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I am quite familiar with Australia, and the differences between regions in Canada are even greater.
The difference between the Australian states is pretty much non-existent. But the country has a good mixture of people within the cities themselves. So has Canada I assume. But the question is how life differ between living in a major Australian city and living in a major Canadian city. Same but different weather or does something else differ as well?
I'm also curious about the difference between Calgary (that I’m somewhat familiar with) and Ottawa, what would the major differences be? I’m looking for a place that is walkable and historic/historical architecture, and while I’ve heard that Montreal and Quebec City are in a league of their own, I’ve also read a little about Kingston Ontario. Do you know anything about that city? Or if any city/larger town in English-speaking Canada would be more historic than Ottawa? Any certain neighbourhood or part of Ottawa that is more historical?
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Originally Posted by Acajack
A monthly unlimited pass in Ottawa is about 115 Canadian dollars. Single trips to anywhere the city are 3-4 dollars I think. There are no fare zones. Ottawa's system covers about half the population of Perth's but has 100 million annual passengers vs. 135 million for Perth. So Ottawa's system gets more use which likely means it has somewhat better coverage.
Ottawa's system is probably less extensive than Goteborg's though.
Most people still have cars in Ottawa as it is more practical for grocery shopping, kids' activities, etc.
It is a ok price. How walkable is Ottawa? Can you do okay without a car if you live fairly central?
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Originally Posted by Acajack
No, Canada has not had cases like in Sweden where people have hidden sexual assaults because of the origin of the people responsible.
But Canada's government has told its employees to stop using gender specific terms like "sir" (or Monsieur, Madame) when addressing citizens.
It's also maybe the country that's most open to the return of its citizens who fought for ISIS (and their families) to give them a "second chance".
You also occasionally have cases like these in Canada, where the killer of a little girl was transferred to a low-security place with no fences in order that she could "heal" - because the killer had a difficult childhood. (See section "Aftermath at the end of the article.) In my opinion, the decision-making on stuff like this and the government's initial response to the issue is not always acceptable.
Yes so that is what I'm talking about. I really cannot understand why anyone would wants that kind of politics...
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Originally Posted by Acajack
2 weeks is the legal minimum but most everyone in professional jobs gets more than that. At least 3 or maybe 4 weeks to start and then rising to 5-6-7 or more after that. In my opinion it's still not as good as in most of Europe. But it's not like the U.S. or Japan.
A lot of offices close between Christmas and New Year's too, so that's kind of a "bonus" week there. Though the government does not generally do this here.
Anything above 4 weeks is very good really. If you can get that then that is fine. How does it work if you get sick?
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Originally Posted by Acajack
Here is an idea of prices in the central-most part of the city:
Thank you, very informative! But it does not seem to differ that much regardless of the proximity to the city? Just the city of the house/apartment? And also, on most of them it does not even say how large the property is (like in square meters)? What is a normal rental price per month for an small apartment with a central location? Do you pay rent monthly or weekly? Is it common with furnished rentals?
Quote:
Originally Posted by Acajack
It depends where you live as social programs are generally run by the provinces and what is offered can vary greatly.
Quebec where I live tends to have the most generous programs and the closest you get to Scandinavian-style services. (We also have higher taxes but that's another story.) We have subsidized fairly cheap child care and enhanced parental leave payments for both parents.
Ontario where Ottawa is located is a bit different. The only subsidized child care is for the very poorest. For the rest of the people it's probably between 40 and 75 CAD per day. It is tax deductible so you get about 25% back.
Maternity and parental leave pay is 55% of your salary for one year up to a certain maximum. It's better than nothing but not even close to what a professional's salary would be. Note that some of the better employers offer "top ups" to cover more than what the government program offers. So you may get up to anywhere between 75% and 95% of your salary as a result.
So, if day-care is expensive and you only get around 50 % for only a year, how do parents do? One stays at home?
Quote:
Originally Posted by Acajack
A beer in a bar in Ottawa is between 5-8 CAD, and a movie ticket is about 12 CAD.
You can find higher and lower than that of course but generally speaking that is the range.
Thanks, very informative. So, it’s decent prices then. But it all comes down to prices vs salaries. So salaries in Australia are good, but prices are high. If your salaries are as good, but with lower prices, then that is of course better.
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Originally Posted by Acajack
There are bugs of course as it's very warm but in the city itself it's really not that bad. You see more wasps than anything else as opposed to mosquitoes. But not too many wasps either - they're mostly around garbage cans, etc. I live in a suburban area about 10 km north of central Ottawa and even here it's OK for bugs.
Just thinking too there is a difference between the daytime and after dark. In the daytime in the city and suburbs and even in any campgrounds or parks within 30-60 minutes from the city you're fine.
After dark in wooded areas and near water the mosquitoes start to come out a bit, depending on the time of year. Usually the noticeable mosquito season is just a few weeks in late May or early June. And you notice them after dark as I said. But not so much in the city itself.
I have a backyard pool and we swim after dark all the time and it's only very occasionally and only at specific times of the year that mosquitoes bother us. Never during the day.
Also campground, park, cottaging and lake areas to the north of Ottawa (Gatineau Hills) don't generally have "deep woods" insects like black flies, etc. that you find when you go further north in Ontario and Quebec.
All right, but I guess one has to experience a summer before before I can know for sure. At what time does it get dark? Like here in Perth it gets dark around 7 PM, and after that you simply cannot walk outdoors.
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Originally Posted by Natnasci
Two weeks is the federal minimum. As you probably know, each province can add to that.
"In British Columbia, Manitoba, Quebec, Nunavut, and the Northwest Territories, you have to give your employees three weeks paid vacation after their fifth year. "
However you're right, most good jobs offer more. I had 6 weeks, plus 2 more weeks classified as paid time off, not holiday time off, so in effect, 8 weeks paid off per year.
My partner gets 6 weeks paid time off, after 15 years.
My feeling though, is that most businesses are getting stingier in granting that much time.
6 weeks is very good. How is the job market doing right now? Would it be fairly easy to find a job?
I have a Science degree in environmental Science, but I have yet to work within that field. Would Ottawa be a good choice for that kind of work? Is it easy to find simple jobs to start with (like cashier or such)?
I'm also curious about the difference between Calgary (that I’m somewhat familiar with) and Ottawa, what would the major differences be? I’m looking for a place that is walkable and historic/historical architecture, and while I’ve heard that Montreal and Quebec City are in a league of their own, I’ve also read a little about Kingston Ontario. Do you know anything about that city? Or if any city/larger town in English-speaking Canada would be more historic than Ottawa? Any certain neighbourhood or part of Ottawa that is more historical?
Maybe Halifax. But it's less than half the size of Ottawa, so there is less to do there. The transit system is also not as good as Ottawa's.
Kingston is pretty similar to Ottawa in terms of historic feel. But it's five times smaller.
Look up pictures of Ottawa with key words like Byward Market, Wellington Street, Parliament, Westboro, Rideau Canal, Château Laurier, the Glebe, etc. You'll see it's quite a bit older than Calgary and that it has more character.
Thank you, very informative! But it does not seem to differ that much regardless of the proximity to the city? Just the city of the house/apartment? And also, on most of them it does not even say how large the property is (like in square meters)? What is a normal rental price per month for an small apartment with a central location? Do you pay rent monthly or weekly? Is it common with furnished rentals?
Probably about 1200 CAD per month. More if furnished.
6 weeks is very good. How is the job market doing right now? Would it be fairly easy to find a job?
I have a Science degree in environmental Science, but I have yet to work within that field. Would Ottawa be a good choice for that kind of work? Is it easy to find simple jobs to start with (like cashier or such)?
Many of the professional jobs in Ottawa are government jobs, so reserved for citizens. But there are also lots of non-government jobs. Unemployment is below 5% I think.
Thanks, very informative. So, it’s decent prices then. But it all comes down to prices vs salaries. So salaries in Australia are good, but prices are high. If your salaries are as good, but with lower prices, then that is of course better.
People make slightly less money in Canada (very slightly - not a huge difference) but overall a lot of stuff is cheaper so it's probably equal or maybe a bit to our advantage.
So, if day-care is expensive and you only get around 50 % for only a year, how do parents do? One stays at home?
Both parents generally work when their kids are in daycare as even with the high costs you still end up with more money in the end.
When it comes to the first year of a child's life usually only one parents stays at home. The other works. Sometimes they split up the time: mom takes 6 months and daddy takes 6. Or mom take 8 and daddy takes 4.
All right, but I guess one has to experience a summer before before I can know for sure. At what time does it get dark? Like here in Perth it gets dark around 7 PM, and after that you simply cannot walk outdoors.
In the summer months in Ottawa it gets dark between 9 and 10 pm. I've never experienced any issues at all with bugs in the heart of the city after dark in the summer.
Right now we are having the shortest days of the year. It gets light around 7:30 am and it gets dark around 4:30 pm these days.
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