The PRESTO system is also in used in other transit systems in Ontario, such as Brampton Transit, MiWay in Mississauga, Go Transit, and York Region Transit/Viva. Here are some of the most notable festivals in Toronto: Biking is hugely popular for those living in Toronto, and it’s possible to bike year-round if you get the right winter gear. Before we arrived with our six suitcases in Toronto, Ravi had never set foot in Canada, and I’d spent a grand total of two days for business meetings – with no exploration time built in. We’re looking at either Toronto or Vancouver/Vancouver island. For obvious reasons we love our Indian food, and Toronto is not short of Indian grocers, supplies and restaurants (although the better ones are in Brampton and Mississauga). With a population just short of 3 million people, the city of Toronto is the largest in Canada, and one of the largest in North America (behind only Mexico City, New York and Los Angeles). We're Ellie & Ravi, a British & Indian couple who met on our travels and decided to continue the adventure. L’idée étant de vous donner une vision réaliste sur l’expatriation au Canada et surtout, un retour d’expérience de profils différents à travers le Canada.Découvrez le tout premier témoignage d’une française qui vit à Toronto, Astrid du blog Fringinto. Get information about how COVID-19 is impacting Canada. I found myself getting headaches from the cold on windy days as my brain struggled to understand how it could look so warm and beautiful looking outside from in (the winter skies are often a piercing blue) despite the temperature being -20 degrees celsius. Subways run frequently, as often as every two minutes in rush hour and about every five minutes at other times. Although winter in Toronto is pretty bad, it’s not as cold in Toronto as it gets in Montreal, Calgary, or anywhere further north in Canada. Which played havoc with our stomachs compared to what we were used to in Europe & India. Taxback helps people reclaim their overpaid tax. Been an eye-opener! Thank you for your interesting article on Toronto. The Distances as a European, I’m used to the idea of hopping on the train to Paris for lunch. How does the cost of living in Toronto compare with other cities? Groceries cost around $500 per month for 2 people. On peut très grossièrement diviser la ville en trois parties. Not only is it home to incredible nature and wildlife, it’s home to the mildest winter in Canada. The average temperature during the winters in Toronto is -9.8 degrees. Un nouveau témoignage vient s’ajouter à cette belle série que j’ai lancé fin 2019. About 40 percent of Canada’s business headquarters are located here, including the country’s largest banks. Les deux villes principales de l'Ontario attirent toutes deux de nombreux immigrants, même si la multiculturelle Toronto en accueille la grande majorité. Even though I’m now living in Toronto longer than Melbourne, it’s the Australian city that still has my heart. Mississauga is a bland suburb/satellite of Toronto, would be quite a shock after Boston and Paris. Much of Toronto seems to hibernate and social activities grind to a halt for all but the most determined. Everyone has their own ideas about what makes a great place to live. Being a part of such a big, bustling city, people get somewhat hardened after experiencing a bit of life in Toronto. Moving Continents: How we Ended Up in Toronto, Canada. Both are quite reasonably priced compared to city taxis. If you are commuting in from suburban areas such as Mississauga, Brampton, York Region or Hamilton, you can catch a Go Train or bus – these run to Union Station in the heart of downtown Toronto, and from there you can connect to the TTC. A pint of beer in Toronto can cost you between $7 and $10, depending on where you are. I find Americans are in general more outgoing, extroverted and friendlier but that does not mean they are your friends. This is an underground network of over 30 kilometres worth of shopping, services, and entertainment, and is the biggest underground shopping complex in the world. For all seasons of the year. Renting a cottage in cottage country is also an option, but prepare to have deep pockets for summer weekends and book well in advance. Voilà comment j'ai fait mon choix. People here in Toronto will be first to tell you that. Low Crime for Such a Big City At time of writing, a one bedroom condo (apartment) in downtown Toronto (of very small proportions) can easily go for around $2000 CAD per month, excluding utilities. Comment aller à Toronto sans faire un petit crochet aux chutes du Niagara ! I’ve lived and worked in both cities, an I’d choose Toronto any day any time. You can see its list of fare prices here. The network covers much of the downtown core and links to many subway stations and high-rise office blocks. There tends to be quite a short spring season in April and May before the summer heat kicks in. Join us on our travels virtually here on the blog! It’s also possible to upload a monthly pass to your card, and daily cap limits are scheduled to be be introduced later in 2018. The skyline of Toronto, like many other “world cities” has become peppered with cranes. Totally agree about difficult access to the country, and even when there there aren’t footpaths in the UK sense, so you’re often restricted to the cottage you’re staying in, and as you say, other cities are a long way away. A single fare costs $3.25, so you’ll need to be making 45 trips per month, or 12 per week, for it to be cost effective. All of the things to do in and near Toronto in winter involve winter sports, so if you are not a winter person, we urge you to think carefully about this aspect of living in Toronto as winters are long and can last more than half the year. That means serious winter coats made from down that will set you back a few hundred dollars. But the Toronto job market is tough and getting tougher – as local students and immigrants compete for jobs. For more info please see our full disclosure here! More than half of its population was born outside of Canada according to 2006 census statistics, and about 47 percent of Toronto is a member of a visible minority. My company is considering me for a move to either Mississauga (right next to Toronto) or London. Back in India (and many other countries, we’re sure), Canada is hailed as pretty much the holy land. Selon où l’on vit sur l’île et la grandeur de l’habitation le prix varie de beaucoup. A store like Canadian Tire sells them at varying prices. Each neighbourhood has its own selection of great places to eat, and there are many websites providing information on Toronto’s culinary scene, such as Dine.to, and Toronto.com, which provide ratings and recommendations. It’s Canada’s biggest city as well as its most diverse, and its possible to find a token of most cultures from around the world here. As a consolation prize for the extended months of ice, Toronto gets a hot and humid summer: Which invariably means spending summers out of town alongside lakes (better start saving for that summer cottage now), trips to the Toronto Islands on the Ferry and plenty of things to do in Toronto in Summer from browsing Farmers Markets and Food Festivals to enjoying the green spaces outside of the city. An attempt to answer Paulina’s question above: Toronto and Boston are two very different city with different vibes. This was exactly what I needed to hear! Well: Ontario (and especially not Toronto) look nothing like that. That means you will need to factor in the cost of obtaining all your furniture as well. Prenons pour exemple une personne habitant un 3 1/2. Typically the west end of the city has been the hip part of town, but as rents rise and gentrification takes a firmer grip, it’s the east end where the up-and-coming Toronto neighbourhoods are located. Frequency 1 post / day Since Jul 2012 Also in Real Estate Blogs, Realtor Blogs … This all said – I enjoyed it. Toronto is the capital of the Province of Ontario and is located on the north shore of Lake Ontario. And we’re not the only ones. When you’re done, be sure to read the rest of our Moving To Toronto city guide for further research. An average new bike from, say, Canadian Tire, will cost around $150 to $300. Check the box to agree to receive Moving2Canada’s free Getting Started Guide, plus our newsletters, containing news, updates, and promotions regarding Moving2Canada’s advice articles, job updates, and products. It is a wealthy, leafy area known for its quality of life, good schools and convenient access to Toronto’s commercial heart by road (The Bayview extension). There are two main subway lines: Line 1 goes north/south, and Line 2 goes east/west. Toronto has a great system of ravines where you can cycle for miles on bike paths, mostly running north-south. If you’re looking for Entertainment, Bars, and Clubs, Toronto is the city for you: It has some great Entertainment. Toronto is a wonderful place to bring up kids – it’s safe, clean, and offers them the opportunity to experience so many cultures in their everyday life. If you’re willing to move further out away from downtown or live in a basement, rents decrease to around $1500 per month. We love nature. Get your first transfer for free up to £3,000 (or equivalent). The Midtown in Focus plan, unanimously passed by Toronto City Council in 2018, has been languishing, ignored, on Minister Steve Clark’s desk for six months. Learn about Canadian immigration, work and study permits, and how to visit. There are also many great options for third-level education. It’s perhaps obvious that we found it hard to make friends: We found that although the welcome is friendly, there’s a limit to that friendliness. The Food – this one might be a bit controversial, as to many, Toronto is a foodie destination, with a wide range of cuisines and cutting edge eateries inspired from around the world. That being said, the people of Toronto are still generally very nice, and it has a relaxed and very tolerant attitude most of the time. We like travelling. The Job Market can be Tough. Get practical information to plan your arrival in Canada. Read our in-depth city guides, and learn about driver’s licences, taxes, cell phones and more! Our issue was with the quality of ingredients. After all, what we derive our sense of home from is hard to define, and a concept that perhaps becomes ever more elusive, the more we travel in search of it. Get your first 10 transfers for free with CurrencyFair. What is life in Toronto like? Consistently ranked as one of the most livable cities in the world, Toronto enjoys a reputation as an exciting, diverse, clean, and safe city to set up home. Toronto, the provincial capital of Ontario, is located on the northwest shore of Lake Ontario. We love good food even more. More info. Toronto's source for local news and culture, restaurant reviews, event listings and the best of the city. Just don’t come to us when you find you’ve spent all your paycheck on drinks! La ville de Toronto prévoit instaurer le zonage inclusif au premier semestre de 2021. Moving Continents: How we Ended Up in Toronto,... 10 of the Best Places to Visit on Vancouver Island, Our Favourite Things to Do in Toronto in Summer (& Spring). Invest in a helmet, front and rear lights, and proper brakes – and be careful of the streetcar tracks. You need a coat that at least goes down to your thighs and has a hood. Outlet stores, such as the one in Vaughan Mills, sell winter coats and boots at greatly reduced prices when they are out of season, so if you can take the time to visit there during spring or summer you can save yourself a couple of hundred dollars. Let us know your thoughts and questions in the comments below! They’re offering Moving2Canada visitors 5% off their regular fees. Loved your fresh perspective and raw honesty! Hi! Living in Toronto, particularly anywhere near downtown, can be expensive. It takes less than two hours to drive to the US border at Buffalo, NY. Ellie started this blog during a sabbatical trip in 2015, while hopping on trains around south Asia. For winter in Toronto, newcomers need to be well prepared. The cultural diversity of Toronto ensures that eating out offers a multitude of choices for any and every budget. Winter generally lasts from October – March or April. If there’s a particular restaurant that takes your fancy but appears out of your budget, wait until Summerlicious or Winterlicious roll around. Quelle ville choisir quand on part pour le Canada? Unlock exclusive deals on monthly plans and get $10 off your first month. Life in Toronto wouldn’t be the same without the weather. If you are going to cycle in Toronto, get the proper gear. The winter we just survived (2018-9) was apparently one of the worst (we’re not convinced) and lasted from November to May. I really hate hot & humid weather. Within our first few months in Toronto we were invited to Thanksgiving dinners by new friends; the streetcar drivers actually wait for you when you’re running, and people have always been happy to explain how things work in the city. Leaside homes are expensive – you will need to budget over $2.2 million for an average, detached home in sought after streets here. The idea of it taking more than a day to get somewhere by train is unheard of. La première (Ouest) s’étend à gauche de Yonge Street et au sud de Bloor Street. There’s a lot more information on the PRESTO system here. Search for jobs, get help finding work, and read dozens of helpful advice articles. For most people working five days a week, it’s worth your while. Coming to Canada as a Permanent Resident? In general, I find Canadians a little more like Europeans even though they often sound rather American. Rents are among the highest in Canada, and other standard monthly expenses such as phone plans, groceries, and transit are not cheap either. 4. Our journeying to Toronto from Mumbai – a warm, wet, still partly jungled city could not have provided more of a contrast. What brought us here was Ravi’s Permanent Residency of Canada which he’d been in the application process for a number of months before we had even met. The TTC is in the middle of transitioning to a new fare payment system called PRESTO. As of 2018, Lyft has moved in to Toronto to offer some competition to Uber for cab rides. More than 140 languages and dialects are spoken in the city, and almost half the population Toronto were born outside Canada. Ride hailing with Uber and Lyft is affordable, and Go Trains link downtown Toronto with suburbia within the greater Toronto area (GTA). Copyright Soul Travel 2019 | All Rights Reserved | This site uses compensated Affiliate links. There’s a full system map including the bus and streetcar routes here, Find out where to live in our Toronto neighbourhoods guide, Read our guide on supermarkets in Toronto, Download our Getting Started Guide to plan your move to Canada, Visit our Outpost Recruitment agency for construction and engineering jobs. Étant donné que les politiques et les règlements sur le zonage inclusif ne peuvent pas faire l'objet d'un appel de la part du public, il est crucial de comprendre les répercussions de ce changement sur les propositions d'aménagement existantes et futures. Its a friendly place compared to London, UK, and people stop and give you the time of day. Live stream the greatest sports in the world. Winters are dry but there’s a fair amount of snowfall. Yes, Toronto really does have it all. There are huge differences between living abroad to work and living abroad to study – something I’m working on for a blog post. The Bad. Some Torontonians forego the option of owning a car, but frequently use one of the many carsharing options in Toronto. Torontonians themselves are welcoming and are generally willing to help those who look lost or are in need of assistance. Mobile/Cell phone plans are some of the most expensive in the world here, and you can easily expect to pay around $100 a month on your phone. We’re not trying to be grumpy middle-aged people complaining about Toronto.