Tom Mehra, an Ottawa-based Software Engineer with a Masters in Information Systems from the University of Texas at Dallas, shares insights on local food spots and top attractions in Canada and the US. He's also a former resident of the US, UK, and India, and in 2023, his blog was nominated for an Ottawa Award by Faces Magazine. He is also a cat sitter.
It is definitely possible to work remotely for a Canadian company from India, but there are two different scenarios under which you might want to do this:
You are based in India and want to work for a Canadian company
You are residing in Canada but want to move from Canada to India and continue working for your Canadian Employer
Based in India and want to work remotely for a Canadian Company
If you are an Indian citizen or resident with right to live/work in India then you can benefit by directly working for a Canadian company as salaries usually tend to be a lot higher than if you were working for a local Indian firm.
Moving from Canada to India but retaining Canadian Employer
If you were previously a Canadian Resident and want to keep your job, you can continue working as a Canadian Employee in India however you will need to make sure that you are filing your taxes in India as well as Canada.
Depending on how long you are going to be in India, you might be considered a resident for tax purposes in India, so it would be advisable to consult an international tax accountant when you are doing your taxes.
Why would a Canadian Company want a remote worker in India?
There are a number of reasons why a Canadian company would want to hire a person based in India and it’s just not cost related –
Skills shortage in Canada – There is a massive shortage of skilled labour especially in Engineering and Science which has enticed employers to look outside Canada for hiring people.
Time Zone difference – Sometimes Companies want people to work during night time and it might be ideal to have someone who is based in India (during daytime) so that they can have a 24/7 coverage.
Regional Expertise – It might make sense for the Canadian company to hire someone in India because they need someone on the ground in India due to the nature of business, which is why they might be hiring someone in India.
How to secure your remote job?
Searching a remote job from India is going to be hard but is definitely possible. Here are some tips that can help you gain a remote job with a Canadian Company –
Acquire the right skills – Sign up for some online courses
Apply for remote jobs through Indeed Canada / Linkedin – Most of the people looking for remote jobs are able to secure one using those two major job portals in Canada.
Apply for remote jobs through company’s website – Small/Medium size companies would be more willing to take you as a remote worker than large sized companies.
Learn English / French – Both English and French are official languages of Canada and it can be very beneficial if you can speak both languages especially if you are looking for opportunities that involving speaking to a customer.
Do you need right to work in Canada as a remote worker in India?
No, you do not need to have right to work in Canada.
Do let your prospective Canadian Employer know that as you would be working remote, you do not need to have right to work in Canada. Do explain that as an Indian citizen or permanent resident, you have unrestricted right to live and work in India.
How to get paid as a remote worker in India?
There are many different ways this can be setup –
Professional Employer Organization (PEO) – Your Employer can use a PEO to hire you as an Employee and provide you with wage/benefits.
Setting up an Indian subsidiary – Your Canadian Employer can setup an Indian subsidiary and pay you in Indian Rupees. Note that this be a very complicated process as your Employer might not be familiar with local laws and regulations.
Contractor (recommended) – Instead of working as an Employee, you might be able to negotiate yourself as a contractor for the company and get paid in Canadian Dollars. Your bank will automatically convert the Canadian Dollars into Rupees once it’s wired into your account or if you want you can setup a Canadian Bank Account (either through your bank or using a service like Transferwise).
Tom Mehra, an Ottawa-based Software Engineer with a Masters in Information Systems from the University of Texas at Dallas, shares insights on local food spots and top attractions in Canada and the US. He’s also a former resident of the US, UK, and India, and in 2023, his blog was nominated for an Ottawa Award by Faces Magazine. He is also a cat sitter.
Are you wondering which one is the cheapest renters insurance provider in Toronto (Ontario)? I tried to check it out myself to see how much the quotes varied between different insurance providers for a 1 bedroom apartment located in downtown Toronto.
For my 1 bedroom unit – I got an online quote from TD Insurance, Square One Insurance, RBC Insurance, Co-Operators Insurance, PC Insurance, Allstate, Intact Insurance and Aviva.
Here are all the estimates I got
TD Insurance TD gave me a quote of $36.83 per month! Deductible for this quote was $1,500 and personal liability of $1,000,000.
TD Renters Insurance Quote – $1,500 deductible
When the deductible was set to $5,000 – TD gave me a quote of $31.83 per month
TD Tenant Insurance Quote – $5,000 deductible
Square One Insurance I got a quote of $17.12 per month from Square One Insurance. Deductible for this quote was $5,000 and premises liability was $1,000,000. That was the lowest quote offered by Square One Insurance.
Square One Insurance Quote with $25,000 Personal Property Coverage
If I waived Personal Property on Premises Coverage with Square One then my quote was only $4.46 per month! This is not recommended as in case of theft, you won’t have any coverage!
Square One Renters Insurance with Personal Property coverage
When I set the personal property to $10,000, Square One gave me a quote of only $15.07 per month! This is almost half of what TD insurance offers when the deductible with them was $5,000 and personal property of $10,000 covered.
Square One Tenant Insurance with $10,000 Personal Property
RBC Home Insurance RBC gave me a quote of $31.41 per month! Deductible for this quote was set to $1,500. I could not reduce the personal property coverage which was set at $35,000.
When the deductible was set to $5,000 – the monthly rate reduced to $27.99
RBC Home Insurance Quote with $5,000 deductible
Co-Operators Property Insurance Co-Operators gave me a quote of $24 per month! Also the maximum deductible you could select for the renters insurance is $1,000. Personal Property coverage was set to $30,000 which is the lowest I could set to.
Co-Operators Property Insurance quote with $1,000 deductible
PC Insurance PC Insurance quote was at $35 per month. Maximum deductible allowed was $1,000 with the provider. Personal Property was at $50,000 which is the lowest they offer.
Tenant Insurance quote by PC Insurance
Allstate Tenant and Renters Insurance The quote I got from AllState was for $29 per month. Policy deductible was $1,000 and premises liability was $2,000,000! Personal Property was covered at $30,000 I couldn’t change any of the amounts while getting the quotes online!
AllState Tenant Insurance quote with $1,000 deductible
Intact Insurance Renters insurance quote from Intact was $45 per month. Deductible couldn’t be changed and was set to $1,000. Personal Property was set to $30,000. Premises Liability for the quote was $1,000,000.
Intact Insurance Quote with $1000 deductible
Aviva Insurance For a deductible of $1,000 I got a quote of $27.09 per month with Aviva! Personal liability limit was at $1,000,000. Personal property was covered upto $35,000.
Aviva Renters Insurance quote – $1,000 deductible
When I increased the deductible to $5,000, I got a quote of $24.3 per month!
Aviva Tenant Insurance quote – $5,000 deductible
Which one is the cheapest renters insurance provider in Toronto? Tenants insurance can vary quite a bit depending on what part of Toronto you are going to be living in, who would be residing in the property, prior claims history as well as the type of the property.
The cheapest might not turn out to be the best. If you are just looking at the lowest price per month that is possible then Square One Insurance offered the lowest price however the deductible was quite high at $5,000 and no personal property coverage.
If you want a lower deductible then Co-Operators Home Insurance appear to be a better option as the deductible was only $1,000 and personal property was well covered as well.
Get your own quote for renters insurance! You might get a completely different quote than what I got because the renters insurance is calculated on a number of things! Also while providing quotes, there are a number of additional questions that the insurance provider might ask like what kind of security you have and that can alter your prices a lot.
Tom Mehra, an Ottawa-based Software Engineer with a Masters in Information Systems from the University of Texas at Dallas, shares insights on local food spots and top attractions in Canada and the US. He’s also a former resident of the US, UK, and India, and in 2023, his blog was nominated for an Ottawa Award by Faces Magazine. He is also a cat sitter.
To figure out which one was offering the cheapest renters insurance provider, I ended up getting a quote from multiple renters insurance companies to see which one offered the best pricing.
As a tenant myself, I was primarily focused on getting the lower rate possible and was okay if the deductible was higher but made sure that they fully covered any personal liability.
In my case I found the cheapest one to be Square One Insurance. Square One offered a high deductible though which was the main reason why my quote with them came out to be the cheapest. Also I didn’t have many personal items that needed insurance.
Cooperators also had a relatively lower priced quote compared to other renters insurance providers and their deductible was quite reasonable as well. I would recommend you guys to get a quote from Cooperators Insurance.
I recommend you guys get a quote from multiple providers before making a decision!
Renters Insurance Premium Factors
Insurance companies take into factor several things when they give you a quote.
Depending on what region you are going to be based
The value of the personal property, the amount of liability insurance required
If you have any history of claims with the renter’s insurance company before
The amount of deductible
The material the building is made of, and more.
If the risk determined by the insurance company for the property is higher, then you will end up with a higher quote for your rental unit.
How To Get Renters Insurance Discounts
Most insurance providers also provide discounts which can lead to additional savings.
Auto + Renters Insurance Bundle
You might be able to get significant discount on your renters insurance if you get other products/services from the same provider.
If you have auto insurance or planning to get with the same provider, they might be able to offer discount on the renters insurance. Also they might be willing to give you some more discount on your auto insurance as well.
Professional Associations
If you are working in certain companies, or have professional memberships, some renters insurance companies like TD Insurance might offer you some discount on their pricing.
Costco Membership Discount
Believe it or not but if you have Costco Membership, you might be able to get some discount on renters insurance through them.
Using insurance comparison websites
Insurance comparison websites are supposed to make getting quotes from multiple insurance providers easier and time-saving by having a single application format.
In my experience, I found the quotes to on the comparison website to be significantly higher when compared to direct quotes from the insurance companies.
The comparison websites can be a great starting point to know if there are any other providers for renters insurance in your area but also have the potential for higher quotes.
Tom Mehra, an Ottawa-based Software Engineer with a Masters in Information Systems from the University of Texas at Dallas, shares insights on local food spots and top attractions in Canada and the US. He’s also a former resident of the US, UK, and India, and in 2023, his blog was nominated for an Ottawa Award by Faces Magazine. He is also a cat sitter.
Not many companies in the Gatineau-Ottawa area offer rental of laundry units (washer and dryer). While some companies will charge you outrageous prices, there is only one company I found that offers reasonable prices for rental of washer and dryer.
Also known as Electro-Loc, the company offers rental, delivery and installation of their rental units in apartments and housing units around the Ottawa-Gatineau region.
Washer/Dryer Rental Pricing in Ottawa Pricing for rental of washer and dryer combo starts around CAD $50 per month.
You would get a brand new washer/dryer for rental when you use their service. Additional service and tax charges apply so give them a call and confirm if they have any specials going on.
The company also offers buying packages for single-family and multi-family units.
Washer/Dryer Delivery Times Depending on the time of the year, it can take weeks or months for your appliances to be delivered by the company, so I highly recommend that you make your reservation as soon as possible by giving them a call.
Is it worth renting an appliance?
The answer really depends on how long you are planning to reside in the unit. If you are just looking for appliances for maybe a few months then renting might make sense from a convenience standpoint.
However, if you are staying for a long period, I would recommend that you buy whatever appliances that you need. There are many stores in Gatineau that sell used appliances at affordable prices. These stores offer 90 day guarantee on the appliances and can save you quite a bit of company when compared to buying a new washer/dryer.
Never go for rent-to-own options!
I found that there are certain companies that offer you to rent an appliance and if you complete the lease period, you get to own the appliance. DO NOT DO IT! It usually ends up costing multiple times more than if you had just purchased the appliance upfront.
Tom Mehra, an Ottawa-based Software Engineer with a Masters in Information Systems from the University of Texas at Dallas, shares insights on local food spots and top attractions in Canada and the US. He’s also a former resident of the US, UK, and India, and in 2023, his blog was nominated for an Ottawa Award by Faces Magazine. He is also a cat sitter.
Living in Toronto can be quite expensive! In this post, I have outlined the expenses associates with residing in the city and also offered suggestions on how you can minimize your living costs.
Toronto is an expensive city to live in! Here I have provided a breakdown of what it will cost you to live in the city! I have also provided some guidance on how you can reduce your living expenses.
A major portion of your monthly expenses will be going towards housing. In downtown Toronto, a single bedroom apartment can cost you between $2000-3000 per month while a 3 bedroom unit would be somewhere between $3000-4000 per month depending on if it’s downtown or in the suburbs.
Guidance on housing If you are making more than 3-4x times the monthly rent of the unit then you are doing well enough in terms of income! However, not everyone is fortunate enough to be in that salary range!
If you are making less than that, it would be ideal to look for a room within a house or in the suburbs, though that would mean that you will have to commute which can be unbearably long in the Greater Toronto Area.
Low-income people might be eligible for affordable housing program that is offered by the City of Toronto. However, It can take years before you are allotted a rental unit through the program.
Unfurnished units are usually cheaper than furnished units. It is advised to go for unfurnished units if you plan to stay at the same place for long term however if you are only planning to live for a short term in the city then going for a furnished unit might make more sense.
Cost of groceries in Toronto
Groceries can vary as well depending on how much you are going to be eating at home versus outside. Also, the prices of groceries will depend on where you are getting them from.
If you were grocery shopping from one of the stores in Chinatown, your grocery expenses might just end up being $250-300 per month! I have assumed that you would primarily be buying veggies and chicken! However, if your diet primarily consists of meat/seafood then you can add another $150-250 per month in your expenses!
If you are going to be eating outside, a meal at a regular restaurant is going to cost you about 15 bucks! If it’s a finer restaurant then it might go around 40-50 bucks! Drinks usually cost around 10-15 bucks. Also note that this doesn’t include taxes and tips.
Guidance on Groceries Avoid getting groceries from convenience stores. Usually the price is marked up to 2-3x times the regular price. Reserve your visits to the convenience store when you really need something urgently and are short on time.
Find stores near you and their pricing. Stores that sell organic or specialty foods are going to be more expensive. If it’s possible for you to commute then look for large stores that offer groceries at competitive prices, for example – Walmart, Hmart etc.
Utility Bills (Electricity and Water)
Depending on your accommodation, sometimes you do not have to pay for water and is included within your rental payments. However, almost always you will have to pay for electricity!
For a single bedroom unit your utility bills can vary between $150-250 per month! Bills are going to be higher during winters as you will be utilizing heaters and lower in summers, so budget accordingly.
Phone Bills can vary all the way from 15 bucks to more than 50 bucks. The cheapest plans will usually come with limits around voice minutes, texts and data.
Guidance on Utility Bills You can always ask the landlord how much is the current utility bill for the unit before you end up renting it. Usually older units tend to have higher bills as they are more inefficient. However, you can try to control your costs a bit by insulating windows or by turning off air-conditioning/heating when you are not using. (You might need to have a minimum temperature set though as a requirement by your landlord)
While a lot of people end up getting a phone on contract, it’s not a requirement and you can always bring your own phone. If looking for international data roaming, I found 3hk to be the cheapest data plan available.
Public Transit Costs
The city of Toronto has a public transport system and is accessible throughout the city. It is going to cost you around 3 bucks for a one way ticket which is valid for about 2 hours from the moment you hop onto the bus/streetcar. Note that this ticket will let you ride within the city limits. If you are planning to travel to any of the suburbs within the Greater Toronto Area, you will have to pay extra.
Guidance on Public Transit If you are using public transit on a daily basis, it is advisable to have a monthly pass that is going to save you a bit of money. You can even share the pass within your family members, but only one individual can use it at a time.
Cost of Car and Car Insurance
If you are living and working in downtown Toronto, you wouldn’t really need a car! But in case your work requires you to drive on a regular basis then a new car could cost you between $20K-40K! Plus you will have to pay taxes and registration fees on it as well which depends on the car/model that you end up getting.
Something important to note here is that usually you do not get FREE parking when you rent out a unit in Toronto, you will have to pay for it! The closer to the downtown you live, the higher the prices for parking are! Monthly parking costs can be between $150-450 per month.
Insurance can vary depending on if you have prior driving experience or not. While people have reported insurance costing them more than $600 per month! For people with experience it might be around $200-250 per month.
Guidance on Car Instead of getting a brand-new vehicle you could get a pre-owned vehicle which will cost you a lot less. I would recommend that you go for a car no more than 5 years old! It would cost you between $5K-15K for a used car depending on the model and its current condition.
If you need cashflow, don’t pay for the car in full, instead go for a car loan and pay for the car in monthly installments.
Guidance on Car Insurance For car insurance, I recommend that you get quotes from multiple car insurance providers directly and see if they can give you a nice deal. If you have international driving experience, do let them know as that can definitely help you.
In case you have an international driving license, you should get the Canadian Driving License as usually the insurance rates are lower when you have one.
Cost of Renter Insurance
Usually renters insurance is going to cost you about $20-30 per month. Rates can be higher if your risk is higher. For example – if you are living in a flood prone area, older units, the risk tends to be higher and so are the insurance rates.
When going with cheap renters insurance, make sure to check what is included in the coverage as the deductibles on those can be very high.
Cost of Healthcare
Ontario has a public healthcare system which means as a resident of Ontario, you do not have to pay any additional expenses for a visit to the hospital. If you go to a clinic, the visit would be free however you would need to pay for prescriptions. To be eligible you would need to have an OHIP card.
Note that Dental is not covered within the Healthcare system in Ontario which means you have to pay for expenses out-of-pocket. Fillings could cost $150-300 depending on the dentist plus x-rays if needed. You will need to contact the dentist to get the exact pricing for dental work.
Guidance on Private Insurance If your employer/school offers a private healthcare plan, do opt into it especially if it covers dental/vision. If your spouse is working, then you might have the option to be covered through your spouse’s plan.
Entertainment Costs
If you are going to a nightclub it’s going to be $5-15 for entry and about $10-15 per drink. A visit to the Cinema is going to cost you about $15.
Guidance on Entertainment
There are lots of clubs that let you have free entry if you show up early! Some places will let you in for free if you make a party reservation (contact them in advance!) Just go on the location’s Facebook page/website or contact them to know if they have free entry for coming early! You can even find deals on movie tickets as well!
How Much In Total Would It Cost In Toronto?
If I were to add everything up, for a single individual it would cost about $4000-4500 per month. You can add atleast another $500-1000 per month if you have a partner. If you have a child then childcare expenses would be about $1500-2000 per month.
Tom Mehra, an Ottawa-based Software Engineer with a Masters in Information Systems from the University of Texas at Dallas, shares insights on local food spots and top attractions in Canada and the US. He’s also a former resident of the US, UK, and India, and in 2023, his blog was nominated for an Ottawa Award by Faces Magazine. He is also a cat sitter.
Nicaragua (maximum 6 months, does not apply to all nationalities)
Panama (1 month or 6 months)
Peru (maximum 6 months for Indian and Chinese nationals)
Philippines (maximum 1 month)
Qatar (maximum 1 month)
Saint Pierre and Miquelon (maximum 3 months)
South Korea (maximum 1 month when in transit, does not apply to all nationalities)
Singapore (maximum 3 days visa-free transit, Chinese and Indian citizens only)
Sint Maarten, Netherlands (maximum 3 months)
Taiwan (maximum 1 month, online registration mandatory, does not apply to all nationalities)
Turks and Caicos Islands (maximum 3 months)
Legal Disclaimer – Please note that this list is not comprehensive and is subject to change!
If you are not sure if you can travel visa-free to a country using your Canadian PR card, you should check with the country’s immigration website for the latest information and if any additional requirements need to be met before your travel.
Travel Eligibility Requirements
Before you travel make sure you have the following –
Valid Passport with more than 6 months validity
Valid Canadian PR card
Proof to fund your travel
Round-trip ticket
You must be able to satisfy the immigration officers that you plan to return to your country of residence within the period or they might deny your entry.
Issues Using PR Card
It’s important to note that Airport Employees usually won’t be familiar with immigration laws, so do not take their advice but instead follow the guidance only by an immigration officer regarding the rules of their country.
When I visited the UK, I had an instance where the airport employee was giving me wrong information about using PR card for transit but I had no issue with the UK Border Agency for using my PR Card to be eligible for a single day transit.
Have you run into any issues while using your PR card for travel? Feel free to share your experience.
Tom Mehra, an Ottawa-based Software Engineer with a Masters in Information Systems from the University of Texas at Dallas, shares insights on local food spots and top attractions in Canada and the US. He’s also a former resident of the US, UK, and India, and in 2023, his blog was nominated for an Ottawa Award by Faces Magazine. He is also a cat sitter.
If you have never been to or lived in Canada before, It can be quite tricky to decide which city you should be moving to in Canada, so I decided to compile a list of factors to consider as well as potential cities to make your decision easier.
Here are some of the factors to consider the right city for you –
Canadian Cities for Early Career Job Opportunities
If your reason for moving to Canada is primarily due to better career prospects, and you are a recent graduate, then the ideal cities to move to for skilled labor would be –
Toronto
Vancouver
Montreal
Calgary
The reason being not only are most job postings in the country represented by those three cities, but also there will be a ton of other opportunities if you want to go for a career change or just go up the ladder!
If you are wondering where I got the job numbers from, I got them by looking them up on Indeed Canada which is one of the major job sites in the country.
Top Industries For Toronto
Finance/Banking
Technology
Healthcare/Life Sciences
Film and Entertainment
Top Industries For Vancouver
Film and TV
Natural Resources and Energy
Technology
Tourism
Top Industries For Montreal
Aerospace
Information Technology
Finance
Creative Industries (Arts, Video Games, Film)
Top Industries For Calgary
Oil and Gas
Financial Services
Agriculture
Technology
Job Prospects In Small Cities If you decide to go to a smaller city early in your career then just make a note that there are not going to be a lot of job postings or even companies willing to hire you!
Smaller cities also tend to have jobs in specific industries so make sure before moving to a smaller city that there are jobs in your industry.
Canadian Cities for Experienced Professionals
Being an experienced person can open a lot more options apart from just Toronto, Vancouver, Calgary or Montreal. You can start considering other Canadian cities like –
Edmonton
Ottawa
Victoria
Winnipeg
Halifax
London
Quebec City
While these cities have relatively fewer jobs, there are still good prospects for experienced folks. I do recommend you to do a search for jobs in your field before making a move!
Remote Jobs in Canada If you are in tech/business/marketing industry, then it might be possible to secure a remote job in Canada and then live in a small affordable Canadian town.
Top Canadian Cities for Higher Education
If getting an education from a top institute is your priority then Toronto comes out at the top since the University of Toronto is based there.
You can also consider Vancouver/Kelowna, where the University of British Columbia is based.
Francophone Education Montreal would be an ideal choice if you are a French speaker as it hosts McGill University as well as the University of Montreal. While McGill is an English language institute, the Montreal itself is officially a French speaking city.
Other cities and universities to consider for top tier education –
Edmonton – University of Alberta
Calgary – University of Calgary
Ottawa – University of Ottawa (Bilingual University)
Waterloo – University of Waterloo
Halifax – Dalhousie University
Canadian Cities for French Speakers in Canada
Canada has two official languages – English and French. While the majority of the country’s population speaks English, you will find French to be more prevalent in Quebec and in the Western part of New Brunswick.
If French is your sole language, and you are looking for opportunities then the best cities to move to in Canada would be –
Montreal
Quebec City
Ottawa-Gatineau
Both Ottawa and Montreal have many people that are bilingual in both English and French. If you are looking to get exposure to English, then both cities would be an ideal fit.
Preferred Provinces For Francophones The majority of French-speaking immigrants move to either Quebec or Ontario not only because of the opportunities but also because Ontario offers a lot of support to French speakers for them to succeed.
Best Canadian Cities for a Vibrant Social Life
If you are looking for a city with a ton of events happening throughout the year then you will have to move to
Montreal
Toronto
Vancouver
Something important to note here is that your Social Life will depend on what you like to do and how fast you are able to make friends after your move. Some people are not able to make any friends despite moving to these big cities!
This doesn’t mean that the smaller cities don’t have much to do but you will find less variety in terms of things to do. Culture in the bigger cities can vary significantly from one neighborhood to another.
Top Canadian Cities with a Lower Cost of Living
If you are looking for an affordable city to live in, forget Toronto/Vancouver! Instead, consider one of these cities –
Quebec City
Winnipeg
London
Moncton
Saskatoon
Windsor
Thunder Bay
Halifax
Gatineau
Calgary
Edmonton
where the cost of living is significantly lower than Toronto/Vancouver!
Best Canadian Cities for Mild Weather
A few Canadian cities have a much warmer climate than the rest of Canada.
If you are looking for nice weather in the Eastern parts of Canada, cities to consider moving to would be
Halifax (Nova Scotia)
St Johns (Newfoundland)
Cities in Western Canada that have milder weather –
Victoria (British Columbia)
Vancouver (British Columbia)
While Toronto does get quite cold in winter, if you are living in the downtown area you would have zero issues due to winter as the roads and walkways are always kept clear of snow!
Canadian Cities With Cultural Diversity
If you enjoy the western lifestyle then you are looking moving either to Alberta or Saskatchewan. Cities to consider in that case would be Edmonton, Calgary, Regina or Saskatoon!
Cowboy Lifestyle In Quebec Certain parts of Quebec also offer western life (including rodeos and music!) Trois-Rivières, Quebec City, and Montreal are not too from Saint-Tite which is where one of the largest rodeo events in North America is held! Yes, it’s in French!
South Asian Population In Canada Brampton, which is part of the Greater Toronto Area, has a significant South Asian population, and you will be able to find all sorts of South Asian cuisines. However, note that the crime rate in Brampton is higher than in other Canadian cities. It might just be ideal for you to move to Toronto.
Cities With Chinese Population Vancouver (Richmond) comes out at the top with the most people of Chinese descent. Other cities being Montreal and Toronto where a lot of people moved specifically from Hong Kong and other Chinese territories.
You will be able to find people from all over the world in Vancouver/Montreal/Toronto. If you want to experience multicultural cities then those cities would be a good place to start!
Top Canadian Cities for Raising a Family
If you are planning to have a family then whichever city you choose, you will most likely be looking at living in the suburbs (away from downtown) as the houses are usually much more affordable than in the downtown core.
If you want your kids to be in a bilingual environment then you would need to either be in Ottawa/Gatineau or Montreal metro. There are other cities that you can consider as well, like Winnipeg, Sherbrooke where there is a significant bilingual population.
If you know of a place that I did not cover then feel free to share that through comments!
Tom Mehra, an Ottawa-based Software Engineer with a Masters in Information Systems from the University of Texas at Dallas, shares insights on local food spots and top attractions in Canada and the US. He’s also a former resident of the US, UK, and India, and in 2023, his blog was nominated for an Ottawa Award by Faces Magazine. He is also a cat sitter.
While you might have heard a lot about the benefits of living in Canada and how Canadian cities always show up in the best places to live in North America, you should also know about things that you might not like about Canada. It’s definitely something to consider if you are planning to migrate to Canada.
Here are some reasons why you should not move to Canada! –
Winters can be really harsh in Canada. Temperatures can drop as low as -30C depending on which city you are residing in. If you are not used to the cold weather, it might make you stay indoors and not enjoy going out for a few months every year!
My Personal Experience With Winters In Canada I got used to the weather pretty quick as I had been living in Midwest US before moving to Toronto, Canada where the weather gets as cold. But I remember that when I had moved to the UK from India, it took me a while to get adjusted to the cold weather there.
Photo: Cold Weather in Canada! (Mont Tremblant)
Winter Clothing Tips Here is my recommendation on what to wear during Canadian winters –
A well insulated winter jacket
A light jacket – layering jackets helps a lot
A winter hat – beanie or trapper hat
Snow boots – with good grip
Wool based socks – keep your feet warm
Thermal pants – inner wear for legs
Wind/water resistant pants or lined jeans
Winter gloves – great if wind resistant
Wool based top (innerwear)
Driving Tips for Winters Since it snows quite a lot during winters, driving can be quite challenging. It is no surprise that it is recommended to equip your car with winter tires or even snow chains in some of the regions.
Some provinces like Quebec legally require you to have winter tires. It might be beneficial to carry a snow brush with you as well.
If you enjoy warmer weather, that will leave you to either go for Vancouver or Victoria as your preferred destination since they experience milder winters than the rest of the country.
High Cost of Living in Canada’s Major Cities
The lack of housing supply and money laundering in major cities like Toronto, Vancouver and Montreal has caused real estate prices to go way beyond the yearly inflation rate while the same thing can’t be said about the salary that an average Canadian makes.
Vancouver is one of the most expensive cities in the world
Not only do you have to pay a lot of money for housing in those cities, but also the quality of the unit tends to be poor. If you are planning to get housing, make sure that you inspect the unit before you submit your housing application.
Where To Live For Cheap In Canada? Here are some cities that have a relatively lower cost of living (rent) compared to the major cities but note that they might not have ample job opportunities –
Red Deer, Alberta
Sherbrooke, Quebec
Quebec City, Quebec
Saint John, New Brunswick
Regina, Saskatchewan
Relatively Poor Wages and High Taxes in Canada
In general, wages in Canada lag way behind wages in the United States. There is a reason why a lot of Canadians decide to move south of the border and get a skilled job there as there is potential of making a lot more money in the US when you take into consideration stock options and bonuses that the American companies handout to their employees. This is despite the federal minimum wage being much higher in Canada than in the US.
Median wages in Canada 2022 (Source: Canada.ca)
Not only are the average wages lower in Canada, but also the taxes are higher, meaning after tax deductions and paying living expenses, you will have very little or no savings at all while living in major Canadian cities.
I remember when I had just moved to Canada, I used to get calls from Canadian companies and many of them were paying less than half of what I was making before moving to Canada. I just had to reject such jobs outright as they barely would have covered my monthly living expenses and it would just have been too stressful for me.
How To Find High Paying Jobs In Canada? Jobs in specific industries can pay you very competitive salaries. Those jobs usually tend to be in Healthcare, IT or Finance if you are looking in the service industry. But you will also find high paying jobs in the Resource/Energy industry and manufacturing to a certain extent.
To secure such jobs you must have good academic credentials or professional experience. Sometimes those credentials can be supplemented with any additional educational courses or certifications that you might have completed. Make sure to have an impressive resume before you even apply for jobs.
You could try looking for a US based company and work remotely for them from Canada as American companies tend to pay a lot more than Canadian companies however it will require a lot of effort on your part to secure such job.
Tips For Reducing Taxes To reduce your personal income taxes, you could setup an RRSP account (retirement savings) with your bank or another financial service provider. I had setup my RRSP and TFSA account, immediately after moving to Canada and I would recommend you to do the same.
Poor Public Transit System in Canada
While you will often hear how Canadian cities like Toronto have the best public transit system in North America, it is still generations behind European/Japanese cities. In a lot of areas throughout the country, public transport is almost non-existent.
You will find that the public transit system is always overcapacity during peak hours and breakdowns happen quite often meaning your commutes are delayed and what was supposed to be a 15-minute commute becomes more than 2 hours! Not only that, but during peak hours it reeks of sweat and you will often end up having interaction with crazy people on the transit on a regular basis who can sometimes get aggressive for absolutely no reason.
Artistic impression of long waiting lines at a Toronto Bus Stop
While I was living in Toronto, I decided to live at a walking distance from my workplace and it worked out great as I didn’t have to take public transport even during winters. This helped me avoid public transport completely.
Should You Get A Car In Toronto? It can be really expensive to own a car in Toronto. Insurance rates are usually very high, parking is expensive and traffic is one of the worst in North America. Only go with a vehicle if you really need it. If you have a family and need to take your kid around, yes go get yourself a car. But if you can live without a car, that’s what I would recommend especially if you are living in downtown Toronto.
Broken Healthcare System
While Canada does have a public healthcare system, it can be really hard to find a family doctor. Millions of Canadians are on waitlist to have a family doctor assigned to them, and it can take months or even years before you get a family doctor.
The healthcare system has been overburdened for years and delays in treatment can cost someone’s life. While, these issues are very well known, there is very little effort by the Federal/Provincial Government to resolve issues around delays in healthcare and many Canadians now prefer to go and see a private doctor instead of waiting months to be seen.
What To Do If You Cannot Find A Family Doctor? In case you need to see a doctor but have been on a waitlist, I recommend that you try for a walk-in clinic. Even though the name ‘walk-in clinic’ suggests you do not need an appointment, you should call them before your arrival to see if they would be able to see you. In case of any serious issue, you should just go to the Hospital or call an ambulance.
Driving in Canadian Cities Can Be Frustrating
Unlike American cities, Canadian cities do not have a downtown loop (connecting highways) meaning if you have to enter or leave the city, you will have to stick to the narrow city roads with signals every then and now. Driving in Canadian cities can be a really tiring experience, especially during peak hours.
Traffic on highways in Montreal
While the population in cities has gone up drastically in the last decade, there has been very little effort by the provincial and federal government to build the necessary transportation infrastructure that supports growth.
Driving Tips Here are some of my tips to avoid traffic –
Avoid driving during peak hours if possible
Use Google Maps to avoid construction zones
Consider public transit (if it’s more convenient)
Noise Pollution in Canadian Cities
This one might not apply to all major Canadian cities but something I really hated about living in Toronto’s city center was that it was just too noisy. Construction would start up early in the morning and would disrupt my sleep. While you can complain to the city about the issue, they would be very unwilling to do much about it since real-estate contributes a big portion to the economy.
Ottawa Downtown can be quite noisy
Another thing that might bother you while living downtown is the constant sound of vehicles. Most of the apartments and condos in the downtown area have poor sound insulation and you will hear almost everything that goes around your block even if you are living on the high level floors.
How To Minimize Noise Pollution? It might be worth considering the following to have a peaceful living environment
You can try using ear plugs or noise canceling headphones
Add noise insulation for the walls
Add soundproof curtains for windows
White noise machines can be beneficial for sleep
Seal gaps or cracks in windows/doors/walls
Is Canada Still a Good Place to Move To?
While you can avoid the high cost of living, and traffic issues by moving to a small city, there might not be a lot to do in those cities and the smaller cities might be lacking on infrastructure like transport and healthcare.
It would be good to ask yourself what kind of lifestyle do you really want?
Tom Mehra, an Ottawa-based Software Engineer with a Masters in Information Systems from the University of Texas at Dallas, shares insights on local food spots and top attractions in Canada and the US. He’s also a former resident of the US, UK, and India, and in 2023, his blog was nominated for an Ottawa Award by Faces Magazine. He is also a cat sitter.
If you have received a parking ticket by the City of Ottawa, but believe you should not have been ticketed, you can actually dispute your parking ticket and avoid paying any fines!
Ottawa Parking Ticket Header
You can only dispute the parking ticket if you have not paid the fine, cause if you have paid the fine then it would mean that you have pled guilty for the violation.
You can ask the City to review your parking ticket. There can be reasons why you believe you should not have been ticketed. For example – You had to park the car during an emergency and had no option to move the car.
For your parking violation to be considered – you would need to provide your infraction number (from the ticket), date of infraction, license plate number, country and a brief description of why you are requesting a review. You would also need to provide your name, and address.
Request a Trial
You could provide a notice of intent to appear at the Tribunal. For your request to be considered, make sure you provide all the necessary details including your infraction details, and attach all the evidence documents.
When you request a trial, you can also have someone else represent you.
It is recommended that you request a review before going for a trial.
Personally, I have had my parking tickets reviewed before by the city and have been able to get half off. In my case, I had paid for the initial parking however due to delays at the health clinic, I wasn’t able to get back to my car on time.
Fine reduced after review
If it’s your first infraction, they might reduce your parking fine by half even if you were at fault. Chances of getting the parking ticket completely waived are less but really depends on what evidence you provide and how strong is your case.
Tom Mehra, an Ottawa-based Software Engineer with a Masters in Information Systems from the University of Texas at Dallas, shares insights on local food spots and top attractions in Canada and the US. He’s also a former resident of the US, UK, and India, and in 2023, his blog was nominated for an Ottawa Award by Faces Magazine. He is also a cat sitter.
Hi everyone, my name is Tom and I’ve been living in Canada for a few years now and I wanted to share my thoughts on the benefits of living here. I moved to Toronto, Canada in 2018 from the United States because I had heard in the news that Canadian cities were consistently being rated as the top places to live in the world and had lots of job vacancies, so I thought why not give it a try and live there.
Photo: Toronto’s Waterfront (Canada)
In this post, I’ll go into detail on what I believe are some of the benefits of living in Canada, and how they might apply to you as well.
One of the biggest benefits of living in Canada is its publicly funded healthcare system. This means that most healthcare services are covered for residents at no additional cost.
Eligibility for Public Healthcare System This benefit is available if you are coming to Canada as a permanent resident. Once you arrive, you will need to apply for your provincial health insurance card that will avail you access to the Public Healthcare System and there won’t be any additional charges for your visit to a doctor or if you are headed to a walk-in clinic or any hospital within your province.
Provincial Healthcare System Coverage Keep in mind that coverage can vary depending on the province or territory you live in. Here’s what usually covered –
Basic healthcare services including visits to doctors
Specialists
Surgeries and
Medical Procedures
Limited access to mental health services (in certain provinces)
Personal Experience with Ontario’s Public Health System Personally, I have used Canada’s ambulatory and emergency services multiple times and have never had to pay a penny. In other countries with private healthcare systems, these visits could have resulted in significant debt.
Provincial Drug Insurance Plan In some provinces, such as Quebec, there is even a Prescription Drug Insurance plan available for residents who don’t have insurance or employee benefits. This plan helps make prescription drugs more affordable.
No Dental And Vision Coverage The following is generally not covered under the Provincial Healthcare System –
Dental care
Vision
Mental health services are limited
Do You Need Private Health Insurance? Yes, it’s recommended to have a private health insurance as dental and vision are not covered under the Public Healthcare System.
Canada’s Dental Benefit Plan Depending on your household income, parents/guardians of children may be eligible for dental benefit if they don’t have a private health insurance plan.
Healthcare For Temporary Residents? If you are a temporary residence visa holder then you will not be eligible for the public healthcare system. Instead you will need to secure private health insurance for the whole period of your stay which can be quite costly.
Delays In Healthcare System You might run into issues looking for a family doctor in Canada. Apparently there are millions of Canadians currently on waitlist and it can take months, and sometimes years to get a family doctor assigned or have surgery scheduled.
Low Crime Rates in Canadian Cities
Did you know that Canadian cities tend to have low crime rates compared to other North American countries like the United States or Mexico?
In fact, Canadian cities often rank highly in terms of standard of living due in part to their lower crime rates, even if they may be outranked in other areas such as median salaries.
Canadian Cities Vs American Cities Canadian cities generally tend to have –
Lower homicide rates
Lower gun violence
Lower property crime rates
Safer urban environments
Personal Experience While Living In Toronto When I lived in downtown Toronto, I felt safe walking around at night and didn’t have any issues. While there have been occasional instances of shootings in the downtown area, they are relatively rare compared to some of the other American or Mexican cities.
Homeless Population in Canada It’s worth noting that there is a significant homeless population in major Canadian cities like Toronto, Ottawa, and Vancouver. However, these individuals are generally harmless and it is very rare for someone to have serious issues with them.
Quick Tips To Avoid Being A Crime Victim While crime is low, it does exist and here are some ways you can prevent yourself from being a victim of crime in Canada –
Avoid giving your personal details over the phone
Make sure to not leave your personal belongings unattended
Always lock your door (house/car) if leaving
Install a steering lock on your vehicle
Avoid confrontation with anyone
While crime is relatively lower than other North American countries like Mexico and the United States, violent crime in Canada has been steadily increasing.
Low Unemployment and Competitive Salaries in Canada
Canada’s offers a lot of employment opportunities in three key industries – Natural Resources, Manufacturing and Finance! While the Energy sector is pretty active in Alberta (due to oil), manufacturing in Canada specifically automotive manufacturing has been centered around Ontario. The country’s financial hub is Toronto (with Montreal coming out as second).
Highly Skilled Jobs In ICT There are also a lot of opportunities in the IT industry as many US companies and startups tend to have an office in Canada. If you have solid academic credentials and professional experience then don’t be surprised if you end up with multiple offers!
Competition In The Canadian Job Market Competition in the job market still exists especially if you have applied for a high paying job, but there is no lack of opportunities in Canada. You will definitely need to put time and effort before you end up with a job offer.
French Speaking Jobs In Canada Don’t be surprised if the company requires you to speak French, as Canada does have a significant French-speaking population and is also one of its official languages.
Compensation For Jobs As far as salaries go, they can vary depending upon your industry and the city you are going to be based in. You can get a six-figure offer if you are a highly qualified professional with a few years of experience under your belt however don’t expect to make the same as the folks in San Francisco or New York City.
Income of individuals in Canada (source: Statcan)
Before applying for a job in Canada, ensure that you have a resume that is tailored for the Canadian job market as that can increase your chances of securing an interview.
Canada’s Top Tier Education System
If you’re a prospective student, Canada has a number of world-class institutes that can provide you with a solid foundation. The University of Toronto is ranked as one of the top 25 universities in the world (according to the QS Global Working Rankings). If you speak French, the Université de Montréal (a Francophone university) might be a better fit for you.
Universities of Canada
Other universities that make it into the top 300 rankings in the world include:
University of British Columbia
Université de Montréal
University of Alberta
McMaster University
University of Waterloo
Western University
University of Ottawa (the largest bilingual university in the world)
University of Calgary
Queen’s University at Kingston
Dalhousie University
Simon Fraser University
Best Universities For Research Opportunities The University of Toronto, McGill University and University of British Columbia are specifically known for their research and academic programs. Another key thing about Canadian Universities is that students come from all over the world.
How To Apply For A Canadian University? If you are an international student then usually you would need to do the following for admission to a Canadian University –
Compared to other developed countries, Canada is much easier to move to and also has a faster pathway to Citizenship. The country requires permanent residents to have resided in the country for only 3 years (1095 days) before they can apply for citizenship provided they meet other requirements.
Canada Vs Other Countries Compared to Canada, most European countries require you to have resided in the country for at least 5 years before you can apply for citizenship through naturalization.
Multiple Pathways To Residence Canada’s immigration system not only targets skilled workers but also puts a strong emphasis on family reunification. There are also multiple pathways to permanent residence and the government also offers language training programs to help immigrants with their language skills (English or French).
Canadian Passport Photo
Canada’s Fair Legal System
As Canada has the rule of law, everyone including the government is subject to and held accountable to the law. All individuals and institutions must adhere to the legal principles and processes.
In Canada, citizens can expect court decisions to be made in a fair manner. While this doesn’t matter on a day-to-day basis, in case you run into any issues with the legal system OR you have been a victim, you would be treated fairly as well as the legal system would be there to protect you!
While criminal cases are usually resolved quicker, it might take longer for civil cases depending on the complexity of the case as well.
A Beautiful Country for Outdoor Lovers
If you love the outdoors, then you are going to absolutely love Canada! Whether you are in the urban area of the cities, or away from it, you will notice that there are a ton of parks, and activities to do throughout the year!
My Personal Recommendations On Places To Visit Some of my favorite places in Canada so far have been –
Mont Tremblant
Whistler
Banff National Park
Vancouver
Muskoka Lakes
Whether you are in the West or the East, you are going to have a very scenic experience on your expeditions through the country.
Photo: Winter Dog Sledding in Quebec
These are just some reasons why I think Canada is a great country to live in and I am sure you will find more when you end up moving here! 🙂
If you are wondering where in Canada should you move then it might be worth doing some research on the weather, jobs and culture that some of the major cities like Toronto/Vancouver/Montreal have to offer.
Tom Mehra, an Ottawa-based Software Engineer with a Masters in Information Systems from the University of Texas at Dallas, shares insights on local food spots and top attractions in Canada and the US. He’s also a former resident of the US, UK, and India, and in 2023, his blog was nominated for an Ottawa Award by Faces Magazine. He is also a cat sitter.
