Ottawa-newcomers/old timers

The man in red and black

Haven't seen a thread for people based in Ottawa yet. There is a very large Irish population in Ottawa at this stage. Both people that have been out here 20+ years and then newcomers such as myself.

We even have a hurling club now if anyone is interested PM me or go to www.eireogottawahurlingclub.com

For many of the Irish I have met in Ottawa who previously lived in Toronto they really seem to prefer Ottawa. It's smaller and seems easier to meet new people.

At least now we'll have a thread for asking questions etc. If anyone is interested in meeting up with more Irish for a night out, poker nights(in aid of the hurling club!) or hurling training then post or PM me!

GerPower

The man in red and black wrote: »

Haven't seen a thread for people based in Ottawa yet. There is a very large Irish population in Ottawa at this stage. Both people that have been out here 20+ years and then newcomers such as myself.

We even have a hurling club now if anyone is interested PM me or go to www.eireogottawahurlingclub.com

For many of the Irish I have met in Ottawa who previously lived in Toronto they really seem to prefer Ottawa. It's smaller and seems easier to meet new people.

At least now we'll have a thread for asking questions etc. If anyone is interested in meeting up with more Irish for a night out, poker nights(in aid of the hurling club!) or hurling training then post or PM me!

Going there in June but not much of a hurler im afraid i'm more into the bigger ball i could never master the skill of hurling. Whats it like over there anyway i only picked Ottawa as i didn't want to get stuck in Toronto. Are jobs easy to come by?

The man in red and black

Depends on what area you work in. If you are happy to work at anything for a while the Irish community typically is helpful to try find something to get you started. I understand Pat Kelly was given a medal by the president of Ireland for his services to Irish emigrants.

Ottawa is a nice city also. Nightlife is pretty good, close to alot of activities like rafting, ziplining, the rideau canal obviously. A variety of music festivals.

Depends what you are into!

GerPower

The man in red and black wrote: »

Depends on what area you work in. If you are happy to work at anything for a while the Irish community typically is helpful to try find something to get you started. I understand Pat Kelly was given a medal by the president of Ireland for his services to Irish emigrants.

Ottawa is a nice city also. Nightlife is pretty good, close to alot of activities like rafting, ziplining, the rideau canal obviously. A variety of music festivals.

Depends what you are into!

Thanks for that, i will have a look into it more but at the start I'd be happy just to get settled and go from there. I'm heading over on my own so i know nobody in Ottawa which can be a disadvantage but having some sort of network to go to would be a great help to get things started. Thanks for the reply back much appreciated.

The man in red and black

GerPower wrote: »

Thanks for that, i will have a look into it more but at the start I'd be happy just to get settled and go from there. I'm heading over on my own so i know nobody in Ottawa which can be a disadvantage but having some sort of network to go to would be a great help to get things started. Thanks for the reply back much appreciated.

No problem, best of luck and be sure to look up the hurling or football clubs when you get here to meet the crowd!

kellstrom

Hi there. I was considering moving to Ottawa in July/August, living in Edmonton at the moment. Its a nice enough city, just think I've seen enough of it and eager to try somewhere new. Any more info on Ottawa would be great, e.g, rental prices, the job market, nightlife, people, activities. I've heard its cheaper to live in Gatineau, aslo, as opposed to Ottawa itself. Is this correct?

Thanks

The man in red and black

kellstrom wrote: »

Hi there. I was considering moving to Ottawa in July/August, living in Edmonton at the moment. Its a nice enough city, just think I've seen enough of it and eager to try somewhere new. Any more info on Ottawa would be great, e.g, rental prices, the job market, nightlife, people, activities. I've heard its cheaper to live in Gatineau, aslo, as opposed to Ottawa itself. Is this correct?

Thanks

I live a bit outside Ottawa so maybe someone else could fill you in on rent prices? I know the lads always say it is much cheaper live in Gatineau but you have to consider the fact it is a different province so tax rates/health care system is different from Ontario also! Something to consider if you are living in one province and working in another. My impression of the job market is positive. Anyone who I have met that came out here looking for work seems to find it if they are motivated.

As for activities, you know yourself if living out west, Winter sports in Winter, Summer sports in Summer

Ardillaun

I am considering retiring in the Ottawa area. It has a lot of good stuff going on and property is more reasonably priced than Toronto. The parks and hills are really enticing as well, plus Montreal and the Adirondacks of New York are not too far away.

mac123

I rent a 2 bed apartment in westboro for $1100/month. It's fairly reasonable for the size and the location is close to everything. All in all the cost of living is lower here compared to other cities. (Except when it comes to a pint of Guinness at the Heart&Crown - selling for $9 now, although they can be had for $6 in other places)

Rent across the bridge in Quebec is definitely a bit cheaper. I believe income tax is a bit higher there though.

For sports, as mentioned there is the hurling, lots of football teams and the rugby scene is fairly active too. You should take up some sort of winter sport to keep your sanity in winter though. I chose snowboarding. There's a few decent hills nearby if you're new to the sport. The bigger and better places are 2-6 hours away.

The main negative is that Ottawa is a government town and alot of the work is either in the government or catering to the government. With that being said there is work available in other areas. Construction seems to be never ending here and there is a reasonably big tech scene.

newwan

Just there today. Had some nice cider after a job interview. Hoping to move june next year for 4 years min. Going to miss home hard.

But the city and ppl are nice... And theres skiing! Is there hurling? Sometimes i dont think id get out of bed if hurling didnt exist...

The man in red and black

newwan wrote: »

Is there hurling? Sometimes i dont think id get out of bed if hurling didnt exist...

That's what I love to hear! Eire Og Ottawa hurling club. Likely training tomorrow morning if you are around for a look! The matches are generally on TV in the Heart and Crown Irish pub in the Market area though you have to pay to watch them. Make sure and contact us when you move out to play a bit of hurling. We are heading out to Halifax in Sept for the Eastern Canadian Champsionships!

Fittle

WE are considering moving over there in November - we have two children, 13 and 3 months. Are there any 'family' threads around - am doing my research and it seems like a lovely place.

Also, we plan on arriving and staying in temporary accommodation until we find our long-term home - anyone know if that is a runner - again, with young children?

Thanks for any info!

iamstop

Trying to move there from Winnipeg in the next month or two. Still looking for a job in manufacturing engineering. Any leads?