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.
If a fear of the unknown outweighs your sense of anticipation of what
lies ahead, don’t worry, you are not alone. Few immigrants are really
up to speed with the ground realities of starting life in Canada. While
most people come to the country with a broad picture of what to expect,
it’s the small details that make their early months more trying than it
should be.
In this article, we will look at every detail with regard to starting
out in Canada, point out the most common stumbling blocks, and how to
overcome them.
Finding a place to live
Wherever you choose to move - big cities like Toronto, Montreal,
Vancouver or Calgary, or smaller suburbs - it is important that you
make initial accommodation arrangements before
you fly to Canada.
While it isn’t impossible to find a hotel room after
your arrival, finding something that fits your budget is an entirely
different matter.
If you have family or friends willing to put you up for the first
couple of weeks or more, consider yourself lucky. If not, tap your
contacts in Canada to try and arrange an apartment or room on rent for
a month or so. This of course assumes that you do have some
acquaintance in the country. Many homeowners in Canada let out basement
apartments, and if you can book one of these ahead of your arrival, it
will ease the pressure on you to find suitably priced accommodation
soon after your land.
What if you don’t know a soul in Canada? All is not lost, though you
should be prepared for a rather more expensive start to life in your
newly-adopted country. Your best bet is to check out Internet listings
of budget hotels or motels in the city you plan to move to. If you are
single, you might even want to consider the YMCA or YWCA. Some good
sites to get you started:
Relocatecanada.com
ASE Network
Rent Canada
Vancouver hostels
Canadian Apartments for Rent On Line
You can usually make a booking either online or via e-mail, though you
can just use the phone if you prefer. Be prepared to spend between C$50
and C$100 a night for modest hotel accommodation. It is difficult, but
not impossible, to find rooms available for less than that.
Whatever you pick, don’t reserve the room for more than three nights,
you are better off leafing through the Yellow Pages after you arrive to
search for rental apartments.
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