| An unwritten agreement between Englishman John and his wife was one of the reasons that found them settling in Canada, where they have been living for several years now. There are things from the UK that he misses, but there are many other things he enjoys about living in the city of Toronto. This college professor talks about some of them, and other aspects of his life there. |
 John |
-Where were you born?
Barnsley, South Yorkshire, UK
-In which country and city are you living now?
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
-Are you living alone or with your family?
I live with my wife and our two sons. My wife is Canadian and was born to British parents. Our eldest son was born in Canada back in 1993 when we were in Canada for six months. Our youngest was born in Scarborough, England, in 1999, a few months before we moved to Canada on a more long-term basis.
-How long have you been living in Canada?
Around seven years
-What is your age?
I turned 40 earlier this year.
-When did you come up with the idea of living in Canada?
My wife and I had an unwritten pre-nup that we would spend part of our lives in each of our respective countries. After several years in the UK, a career crossroads seemed the ideal time to move west. After seven years in Canada, we’re about even now!
-Was it hard to get a visa or a working permit?
No. It was just a case of going through the Permanent Resident application procedure.
-Was it difficult for you to get medical insurance before you went there or when you first arrived?
No, it was very straightforward. Just turned up at the government office and presented the necessary papers – very efficient.
-How do you make your living in Canada? Do you have any type of income generated?
I work as a college professor with sidelines as a writer, book reviewer, and conference presenter. For the first six months in Canada, I worked on renovating our house. Getting work was fairly straightforward: I sent out a mass mailing of my CV and got a temporary post at a postsecondary college in the public sector. I got a permanent post at the same place about a year later. I’m lucky in that my skills and qualifications are recognised internationally.
-Do you speak the local language and do you think it's important to speak the local language?
Well, I speak English, but that isn’t quite the same as speaking the local language! See this blog posting, Breaking the Sound Barrier, for more details on that. English is the predominant language in Ontario of course. I also speak pretty good French, so I can communicate well in Quebec as well.
-Do you miss home and family sometimes?
Home and family – yes I miss them. I usually visit the UK at least once a year, and my family comes to Canada annually.
Things I miss most include hiking, live soccer, the British sense of humour, newspapers, BBC Radio 4 and 5, decent cheese, proximity to Europe, access to the countryside, and the coast. Most of these are available in a restricted form in Canada. For example, there are obviously hiking trails in southern Ontario, but nowhere has the accessible network of public footpaths that the UK enjoys. There is live soccer in the summer months, but it isn’t the same as watching the team I grew up watching for thirty years or so.
-Do you have other plans for the future?
Well, I have a sabbatical coming up in the near future, so I have a few travel plans related to that. Our youngest son is in a French immersion school, so we’d like to spend some time in France. We also plan to travel more extensively in Canada, especially Quebec.
-What about housing, have you bought, or are you renting a home? How much do you pay for it?
We bought a house as soon as we arrived in Canada. After four years, we moved a few kilometres away into a really nice community. In this area, an older three-bedroomed detached house would now cost upwards of $500,000 with houses closer to the lake fetching between 1 and 2 million dollars.
-What is the cost of living in Canada?
Some things are cheaper than in the UK: housing, cars, petrol, electronics, etc. Others are more expensive: public transport, domestic airfares, alcohol, books, banking fees, etc. Food and clothing, which used to be cheaper here, are now much closer in price.
-What do you think about the Canadians?
Well, around 50% of the people in the Greater Toronto Area were born outside Canada, so foreigners are fairly common. Of course, many Canadians have immigrant ancestors not too many generations back. On the whole, foreigners are well-treated.
-What are the positive and negative aspects of living in Canada?
Positives:
Tolerance is built into the political system
French or English education option
Seasons
Lots of friendly, open people.
Negatives:
Some people are very, very easily offended
Driving in the Greater Toronto Area
Cost of air/rail travel within Canada
Public transportation
-Do you have any tips for our readers about living in Canada?
Learn to love all the seasons.
Buy spare hat and gloves.
-Do you have any favorite Web sites or blogs about Canada?
My blog, Wapentake, which has several themes, including Canada Life can be found at:
I also read:
Correr Es Mi Destino, by a French expat living in Ottawa
Prairie Road, by an American couple living in Saskatchewan
