Home  Starting Out in Canada
Starting Out in Canada 
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Starting Out in Canada |
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Your first months in Canada will doubtless provide some of your most
interesting memories for years to come. Prepare for something of a
roller-coaster ride, especially emotionally, as you experience the
highs and lows of starting life in a new country. |
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The Canadian way of life |
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Beyond the main concerns about finding a job and getting started in
Canada, one of the major fears for newcomers to the country is one
about assimilation. This is especially true for immigrants coming from
non-Western cultures who wonder what everyday life is like in Canada,
and if they will be able to fit in.
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How to manage when money is tight |
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By Deirdre Levinson » Your early days (or weeks and months) in
Canada can be extremely trying from a financial perspective. It is even
more so if your rainy day cash reserves are low and you either haven't
found a job or are working for really low wages.
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Who gets the child if you break up? |
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By Jonathan Brown » Like it
or not, sometimes relationships fail. So what happens to the children
of parents who become estranged and decide to live apart? What does the
law in Canada say about child custody? |
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Bank won't open an account? Fight it |
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By Archie D'Cruz » Among the many major hurdles many new immigrants
to Canada face when they first land is that banks very often will
refuse to let them set up an account.
It is hugely frustrating, because having a personal savings account is
essential for a couple of reasons that may not be immediately obvious.
For one, the minimum funds you must show as having been brought into
Canada have to be placed in your name in a financial institution within
a month of your arrival. (Yes, your funds are tracked).
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Loonie tunes: Dollar slang explained |
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By Ethan Caleb » There are many expressions that are uniquely
Canadian (see So you'd like to speak Canadian, eh?),
but one that you will likely run into very soon and very often is
"loonie". As anyone who has been in Canada for even the briefest time
will tell you, loonie is slang for the Canadian dollar.
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How to improve your credit score |
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By Ryan Seaman » If you
are a newly landed immigrant born anywhere except the United States,
you will quickly discover that your past credit history counts for
nothing in Canada. That automatically makes getting everything from a
credit card to an auto loan to a mortgage that much more difficult.
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Crime in Canada: Just how safe is it? |
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By Ethan Caleb » A highly-publicized spate of murders in and around
Toronto over the last year or so may have many prospective immigrants
wondering just how safe Canada is.
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Pay your taxes without leaving home |
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As a newcomer to Canada, you are probably aware that you must file your
income tax return each year, whether or not you are liable to pay tax.
What you might not know is that it is easy for you to prepare and file
your return without ever leaving the comfort of your home.
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The truth about racism in Canada |
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By Paul Beddows » Most large Canadian cities have a wide variety of
racial and cultural groups. This is much more noticeable than in most
American cities. In fact, in major cities like Toronto and Vancouver, a
higher proportion of the population was born outside of the
country, than is the case in New York, generally considered the most
multicultural city in North America. |
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Tips for staying warm in winter |
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By Logan Rokwild » Ah, snow! Winter is a magical time of year in
Canada, but for newcomers for whom this may be their first taste of
sub-zero temperatures, some tips on how to dress warm may be in order.
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So you'd like to speak Canadian, eh! |
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Most newcomers to Canada are at least moderately fluent in English. But
speaking English like a Canadian? That is a totally different matter. |
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Canadians use that word a lot, eh? |
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If there is one word in
the English language that is considered quintessentially Canadian, it
is 'eh'. People in Canada tend to use it to express everything from a
simple statement ("It's 5 o'clock, eh, I'd better get going") to
amazement ("That's some feat, eh!") to anger (a simple "Eh?" delivered
in disapproving tones).
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Understanding GST, Canada's hated tax |
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The Conservative Party's first major 2006 election promise, a reduction
in the Goods and Services Tax (GST), has brought the much-hated tax
back in the spotlight.
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Will your kids' kids be truly 'Canadian'? |
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By Joe DeClara » Canada is very open when it comes to allowing foreign peoples across its borders. We have a vast amount of people living here who were not born here, and I think it's great.
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Muslims meet their match in Canada |
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By Ayesha Ansari » Call it
match-making for Muslims, Canadian-style. Muslim singles finding it
hard to find a life partner through traditionally accepted methods of
family introductions are increasingly turning to a Toronto match-making
service geared to the sensitivities of the community.
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Never give up - persistence pays! |
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By Aislinn O'Connor » It is a story that is sadly repeated often: Immigrant arrives in Canada with big dreams, finds it tough going, returns to home country. Yet persistence often means success, even in the face of what can look like failure. You never know how close you are to making it in Canada, and your dreams might be much closer than you think.
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10 tips to save on heating bills |
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By Robert Benjamin » Here's a statistic that should jolt you, if you don't know about it already: Canada's already high home heating bills are expected to rise by 50 per cent this winter. |
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How to be a smart consumer |
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Shopping for stuff is, for the most part, an enjoyable experience in
Canada. Prices are usually as marked (so you almost never have to
haggle), and most stores have a generous return/exchange policy.
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Move over, Wiarton Willie! |
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On February 2 each year, millions of Canadians hang their hopes of an
early spring on the predictions of a furry little rodent. But while
Groundhog Day - immortalized by the Bill Murray film of the same name - gets all
the attention, researchers at the University of Northern British
Columbia (UNBC) are busy unearthing the keys to a more reliable system
of predicting the seasons.
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Choosing a cell phone provider |
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By Barry Nagassar » Wherever in Canada you’re located, the likelihood
of having a choice among several cellular (mobile phone) service
providers for your wireless needs is high. Major cities usually have a
choice between three and five service providers. This makes for some
confusing yet interesting options for consumers. |
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Why you need a credit card |
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Many new immigrants to Canada come from countries where cash is king,
and the use of credit cards is limited. This is especially true of
people who pride themselves on living within their income, and who
might consider card use akin to heading down the Valley of Debt. Well, welcome to Canada, where not having a credit card can be very damaging to your financial health.
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