Possible job relocation to Toronto

[jemmouse]

Hello all Canadians Recently my husband was approached to relocate to Toronto to build a new hospital there. We currently live in Illinois. I will be honest this REALLY scares me I am a person who does not like change. My questions are
- What is it like living in Toronto, Canada
- Does everyone speak English or is French also widely spoken?
-Weather as in summer and winter
-Can anyone recommend some areas to look for housing? Would you live in Toronto or would it be better to live in a suburb of Toronto? We currently live in a suburb outside Chicago, I really don't like to be in the hustle and bustle of the city
-Schools
-How does an American handle health care? I think you all pay higher taxes and then your medical is paid, do you know how that would be for an American? This job is a 5 year job...
-DO you like it there, please tell all pros and cons...

Thank you to anyone who can offer up some suggestions, I would really APPRECIATE it....

 

[mickilee]

I live in the suburbs and love it. Close to Toronto but still far away. There is so much to do in the city. if you like shopping. Tons of malls. Sports events all the time. Niagara falls and Buffalo are about hours drive.
As for which suburb, depends where his job is going to be. You have to factor in the commute, which can be crazy.

our weather is similar to Chicago. There is beaches close by for the wicked hot summers here. Or in the winter,lots of hills for skiing or snowboarding.

English is mostly spoke here.

 

[tone.def]

Hello all Canadians Recently my husband was approached to relocate to Toronto to build a new hospital there. We currently live in Illinois. I will be honest this REALLY scares me I am a person who does not like change. My questions are
- What is it like living in Toronto, Canada

Awesome!

- Does everyone speak English or is French also widely spoken?

I only know how to ask where the bathroom is in French.
If you speak French here, people look at you strangely. Speak Mandarin or Tagalong and no one bats an eye!

-Weather as in summer and winter

Summer = really hot, full of humidity
Winter varies... if you live "downtown" you will only ever need snow boots twice a year. If you live in the burbs, I can't answer that, but their commute downtown looks terrible!

-Can anyone recommend some areas to look for housing? Would you live in Toronto or would it be better to live in a suburb of Toronto? We currently live in a suburb outside Chicago, I really don't like to be in the hustle and bustle of the city

The Greater Toronto Area is HUGE! It takes a couple hours to drive across, so you need to find out where exactly the job is. If the job is in a place like Pickering, you wouldn't want to move to Oakville.

-Schools

We have a public school system, a Catholic system and private schools.

-How does an American handle health care? I think you all pay higher taxes and then your medical is paid, do you know how that would be for an American? This job is a 5 year job...

no clue... yep, taxes are HIGH!

-DO you like it there, please tell all pros and cons...

The only other place in Canada I would live is Vancouver.

 

[sk8jdgca]

Hello all Canadians Recently my husband was approached to relocate to Toronto to build a new hospital there. We currently live in Illinois. I will be honest this REALLY scares me I am a person who does not like change. My questions are
- What is it like living in Toronto, Canada

Toronto is a cool city and very similar to Chicago (lots of suburbs, some ethnic neighbourhoods, lots to do downtown)
- Does everyone speak English or is French also widely spoken?

You'll have to look hard to find anyone speaking french, however as the other poster put you will hear a unuted nation amount of other languages
-Weather as in summer and winter

Summer- hotter than Chicago and winter warmer than Chicago

-Can anyone recommend some areas to look for housing? Would you live in Toronto or would it be better to live in a suburb of Toronto? We currently live in a suburb outside Chicago, I really don't like to be in the hustle and bustle of the city

again-we need to know where her husband will work- Toronto and surrounding area is much larger than chicago
-Schools

you will have your choice of public, catholic (if you are catholic) or private. Most public schools are good but there are a few rough ones depending on where you live.
-How does an American handle health care? I think you all pay higher taxes and then your medical is paid, do you know how that would be for an American?

Your employer should offer a medical plan. You will qualify for OHIP (ontario funded health care) after a waiting period (I think it is 6 months) >you should bargain with the employer to make sure you have coverage during your waiting period.

Our sales tax is a bit higher than your 13% for most goods and services.
This job is a 5 year job...
-DO you like it there, please tell all pros and cons...

I don't live there just visit (I am an Ontario resident) Depending where you living housing seems extremely high to me.
Thank you to anyone who can offer up some suggestio ns, I would really APPRECIATE it....

Good luck

 

[mermaid&cinderella]

Firstly....very exciting! Toronto is a fabulous city!

I think we would need to know exactly what city or what part of the city (Toronto is very big) your hubby will be working in. You don't want him to have a big commute and the morning commute through Toronto is TERRIBLE

 

[abdmom]

I'm a Canadian citizen who just relocated back to Toronto after 15 years in the States. The last 8 were in MN. I love Toronto.

Hello all Canadians Recently my husband was approached to relocate to Toronto to build a new hospital there. We currently live in Illinois. I will be honest this REALLY scares me I am a person who does not like change. My questions are
- What is it like living in Toronto, Canada
- Does everyone speak English or is French also widely spoken?
-Weather as in summer and winter
-Can anyone recommend some areas to look for housing? Would you live in Toronto or would it be better to live in a suburb of Toronto? We currently live in a suburb outside Chicago, I really don't like to be in the hustle and bustle of the city
-Schools
-How does an American handle health care? I think you all pay higher taxes and then your medical is paid, do you know how that would be for an American? This job is a 5 year job...
-DO you like it there, please tell all pros and cons...

Thank you to anyone who can offer up some suggestions, I would really APPRECIATE it....

Toronto has a lot more ethnic diversity than anywhere I've seen in the States. You will hear all languages spoken, but English is the language of business.

For health care - it's residency based. Once you have a place to live, utilities etc, you can apply for your health cards after 90 days. You have to show proof that you're living in Ontario. The government of Ontario has ServiceOntario centers which take care of health cards, car registration and drivers licenses. Once you have your Health Card, you're good to go. No copays or deductibles.

The drivers license and car registration don't have a waiting period. Car registration was a major hassle. You have to import the car at the border, then have multiple inspections done. If I had to do it again, I'd just sell my car and buy a new one when I crossed.

As a U.S. citizen, you will have to file both U.S. and Canadian tax returns.

Real estate - the real estate market in Toronto has been in a boom the past several years. You will likely find housing more expensive. Also, Canadians tend to have smaller houses on smaller plots of land than what you will find in the midwest.

Hope this helps. Gotta run. Gotta plane to catch for my Disney cruise.

 

[stefanospops]

I sent you a private message but here are some more details.

Toronto weather is actually not that bad. Buffalo tends to be colder and get more snow than Toronto does. Toronto is the Canada's equivalent to New York City. Here you will find lots to do in your free time like theatres, shopping, sports (we cover every major sport except NFL football and even then we still get 1 Buffalo Bills game played here).

My private message dealt with real estate (I am a realtor), but as for where you should live here as pp's have suggested many questions need to be asked before answering this question. It's like deciding between Manhattan, the Bronx, Queen's, etc. Sorry for the all NYC references but I haven't been to Chicago!

I actually don't imagine you will find life all that different except our money looks different. Toronto even gets a lot of US channels including the Chicago channels. I know because I watch a lot of baseball too and watch the Cubs on WGN.

As for taxes I think it really does depend on whether the job is salaried or contract. As a contractor you have more write-offs. For example, last year my income tax rate was 27.8%. So income taxes are not necessarily higher in Canada.

If you have more specific questions just ask away!

 

[snickerboo]

- What is it like living in Toronto, Canada
I like Toronto. It's a big city so it has everything a big city has (subway system, museums, opera, musicals, ballet, science centre, shopping, sports teams, great restaurants). It's busy if you're "in the city" but lots of people choose not to live right "in the city". FYI: We don't have Target or JCP. LOL

- Does everyone speak English or is French also widely spoken?
Toronto is an English speaking city but very multicultural. No French needed.

-Weather as in summer and winter
Similar to Chicago.

-Can anyone recommend some areas to look for housing? Would you live in Toronto or would it be better to live in a suburb of Toronto? We currently live in a suburb outside Chicago, I really don't like to be in the hustle and bustle of the city.
Since you don't like the busy atmosphere of a city, you might prefer the suburbs. To the North there is Richmond Hill, Thornhill, and Markham and more; to the West, Oakville or MIssissauga (though Mississauga is very busy), to the East there is Pickering, Ajax and Whitby. It really will depend where your dh is working. In the city, "Leaside" (just south of Bayview and Eglinton if you're google mapping it) is a very nice area with more of a "neighbourhood" feel and not all the hustle and bustle. Other "family" areas are Forest Hill or just North of it and The Beaches, though they tend to be pricey.

-Schools
In Canada, most kids go to public schools and, for the most part, they're pretty good.

-How does an American handle health care? I think you all pay higher taxes and then your medical is paid, do you know how that would be for an American? This job is a 5 year job...
This, I don't know. I would expect, after a period of living here, you'd have our healthcare.

-DO you like it there, please tell all pros and cons...
I liked living in Toronto (we moved for dh's job about 10 yrs ago). The cons, it has a lot of traffic and it's a big city. The pros, it has pockets of neighbourhoods that are very nice and you have access to everything. It's a short drive to cottage country, Niagara, even Buffalo.

I think you would not find it all that different from living in the Chicago area except for the multiculturalism. The crime, for a major city, is realtively low. There are ares of Toronto you want to avoid due to crime but that's true of any major city.

Ironically, I'm in the same boat but headed the other way. There's a good chance dh will be relocated to St.Louis before the end of the summer. I have a lot of the same ? about it. Good luck with the transfer and move.

 

[michelle1]

The only new hospital I can think of being built is the one that is going at the site of the Don Jail so I'm guessing that will be the area of his work.

 

[Nahanni]

Toronto is quite similar to Chicago and once was known as "hogtown". I think pp's have provided good answers to your questions.

If your husband is involved with downtown hospitals (I'm thinking Women's College is coming on stream soon) then you can live in any suburb if he is open to taking commuter (GO) train and short subway (or 15 minute walk) to the hospital - note, if he is at Sunnybrook he will need to drive and traffic will be bad so you should look at one of its surrounding neighbourhoods (pricey but very nice). If it is a suburban hospital you may want to be in the general area because traffic can be awful crossing the city.

Public elementary schools (K-8) are generally located in the neighbourhood (if you kids are young they may need to learn Canadian spelling) and walkable (you can find school test results in a Fraser Institute report). There are also many private school choices in all the regions.

If you provide hospital location, we can probably give you more specific information.

 

[jemmouse]

I believe the hospital is the Womens College as the above poster stated. COuldn't get a hold of DH but his secretary said that sounded correct. Could anyone tell me where that is and give some options to the areas for living around it would be. Again thank you so much for all of your knowledge. Knowlwdge is power, and right now I am just very nervous and all this help is so appreciative!!!!

 

[photomama]

Hi - I am an American who has been living in Canada for almost 5 years. We lived in a Toronto burb called Whitby. I really enjoyed the 4 seasons Toronto gets, it's a great city and a very BUSY city! Re: healthcare until your can apply for you OHP Ontario Health Plan you will probably have to purchase a private insurance. I am living in Calgary now.

You can email me if you have any specific questions.

 

[DutchsMommy]

Womens College is about as downtown as you can get (Bay/College) so its either condo or smaller downtown home or suburbs with commute. Not to pry, but did you have any idea whether you wanted to rent or buy and what your general price range would be? That would likely help either rule out downtown-ish neighbourhoods all together or at least help us give you some ideas.

One other thing - not sure if your kids are school ago or any in daycare? If daycare, the waiting list to get into daycare in the City is insane, so just something to think about if you need it.

 

[ferris198]

If it is womans college than you have many options open to you.
You can chose to live in a varity of neighbourhoods, you can live downtown, in East York riverdale or live in the surronding suburbs

 

[gilsan]

I use to work at Sunnybrook & Women's. It is a great place to work. We lived nearby at York Mills and Leslie it was a very nice neighbourhood with lots nearby including an Ikea which I miss now that I live in the middle of nowhere Nova Scotia.

 

[jemmouse]

I have one DS who is currently in the 3rd grade and is 9. I would definately rather live in a suburb outside the city, our price range is mid level. Hope this helps, THANK YOU for all your help....

 

[MECH8T7]

I use to work at Sunnybrook & Women's. It is a great place to work. We lived nearby at York Mills and Leslie it was a very nice neighbourhood.

...it should probably be clarified for OP that, while Sunnybrook & Women's College are now the same organization, Sunnybrook Hospital is in a totally different location (mid-town). York Mills and Leslie is very close to Sunnybrook, its quite a long way from Women's College Hospital.

(Having said that, York Mills/Leslie is a great neighbourhood...but we live in that area too...To get downtown by public transit, it would be one bus (to go two major intersections) and then transfer to subway down to Women's College)

Also, it should be mentioned that the GTA'ers (Greater Toronto Area) views on what constitutes "suburbs" may differ greatly both from one another and from OP's notion. Rather than using that label, it might make more sense to list what some of your requirements, such as...

1. DH's Transportion to work

walk/cycle, public transit (subway only), public transit (subway plus bus), regional transportation (GO train + subway), drive

2. Schools

We have a think tank (Fraser Institute) that compiles rankings of public schools. If you are thinking of going the public school route -- the vast majority of us do -- you may want to take a look at where some of the higher ranked schools are located and then look at houses that would be in the catchment area.

http://ontario.compareschoolrankings.org/elementary/SchoolsByArea.aspx

3. Parking

Street permit, pad (front lawn) parking, park on driveway (no garage), shared driveway between houses to garage/pad in back, garage attached to home

4. Entertainment/Recreation

Do you like to walk to shops, theatres, etc. or are you a "hop in the car" type of person? Do you want to be within biking distance of a nice park (e.g., High Park, Sunnybrook/Wilkets Creek)

5. Access to Highways

If you think you will be heading to Illinois a lot, you might value being close to Highway 401 (our main east/west highway) or 407 (faster east/west, further north but tolls apply) or in neighbourhoods that would get you to the 401/407 without too much fuss

* * *

It's probably also worth mentioning that, while the Toronto real estate market has been very strong the past 12 months (in contrast to many American markets), many believe that we are sitting on a housing bubble in the GTA. So, if you are thinking about buying a house that you will definitely be in the market to resell in 5 years, you'll want to make sure as part of your diligence that you look at how fast the prices have been runnning up in your desired neighbourhood in the past 12 months to assess your risk tolerence for a major "correction" (i.e., drop) to the prices of homes in that neighbourhood after you have completed your purchase.

BTW, assuming your family will become resident in Canada for tax purposes, you will be paying Canadian income taxes just like the rest of us on all your worldwide income. I presume you will have to file a U.S. tax return but I would think that you will get a credit for Canadian taxes paid that will reduce or eliminate your U.S. tax liability. A couple of quick things you should know about our tax system -- (i) husbands and wives are treated as separate individuals and do not file a consolidated return, and (ii) interest on a mortgage used to buy a personal residence is not deductible.

Good luck.

I'm sure it will be a great experience.

 

[Nahanni]

Not sure if it was just me but I could not access MECH8T7 link to school rankings so I am reposting: http://ontario.compareschoolrankings.org/elementary/SchoolsByArea.aspx
Aside from overall test score results, they also post average income of families at the school (The top two Bayview Glen and Denlow are about $150,000 but #3 Seneca Hill is $52,000. Make your own assessment that either the educators are dedicated or the student/family population is very education oriented).

I'm sure you have discovered www.mls.ca for house listings (covers 99% of houses available) but my suburban choices in the N01 region I am familar with are (all have community centre, library (reopen March 2011), aquatics, sports, medical, dental and supermarket within 10 mintues, 45-60 rush hour drive to downtown, and moderate access to transit):

1) Bayview Glen (NE corner Bayview ave & Steeles Ave) - Still some value in the older homes, however, newer homes are $1MM+. Pros: Bayview Glen elementary school. Cons: Freight trains run behind the supermarket nightly-does not disturb most people.

2) German Mills (NW corner Don Mills Rd & Steeles Ave) - Quiet, established neigbourhood with lots of trees. Houses on 50x120 lots are in the $600,000 -800,000 range. Public and Catholic (latter likely to be rebuilt in 2011) school are located next to each other in large park area with natural walking areas, tennis courts and splash pad. Pros: Slightly better north-south (i.e. to work) access on Don Mills Rd than Bayview Ave.

3) Bayview Fairways (behind Bayview Golf & CC but access from John St) - Quiet (one road in/out of entire neighbourhood), established and well treed. Houses in the $550,00 - $750,000 range. Public School is within walking distance.

Other people will love their neighbourhoods as well so it's like which WDW resort to choose.

Feel free to keep throwing information at us and we'll try to give an open opinion.

 

[glendalais]

Does everyone speak English or is French also widely spoken?

As mentioned before, English is the lingua franca in Toronto and surrounding areas. Outside of personal interest, you don't need to learn French.

Weather as in summer and winter

The Greater Toronto Area experiences temperatures that average around 26.4°C (80°F) in the summer and -7.3°C (19°F) in the winter.

Can anyone recommend some areas to look for housing? Would you live in Toronto or would it be better to live in a suburb of Toronto? We currently live in a suburb outside Chicago, I really don't like to be in the hustle and bustle of the city

Downtown Toronto is among Canada's most expensive areas to live. Definitely look at the suburbs. However, do watch that you don't end up with a multi-hour commute.

Schools

There are four Government-funded school boards that serve the Greater Toronto Area:

• Toronto District School Board (English-language, Public)
• Toronto Catholic District School Board (English-language, Roman Catholic)
• Conseil scolaire de district du Centre-Sud-Ouest (French-language, Public)
• Conseil scolaire de district catholique Centre-Sud (French-language, Roman Catholic)

You would generally enrol your children in TDSB schools, unless you desire a religious, Roman Catholic education and/or if you are Francophone or otherwise want your children educated in French.

How does an American handle health care? I think you all pay higher taxes and then your medical is paid, do you know how that would be for an American? This job is a 5 year job...

You can read more on the Ontario Health Insurance Plan, the insurance plan available to all residents of the Province of Ontario, on the website of the Ontario Ministry of Health:

http://www.health.gov.on.ca/en/public/programs/ohip/

Note that the Government Health Care Plans in Canada don't generally cover some things like optometry or dental work. You would need to obtain third-party insurance on your own or through work to cover those things.

DO you like it there, please tell all pros and cons

Having grown up in Montreal, I can't believe I'm saying this, but Toronto isn't all that bad. I've never lived there, but I've always enjoyed visiting.

 

[gilsan]

...it should probably be clarified for OP that, while Sunnybrook & Women's College are now the same organization, Sunnybrook Hospital is in a totally different location (mid-town). York Mills and Leslie is very close to Sunnybrook, its quite a long way from Women's College Hospital.

(Having said that, York Mills/Leslie is a great neighbourhood...but we live in that area too...To get downtown by public transit, it would be one bus (to go two major intersections) and then transfer to subway down to Women's College)

I agree, but with public transit the trip to Women's was not much longer than to Sunnybrook. It was one bus to subway, ride downtown, and then I would walk from the station to Women's. Sunnybrook it was two buses and it seemed to take forever. By car the Sunnybrook Campus was 10-20minutes depending on traffic vs 45-60 minutes to get down to Women's.