Canada or Ireland

Thespoofer

This is aimed at ye guys already after moving to Canada and are settled. In comparison to Ireland and 'quality of life ' which do ye think fairs better, hand on heart and honest replies please.
I have work here and can save money I just want to know what I'm missing and my young family if anything. I look at the people going to the expos and in a way I am slightly jealous/curious at the new start they are creating for themselves. Its because of all the bolloxology going on here in Ireland has me thinking.

What do ye think guys/gals if given a choice which has more to offer ?

MidlandsM

Thespoofer wrote: »

This is aimed at ye guys already after moving to Canada and are settled. In comparison to Ireland and 'quality of life ' which do ye think fairs better, hand on heart and honest replies please.
I have work here and can save money I just want to know what I'm missing and my young family if anything. I look at the people going to the expos and in a way I am slightly jealous/curious at the new start they are creating for themselves. Its because of all the bolloxology going on here in Ireland has me thinking.

What do ye think guys/gals if given a choice which has more to offer ?

its a good question and I've been having the very same thoughts for a long time.

I was watching the telly the other day and there was a women on from the city of calgary and they're actively encouraging/looking for people to move out and kept mentioning the low tax rates they have? what exactly is the tax rate there?

Thespoofer

Don't know. I'd like to know though is it possible for a guy with a good strong back and work ethic to go and make a ball of cash and offer his family a ' higher quality of life ' whatever that means but I'd like people to put that into words and examples etc.

MidlandsM

me too.......calgary does look good, but it gets cold in the winter there......I looked closely at it before.....

FireFoxglove

I've never lived in Calgary or any part of Alberta really. Born and raised in Ontario and now I live in BC.

But if you are looking to make a load of money, Alberta is the place to go. If you can get on the oil patches or a camp job, they pay really well. But it is long hours. About 12hrs a day, I think you work 3 weeks straight and then get 8 days off. Or something to that effect. If you get your Occupational Level 3, you can get on as a first aid attendant. A lot of companies are looking for people with their first aid. If you get your Level 3 and then your EMR license, there is nothing you cannot do over there.

I don't know what their tax rate is, we have HST in BC which is 12%.

Their winters are brutal. Worse than Ottawa, and when I lived there we would get -40 with wind chill. They also get loads of snow and ice. Which I imagine is a good reason why they pay so well, need to keep people in the province, haha.

retalivity

ive been in ontario for 18+ months now, and to be honest id move back tomorrow if i could.
Have a good job, and am earning great money, but it is so incredibly boring. Im in a city of 35000 but there really is bugger all to do or people to do it with. I've found the majority of canadians incredibly dull. suppose though, the upside is i'm actually saving loads!

That said, ive loved toronto every time i've been there. Just a pity its so expensive.

Re albertra tax rate, i think its 5%

bstar

We're in Edmonton. Coldest been out in is around -49 with the windchill. Its manageable and you quickly adjust to the cold and snow from Anytime now until April/May. Depending on what you do you can make a lot of money.

We don't make loads more money here than home but I would say we have a better quality of life here. The healthcare is great, (had my daughter here early this year so have experienced drs, hospitals etc) Education seems to be good from what I've seen so far.

There are plenty of activities here for the kids, they can do soccer and irish dancing same as home, or hockey and ice skating etc.

The sales tax here is 5% which is the lowest in Canada.
http://www.cra-arc.gc.ca/tx/ndvdls/tpcs/ncm-tx/rtrn/cmpltng/prvncl/menu-eng.html The income tax here is 10%. That link has the rates for all the different provinces.

If you are happy at home with the family and not needing to move for work. Think about what you are moving for. We didn't move out of necessity but because we wanted to and we love it here. But we know alot of people with kids who miss the family support that they would have at home. If we go out we have to pay a stranger to babysit etc not family. Although most places we go are very family friendly and accommodate children.

V8_man

Well my mrs. was offered more or less the same money to work in Ireland as in Canada, and once we sat down with a calculator and some online information on property prices and taxation the numbers just made the decision for us. It might sound cynical but it makes a change to actually see a return for your taxes, particular when it's a lot less than we'd pay in Ireland anyway and the quality of life - for us - is higher than in Ireland because we have better access to things we like to do. That said it really depends on how you like to live...

In BC the weather is mild and strangely reminiscent of home.

At this stage (age 35, no kids, two dogs) I wouldn't dream of coming back to Ireland anytime soon.

simongurnick

retalivity wrote: »

ive been in ontario for 18+ months now, and to be honest id move back tomorrow if i could.
Have a good job, and am earning great money, but it is so incredibly boring. Im in a city of 35000 but there really is bugger all to do or people to do it with. I've found the majority of canadians incredibly dull. suppose though, the upside is i'm actually saving loads!

That said, ive loved toronto every time i've been there. Just a pity its so expensive.

Re albertra tax rate, i think its 5%

You're in London? I've been here 5 years now, and yes it is ****ing boring. I'd move back home in a flash.
There are some great places in Canada but everything is so spread out it's hard to travel around the country, and transport is expensive due to the fact that most Canucks think nothing of driving a couple of days to get somewhere.

retalivity

simongurnick wrote: »

You're in London? I've been here 5 years now, and yes it is ****ing boring. I'd move back home in a flash.
There are some great places in Canada but everything is so spread out it's hard to travel around the country, and transport is expensive due to the fact that most Canucks think nothing of driving a couple of days to get somewhere.

I am in indeed...for a city the size of cork & with a university and large college, its got the nightlife of ballybackarse of nowhere.

JuliaAbbott

I moved to Calgary in April, with my husband and teenage son. We were here briefly in January, but haven't experienced winter yet, though by all accounts it isn't as harsh as it is up in Edmonton, or in eastern cities like Toronto. A warm chinook wind blows in from the Rockies and heats things up a bit every now and then so the cold is not as severe as it otherwise would be.
Though it was really hard to leave Ireland, we are really loving it here and hope we don't have to go back. We already have a much better lifestyle, and find there is a lot more to do. We've only been a couple of hours drive out of Calgary, and the countryside we've seen is so beautiful - we've been hiking in the Rockies, which is an hour away from Calgary, and such a wonderful place to have on your doorstep. We're looking forward to skiing in the winter also.
We find it a bit cheaper to live here overall. Salaries are better than we'd have had in Ireland even in boom times. Cars and petrol are cheaper but insurance is way more expensive. I've already been to the GP several times, it's all free. Food is more or less the same, though there is lots more choice, wider variety of foods available, particularly healthy stuff. There are larger supermarkets here, and lots of opportunity to buy in bulk, so if you havd a family with at least two kids, I'd say it would work out a lot cheaper to feed them than in Ireland. Flights from and within Canada are very expensive, but I think the government are going to do something about that soon.
We live in a two bed apartment downtown, 7 yrs old, ensuite and main bathroom, unfurnished which is the norm. Building has a gym which is pretty standard and saves us from having to join one, though our office building has one also which is free for staff. Rent for the apartment (condo) is $1900 per month, which includes water, heating, refuse, a storage locker in the basement, and space in the underground car park, which is heated in the winter. Some people rent a parking spot downtown for $300 per month, just to get to work.
We feel so lucky to be here. It may get colder here than in Ireland, but we were really depressed in Ireland and so worried for the future, and here we can see a future, it's given us a new lease of life really. Also, it's only cooling down now, but the last five months we've been here, we've had amazing weather, while it's been raining non stop in Ireland!
I've seen before on boards, people say Calgary is really boring, and I'll say that if you're in your twenties, and want a place with a buzzing nightlife - if that is high on your list of requirements, I don't think Calgary is for you. However, if if it's more important for you to live in a place that's affordable and where employment is good, and also where the pay is better than in the bigger cities, then Calgary is a good choice. I think because it is a smaller city, it's also a really safe city, and a great place to raise children. If you're into outdoor pursuits, the facilities here are fantastic.

MidlandsM

JuliaAbbott wrote: »

I moved to Calgary in April, with my husband and teenage son. We were here briefly in January, but haven't experienced winter yet, though by all accounts it isn't as harsh as it is up in Edmonton, or in eastern cities like Toronto. A warm chinook wind blows in from the Rockies and heats things up a bit every now and then so the cold is not as severe as it otherwise would be.
Though it was really hard to leave Ireland, we are really loving it here and hope we don't have to go back. We already have a much better lifestyle, and find there is a lot more to do. We've only been a couple of hours drive out of Calgary, and the countryside we've seen is so beautiful - we've been hiking in the Rockies, which is an hour away from Calgary, and such a wonderful place to have on your doorstep. We're looking forward to skiing in the winter also.
We find it a bit cheaper to live here overall. Salaries are better than we'd have had in Ireland even in boom times. Cars and petrol are cheaper but insurance is way more expensive. I've already been to the GP several times, it's all free. Food is more or less the same, though there is lots more choice, wider variety of foods available, particularly healthy stuff. There are larger supermarkets here, and lots of opportunity to buy in bulk, so if you havd a family with at least two kids, I'd say it would work out a lot cheaper to feed them than in Ireland. Flights from and within Canada are very expensive, but I think the government are going to do something about that soon.
We live in a two bed apartment downtown, 7 yrs old, ensuite and main bathroom, unfurnished which is the norm. Building has a gym which is pretty standard and saves us from having to join one, though our office building has one also which is free for staff. Rent for the apartment (condo) is $1900 per month, which includes water, heating, refuse, a storage locker in the basement, and space in the underground car park, which is heated in the winter. Some people rent a parking spot downtown for $300 per month, just to get to work.
We feel so lucky to be here. It may get colder here than in Ireland, but we were really depressed in Ireland and so worried for the future, and here we can see a future, it's given us a new lease of life really. Also, it's only cooling down now, but the last five months we've been here, we've had amazing weather, while it's been raining non stop in Ireland!
I've seen before on boards, people say Calgary is really boring, and I'll say that if you're in your twenties, and want a place with a buzzing nightlife - if that is high on your list of requirements, I don't think Calgary is for you. However, if if it's more important for you to live in a place that's affordable and where employment is good, and also where the pay is better than in the bigger cities, then Calgary is a good choice. I think because it is a smaller city, it's also a really safe city, and a great place to raise children. If you're into outdoor pursuits, the facilities here are fantastic.

Thanks for the post julia, a great insight you've shared. ....continued enjoyment to you.

Princess Peach

I love Canada. I'm in St. John's NL, its not a huge city but plenty to do and great nightlife and friendly people. I'm in college here now, and probably won't stay on in St John's afterwards. Love the place but the economy isn't the best and its tough to find jobs in some sectors. And it has the worst weather in Canada by many reports Looking into heading to Halifax next!

One thing I really like here is the quality of healthcare. I pay a very small amount for health insurance (as I am a student) and everything is free, doctor visits, vaccines, prescriptions, basic dental care. And its not only the price, I just feel the level of service here is better, and far less waiting times for any things I have had to get done.

I just like a lot of things about the lifestyle here too. As said above, outdoor pursuits are such a big part of the culture! Almost everyone loves to hike and go berry picking in the autumn, something I never did in Ireland but love here because everyone does it. And cross country skiing and snow shoe in the winter.

I miss Ireland because that's where my home and family is, but as a soon to be graduate, I'm a lot more optimistic about life in Canada for the time being.

sambuka41

This is a great thread, I'll keep following it. I am hoping to move out to Canada next year. I'm looking at Vancouver, mainly because I want to finish my education (not right away,maybe 2014) but I can't afford to do it in Ireland, Canada is cheaper. Plus my career is based, for the most part, within the HSE, so I would be very happy to work in a good healthcare system instead of the shambles that is the Irish system.

Is Vancouver really that expensive to live?

V8_man

sambuka41 wrote: »

This is a great thread, I'll keep following it. I am hoping to move out to Canada next year. I'm looking at Vancouver, mainly because I want to finish my education (not right away,maybe 2014) but I can't afford to do it in Ireland, Canada is cheaper. Plus my career is based, for the most part, within the HSE, so I would be very happy to work in a good healthcare system instead of the shambles that is the Irish system.

Is Vancouver really that expensive to live?

Yes it is. sorry

you might have to forget about buying a place for a while, and rents vary depending on how far from town you want to live. public transport is good and cars are cheap and so is fuel. Groceries run about the same price as Ireland but I haven't visited since early 2011 so I don't know about now. Overall, I would say costs are similar to Dublin except property is a little more expensive to buy or rent.

But if you're in healthcare make sure you aim for Coastal rather than Fraser Health (i.e. east of Vancouver) as it's far less shambolic.

sambuka41

V8_man wrote: »

Yes it is. sorry

you might have to forget about buying a place for a while, and rents vary depending on how far from town you want to live. public transport is good and cars are cheap and so is fuel. Groceries run about the same price as Ireland but I haven't visited since early 2011 so I don't know about now. Overall, I would say costs are similar to Dublin except property is a little more expensive to buy or rent.

But if you're in healthcare make sure you aim for Coastal rather than Fraser Health (i.e. east of Vancouver) as it's far less shambolic.

Thanks for the reply. Yeah I have some friends over there at the moment who are thinking on going to Vancouver but the high rent is what is putting them off, they're in Montreal now.

Good to know about the health side of things too, these are the little things you wouldn't know about just from looking online

FireFoxglove

If you are in the health care industry looking to finish school, Ontario is the place to be. University of Toronto, McGill University and McMaster University are some of the top schools in the country.

dealdish

Well we pick Canada for quality of life over Ireland.We can choose what jobs we want as there are soooooo many openings and wages are double back home.

Jonty

JuliaAbbott wrote: »

I moved to Calgary in April, with my husband and teenage son. We were here briefly in January, but haven't experienced winter yet, though by all accounts it isn't as harsh as it is up in Edmonton, or in eastern cities like Toronto. A warm chinook wind blows in from the Rockies and heats things up a bit every now and then so the cold is not as severe as it otherwise would be.
Though it was really hard to leave Ireland, we are really loving it here and hope we don't have to go back. We already have a much better lifestyle, and find there is a lot more to do. We've only been a couple of hours drive out of Calgary, and the countryside we've seen is so beautiful - we've been hiking in the Rockies, which is an hour away from Calgary, and such a wonderful place to have on your doorstep. We're looking forward to skiing in the winter also.
We find it a bit cheaper to live here overall. Salaries are better than we'd have had in Ireland even in boom times. Cars and petrol are cheaper but insurance is way more expensive. I've already been to the GP several times, it's all free. Food is more or less the same, though there is lots more choice, wider variety of foods available, particularly healthy stuff. There are larger supermarkets here, and lots of opportunity to buy in bulk, so if you havd a family with at least two kids, I'd say it would work out a lot cheaper to feed them than in Ireland. Flights from and within Canada are very expensive, but I think the government are going to do something about that soon.
We live in a two bed apartment downtown, 7 yrs old, ensuite and main bathroom, unfurnished which is the norm. Building has a gym which is pretty standard and saves us from having to join one, though our office building has one also which is free for staff. Rent for the apartment (condo) is $1900 per month, which includes water, heating, refuse, a storage locker in the basement, and space in the underground car park, which is heated in the winter. Some people rent a parking spot downtown for $300 per month, just to get to work.
We feel so lucky to be here. It may get colder here than in Ireland, but we were really depressed in Ireland and so worried for the future, and here we can see a future, it's given us a new lease of life really. Also, it's only cooling down now, but the last five months we've been here, we've had amazing weather, while it's been raining non stop in Ireland!
I've seen before on boards, people say Calgary is really boring, and I'll say that if you're in your twenties, and want a place with a buzzing nightlife - if that is high on your list of requirements, I don't think Calgary is for you. However, if if it's more important for you to live in a place that's affordable and where employment is good, and also where the pay is better than in the bigger cities, then Calgary is a good choice. I think because it is a smaller city, it's also a really safe city, and a great place to raise children. If you're into outdoor pursuits, the facilities here are fantastic.

You hit the nail on the head there

Tragamin2k2

JuliaAbbott wrote: »

I moved to Calgary in April, with my husband and teenage son. We were here briefly in January, but haven't experienced winter yet, though by all accounts it isn't as harsh as it is up in Edmonton, or in eastern cities like Toronto. A warm chinook wind blows in from the Rockies and heats things up a bit every now and then so the cold is not as severe as it otherwise would be.
Though it was really hard to leave Ireland, we are really loving it here and hope we don't have to go back. We already have a much better lifestyle, and find there is a lot more to do. We've only been a couple of hours drive out of Calgary, and the countryside we've seen is so beautiful - we've been hiking in the Rockies, which is an hour away from Calgary, and such a wonderful place to have on your doorstep. We're looking forward to skiing in the winter also.
We find it a bit cheaper to live here overall. Salaries are better than we'd have had in Ireland even in boom times. Cars and petrol are cheaper but insurance is way more expensive. I've already been to the GP several times, it's all free. Food is more or less the same, though there is lots more choice, wider variety of foods available, particularly healthy stuff. There are larger supermarkets here, and lots of opportunity to buy in bulk, so if you havd a family with at least two kids, I'd say it would work out a lot cheaper to feed them than in Ireland. Flights from and within Canada are very expensive, but I think the government are going to do something about that soon.
We live in a two bed apartment downtown, 7 yrs old, ensuite and main bathroom, unfurnished which is the norm. Building has a gym which is pretty standard and saves us from having to join one, though our office building has one also which is free for staff. Rent for the apartment (condo) is $1900 per month, which includes water, heating, refuse, a storage locker in the basement, and space in the underground car park, which is heated in the winter. Some people rent a parking spot downtown for $300 per month, just to get to work.
We feel so lucky to be here. It may get colder here than in Ireland, but we were really depressed in Ireland and so worried for the future, and here we can see a future, it's given us a new lease of life really. Also, it's only cooling down now, but the last five months we've been here, we've had amazing weather, while it's been raining non stop in Ireland!
I've seen before on boards, people say Calgary is really boring, and I'll say that if you're in your twenties, and want a place with a buzzing nightlife - if that is high on your list of requirements, I don't think Calgary is for you. However, if if it's more important for you to live in a place that's affordable and where employment is good, and also where the pay is better than in the bigger cities, then Calgary is a good choice. I think because it is a smaller city, it's also a really safe city, and a great place to raise children. If you're into outdoor pursuits, the facilities here are fantastic.

Im 23 and Ive lived here since may and have had some of the best nights of my life out on the town. Such a variety of clubs. Even in the smaller pubs outside downtown. I meet new interesting people literally every day. If anyone thinks calgary is boring, they is lookin in the wrong places for entertainment.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=URHUBuA9zKc

Thespoofer

Thanks for the replies.

I suppose what I'm afraid of is being ignorant to my situation here in Ireland.
You see a lot of Irish emigrants ( not just the ones who head to Canada ) even London etc and after a while the seem to have a clear vision of what Ireland was/is like for them and this sense of never going back there opinion.
Its that ' vision ' I want to capture as I can't see whats going on outside this small ' bubble ' I live and work in at the moment and what type of life it can offer me and my family.
I'm getting extremely itchy feet at the moment but the fact of having work here is almost a curse , God forgive me for saying.

Any more honest replies would be appreciated, even from residents of Canada itself, what is your opinion, if any, do ye see a better life outside your own country and whats your opinion of the whole Irish ' system ' :rolleyes: etc.. from afar ?

V8_man

Thespoofer wrote: »

Thanks for the replies.

I suppose what I'm afraid of is being ignorant to my situation here in Ireland.
You see a lot of Irish emigrants ( not just the ones who head to Canada ) even London etc and after a while the seem to have a clear vision of what Ireland was/is like for them and this sense of never going back there opinion.
Its that ' vision ' I want to capture as I can't see whats going on outside this small ' bubble ' I live and work in at the moment and what type of life it can offer me and my family.
I'm getting extremely itchy feet at the moment but the fact of having work here is almost a curse , God forgive me for saying.

Any more honest replies would be appreciated, even from residents of Canada itself, what is your opinion, if any, do ye see a better life outside your own country and whats your opinion of the whole Irish ' system ' :rolleyes: etc.. from afar ?

Well, one of the things I've noticed is that expats who criticise the Irish 'system' have no comprehension of their own participation in it. there's a sense that it was 'other people' who caused the problems that led them to leave, one example being that Ireland is supposedly "parochial", small-minded etc. when it is probably no more so than anywhere else but the critics can't accept that they might be a bit smallminded themselves.

A bit of humility wouldn't go amiss. So, a lot of expats have a jaundiced view of Ireland from afar. Many don't, but it's easy to have a skewed vision - either positive or negative - of Ireland when you don't live there.

It's also easy to say you should stay in Ireland and help fix its problems, but when you have a family your first duty is to them and so making a life for yourself is your priority.

In that regard things can definitely be better overseas if you can make it happen, but you will become part of a different culture and mentality and you have to take that into account. Assimilating to Canadian life isn't always easy but it's worthwhile. I have a more or less neutral view of Ireland now, my life there was never great in material terms, but that has nothing to do with the country or the people themselves, although I've never had the same kind of social life here as I had there. Then again, that might be an element of going from my 20s into my 30s...

If you have any more questions I'd be glad to answer them, I'd like to try and give a proper response.