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Hello Acajack and thank you for your answers thus far
I live in the Netherlands, about an hour south of Amsterdam.
It is lovely here but the weather can be very gloomy, today was raining all day for example, and last weekend it was rain and pretty strong winds.
I feel a bit needy for some sunnier weather.
In terms of total sunshine hours Ottawa is as sunny or sunnier than pretty much anywhere in western Europe north of Milan.
The average is about 2100 hours per year. In Amsterdam the average is 1600.
In South American terms Ottawa is about as sunny as Rio de Janeiro so that's not bad.
Ottawa is about the same latitude as Milan and so when the sun is out it's about the same strength as it is in the south of France, for example. The days are also longer here than in Benelux or the UK due to the latitude. The sun sets later and rises a bit earlier even in the middle of winter.
Right now we are entering one of the rainiest, cloudiest parts of the year. Today it is foggy, cloudy and drizzling and about 15C though very humid so it feels warmer than that.
Tomorrow will be sun and clouds with maybe some raindrops.
Then two days totally sunny, and then some sun and clouds.
This will be the pattern for a little while until we get into December where it will be more the winter pattern, which tends to be a cloudy day or two with some snow falling, then several colder days (sometimes much colder, especially in Jan. and Feb.) usually with very bright sunshine. With the bright sun on the snow it can sometimes be a bit blinding.
March and April are transitional months so a bit more clouds and also rain which can be messy until the snow has all melted. (November and March are my least favourite months here.)
Sometimes the later part of April can have summer-like days, and then most of May is summerlike. Definitely "warm spring" days at a minimum.
During the summer months days where it rains the entire day are extremely rare. The vast majority of days are either totally sunny without a cloud in the sky or mostly sunny with just a few puffy clouds. Rainfall in the summer usually falls in sudden intense but short outbursts.
Basically it's sunny and hot all day, then towards the end of the afternoon dark clouds move in. This generally leads to a thunderstorm that lasts maybe 15-30 minutes, and is very intense. Then the clouds move out and it gets sunny and warm again for the rest of the evening.
1. Most jobs are with the Canadian government, which I cannot do, however how is the job market outside of that government sector?
Very limited and reserved for Canadians. Controlling Canada is the main sector of Ottawa
2. I know the weather is cold, but is it depressing like European weather?
Yes it is and even worse than Europe! You don't get the warm winds form the Azores
3. Is the city a giant suburban sprawl like many US cities?
Yes, it is, Ottawa's population is bolstered up because of its superlarge city limits
4. How is Ottawa Boring?
I do however love coffee shops, artsy places, theater, movies, some shopping here and there, and a nice cozy bar for some drinks with friends. I am big on jazz, salsa dancing, music places, picnics, summer bike rides etc.
Will Ottawa be boring for me?
Yes, it will be ultra boring for you.
The only exciting place I know in this region is Club La Pigalle in Gatineau.
5. Is Canada as obsessed with race, ethnicity, political views, genders, sexuality etc, as the US?
It absolutely is and since Canada is constantly US-Americanized, it is the same.
In Canada there is even a census that forces you to state whether you are minority/black/white.
And depending on what you are, you get bonus, exclusive rights, privilege, must be feeling guilty, etc.
6. I can speak French, it's speaking French and advantage in regards to jobs, making friends etc?
It only is an advantage in the government-state controlled sector & state-owned sector but since you are not in this sector,... French is irrelevant in the private sector in Ottawa
would you recommend living in the suburbs and commuting to work in the city?
It depends what you want.
If you want a larger, newer house with a bigger yard, then it's worth it.
But you have to give up some of the urban lifestyle stuff like walkability to shops and services, etc.
Ottawa's suburbs do usually have some neighbourhood life in the sense that neighbours often socialize with each other, and in a sense you may actually know your neighbours more in the suburbs than you would living in a condo downtown.
The suburbs do have good transit service to downtown to and from work during peak periods, and improving transit service in the off-peak. Generally speaking if you're living in the suburbs, all of your shopping and outings you'll do by car. And you'll use transit to and from work downtown.
Also, outside of peak periods (evenings and weekends) it's not that long to drive from most Ottawa suburbs to downtown if you want to go out for dinner, shop or see a show. It's not like it's a big excursion like it is in other cities, and you're generally in the heart of the city within 15-25 from almost any of the main suburban areas.
One last question. How difficult it is to get a job? (I am aware Ottawa has a lot of govrnment workers but I am not a Canadian so that is no option for me).
I am an educator by profession but I am willing to do something else.
Is it easy to access job opportunities by going to an employment agency? I have heard horror stories regarding Canadian experience, but I do not care about having a career since I will only be there three years.
I guess my question is... It's Canadian experience a real thing? (Basically not hiring foreigners for not having Canadian background in their labor experience)
Does it extend to all areas of jobs, or it is simply when one wants to build a career as a foreigner?
One last question. How difficult it is to get a job? (I am aware Ottawa has a lot of govrnment workers but I am not a Canadian so that is no option for me).
I am an educator by profession but I am willing to do something else.
Is it easy to access job opportunities by going to an employment agency? I have heard horror stories regarding Canadian experience, but I do not care about having a career since I will only be there three years.
I guess my question is... It's Canadian experience a real thing? (Basically not hiring foreigners for not having Canadian background in their labor experience)
Does it extend to all areas of jobs, or it is simply when one wants to build a career as a foreigner?
I think it's probably more of an issue if you want to build a career here.
Like any capital city, Ottawa has a fairly large para-governmental sector (associations, federations, councils, etc.) that are not part of the government but work closely with it or in parallel to it.
These organizations tend to not be as fussy when it comes to Canadian citizenship so this might be a good place to try and find office-type employment. Especially if you speak both English and French. Spanish can also be an asset if the organizations have an international focus.
Ottawa also has a fairly big hi-tech sector - this is a bit of a different area than the above but there are also lots of jobs there. Most are technical obviously but not all of them.
1. Most jobs are with the Canadian government, which I cannot do, however how is the job market outside of that government sector?
I am a Special Ed teacher, I am actually licensed to work in the US as such but I am not sure that will work in Ottawa. but I am open to other jobs that do not entail teaching kids.
2. I know the weather is cold, but is it depressing like European weather?
Right now we live in Europe and although we love it, I HATE THE WEATHER. Let me tell you, European weather is an ATROCITY! It has not stopped raining for the last 12 days, continuous gloom and dark. I want the sun, even if it is -15 degrees out.
3. Is the city a giant suburban sprawl like many US cities?
Can you live in the city and have a proper city with walking areas, public transport feeling and so on, or is it like US cities where what they call city is an enormous suburban sprawl where the only option to move around is to own a car.
4. How is Ottawa Boring?
We are aware it will not be a mega city like Tokyo with tons of things to see and do. I am aware it is more of a mid size city.
But when Canadians say it is boring, boring exactly how?
I do not like big nightclub, party all night type of fun, in fact I rather sleep. So the lack of loud 24/7 Ibiza type nightlife does not affect me. I do however love coffee shops, artsy places, theater, movies, some shopping here and there, and a nice cozy bar for some drinks with friends. I am big on jazz, salsa dancing, music places, picnics, summer bike rides etc.
Will Ottawa be boring for me?
5. Is Canada as obsessed with race, ethnicity, political views, genders, sexuality etc, as the US?
One of the things I love about Europe and South America and that makes me absolutely dislike the US, its the fact that you can navigate through life without having to be labelled as a race, as an ethnicity, as a left winger, as a right winger, as an LGTBQ member etc. In Europe like in South America you are absolutely free to be who you are without having society push a label on you, which is what happens in the US where I feel society cannot live without calling you latino, lgtbq, minority, left winger, cisgender blah blah blah.
6. I can speak French, it's speaking French and advantage in regards to jobs, making friends etc?
1. Most jobs are with the Canadian government, which I cannot do, however how is the job market outside of that government sector?
I am a Special Ed teacher, I am actually licensed to work in the US as such but I am not sure that will work in Ottawa. but I am open to other jobs that do not entail teaching kids.
If you have been working in the US the job market anywhere in Canada will seem very poor to you.
2. I know the weather is cold, but is it depressing like European weather?[/b]
Right now we live in Europe and although we love it, I HATE THE WEATHER. Let me tell you, European weather is an ATROCITY! It has not stopped raining for the last 12 days, continuous gloom and dark. I want the sun, even if it is -15 degrees out.
Ottawa will be like Europe-levels of sunlight but with extreme cold. So yes, it is even more cold and depressing than European weather. If cold is even a question for you, Canada will be a very tough place to live.
3. Is the city a giant suburban sprawl like many US cities?
Can you live in the city and have a proper city with walking areas, public transport feeling and so on, or is it like US cities where what they call city is an enormous suburban sprawl where the only option to move around is to own a car.
Yes it is a suburban sprawl like the US, you'll need to rely on a car to get around.
4. How is Ottawa Boring?
We are aware it will not be a mega city like Tokyo with tons of things to see and do. I am aware it is more of a mid size city.
But when Canadians say it is boring, boring exactly how?
I do not like big nightclub, party all night type of fun, in fact I rather sleep. So the lack of loud 24/7 Ibiza type nightlife does not affect me. I do however love coffee shops, artsy places, theater, movies, some shopping here and there, and a nice cozy bar for some drinks with friends. I am big on jazz, salsa dancing, music places, picnics, summer bike rides etc.
Will Ottawa be boring for me?
Ottawa isn't a cultural hub like a Montreal. It is more or less just a big suburb.
Your best bet is to head to Quebec on the weekends. Montreal is only a 2 hour drive and is probably Canada's best city.
5. Is Canada as obsessed with race, ethnicity, political views, genders, sexuality etc, as the US?[/b]
One of the things I love about Europe and South America and that makes me absolutely dislike the US, its the fact that you can navigate through life without having to be labelled as a race, as an ethnicity, as a left winger, as a right winger, as an LGTBQ member etc. In Europe like in South America you are absolutely free to be who you are without having society push a label on you, which is what happens in the US where I feel society cannot live without calling you latino, lgtbq, minority, left winger, cisgender blah blah blah.
Yes Canadians are even more obsessed with gender and equally obsessed with race.
If you don't like the culture of identity in the US, Canada is going to be at best more of the same.
6. I can speak French, it's speaking French and advantage in regards to jobs, making friends etc?
Speaking French will help with employment. In day to day life the French and English speaking parts of the population generally keep separate from one another.
Speaking French will help with employment. In day to day life the French and English speaking parts of the population generally keep separate from one another.
I have known francophones who work in central Ottawa to cross over to Gatineau for lunch (especially if they're a group), or anglophones who work in central Gatineau to do the same. (Though it's not a seamless thing - you'll also hear lots of English in Gatineau restaurants at lunch time, and lots of French in Ottawa restaurants too.)
Ottawa will be like Europe-levels of sunlight but with extreme cold. So yes, it is even more cold and depressing than European weather. If cold is even a question for you, Canada will be a very tough place to live.
.
As I pointed out before, Ottawa does have quite a bit more sunshine hours than the Netherlands and the sun tends to be stronger due to the latitude being 45N.
Generally speaking people from the Benelux, UK and northern France don't really complain much at all about the weather here. Many prefer it to where they used to live.
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