# African American wanting to move to Quebec or Toronto



## 122004 (Mar 9, 2011)

Hello all,

I'm a newbie here and I have been looking into moving to either Quebec or Toronto. I'm reading more and more daily on other websites about Toronto and Quebec in general, but I was wondering if anyone knows if there is any large african american, asian, or even hispanic expat communities in these areas that would be accepting of me?

I have a Bachelors of Business Administration in International Business Management and I have 2 years experience working at the Corporate HQ for a private bank doing Facilities & Office Management and Disaster Recovery/Business Continuity planning. I speak English and some Spanish, and of course am working on learning French. 

If at all possible, I would like to begin looking for a job asap while working on paperwork to immigrate to Canada. I am find my way slowly and would appreciate any assistance that anyone could offer on here.


----------



## Auld Yin (Mar 10, 2009)

2kings426 said:


> Hello all,
> 
> I'm a newbie here and I have been looking into moving to either Quebec or Toronto. I'm reading more and more daily on other websites about Toronto and Quebec in general, but I was wondering if anyone knows if there is any large african american, asian, or even hispanic expat communities in these areas that would be accepting of me?
> 
> ...


Toronto is regarded as one of the most multi-cultural cities in the world. Many people of African, Asian and Hispanic origins.


----------



## 122004 (Mar 9, 2011)

Okay that is great for me. I definitely want to be in an area that has a ethnically diverse. What about the possibilities of me being able to find a job with the skills that I have listed above? How exactly would I go about beginning a job search once I have decided on a place to move to?


----------



## BuffBuddha (Mar 12, 2011)

Montreal is also ethnically diverse and one of the least racist cities in North American but the job market for white collard jobs is brutal if you aren't perfectly fluent in French. I would stick to the other provinces for that reason alone.

As for jobs try the usual routes like newspapers, handing out CV's, job sites like monster dot com and jobboom 

Find and hit up government job banks and see if there are employment services for recent immigrants.

If that doesn't work, try an employment agency like Randstad or Addecco and see what they can do for you.

Good luck.


----------



## jaimesbay (Mar 14, 2011)

BuffBuddha said:


> Montreal is also ethnically diverse and one of the least racist cities in North American but the job market for white collard jobs is brutal if you aren't perfectly fluent in French. I would stick to the other provinces for that reason alone.
> 
> As for jobs try the usual routes like newspapers, handing out CV's, job sites like monster dot com and jobboom
> 
> ...


quite right. quebec won't allow you to immigrate (to my knowledge) without a minimal standard of french. you'll have more than just a hard time applying for a job let alone getting one without being bilingual. 

there are large and diverse cmmunities everywhere esp in montreal itself. but i would reccomend toronto as more of a possibility if english is your only language.


----------



## 122004 (Mar 9, 2011)

Okay, this has been really helpful... What about housing in Toronto? From what I'm reading on the internet, this would be a place that I would definitely like to be in. Would it be hard for me to find assistance and would the cost of living depend on what area of the city I am looking in? 

Also, for a job, I majored in International Business and and I graduated last year Magna Cum Laude. I would like to find a job where I can use my skills to help build my career. Is there really a good job market for the business field in Toronto right now or in the very very near future? I am working on learning French in addition to brushing up on my Spanish so I am hoping that being multi-lingual would give me some kind of edge in the market for jobseekers.


----------



## jaimesbay (Mar 14, 2011)

2kings426 said:


> Okay, this has been really helpful... What about housing in Toronto? From what I'm reading on the internet, this would be a place that I would definitely like to be in. Would it be hard for me to find assistance and would the cost of living depend on what area of the city I am looking in?
> 
> Also, for a job, I majored in International Business and and I graduated last year Magna Cum Laude. I would like to find a job where I can use my skills to help build my career. Is there really a good job market for the business field in Toronto right now or in the very very near future? I am working on learning French in addition to brushing up on my Spanish so I am hoping that being multi-lingual would give me some kind of edge in the market for jobseekers.


multilingual in canada is a definite bonus. (mandatory in quebec) but give you the edge in the rest of the provinces. define assistance and i'll tell you how hard it is! cost of living is pretty standard across the board...the only ups n downs you'd experience is mainly in rentals/real estate. think of toronto as NYC. you wanna live on the upper avenues, it'll cost ya. the bronx, get yourself a nice brownstone at a decent rate. all depends. 

i would sugest as well familliarising yourself with canadian french as the st laurence is a massive international trade route and depending on your ultimate position, you might have to deal with those in quebec. we have a few dialects. not too different, but it's a good idea you get at least an ear for it.

mentioned it a few times, probably come across a comment or two of mine sugesting the gta if you're wanting a starter home or reasonable cost of living. large areas to cover in canada means commuting is common and the transit system is set up to accomodate those living up to an hour outside the city center for work/home travel. 

canada wasn't so hurt by the recession. we're pretty self sustaining and our deficit, while it exists is nothing like .. well, the us! our markets (current asian situation aside) are pretty stable. toronto would be the best choice next to vancouver for an upstart in business. Vancouver could also be an option for you. it's a major trade hub--proximity to asian markets. also it's more tollerable in the weather department! but that's a good 7000km distance west of toronto.


----------



## BuffBuddha (Mar 12, 2011)

Toronto is tough place to start out if you have a family. Most people end up having to live very far out of the city and commute to work 2+ hours. If you're single you can live in a beat up studio appartment for a while to let your new higher salaries catch up with your expenses.

Here's a link about living costs in Toronto City of Toronto: Immigration & Settlement Portal

Explore that site. Seems to have good information for someone looking to move there.


----------



## 122004 (Mar 9, 2011)

JAIMESBAY: That’s even better for me then, because I like to learn new things and I enjoy a good challenge, something that will keep me on my toes. As for assistance, I meant help for an expat looking for housing and jobs. Naturally I will be starting out with temp agencies but I don’t know how I will be received when it comes to looking for work. Some employers may feel that they should give a job to a native Canadian rather than to someone like me from another country. I do have a car (necessity where I live in Florida) and I wouldn’t mind bringing it with me but if I can’t afford to do that right away, I will have to use public transportation. It’s good that you mentioned that in your response- now I won’t have to ask about it.

Right now I think anywhere in Canada is better than being in South Florida, lol… I don’t mind the warm weather down here so much, but I have been in other parts of the U.S. where average temps reach a high of 24 degrees in the winters….. What are some average temperatures in Toronto? Does it often get below zero and what would be an average high? For example, in West Palm Beach, Florida today 3/16/11 the average low was 55-65 and the high was 82-84 and the forecast for the next 7 days is expected to remain the same. However it does get into the high twenties down here in early January and February.

BUFFBUDDHA: Thanks for the link about housing; I will look at it shortly. Thankfully, I am single and don’t have any kids. I’m hoping that I will be able to find a job within a few months and my expenses won’t be ridiculously out of control like they are down here.


----------



## jaimesbay (Mar 14, 2011)

2kings426 said:


> JAIMESBAY: That’s even better for me then, because I like to learn new things and I enjoy a good challenge, something that will keep me on my toes. As for assistance, I meant help for an expat looking for housing and jobs. Naturally I will be starting out with temp agencies but I don’t know how I will be received when it comes to looking for work. Some employers may feel that they should give a job to a native Canadian rather than to someone like me from another country. I do have a car (necessity where I live in Florida) and I wouldn’t mind bringing it with me but if I can’t afford to do that right away, I will have to use public transportation. It’s good that you mentioned that in your response- now I won’t have to ask about it.
> 
> Right now I think anywhere in Canada is better than being in South Florida, lol… I don’t mind the warm weather down here so much, but I have been in other parts of the U.S. where average temps reach a high of 24 degrees in the winters….. What are some average temperatures in Toronto? Does it often get below zero and what would be an average high? For example, in West Palm Beach, Florida today 3/16/11 the average low was 55-65 and the high was 82-84 and the forecast for the next 7 days is expected to remain the same. However it does get into the high twenties down here in early January and February.
> 
> BUFFBUDDHA: Thanks for the link about housing; I will look at it shortly. Thankfully, I am single and don’t have any kids. I’m hoping that I will be able to find a job within a few months and my expenses won’t be ridiculously out of control like they are down here.


no worries! here:

City of Toronto: Frequently asked questions - Moving to Toronto

you're definetly gonna have to accept the metric system though!!! we do drop below zero (32* f) in winter and top 37* (90* f) in the summer 
the west coast might sound a bit more up your alley if you're not too keen on weather with attitude...and not the if you don't like rain wait 5 minutes type! we get flash thunderstorms in the area in summer much like fla, and it's humid and similar in summer, but winter...lol we had a cold snap under -37* for a wee while there! braving the cold isn't something you have to do, it's a national past time!

check out that link, it'll give you a better idea of what your headed for. 

i usually find immigration sites very helpful for support. they'll give you links to advisors, job searches etc etc etc 

Live in Canada - Living & Working in Canada

Welcome to Citizenship and Immigration Canada


----------



## 122004 (Mar 9, 2011)

Okay, so after checking out a few things I have some additional questions: Would anyone advise contacting an employment agency (such as Toronto Community Employment Services, Possibilities, ACCES Employment Services, Settlement.Org, JobStart, JVS Toronto, COSTI Immigrant Services-Employment Resource Centres 
MicroSkills etc) and explaining my situation and what I am trying to do and asking for any additional advice/assistance? What about checking out success stores/ complaints from other people that have pursued the same venue and how well things have gone for them since then?

Of course I am actively looking on my own but I feel that with these resources out there it couldn't hurt to have someone else giving me a hand as well. 



jaimesbay said:


> no worries! here:
> 
> City of Toronto: Frequently asked questions - Moving to Toronto
> 
> ...


----------

