recreation/Socializing, it was intentionally meant for that 1 or 2 nights in a month you go out with friends :D
It's pretty realistic for someone just starting out with a new job and such.
Without a job, I doubt one should even consider getting a data plan in the beginning. If data is absolutely necessary, I'd go with Mobilicity, but if it isn't, just get a Fido plan or something, call in to retentions after a month. From my experience, you can do retentions even when you're still on contract. I have 4 Fido accounts, the cheapest one just for voice plans is $17.50 for unlimited evenings and weekends, 200 anytime minutes (comes out at least under $25/mth, because I give it to my mom, who occasionally goes over, and texts etc...).
$300 places are definitely liveable, just not great conditions, probably worse downtown of course though since the buildings would likely be even more older/dirty/cramped. When you're young and single, you can definitely make it work out though.
Internet @ $25 (about $30 after tax) is definitely reasonable for a single guy, he doesn't need to run a server, etc... (7 Mbps Down / 1 Mbps Up, 300gb caps, unlimited 2AM - 8AM)
[url]http://teksavvy.com/en/residential/internet/dsl[/url]
[url]http://teksavvy.com/en/residential/internet/cable[/url]
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