Living in Canada can be a life changing experience. It is a nation that boasts beautiful countryside that is interspersed by modern cities. It is a popular living location with people who are looking to bask in natural beauty whilst enjoying all the modern conveniences that are found in the Western world. Canada is also frequently ranked number one in the United Nations annual Human Development Index, which considers factors such as job opportunties, quality of schooling, life expectancy and cost of living. It has one of the strongest economies in the world and is a member of the G8, the world's most prosperous nations.
Whilst Canada covers a vast area, the majority of people live in cities that are positioned within 200 km of the US boarder, leaving the larger part of the country less inhabited. Northern and Western Canada are popular with nature lovers from across the world and these areas are also home to the last Inuit (Eskimo) communities.
Canada was originally inhabited by first nation aboriginal tribes and it wasn't until the 17th and 18th century that the Europeans started to establish settlements there.
Canada remains part of the British Commonwealth and is subsequently very popular with expats from both the UK and France. However, despite its European background, Canada shares much more economic and social similarities with the US and for this reason it is highly popular with US expats who are looking for experiences outside their home country.
Today Canada's strong economy means that they are able to accept more immigrants from around the world than any other western nation (per capita) and for people from the US and UK the legal requirements for living in Canada and gaining acceptance are relatively straightforward in comparison with other places in the world.
Many expatriates find that the cost of living in Canada is much lower than that in their home country. The housing costs are much cheaper when compared with other countries and people who relocate to Canada looking to purchase property will find that they can get more for their money here. Mercer's 2011 survey of expatriate living costs Toronto (59) overtook Vancouver (65) to become the most expensive Canadian city in the ranking, followed by Montreal (79) and Calgary (96). Ranking 114, Ottawa is the least expensive city in Canada. For the full information you will need to compare the cost of living in your home country with that of popular cities then please see our relocation guides. They contain full sample costing for all popular goods and services in cities throughout the world.
Canada's population consists of approximately 32 million. The main languages spoken are the official languages of Canada, English (59%) and French (23%) with the remaining 18% consisting of other languages.
Canada experiences four distinct seasons, with long, cold winters and warm summers. Coastal temperatures are often warmer than those inland, especially during the winter.
The Canadian government have demonstrated a willingness to employ foreign workers and have historically been quick to recognize that skilled immigrants are important to the growth of the Canadian economy.
The majority of expats living in Canada find work through insurance, catering or production industries and there tends to be a good availability of office jobs for expats. In the past Canada has suffered from a deficit of skilled engineering candidates and for this reason expats who work in the field of project management, process and engineering are in higher demand.
The unemployment rate in Canada, as of September 2009, was 8.4%. At present the country is experiencing a shortage in positions for students but rises are being observed in the retail and wholesale trade sectors.
It is worth noting that some expats are legally able to work in Canada without work permit, a list of exempt occupations can be found at http://www.cic.gc.ca. The Government of Canada website also provides useful information on moving to Canada as a foreign worker http://www.workingincanada.gc.ca/content_pieces-eng.do?cid=1
Expat Info Desk currently has city guides available for living in Toronto and living in Vancouver. These exhaustive relocation guides contains everything you need to know about living in these Canadian cities and will assist you to:
Unlike a book, the guides are regularly reviewed and updated in order to ensure that the information is accurate and reliable and because it is written by real expats who live and work in Canada, you can be assured that you are accessing the information that you need as written by people who really are in the know.
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