where to live

[gazanjuls]

hi we are on the waiting list its been 11 months know and are just looking at places we think we may like to settle .we have two young kids aged 5&7 and are looking to better our life style we have been to Toronto a number of times and have good canadain friends there but where thinking about guelph
or Burlington or London can anybody give us some info on any of these areas
or if you think there may be a better option we are coming to Toronto in august for a look round.i have looked on the internet at places but they dont do places justice well if you can help it would be gr8.thanks gaz

[adamjtat]

Hey guys, i am from Manchester about 5 years ago, at the mo i am in Fredericton NB but spent a very happy 9 months in Burlington, On if the wife (Newfie) gave me the ok i would be back in a heart beat, 45 mins in one direction to Toronto & 45 mins in the other to Niagara, its an easy flight to the UK from Toronto and there is plenty of attractions for friends and rellys that come over to see. best of luck where ever you end up. Adam, Sue & family

[CanadianGal]

I've written quite abit about locations in Southern Ontario and golden triangle especially(Kitchener Waterloo/Guelph plus Cambridge) and surrounding smaller towns. I have lived in Oakville, Burlington, Guelph, Waterloo, Niagara on the Lake, Fergus, Mount Forest, Harriston, Drayton, Palmerston, Elmira..... What lifestyle are you looking for?

[gazanjuls]

hi thanks for that can you tell me what nb is like the house prices seem to be better there i have looked at Fredrickson on the net it looks ok how is it for family's and how good is the weather?we like to get out and about sun or snow.

[adamjtat]

Although Fredericton is the capital city of New Brunswick, there isn't as much going on compared to Moncton & Halifax. There is plenty of open space but that doesn't always keep the kids happy. It's a very nice city, clean & quiet, good for retired people. If you want snow then your coming to the right country, i went to Fundy National Park, i was very impressed, they have walking trails of different lengths & at the start of each trail it tells you the length and difficulty of the walk, great when you have kids.

[gcap]

I would choose, burlington and oakville area as the best area, and is where I live.

Other than that, there guelph, kitchener, cambridge, waterloo, hamilton, london, woodstock, brantford, and st catherines which may apeal to you as well.

[CanadianGal]

Very expensive in Oakville. Burlington is more middle class. Oakville is where those with $ live who don't want to live in TO-lot of high profile athletes, very successfull people. You park beside jags and mercedes at the grocery stores. And busy and congested! I lived there and Burlington, Guelph, Kitchener/Waterloo. Personally I like the Guelph/KW area better. Can commute/lots of work/close to country/quaint towns and much cheaper. Less congestion/traffic-lots of amenities. I hate the GTA(greater To area) along the 401. Heavy rat race. But there are nice suburbs areas in each city. So it depends what you like. More crime too though.

[gazanjuls]

well thanks for your input we are coming to Canada in august for two weeks what time are you doing dinner?only joking if you meet my tribe you'll be asking us to leave after the 1st course (young children if you know what i mean)yes so we are hitting Ontario so if you see a deranged brit on the 401 with a wife with her head in a bucket (because she thinks Canadians can't drive )and two screaming kids in the back give us a wave. Any suggestions on where it is worth having a look please let us know.

[CanadianGal]

What careers are you in? Waterloo has nice area and is cheaper then Guelph. Guelph is a smaller and manageable city with green parks, nice downtown stone heritage area. I have lived there and have immediate family there now. Many nice areas. About $30000 more across the board for houses then Waterloo. Crime has been rising everywhere so I won't say its any different-just less population so less crime in that respect. I liked Waterloo-I lived in Sandowne Drive area. That is the northeast side-but the west has nice areas too. Many friends live in Kitchener which is busier-but cheaper. More modest older subdivisions too. So much to do in KW(cities merge). The expressway goes through making it easier to get around although there are busy times after work,etc. Nothing like TO though. Can commute several ways to Guelph, to Cambridge or even in to the GTA.
My daughter is turning 7 and she liked it in Waterloo-the activities offered to kids is amazing(hobbies/sports). All these cities have alot of festivals and activites year round for adults and families.
Are you focused on city living or a smaller towns outside the city with a short commute? If so check out Fergus, Elora, Elmira, St. Jacobs. The closer to the city the pricier-but worth it. Of course there are many places to choose from in Ontario-those are off the top of my head in the local areas. You could look at Ayr.
I have relatives living in St. Thomas and they quite like it. Its outside London. But I think the KW/Guelph/Cambridge area is very good at attracting and retaining newcomers. From around the world or other provinces. I meet them all the time. They really like the area and opportunities. Now it is slowing down as manufacturing is getting hit hard by automotive downsizing and gas prices. But the area is known as the most growth in Canada-with the exception of the oilsands in Alberta. Thats a one trick pony(boom time) but this area is more diversified. People can also commute to the GTA if they need to. So much cheaper here. All I have to say from anyone who has gone to Alberta to work in the boom, is to avoid it.
Anyway our drivers have gotten much worse in even 10 years. Its like those racing movies. I also think its crystal meth. It used to be a sometime occurence-now its several each trip. Canadians are just as frustrated. Anyways-if you have specific questions I can help you with, I'll try. Its a large area and hard to take in in one trip. If you have something you are specifically looking for-it can help to point you in the right direction. But I don't think you would do poorly at all to check out the areas I have mentioned.

[gazanjuls]

thanks we are staying with friends near Fergus for 4 days to have a look round that area then going to the gta for the rest of the visit .my wife is a Junior kindergarten teacher here in the uk and i am a house-husband but have just completed a diploma in IT. Our children are 5 and 7 and we were wondering if you can tll us a little about the education system. What age do they attend full time, what hours are the school day, is there alot of testing of the children, do they have alot of homework? The terms seem long as they seem to stay in school from Fall until Christmas! Here the children do on average 6 week terms sometimes longer , sometimes shorter and then have a week off or at Easter and Christmas 2 weeks. In the summer they have a 6 week holiday. I can't imagine all that time with no break for the children or staff!!!!
Are there many jobs for teachers and are there many IT jobs? Sorry if we have asked this before. I have 15 years experience in teaching junior kindergarten and believe in young children learning through a play based approach. Is it the same in Canada? Sorry for all the questions and thank you in advance for all the help and guidance you can supply us with.