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Hello everyone.
I am a Software Engineer when Software development and IT project management experience. I have worked with international companies all my professional life, so I expect to quickly understand the so called "Canadian business culture and experience".
I am hispanic, 34, with a 3y/o girl and wife. Our family was approved as PR and we "checked-in" through Calgary, but we didn't stay long due to family issues we had to come back and attend.
Now I am considering to go back but never had the chance to really estimate expenses or evaluate the market. We are looking for a city with the following conditions:
- Good weather: We prefer central and west of Canada for that reason. We can stand cold, but do not like annual cold fronts frequencies in other cities.
- Family oriented and clean: Our country of origin has come short in terms of open areas (parks, etc) and has filled almost every spot with buildings.
- Affordable for an average lifestyle: We are not europeans. Our taste for dining or clothing is not of brands but primarily quality (gap for example), but we like to eat out on the weekends and occasionally watch a hockey game, a rock concert or go to the movies. Again, pretty average I believe.
We like to do short family trips and love the parks for bike riding, skating, tennis playing, hockey. Good air and safety to enjoy those activities is a very good plus for us.
In terms of professional growth, I understand you can't get to where you want to be immediately, but I want to be able to provide for my family the best I can. My wife is a dentist, but her english needs some refreshment, plus her activity is regulated, so it may take her some time to help me with the family income. Still, she has very good experience managing personnel, working on HR and is very willing to continue her professional growth.
Here are the concrete questions:
1. Which of these cities you think best meet the mentioned needs, considering my profession and our lifestyle.
2. What would be a good salary to make a living? We live in a 1900sqft apartment (that truly feels like 1700 due to wasted space architecture) and intend to look for a place near the 1600sqft in Canada, since we have extra space here to host visitors. Oh, I don't know how hard is to get a house loan, so we will start by renting.
I seriously appreciate all the information you can provide us, as it determines the amount of effort I will spend looking for a job and housing in the particular city.
best bets are Vancouver and calgary as victoria does not have much IT
Vancouver is very expensive but telus one of our major communications satillite TV internet and cell phone providers is expanding.
heres the news article:
Telus will spend $670 million this year to expand its wireless and wireline networks in British Columbia.
Telus is adding 76 new cell sites that will enhance service for rural and urban customers - and along highway corridors - the Vancouver-based company said Monday.
Some of the work will support the looming introduction of 'Dual Cell' service on the telecom's high speed wireless data network - which promises to double peak wireless Internet speeds to 42 megabits per second.
Telus also plans to lay what it describes as "thousands of kilometres" of fibre optic lines to support its Optik TV and high speed Internet service.
"This year, TELUS will continue to bring the innovations of Optik TV and faster Internet speeds to even more British Columbians," Darren Entwistle, Telus president and CEO, said in the release.
"We will continue to bring citizens faster wireless broadband services as we introduce HSPA+ Dual Cell technology, one of the most advanced wireless technologies in the world, to more B.C. communities."
Read more: Telus announces $670 million for B.C. networks expansion in 2011 (http://www.vancouversun.com/technology/Telus+announces+million+networks+expansion+2011/4398008/story.html#ixzz1GrtEc37d - broken link)
Thank you GTOlover, I followed your lead and checked their website. Still, assuming Vancouver, what is a favorable income according to the cost of living, my family size and lifestyle? anyone?
Thank you GTOlover, I followed your lead and checked their website. Still, assuming Vancouver, what is a favorable income according to the cost of living, my family size and lifestyle? anyone?
If you can put up with the long winter Calgary is more favorable in financial terms. You will also find it much easier to get a job in Calgary than Vancouver.
Just look at all the BC license plates filling the streets of Calgary!
I prefer Vancouver as a city but job-wise Calgary will offer far better salaries and purchasing power for a home....
Jobs in Vancouver pay less than Toronto and Toronto's salaries are already quite poor compared to similar-sized American cities......and Vancouver housing costs far more than Toronto so you do the math.
If you want to live in a small space and be financially constrained but have a beautiful city, go to Vancouver by all means.
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