Been in Canada 3 months now info inside

kitchenchair

ciaran67 wrote: »

I think people need to realise that you're not going get your dream job with a 1 or 2 year visa.

Dunno if I agree with that. I know plenty who obtained their dream jobs on a 1-year IEC never mind a 2-year IEC. And then applied for extensions/PR after that.

jiminho

willabur wrote: »

shouldn't really talk in absolutes, I got my ideal job after 2 weeks and I am here on the 2 year visa.

We're not, that's the point. I think people should be more cautious and realistic. I got my ideal job after 8wks but i know people who are here nearly 2yrs and haven't found theirs. It's harder for graduates on the 1/2yr visa because companies don't want to train these people. People with experience is a very different situation, however, you'll find a lot of the people coming over here have next to none.

goingitalone

quick question i may end up posting a thread on it . but best deals on getting a mobile phone over i looking on a few sites but the data plans dont seem to be great over , as like over here . anyone any suggestions and i know pay as ya go isnt as big over there .really
thanks anyway.

Scruffy19

goingitalone wrote: »

quick question i may end up posting a thread on it . but best deals on getting a mobile phone over i looking on a few sites but the data plans dont seem to be great over , as like over here . anyone any suggestions and i know pay as ya go isnt as big over there .really
thanks anyway.

Anybody but Telus! Just stay away from Telus! Fido have good deals on at the moment i think. Going to switch to them in the new year

COYVB

goingitalone wrote: »

quick question i may end up posting a thread on it . but best deals on getting a mobile phone over i looking on a few sites but the data plans dont seem to be great over , as like over here . anyone any suggestions and i know pay as ya go isnt as big over there .really
thanks anyway.

koodo

ciaran67

kitchenchair wrote: »

Dunno if I agree with that. I know plenty who obtained their dream jobs on a 1-year IEC never mind a 2-year IEC. And then applied for extensions/PR after that.

I'm kind of referring to all the people I'm reading who seem to have ridiculous expectations of Canada being some sort of land of milk and honey. I spent Friday night with several old Canadian born and bred mates. All of them are struggling for work. I should of said that there is less chance.

TheJims

goingitalone wrote: »

quick question i may end up posting a thread on it . but best deals on getting a mobile phone over i looking on a few sites but the data plans dont seem to be great over , as like over here . anyone any suggestions and i know pay as ya go isnt as big over there .really
thanks anyway.

im here 3 weeks, we went with fido, i went with the BYOP (Bring Your Own Phone) deal and got 10% off whatever package you choose, and its a month to month deal so if u find something better along the way, happy days!

The GF went with fido too, got a LG Nexus 3 for free, with a free case and free screen protector, and free international texts included in her bundle for 55$ a month.. reasonalbe!

goingitalone

TheJims wrote: »

im here 3 weeks, we went with fido, i went with the BYOP (Bring Your Own Phone) deal and got 10% off whatever package you choose, and its a month to month deal so if u find something better along the way, happy days!

The GF went with fido too, got a LG Nexus 3 for free, with a free case and free screen protector, and free international texts included in her bundle for 55$ a month.. reasonalbe!

Cheers jims what are the data plans like ? If us don't mind me asking I looked at there site but do the differ much in-stores at all?

el diablo

goingitalone wrote: »

Cheers jims what are the data plans like ? If us don't mind me asking I looked at there site but do the differ much in-stores at all?

Should be the same in store as online.

willabur

have a look at this site

http://www.comparecellular.com/

Kev_2012

I'm here over 5 months now, and far less homesick than I was, but I'm still going home next year. I really REALLY miss the craic and the sport. Getting up at 4.30 and 6 am at the weekends to watch rugby and soccer is awful and there is a 2+ month break in the rugby season!

Having said that, I have realised that I am very lucky to be here and it is a beautiful city and I am grateful that I have been able to experience it.

My advice is, if you are in construction or something, then come over, wages are pretty high. If you are in I.T. (like me and even though I really like my job), don't. The wages are just not worth it, even with 5 years experience like me.

Coming over here has made me really see that Ireland isn't a bad place to live at all and no matter where you live you can be bored if you are broke! I'm just going to try to make the most of the rest of my time here and experience the best Canada has to offer!

dealhunter1985

I was on Wind but I found the reception terrible in some parts.
I recently changed to Fido and find them excellent so far.
They recently increased the data allowance on their Smart Plans aswell.
http://www.fido.ca/web/page/portal/Fido/MonthlyPlans/Group2
The cheapest plan comes with 400 megs.
Only 5 dollars for each additional 250 megs you go over the limit, so I think its pretty reasonable.
As mentioned, you get a 10% discount if you bring your own phone aswell

willabur

really depends on what you are using your phone for and what access you have for WIFI. My plan here for 60 dollars per month includes 6G which is enough for what I want it to do.

robbieVan

I was working in a factory in ireland part time and on the dole, my gf was working part time in spar, we both saved up over the course of 6 months and applied for the iec, the highest eduction either of us have is a higher diploma from a plc course, Arrived to Vancouver 8 months ago, she got a full-time job fairly quick in retail, took me 5 weeks to find a job in what I wanted to do , I could've taken a job in a warehouse on a number of occasions but pay was **** considering I'd have to buy a monthly travel pass to get to work but I would still get by even if i did take it, also was offered a job in a chocolate factory that i nearly took ha

We got a 1 bedroom place on beach avenue which is right downtown beside the beach for about 720 EUROS once converted from dollars..we spent the summer lying out on the beach with friends on weekends and after work chilling in the sun, having bbq's + beers.. was amazing..and cheap!..the rent includes your heating and hot water too..(heating is on constantly with the cold weather these days)..plus your garbage is included and we have a gym and sauna in our building too.. electricity is about 10 EUROS a month..we have tv and wifi for 24 EUROS a month.. decent secondhand furniture costs nothing on craigslist.. the apartment isn't massive but perfect for us two and the area is amazing, we have a nice view and balcony too, you would not find somewhere in dublin for that money in that kinda spot.

My gf now works in a full-time job as a receptionist and she loves it and i also work full-time in my line of work.

We don't get paid a fortune by any standard but there is ways to do things without spending a lot, you just gotta be smart, and we have both pretty much giving up drinking like we did at home, nightclubs etc are now and again on special occasions, we keep quiet enough during the week but do go cinema and ice skating weekly. what we get paid isn't exactly much more than what minimum wage is at home, think its about 11e per hour for me and 10e for her pr hour

We have been on weekend trips to whistler, vancouver island, 4 days in vegas and seattle, so far, we have been and done all the tourist things around here like all the valleys and parks etc too and we are going home for 2 weeks at xmas.

What I am trying to get at here is it is totally manageable to have a decent time in Vancouver, just have to be a bit more clever and don't expect to wine and dine most nights of the week, if you shop clever and take up hobbies which don't include spending a fortune then you'll be grand.

It is extremely daunting at first but once you are over the first few hurdles it is worth it.

Like a lot have said above we also could not see ourselves spending the rest of our lives here but fook it we are determined to make the most of being this side of the world for the 2 years, I never imagined I'd get to go and see these places while I was sitting at home working part time and on the dole, you gotta just make the jump and if you come home after 6 months then whats the big deal? you'll probably have some great experiences and memories to share which are a lot better than sitting at home twiddling your thumbs as life flys by.

Also agree that people this side for the most part with some exceptions are pretty dull, alberta people seem more fun tbh, and east coasters too, they all understand slagging a lot better than the west coast lot, I couldn't stay here forever though as we both have a lot of family and the people really are just quite boring, extremely nice and friendly though, lack of knackers around the place and feeling safe are great attributes to this city , anyone have any questions just pm me

robbieVan

and just to add after re-reading my post, you do not have to be scabby and we both are not stingy in the slightest, you just have to be clever with your money and know where to spend it, when we were first here we nearly had a heart attack when it came to shopping etc but you learn to right places to go

same goes for drinking, a lot of people are probably interested in this part which i left out, if you want to go out at 6pm and spend the night in a pub and finish in a nightclub it's going to be expensive, on par with dublin if you go to decent spots there, but once you know the bars to go to which arent aimed at tourists then it becomes for the most part cheaper than at home,
I love the bar food here you can get and its cheap, a lot of places have 5dollar pints which is cheaper than home, i've found places where you can get 3 dollar pints, a lot of local brews and in house beers which makes them cheaper, way nicer selection of beer here too than what you'd find in ireland

I'm out drinking sometimes a couple of times a week, either be it over in friends and then out to a club for the last couple of hours or going to a pub or that, it all can be done, but there is a massive difference between being clever with your money and being an idiot, and you dont feel like a scab when it means you can go to vegas for 4 nights cause you actually compared prices between different places when doing your shopping,

it's well worth it coming out here we've found and we dont expect to go home with a pile of money but seriously I'd much rather be having all these experiences and seeing all these places over the two years than i would doing the same old in ireland also saving no money

Cream Bun

Really interesting reading through all the posts here. Well, since my last post, we have moved to Vancouver as Whistler was just too expensive as well as theres not a whole lot to do there apart from ski/snowboard. For me, its more of a place I would like to visit for a week or a weekend, but not to live there. I have applied to various jobs in my field in Vancouver but have not heard anything so far from companies, so I am working as a sales associate for the time being.

Everything people said in the last few posts is soo true!! Its good to hear we are all kind of experiencing the same things. We made out a list of the things we want to do here, but again its all money. Really wanna go see an ice hockey game etc but we are on a budget at the moment. I cant get over the price of food and chicken here! We spend about 30 dollars a day on food for dinner etc.. We definately dont go out as much as we did at home. When i was at home i was always either meeting friends for drinks, or dinner or concerts etc... but just cant afford to do all that here.. But then again, if i got a better job then maybe i would.. We just want to try and make some money so we can travel and check out toronto and montreal and wherevere else we can before we go home. I have absolutely no regrets and the whole experience has made me appreciate everything i had at home, friends, family, as people have already said 'the craic'!! and all the little things you take for granted. The experience has also been a learning curve and a challlenge for us, especially my boyfriend who was very flimsy with money at home, its a real shock to him!
I agree with CBBCB that the yoga and cross fit are soo expensive, yoga is 170 dollars a month each!!
I also agree with Kev in the post that people make it out to be better than it is..
I would love to know, does anyone who reads this thread actually see themselves living permanently in Canada? Most people have said they want to go home after the year or 2. And is there anyone who absolutely loves it and is making good money and thinks were all mad and wants to live here forever!?

robbieVan

Cream Bun wrote: »

And is there anyone who absolutely loves it and is making good money and thinks were all mad and wants to live here forever!?

I know an Irish couple here who have got their permanent residency after 3 years here, they love it here, but they both have good jobs and have made friends with canadians. Theres nothing for them at home compared to what they have here so I think they kinda see as whats the point in going home. Plus they both don't have much family ties.

I went and saw a Canucks game and the tickets were 60 bucks, I don't think that is too unreasonable for a proper NHL game.

jiminho

Canada is a great place to live and for the people who are willing to give it a go and stay here permanently will no doubt be successful in their lives, perhaps more so then if they were to return to Ireland. Potentially higher salary, potentially lower living expenses, greater out door activities etc the list goes on. But for me the home is where the heart is and I will be returning to Ireland in 2-4 years.

It's one big thing, family and a bunch of little things. As crazy as it may sound, I miss having to go get milk and bread in my local Spar or whatever. Here, I either have to drive to the big Superstore or to a gas station where I'd probably pay 1.5 times what I would in the Superstore.

Some people may be more effected by these things then others but there yeh go.

Scruffy19

I would have to agree with quite a lot of posts in this thread. Before I came here I didn't really do much research into life in Canada.

I've been here nearly 8 months now and I must say it has bee a pretty tough time. Been messed about by a previous employer (revenge was sweet tho ) that put in debt for a few months and I'm only now starting to save money again. Once you learn how to budget your money you will be fine and be able to do things that you can't back home.

Food shopping can be nuts out here as everyone said. I live in North Van so there's plenty of places up Lonsdale where we go to get certain things I.e. Meat, fruit.

Everyone's best topic - Beer. Back home I would of been out in a nightclub every sat night, drunk as a skunk! I couldn't sit in on a sat night! When I first came here I was out once every two weeks but boy was it expensive. I'm a big drinker, so on average it was about $120 or more on a night out. There are places out here that do good deals and some of the local beer is a lot better to what we have on offer in Ireland. The biggest shock to me is that I haven't been out in over two and half months (but that's mainly cause I couldnt afford it).

There is tons of stuff to do in Vancouver to keep busy. In the summer this place was amazing. Nearly two whole months without no rain!! Looking forward to going sking in Jan. Never been before so it will be a experience for me if you get the chance go check out the BC Lions. Went to a game last month and it was a good nights Craic. Haven't made it to a NHL game yet, will do that in the new year.

Like people are saying, most people in Vancouver are dull and don't get our sense of humor. I sit in work and take the piss outa people and they just look at ya as if u have two heads! Lighten up!
But yea I don't see myself staying here forever. I've got a lot more back home, friends, family. Maybe stay to the end of my visa and if works going well then I might stay on for another year, but Ireland is we're my heart is. I'd take a weekend in Co Sligo over a weekend in Seattle anyway.

For anyone reading these posts about Canada just make sure you do as much research as possible before coming here and be prepared that you might not get your ideal job for a few months.

ciaran67

Scruffy19 wrote: »

For anyone reading these posts about Canada just make sure you do as much research as possible before coming here and be prepared that you might not get your ideal job for a few months.

My Castlederg father in laws advice - head down, charge.

Sam Swarek

im here in saskatchewan nearly 5 months and to be honest I sort of regret coming over. I had a job before i came over which helped plus the company paid for all my moving and setting up costs which was a huge help.
but to be honest, i dont like the job, the role is only a fraction of what your required to know back home and my colleagues are amazed when i tell them ive a degree from college, the day is very long and boring! the wages are good or so i thought untill i saw 35% come out of my wages on taxes and pension, but i do have medical and dental plans with the company which is good. in saskatchewan everyone gets a medical card too and i could swap my irish licence for a full canadian one too which is a bonus.
cost of living is crazy expensive, i paid $9.75 for a pint last saturday night, i stayed for 3 then fcked off home, even beer from "off sales" is ridiculous, i think i paid 60 bucks for 24 small cans of coors light recently! food and grocery shopping is very expensive too, no such thing as an aldi or lidl here! driving is a nightmare, the canadians are pure ass holes on the road. the summer was nice if a bit too warm and humid, air con is essenial in your house for the summer, winter is the complete opposite, minus 40+ here every day, its depressing, you can do fck all in the evenings its just so cold and miserable.
sports here are complete ****e, i mean on tv, no such thing as champions league on the box of a tuesday or wednesday evening, that canadian football (gridiron) that they are completely bonkers about in saskatchewan is the greatest load of ****e ive ever seen, i feel sorry for them that they have never seen a real sport like hurling or gaelic football, hockey is enjoyable to watch and attend now and again but thats about it, i suppose theres curling too but id rather watch paint dry! to go on a skiing or snowboarding trip is too expensive, so the notion ye have of coming here and go skiing every wknd, forget about it!
the canadian people are friendly and they are welcoming by and large but calling a spade a spade here, they are a lot like the americans, a bit loud and naiive about things, but as i said, friendly, helpful and welcoming.
im only here not even 5 months and ill stick out til end of next summer and see how i feel then but if i had any other option id probably get out of here now being honest, i need to save and have something else lined up, thats all that is keeping me here, maybe ill think differently about thngs in a few months but right now this has been my thoughts of the place.

goingitalone

Sam Swarek wrote: »

im here in saskatchewan nearly 5 months and to be honest I sort of regret coming over. I had a job before i came over which helped plus the company paid for all my moving and setting up costs which was a huge help.
but to be honest, i dont like the job, the role is only a fraction of what your required to know back home and my colleagues are amazed when i tell them ive a degree from college, the day is very long and boring! the wages are good or so i thought untill i saw 35% come out of my wages on taxes and pension, but i do have medical and dental plans with the company which is good. in saskatchewan everyone gets a medical card too and i could swap my irish licence for a full canadian one too which is a bonus.
cost of living is crazy expensive, i paid $9.75 for a pint last saturday night, i stayed for 3 then fcked off home, even beer from "off sales" is ridiculous, i think i paid 60 bucks for 24 small cans of coors light recently! food and grocery shopping is very expensive too, no such thing as an aldi or lidl here! driving is a nightmare, the canadians are pure ass holes on the road. the summer was nice if a bit too warm and humid, air con is essenial in your house for the summer, winter is the complete opposite, minus 40+ here every day, its depressing, you can do fck all in the evenings its just so cold and miserable.
sports here are complete ****e, i mean on tv, no such thing as champions league on the box of a tuesday or wednesday evening, that canadian football (gridiron) that they are completely bonkers about in saskatchewan is the greatest load of ****e ive ever seen, i feel sorry for them that they have never seen a real sport like hurling or gaelic football, hockey is enjoyable to watch and attend now and again but thats about it, i suppose theres curling too but id rather watch paint dry! to go on a skiing or snowboarding trip is too expensive, so the notion ye have of coming here and go skiing every wknd, forget about it!
the canadian people are friendly and they are welcoming by and large but calling a spade a spade here, they are a lot like the americans, a bit loud and naiive about things, but as i said, friendly, helpful and welcoming.
im only here not even 5 months and ill stick out til end of next summer and see how i feel then but if i had any other option id probably get out of here now being honest, i need to save and have something else lined up, thats all that is keeping me here, maybe ill think differently about thngs in a few months but right now this has been my thoughts of the place.

thought about looking elsewhere in canada ?just curious cant say winter sports interests me anywho thats why im thinking bigger citys more of an option for me .

robbieVan

Sam Swarek wrote: »

im here in saskatchewan nearly 5 months

That is a different world up there though compared to toronto, vancouver , calgary etc.. way better wages but they have to pay that to keep people there.. save up and move down to somewhere else for a few months?

goingitalone

robbieVan wrote: »

That is a different world up there though compared to toronto, vancouver , calgary etc.. way better wages but they have to pay that to keep people there.. save up and move down to somewhere else for a few months?

read all your post robbie ,seems good really for me its between toronto and van simply because of job prospects seems better i mean id rather earn less and have something to do . the be up north and have loads of money but with **** all to do with it !

robbieVan

goingitalone wrote: »

read all your post robbie ,seems good really for me its between toronto and van simply because of job prospects seems better i mean id rather earn less and have something to do . the be up north and have loads of money but with **** all to do with it !

yea I had the same dilemma alright, but I heard just so much from people saying its not a very nice experience living up north.. too cold in winter and too hot in summer, nothing to do etc etc.. and for the single guys apparently there is very few women around ha

I don't think i'll have much if any money saved when I eventually do go home but fcuk it I had a good time and great experiences

The only thing I would ever think of doing is going up there for the last 6 months of my visa and just working and saving a few quid but that would only be if I really needed the cash when going home.

Loads of guys are up north working to pay off a mortgage on a house in ireland that they bought in the boom and is now worth a third of what they paid originally, I feel bad for those people cause they have no other option but stick it out for the few years, but at least they have the option of paying it off by working

goingitalone

exactly i think the experience is the main part with it .i mean having a load of money coming back would be good having an even better time when your there is the whole point really

Frank Bullitt

I'm here 6 months on Wednesday, and I love it.

It took some time to get working but the networking pays off, and if you really want to get the job you want, there are ways, I learned that from networking (I work in design over here).

Certain things are expensive but I am not concerned about saving etc, for the first year of this, I am treating it like a long holiday etc, but not going bonkers all the time.

I find the nightlife suits me better here over Dublin, mainly because there is so much more to do. I grew tired of nightclubs and all that bull****, so getting to a nice bar with good beer, good friends for a chat and a laugh is far more rewarding to me.

Activities can be expensive but it depends on what you do, yoga is dear but it is a handy way to meet people etc, but again its each to their own. Shopping is a killer, but I have fine tuned it now that I can get my food in different shops around my area, its a bit of hassle but worth it. Eating out here is amazing, the choices you have are great!

againstthetide

Sam Swarek wrote: »

im here in saskatchewan nearly 5 months and to be honest I sort of regret coming over. I had a job before i came over which helped plus the company paid for all my moving and setting up costs which was a huge help.
but to be honest, i dont like the job, the role is only a fraction of what your required to know back home and my colleagues are amazed when i tell them ive a degree from college, the day is very long and boring! the wages are good or so i thought untill i saw 35% come out of my wages on taxes and pension, but i do have medical and dental plans with the company which is good. in saskatchewan everyone gets a medical card too and i could swap my irish licence for a full canadian one too which is a bonus.
cost of living is crazy expensive, i paid $9.75 for a pint last saturday night, i stayed for 3 then fcked off home, even beer from "off sales" is ridiculous, i think i paid 60 bucks for 24 small cans of coors light recently! food and grocery shopping is very expensive too, no such thing as an aldi or lidl here! driving is a nightmare, the canadians are pure ass holes on the road. the summer was nice if a bit too warm and humid, air con is essenial in your house for the summer, winter is the complete opposite, minus 40+ here every day, its depressing, you can do fck all in the evenings its just so cold and miserable.
sports here are complete ****e, i mean on tv, no such thing as champions league on the box of a tuesday or wednesday evening, that canadian football (gridiron) that they are completely bonkers about in saskatchewan is the greatest load of ****e ive ever seen, i feel sorry for them that they have never seen a real sport like hurling or gaelic football, hockey is enjoyable to watch and attend now and again but thats about it, i suppose theres curling too but id rather watch paint dry! to go on a skiing or snowboarding trip is too expensive, so the notion ye have of coming here and go skiing every wknd, forget about it!
the canadian people are friendly and they are welcoming by and large but calling a spade a spade here, they are a lot like the americans, a bit loud and naiive about things, but as i said, friendly, helpful and welcoming.
im only here not even 5 months and ill stick out til end of next summer and see how i feel then but if i had any other option id probably get out of here now being honest, i need to save and have something else lined up, thats all that is keeping me here, maybe ill think differently about thngs in a few months but right now this has been my thoughts of the place.

Where in Sask are you?

Kev_2012

Gintonious wrote: »

I'm here 6 months on Wednesday, and I love it.

It took some time to get working but the networking pays off, and if you really want to get the job you want, there are ways, I learned that from networking (I work in design over here).

Certain things are expensive but I am not concerned about saving etc, for the first year of this, I am treating it like a long holiday etc, but not going bonkers all the time.

I find the nightlife suits me better here over Dublin, mainly because there is so much more to do. I grew tired of nightclubs and all that bull****, so getting to a nice bar with good beer, good friends for a chat and a laugh is far more rewarding to me.

Activities can be expensive but it depends on what you do, yoga is dear but it is a handy way to meet people etc, but again its each to their own. Shopping is a killer, but I have fine tuned it now that I can get my food in different shops around my area, its a bit of hassle but worth it. Eating out here is amazing, the choices you have are great!

As a Limerick man, I would certainly take the nightlife in Dublin over Vancouver any day of the week! I like Granville Island brewary and Okanagan and that but, I'd also much rather higher quality pints of Heineken or Guinness that the muck pints you get in 99% of bars here. I like it here, but the nightlife hasn't a patch on back home! I'm also here 6 months BTW.

Sam Swarek

againstthetide wrote: »

Where in Sask are you?

Regina