Where to Live in Canada

In terms of land mass Canada is second only to Russia, therefore theoretically one has a great deal of choice when it comes to deciding where to live in Canada!  However the majority of Canadian citizens and expatriates who immigrate to Canada annually live in the southern provinces where the climate is more temperate and where job opportunities are more prevalent.

This is a guide to five of the most popular cities and areas of Canada for expatriates so that anyone thinking of moving to live overseas in the North America region can determine exactly which part of Canada matches their lifestyle aspirations or employment ambitions.

Toronto

Almost half of Toronto’s citizens were born overseas making it one of the most tolerant, multicultural cities in Canada.  It’s a popular city with immigrants for many reasons, for example unemployment is relatively low whilst average wages are relatively high, property prices are lower in Toronto than in Vancouver for example and far lower than they are in the UK or many parts of Europe.

The climate in Toronto is relatively mild and it avoids dramatic extremes of temperature in part because of its location on the shores of Lake Ontario.  In the summer months of June, July and August temperatures can rise to the high twenties and in the winter snowfall is not as heavy or prolonged as it is elsewhere in Canada.

Toronto is also a city full of polite people according to the Reader’s Digest ‘Global Courtesy Test’ and it regularly features in The Economist’s ‘World’s Most Liveable Cities’ index.  Main employment sectors include the media, banking and finance, manufacturing and industry.

Vancouver

Vancouver displaced Toronto as The Economist’s ‘World’s Most Liveable City’ last year and it is an increasingly popular place to live, ranking well in all major surveys relating to quality of life. 

The population of Vancouver annually increases and is supplemented by a strong inward flow of international citizens.  The trouble with Vancouver though is that it is expensive and has the highest property prices in the whole of Canada – but there again it does have one of the better climates, it is multi-ethnically tolerant and it has lower unemployment than Toronto.

Major employment sectors include the film industry (Vancouver has the nickname Hollywood North), industry, software development and biotechnology.

Calgary

Calgary is far smaller than either Vancouver or Toronto but in recent years it has burst into the headlines as a result of the discovery of significant oil reserves.  The city has incredibly low unemployment and a massive deficit in qualified personnel to work in various specialist oil production fields.  The oil and related industries pay impressive salaries too…

Taxation is quite low in Calgary which is another positive point in its favour; it has attracted a number of start-up companies and until recently property prices were incredibly affordable.  However, the sudden increase in significance of the city has caused Canadian property prices to increase although Calgary remains far cheaper than other significant Canadian cities.

The climate in Calgary is not so good – and this is a major draw back for many of those thinking about living in Canada.  Summers are pleasant but brief and winters are grim and long – plus, whilst Calgary has an awful lot going for it, it is remote, isolated and many who move there from overseas find it difficult to settle in.

Ottawa

Ottawa is the capital of Canada and Canada’s fourth largest city but it has far fewer international migrants than many other Canadian cities.  It also has an extreme climate.  In the summer months Ottawa can reach plus thirty degrees centigrade and in the winter it can drop to minus thirty degrees centigrade (based on historical references). 

Major employers in the city are technology firms such as Bell Canada, Cisco, Dell, Hewlett-Packard, IBM and Sybase which has led to some referring to Ottawa as Silicon Valley North – and of course the Federal Government is a significant employer too.

Of course this article is just an introduction to the theme ‘where to live in Canada’ – those in search of an affordable retirement or holiday home can afford to move away from the main cities in search of somewhere to live – for such people the Okanagan Valley in British Columbia is popular because of its excellent climate, beautiful lakes and inimitable scenery.  Alternatively for those looking for a wilderness retreat why not head north and find a remote log cabin on about 100 acres in Yukon Territory!

Further Living in Canada Articles

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