# Best place to live in Canada



## sheen1 (Oct 20, 2011)

where is the best place for jobs, schools and weather in canada


----------



## Auld Yin (Mar 10, 2009)

There is no answer to that question. The best place is that where you can find employment.


----------



## Cafreeb12 (Oct 12, 2011)

Sheen, honestly most of Canada has good schools, health care and it's really up to you what you are looking for. Everyone on here will have a different idea of what's the "best" British Columbia has the "best" weather but, it's more expensive to live there than in the east in most cases. Smaller cities are cheaper but, may not have the jobs you are looking for. Take your time and do a lot of homework. If you don't know much about Canada you'll really want to put some effort into learning about this country before taking such a big step.


----------



## G-Mo (Aug 17, 2011)

I'd argue that BC has the best weather. BC doesn't have as much snow or as cold temperatures in the costal cities... I'm not sure that gives it the best weather. Southern Ontario may be cold and snowy, but has significantly more sunlight hours over the winter than, say, Vancouver... It's all personal perspective.


----------



## WhiteRose (Nov 27, 2008)

sheen1 said:


> where is the best place for jobs, schools and weather in canada


What's best for one is the worst for another, it all depends on what your 'ideal' is. Also your profession will mainly decide on where you will be resident. I would say that compared to the UK education in Canada is better (also according to statistics). 
You need to do as much research as possible and ideally visit these places. 
We have always had our hearts set on Vancouver as my parents live there until we got job offers in Saskatoon, and we were all set to go there too. We had done our research on the internet and was 'in love' with the city until we visited. For us it was not our dream, what we pictured Canada and our lives in Canada to be was in BC and not Saskatoon. What works for one does not work for another.

Rxx


----------



## ClaireBolgil (Jul 3, 2011)

G-Mo said:


> I'd argue that BC has the best weather. BC doesn't have as much snow or as cold temperatures in the costal cities... I'm not sure that gives it the best weather. Southern Ontario may be cold and snowy, but has significantly more sunlight hours over the winter than, say, Vancouver... It's all personal perspective.


Yes, Vancouver has wet and cloudy weather, but try the Southern Interior of BC as the weather here is fabulous and the sunniest in the country (I believe), and I would think this overall gives BC the 'best' weather. But as you say, it's all personal perspective and depends on what someone is looking for.


----------



## ITACAF (Aug 22, 2011)

*Best Place to Live*



ClaireBolgil said:


> Yes, Vancouver has wet and cloudy weather, but try the Southern Interior of BC as the weather here is fabulous and the sunniest in the country (I believe), and I would think this overall gives BC the 'best' weather. But as you say, it's all personal perspective and depends on what someone is looking for.


No doubt BC is great. But if you want a great job and career opportunities come to Calgary. Just do the research and you'll know why.


----------



## Goldeneye (Nov 12, 2011)

The best place imho is Victoria on Vancouver Island, not too small and not too Big.. The weather is like the south of England, no extremes of temperature here!!

We have a saying it dumps rain in Seattle and rain in Vancouver but misses the Island, although from what I notice downtown Victoria and the Inner harbour have their own special climate and the rain often 'misses' especially during the summer months..


----------



## Peg (Sep 22, 2011)

ClaireBolgil said:


> Yes, Vancouver has wet and cloudy weather, but try the Southern Interior of BC as the weather here is fabulous and the sunniest in the country (I believe), and I would think this overall gives BC the 'best' weather. But as you say, it's all personal perspective and depends on what someone is looking for.


Having lived in Vancouver, Kamloops and Winnipeg and according to some stats, Winnipeg is the sunniest by far! We have clear blue skies - rarely do we have multiple cloudy days. Yes, it gets cold, very cold, but the summers are hot. I really enjoy the 4 seasons.


----------



## Stargazer (Jan 10, 2009)

Saskatchewan has a relatively low cost of living. Unemployment is low, housing market is strong. But winters are long, and the landscape isn't exciting. That said, there are nice places like Cypress Hills.


----------



## Goldeneye (Nov 12, 2011)

sheen1 said:


> where is the best place for jobs, schools and weather in canada


:cheer2: Victoria B.C ................. Victoria B.C.............. Victoria B.C


----------



## ClaireBolgil (Jul 3, 2011)

Goldeneye said:


> The best place imho is Victoria on Vancouver Island, not too small and not too Big.. The weather is like the south of England, no extremes of temperature here!!
> 
> We have a saying it dumps rain in Seattle and rain in Vancouver but misses the Island, although from what I notice downtown Victoria and the Inner harbour have their own special climate and the rain often 'misses' especially during the summer months..


Victoria is a lovely place, as is the Island in general, but what put us off is the fact that it's isolated. We love travelling, but we could see that we'd explore the whole of the island within no time and then want to go everywhere else in BC, but the BC Ferries cost a small fortune, and if you're taking a trailer (caravan) with you it's even worse. Not that I'm belittling Victoria and the Island, but it's something that I think anyone considering moving to the Island should consider, so I wanted to highlight it for the original poster of this question lane:


----------



## peterbr75 (Dec 6, 2011)

I agree with Goldeneye, Vancouver Island is the place to live. Decent weather, and only a stones throw from some of the greatest skiing in the world at Whistler


----------



## G-Mo (Aug 17, 2011)

peterbr75 said:


> I agree with Goldeneye, Vancouver Island is the place to live. Decent weather, and only a stones throw from some of the greatest skiing in the world at Whistler


Whistler isn't even close to being the greatest skiing in the Canadian Rockies, let alone the world. The best thing about Whistler is its proximity to Vancouver, that's it.


----------



## ClaireBolgil (Jul 3, 2011)

peterbr75 said:


> I agree with Goldeneye, Vancouver Island is the place to live. Decent weather, and only a stones throw from some of the greatest skiing in the world at Whistler


Hang on! If you want to go skiing and you live on the island, why wouldn't you go skiing ON the island?! I would guess that Whistler would not be the place you would go. It may be a stone's throw as the crow flies, but you'd have to take an expensive ferry to get there first. Yes it's close to Vancouver, but again, there's very good skiing right next door to Vancouver, much closer than Whistler.

And btw G-Mo, Whistler is not in the Canadian Rockies


----------



## G-Mo (Aug 17, 2011)

ClaireBolgil said:


> And btw G-Mo, Whistler is not in the Canadian Rockies


Having lived there for a period, I know exactly where it is...


----------



## ClaireBolgil (Jul 3, 2011)

G-Mo said:


> Having lived there for a period, I know exactly where it is...


Sorry, no disrespect intended, but Whistler is NOT the Rockies - it's the Coastal Mountains. The Rockies are in Alberta, separating BC and Alberta - the mountain range is the border between the two. There's the whole of BC in between the Rockies and Whistler, which is nearly on the coast. To say that Whistler is in the Rockies, would be like saying Paris is in the Alps. Have a look at the Wikipedia page if you're still not convinced! 
:confused2:


----------



## Goldeneye (Nov 12, 2011)

Mt Washington on Vancouver Island would is 'THE' place to ski is you live on the Island.. 

As for the 'best' place to ski in B.C. my money is on the smaller resorts rather than 'Big' Whistler may have fine dining and fancy shipping and lots of runs but gets crowded due to it's proximity to Vancouver... I like Whitewater Ski resort near Nelson BC .. very little if any wait time for lifts... and ... 'perfect' powder, a totally different skiing experience than you would find in Europe..


----------



## jemappelleKatherine (Nov 20, 2011)

I think the Laurentians (Les Laurentides) in Quebec are the absolute best place for our family to live in Canada. It's beautiful. There are good options for schools. The crime rate is very low, and we don't even lock our doors most of the time. In Quebec, people have the joie de vivre and culture, which I have not seen elsewhere in Canada (yet).

The French here is definitely an adjustment from Parisian French, which is something to bear in mind for people who come here already speaking French.


----------



## peterbr75 (Dec 6, 2011)

ClaireBolgil said:


> Hang on! If you want to go skiing and you live on the island, why wouldn't you go skiing ON the island?! I would guess that Whistler would not be the place you would go. It may be a stone's throw as the crow flies, but you'd have to take an expensive ferry to get there first. Yes it's close to Vancouver, but again, there's very good skiing right next door to Vancouver, much closer than Whistler.
> 
> And btw G-Mo, Whistler is not in the Canadian Rockies


Yes if you want to settle for 'very good'! Personally I go for 'great' and talking of 'great' and the 'Rockies' Banff is definately the place to live and Lake Louise the place to ski.


----------



## Hoffman (Oct 24, 2011)

*Central Vancouver Island*

I lived in Por t Alberni (Vancouver Island) for 6 months. It rained only 10 days, but it was an extrange year. East part of the island is known as the less rainy shore zone of the island and mainland.
I wonder if southern interior of BC is better as ClaireBolgil says. I thougth it would have hard winters like Alberta and mosquito summers.
West coast of Vancouver island is very rainy. There are rain forest.


----------



## Oggy (Jan 25, 2009)

Hi Hoffman

There are so many picturesque areas to relocate to in BC that it's tough to narrow it down sometimes. Different strokes for different folks, as they say. 

We're in the Okanagan Valley portion of the Southern Interior, which is also known for a drier climate. This area is in a rain shadow and we don't see near as much rain as some of the coastal areas of the province. The southern part of the valley is in the most northern tip of the Great-Basin Desert. Much of the valley and the Thompson region have a semi-arid classification which brings hot, dry summers. Winter is colder than the southern coastline of BC, however, is not as cold as areas of Alberta. In saying that though, Alberta enjoys the warm Chinooks that periodically arrive in the winter months. 

In our area of the Okanagan, we generally have an arctic cold snap that can bring temps down to as low as -27 for a few days... thankfully that lifts and the temps "warm" again. We haven't had one yet this winter. The wineries here love an early cold snap that sustains temps lower than -8 in order to pick grapes for ice wine. The earlier the cold snap, the more grapes available to harvest. Although it was predicted that we'd have a cold, snowy winter due to La Nina, we've only had one small snowfall in November and a light dusting last night that has already melted away. There still is January & February to get through though! One downfall to some people is that this area can get cloud cover during the winter months ... we refer to it as Okanagan White Skies. I see it as our own insulating blanket from extreme cold temps. 

Unless you are in the mountains, or possibly by standing water, you won't be bothered by mosquitoes in the summer months. Maybe it's too hot for the little pests? 

A search for Thompson, Shuswap and Okanagan on the net will give you some idea of the Southern Interior of BC.


----------



## ljd2v07 (Dec 13, 2011)

*Want to move to Canada, but need help*

We live in England at the moment and want to move to Canada. We love the country life and my daughter adores horses. I am a music teacher and my husband is a painter and decorator. Can anyone give me some advice on areas and if we will have problems getting work. Thanks


----------



## ClaireBolgil (Jul 3, 2011)

*I'd recommend Kamloops!*



ljd2v07 said:


> We live in England at the moment and want to move to Canada. We love the country life and my daughter adores horses. I am a music teacher and my husband is a painter and decorator. Can anyone give me some advice on areas and if we will have problems getting work. Thanks


People might say I'm biased but honestly, I would highly recommend Kamloops for the lifestyle it sounds like you want. If you don't know where Kamloops is it's in BC, in the Interior, in a region called the Thompson Okanagan. It takes about 4 hrs to drive to Vancouver, but what my family loves about Kamloops is the size of it. It's big enough to have everything you need on a day to day basis, but it's surrounded by miles and miles of countryside. There are many stud farms and places to go riding horses, plus the chance for so many more outdoor activities. For example, Sun Peaks is becoming one of the top ski resorts in Western Canada, and it's less than an hour from town.

Being a smaller city when compared to the likes of Vancouver, Toronto and Calgary, it can generally be more difficult to get jobs in places like Kamloops, but if you do your research before hand and see if your skills are in demand this would help. 

On BCJobs.ca (Jobs in demand: Occupations that will experience high demand in BC in the coming decade | BCjobs.ca) there's a page detailing jobs that are likely to have high demand, and painters and decorators is on there. The construction business is doing very well in Kamloops so I'm sure that skilled trades will be able to find work. Maybe you could start by contacting some of the larger building firms and asking what the situation is like with them. DW Builders is one of the most reputable in Kamloops. If you can get an offer of employment this would make getting a visa a lot easier and a hell of a lot faster!

Anyway, hopefully this information will have helped. I always vote for Kamloops but I'm sure you could use some of this information no matter where you consider living in Canada. And if you ever decide to come and check out Kamloops let me know as I'd love to show you around!

Good luck!
Claire


----------



## ClaireBolgil (Jul 3, 2011)

shane99 said:


> In my opinion best place to live in Canada is Vancouver. B.C
> Because i already stay so many times in Vancouver B.C.
> Vancouver is a great and peaceful place in the world no crime no headache.


Vancouver is a lovely place, no doubt about it, but to say there's no crime.... :confused2: In the very recent Macleans report of the 100 most dangerous cities in Canada, Vancouver ranked 18th! In statistical terms Toronto is much safer, ranked 52nd; Calgary is 50th, and our beautiful capital came in at 74th!

Anyone interested in seeing the full list and finding out more, look at: Canada’s most dangerous cities - Macleans.ca


----------



## Carolyn Ross (Dec 14, 2011)

Hoffman said:


> I lived in Por t Alberni (Vancouver Island) for 6 months. It rained only 10 days, but it was an extrange year. East part of the island is known as the less rainy shore zone of the island and mainland.
> I wonder if southern interior of BC is better as ClaireBolgil says. I thougth it would have hard winters like Alberta and mosquito summers.
> West coast of Vancouver island is very rainy. There are rain forest.


The Vancouver island is a large region, encompassing the Gulf Islands, as well as a portion of the mainland. The populated isn't much here, hence a wonderful place for vacations. I've been to this place only once, and I liked it very much.
I think it has the world's most diverse ecosystems ranging from rainforests, beaches, mountains, oceans, rivers and lakes with innumerous wildlife species. 
We enjoyed watching the whale, and the bird watching there. So the heavy rains over here has proved to be very much helpful for the environment. The site Vancouver Island West Coast has some really useful information about this wonderful place.


----------



## corriesue (Dec 19, 2011)

Hello there, 

I agree, it's more of personal perspective. What you really prefer as an individual is what matters most. There's no such thing as the best place to stay, it really depends on you, your needs and what you really prefer. I suggest do more research and weigh the pros and cons of each states in Canada before you make a decision.


----------



## JohnSoCal (Sep 2, 2007)

corriesue said:


> Hello there,
> 
> I agree, it's more of personal perspective. What you really prefer as an individual is what matters most. There's no such thing as the best place to stay, it really depends on you, your needs and what you really prefer. I suggest do more research and weigh the pros and cons of each states in Canada before you make a decision.


Canada has provinces, NOT states.


----------

