French jobs in Toronto (home, find a job, schools)

[Bubbles01]

Hello everyone. So basically, I would like to know if it is possible for a francophone to live and work in Toronto. To make a long story short, my friend, lets call him Steve, may have the opportunity to move to Toronto for a job offer, but he won't leave his girlfriend behind. Now, she is VERY french, as in speaks a little english but not much. Would she be able to find a job and live in a city like Toronto with so few english skills?

[Fred Derf]

Originally Posted by Bubbles01

Hello everyone. So basically, I would like to know if it is possible for a francophone to live and work in Toronto. To make a long story short, my friend, lets call him Steve, may have the opportunity to move to Toronto for a job offer, but he won't leave his girlfriend behind. Now, she is VERY french, as in speaks a little english but not much. Would she be able to find a job and live in a city like Toronto with so few english skills?

If she were to check in with a local francophone school (not just a french-immersion school but a true francophone school) then they'll probably have some sort of directory that will list businesses geared towards the francophone community. That's a start. There are two public francophone boards that cover Toronto (one Catholic and one not). This is the Catholic one: .: Bienvenue | CSDCCS :.

Actually, come to think of it they have a special page for what she may want: CSDCCS-Bienvenue dans la région de Toronto

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by Fred Derf

If she were to check in with a local francophone school (not just a french-immersion school but a true francophone school) then they'll probably have some sort of directory that will list businesses geared towards the francophone community. That's a start. There are two public francophone boards that cover Toronto (one Catholic and one not). This is the Catholic one: .: Bienvenue | CSDCCS :.

Actually, come to think of it they have a special page for what she may want: CSDCCS-Bienvenue dans la région de Toronto

Really nice site. Though as with all communities that are looking for "new recruits", they probably exaggerate how easy it is to live only in French in Toronto.

There wouldn't be many jobs for a French-only speaker in Toronto, with a few exceptions.

One example is the francophone school system that is actually much more extensive than one might think. The French schools there are ALWAYS looking for people as the local bank of candidates who can teach in French is very small. Hence, almost all of the teachers are "imports" from Quebec, New Brunswick, areas of Ontario with more francophones like the east and the north, or from abroad. Most of these teachers gain experience and eventually find jobs back home, so there are always openings. Of course, you do need some type of teacher's qualifications to teach in Ontario.

Another option is child care or nanny work. Lots of parents in Toronto (native French-speaking or not) want their kids to learn to speak French as young as possible. So there is work in this area for a French-only speaker.

Also, there is some customer service work with the many national companies based in Toronto who have almost one quarter of their clientele based in Quebec. So they always need lots of people to answer the 1-800 lines and reply to e-mails in French.

In any event, the lady in question will likely be speaking English quite fluently before you know it. You can't escape it in a place like Toronto.

[Bubbles01]

Well, I'll definitely send that website along to my friend. She may be more willing to go with him, or at least discuss the possibility, if she knew that there were programs or communities where she can get involved. Yes, she definitely will be learning some English if she goes, but she may not feel so far away from home with the resources you provided. Thanks a ton guys!