Posted on: 03-10-03 14:08:11
Dear Jani,
I am a student and have just moved to Calgary. I dont have any information on what it is like to live out East but I do know that Alberta seems to have more opportunities than most other places, mostly because of the booming oil and gas industry.
In fact, I have met many many people who have moved out here for better employement opportunities.
This being sais, it is probably easier to settle in a city that has a bigger desi population. Sometimes people underestimate the trauma that kids especially go through when uprooted and moved into a foreign culture.
When I moved here I was only 11, and even then I had a tough time adjusting. People assume that it is easier for younger kieds, but my sister was 8 when we moved and it was just as hard for her to adjust. This is something very important to keep in mind. Parents will get busy right away to support the family, if kids get sent to day care etc, and dont get the support they need from their parents then disaster is inevitable.
I was fortunate to have an older brother who watched over me and kept me out of trouble, otehrwise I would not be in school today. I probably would have dropped out myself, like my friends.
Back to the topic at hand: the standard of living is high in Calgary compared to Edmonton. Calgary has a bigger desi population than Edmonton and the weather is a bit milder. Calgary is also a hub for travel because both the transCanada highway (runs from West to East) and Highway2 (the only major highway that goes up North to the territories, passes thru here.
If you are looking at Med jobs then the University of Alberta in Edmonton is a great place to start as they are at the forefront of breaktrhough technology and research in the Diabetes area. The University of Calgary does not have as good of a Med program (at least I dont think) as the U of A.
My two cents worth. Hope it helps! Good Luck!!!
Jake:
What about Parking? Sometimes even apartment buildings will charge extra per month for parking spots...?...
You can always park on the road for free and have the unsurpassed pleasure of digging your car out of the snow in winter :-)
Most buildings charge approx 50cad per month. If you're lucky this can be part of your rent too. In the last place I rented I paid 836CAD/month for a 2 bedroom, one full washroom with one powderroom (i.e bathroom minus tub/shower). The parking and electricity/heating were included in the above price. Well maintained place with underground parking and quiet senior jewish neighbours. Situated on one of the mainroads and 10 minutes bus ride to the metro. 15mts to the heart of downtown by car. When we left they had hiked the rent to 900cad. Still a bargain compared to most other provinces.
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oh and I forgot what really made the place attractive...a dishwasher was one of the appliances provided. Got to take care of ones hands:-)
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Quote:
Originally posted by jake3d
Since I am in Montreal and have quite a few friends in the academic( Mcgill/Concordia) circles here, let me give you some info on the expenses related to living in Montreal.
1) Rent: Its cheaper than in Toronto and you should be able to find decent living space with 2 bedrooms for about 800$( some landlords even throw in the heating/elec costs for that price). Actually if you are planning to buy then Montreal is cheaper compared to TO too
2) Childcare: The govt has a 5 $/day scheme which is really cheap when you take into account the expenses in other provinces. Note: there may be a waiting list depending on your location within Montreal. Since your kids are 5 and 6 they will be going to school.
3) French education: In my view this is an advantage atleast in the initial stages. I have a 5 yr girl who started school about a month ago and I am amazed at the amount of French she has already picked up. She did not know a word of French before she joined. Her teachers mentioned that they have had students who came in knowing only Urdu and left speaking French and English too. This at the kindergarten level ! The younger your kids the better. I am planning to move my daughter to English private school after about 5 yrs. Bilingualism is Highly desirable in the canadian Job market.
4) French and employment: This is a major factor for desis. Most desis, including myself, came here after being hired by companies/colleges located here. None of the people..me included, speak much French even after half a decade and more of living here. All accompanying spouses have managed to find jobs(not labor) too. So I think that if you are highly educated(phd) and either your wife or you have a job here already then it is worth the move. As a matter of fact I did not know as many desis holding such good jobs( academic/aeronautic/sw) the two years I lived and worked in TO as I do in Montreal.
5) Climate: Its much colder here. Period!
Dont want to piss off the TO folks here but TO pales in comparisionto Montreal. Its a much more vibrant and colorful society here. This from someone who initially landed in TO and used to miss TO for a cpl of years till I gave Montreal a chance. C'est la vie!
nice and detailed...any updates ?
what updates you want? Most of details still applicable.
