# canadian born but first time moving to canada



## nickluna33 (Feb 15, 2014)

any advice on which would be best to start a life

toronto, vancouver, or calgary??

im 35(canadian born but rasied in usa) and my wife(american) is 31. 

we dont have kids but are trying. 

neither of us have higher education but both of us have good work history in customer service and banking roles. 

we have lived most of our lives in southern california but are relocating from london. we have never been to canada together and my last time was as a kid so we really have no idea what to expect.


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## Auld Yin (Mar 10, 2009)

Given your present location and Southern California living I would suggest/recommend Vancouver. Toronto and Calgary have more severe winter climates, Calgary more so than Toronto.


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## LizS (Jan 16, 2014)

Hi Nick. 
I've lived in Vancouver, Calgary and my fiance is from Toronto and I've spent several months there. 

You have 3 unique cities here. My bias is Vancouver.

Vancouver (in a nutshell: Best lifestyle/weather. Worst house prices/traffic)
Most like San Francisco.
Mild weather, although the most rain.
A laid-back lifestyle which leans left. I agree with Auld Yin that it's the most like SoCal. People here value a work/life or rather life/work balance.
Amazing for outdoor activities.
Crazy house prices and the worst traffic in Canada (apparently). If you want room for kids and a yard, you will either have to have a couple million to spend on a house, or live in a suburb which means potentially long commutes. However, if you like the idea of sustainable living and condo life is fine, Vancouver can't be beat. Great walkable city with awesome neighbourhoods.
People can seem unapproachable, but we're still friendly Canadians underneath.
If you're in Vancouver, not a suburb, you can ditch the cars and use bikes, walking, transit and car share services.
Bike-friendly, green Mayor.
Huge asian population and influence. Multi-ethnic restaurants (tons!) and communities, but not as ghettoized as some parts of Toronto.

Calgary (in a nutshell: Best for friendliness/jobs. Worst for Conservative/smaller town feel)
Most like Dallas.
If you're allergic to cowboys, ranchers and big business folk you won't enjoy it much; although I will say that Calgary is becoming more cosmopolitan. Most head offices in Canada (even Toronto!).
Probably the best job opportunities are here, as economy is doing well thanks to oil & gas (again). Calgary has peaks and crashes economically speaking, but industry is diversifying.
Very near the rockies which are amazing, and the airport is perhaps an even bigger international hub than Vancouver if you like to travel. 
Great mayor the peeps love.
Calgary Stampede is fun/annoying for a couple weeks every year, depending on your view.
It has a river, but you may miss the water.
Friendliest city, hands down.
Nice place to raise young children. Being raised in Alberta myself, I would have rather been in T.O. or Vancouver in my teens: MUCH MORE to do. 
Winters can be cold, but it's usually sunny. Can be windy. BUT Calgary gets chinooks which blow all the snow away and warm everything up above freezing, for a few days in the dead of winter, which is welcome relief.
You almost have to have a car or two.
Least diversified and multi-ethnic. Casual racism is more prevalent (and unfortunately tolerated) here than T.O. and Van.

Toronto (T.O.) (in a nutshell: Best: perks of big city. Worst: weather & work/life balance)
Most like New York
The centre of the universe (if you ask a Torontonian).
Can be bitter winters, and hot muggy summers, but fall with the changing leaves is spectacular. If you like real seasons, this is a better choice than Vancouver that is moderate year round.
Traffic is pretty heavy if you're living in the suburbs. Pretty good transit.
Biggest city in Canada, so biggest airport, most people, near lots of other populated areas. Also the news centre, along with Ottawa (national TV and paper).
Much less work/life balance than Vancouver. Office hours are longer and higher weekly work hours are definitely expected by bosses and coworkers (if you want to do well).
Lake Ontario gives you a semi-coastal feel, and many people go to their cabins up north in the summer.
Can survive without a car downtown.
Crazy, crack-smoking Mayor.
Other CDNs may disagree with me, but I think: People talk faster, and think faster in Toronto. I think they have awesome senses of humour. Vancouverites are too zen and chill to think fast, and there's far less daily pain to require the fostering of humour. Calgarians are simpler folk compared to the other two, BUT Calgary and Van have lots of Torontonians living there, looking for work or a better lifestyle.

Hope my (biased) views help.
Liz


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## Jrge (Mar 22, 2011)

Hi,


nickluna33 said:


> any advice on which would be best to start a life
> toronto, vancouver, or calgary??
> 
> im 35(canadian born but rasied in usa) and my wife(american) is 31.
> ...


If you are relocating from London, UK:

1- Vancouver: will help you to assimilate the drastic change in lifestyle better. Awesome "vibe", still young to enjoy outdoors. 
2- Calgary: will help you to fill in your pockets with money quickly. Lots of newly rick fellas, but still humble enough to play hockey and/or golf. We turn into cowboys during Stampede: my employer sponsors a good deal of events 
3- Toronto: an extension of NY....sadly, I have to change planes there when I'm coming back home.

Animo
(Cheers)


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## Jrge (Mar 22, 2011)

Hi,


LizS said:


> Hi Nick.
> ........
> Toronto ...........The centre of the universe (if you ask a Torontonian).
> 
> ...


If The city of TO is the centre of the universe, ......then what's Quebec? The universe itself? Lol....

Animo
(Cheers)


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## luvcanada (Nov 10, 2011)

nickluna33 said:


> neither of us have higher education but both of us have good work history in customer service and banking roles.


I can't disagree with others who summarized the different cities you suggested. However based on your work experience you should probably do some research on job possibilities available to you in these different locations. 

Regarding real estate prices Vancouver is most expensive, closely followed by Toronto and then Calgary. Because of real estate prices it is very expensive to live in town in either Toronto or Vancouver. In both cases you may want to live in the suburbs. Toronto has the most extensive public transit system. 

Regarding the mayors, they come and go. Rob Ford in Toronto is a joke but a real populist who appeals to a large section of the population. Many people in Toronto wish they had a mayor like Naheed Nehshi, the current mayor of Calgary.


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## nickluna33 (Feb 15, 2014)

Thanks to everyone that responded. Its nice to hear people passionate and positive about the country they live in. Ive spent the last 2 years in the UK mostly london and people here seem to have mostly negative feelings about there own country. And to be honest i am not happy here. Im very lucky to have been born in Canada as many people even in the UK can not obtain the proper visa to live and work in Canada. 

From what i read online Calgary seems to be the place most people talk about when looking at the best canadian city to raise a family. The worst winter ive been through has been while living in London and I have a feeling nothing i experianced in London can prepare me for Either Toronto or Calgary so in that respect i always lean towards Vancouver. I have most of my family connections in Toronto but they are family i havent been close with since childhood. So no matter how i look at it im conflicted. But there is one other thing that might end up making my decision for me. The UK health care system has given my wife and I the chance to have IVF treatment for free and we are just about ready in the next 3 months to give it a try. If successfull we definately want to be in Canada before the birth but it seems like Alberta might be the only province that will allow me and my wife to have HealthCare from day 1. So if the IVF works which we are praying it does maybe we will have to start in Calgary. If anyone knows more about this please let me know. 

Thanks again!


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## LizS (Jan 16, 2014)

Have you found this yet?
Alberta Health Care Insurance Plan – Alberta Health

You may not get a definite answer on health care from Day 1 in AB:
Moving to Alberta – Alberta Health

It says "If you are moving or returning to Alberta from outside Canada, you might be eligible for coverage on the date of your arrival. You must register within 3 months of arrival. Newcomers to Canada are required to present a copy of their Canada entry document along with their other supporting documents."

You may need to pick up the phone.

***

BC wait time is balance of the month, plus 2 months:
MSP - Eligibility and Enrolment

***

This might make you happy.
Ontario wait time is 3 months:
OHIP Coverage Waiting Period - Ontario Health Insurance (OHIP) - Publications - Public Information - MOHLTC
except for:
"newborn babies born in Ontario"


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