# Making the move!! need advice please!!



## clare127 (Feb 26, 2013)

Hi we are considering a move to canada. 
I am originally from scotland, partner from ireland but we live in australia and have 2 children (little aussies).

I have been in touch with some visa agencies ane we qualify for enough points for residency, so basically i need some info on nice neighbourhoods, schools, jobs healthcare etc.

partner is a sheetmetal worker and we have been told theress loads of work there, is that true?

what is the cost of living?what are canadians like?

any info would be greatly appreciated

thanks


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## Camerish (May 24, 2012)

Any preference on location? I imagine the most job opportunities are in Alberta, since tradesman are in high demand in the oil & gas industries. I might talk to a recruiter about whether there is loads of work.

Cost of living all depends on the location, though is probably comparable to Australia.


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## RGS (Jan 24, 2011)

clare127 said:


> Hi we are considering a move to canada.
> I am originally from scotland, partner from ireland but we live in australia and have 2 children (little aussies).
> 
> I have been in touch with some visa agencies ane we qualify for enough points for residency, so basically i need some info on nice neighbourhoods, schools, jobs healthcare etc.
> ...


Canada is a big country (2nd biggest land mass in the world), so asking whats the best part of Canada to move to... nice neighbourhoods, schools, jobs, healthcare... is a pretty broad and big question.

Briefly...

East coast (Nova Scotia, Newfoundland, PEI) - Beautiful part of Canada. Most towns/cities are close or within driving distance to the Atlantic Ocean. The economies of the east coast are primarily fishery driven, with some oil resources.

Ontario/Quebec - Primarily manufacturer driven. Toronto is Canada's largest city. Ottawa is Canada's capital city. Quebec is primarily french speaking.

Manitoba/Saskatchewan - Primarily farming/grain driven economy with some oil and mineral resources/manufacturing.

Alberta - Oil driven economy. One of the strongest economies in Canada, but has fluctuations in the economy due to oil prices. 

British Columbia - Beautiful scenery. Vancouver has the Pacific Ocean on one side and the Rocky Mountains on the other side of the city. Vancouver is the most expensive city in North America.

See these links:

Canada - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Provinces and territories of Canada - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

List of cities in Canada - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia


Canada has universal health care. Everyone gets free access to doctors and hospitals/healthcare. Some provinces charge a "Health Care Premium", but these are generally picked up and paid for by the employer. If the employer doesn't pay for this, you will be responsible for paying this. Over and above basic health care (vision/glasses, dental, drug prescriptions, chiropractor, etc.) are the responsibility of the individual person to pay... but again most employers across Canada pay various portions of extended health care. If you are self employed though, you can get private extended health insurance in most provinces to cover extended benefits. The insurance premiums in this case would you up the individual to pay.

Schools (public/catholic) are free for kids to attend. Parents are responsible for purchasing yearly school supplies (books, notebooks, etc.). Most everyone in Canada pays a "school tax" which allows all kids in Canada to go to school for free... regardless if you or your family have kids or not. There are generally 2 school systems in many parts of Canada... public and catholic. You are free to send your kid(s) to which every schooling system you wish.

Most neighbourhoods are safe in Canada... but like in most countries in the world... the larger the city, the more crime there may be.

As for sheet metal work, the best bet may be either Ontario (in the manufacturing industry) or Alberta (in the oil/gas industry).

As for cost of living comparison (Canada to Australia for example), use this web site and do a cost-of-living comparison between the two. Cost of Living


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## clare127 (Feb 26, 2013)

thank you i appreciate the info, i found them very helpful


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